Hanna appoints new board chair, trustees, interim co-CEOs

Hanna Institute receives grant for outreach, training|

Hanna Boys Center’s Board of Trustees recently chose a new chair, announced four new board members, and appointed two top-level senior managers to act as interim co-chief executive officers while a search continues for a new permanent CEO.

“All of our new board members bring considerable talent, expertise and energy to the table. Hanna has been a part of the Sonoma community for nearly 75 years and we are thrilled to have these trustees on hand to help lead us into the next chapter of our story,” said Tom Coughlan, interim co-CEO, in a press release.

The new board chair is Daniel C. Young, who took over for Tullus Miller on July 1. Young has served on the Board of Trustees as a regent and is a longtime Hanna supporter. He has more than 25 years’ experience in finance, economics and portfolio management. He is the managing director at Quantum Capital Management. Young is charged with steering Hanna’s future and overseeing financial management and governance.

"As the newly elected chair of Hanna’s Board of Trustees, I am honored and humbled to take on the leadership of this organization, which for more than 70 years has turned hurt into hope for thousands of young men who courageously are committed to building better lives for themselves,” Young said.

“I am grateful for the commitment and dedication of the organization's staff, board and donors, as well as the broader community and our many partners who share a vision of a stronger, more resilient Sonoma Valley. I look forward to building on the many successes of Hanna Boys Center, and furthering the goal of serving at-risk youth and their families, now and into the future.”

Therese Nugent, Chris Sanders, Lt. Col. Noma Martini and Dennis Dow are the new board members. The board will focus on finding a replacement for former Hanna CEO Brian Farragher, who retired July 1.

Nugent will serve as the chair of the Youth Services Committee, a three-year term, and has been on the Board of Regents since 2019. She is a Sonoma Valley real estate agent, a 25-year veteran professional fundraiser with a long list of volunteer and board work for nonprofit organizations.

Sanders will serve as Member at Large for Hanna, was on the Board of Regents since 2019, and has been on the board at St. Francis Solano School. He is a dedicated volunteer for a variety of nonprofits where he has helped in fund development and digital fundraising. He currently is a team lead for the social media app TikTok, and has worked for other major companies such as Facebook, LinkedIn, AMC Networks, Sony, AOL, Philips and NEC.

Martini is a Hanna alum who first came to the center in 1986. He will serve as chair of the Governance Committee and secretary. He has an MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, and dual bachelor’s degrees in American studies and history from UC Berkeley. Martini served 24 years with the U.S. Army as a helicopter pilot, managed Army airspace in northern Iraq, and did combat service in Afghanistan, to name a few of his duties.

Dow is a retired marriage and family counselor with more than 30 years as a mental health service provider and administrator and will serve as Member at Large for Hanna. He has a Master of Science and Psychology from the University of Maryland.

Co-CEOs

Coughlan, chief development officer, will co-lead Hanna with Dr. Stefanie Smith until a new CEO is hired.

Tom Coughlan (Photo credit: Green Nickel Photo)
Tom Coughlan (Photo credit: Green Nickel Photo)

Coughlan will continue to manage fund and business development while overseeing finances, marketing and communications and campus ministry.

“I am humbled and excited to partner with Dr. Smith and the board of trustees, in collaboration with a talented and committed leadership team and staff, to lead Hanna through this interim period until the next CEO is hired,” he said.

Stefanie Smith (COURTESY PHOTO)
Stefanie Smith (COURTESY PHOTO)

Smith is the chief clinical officer at Hanna. She will oversee the implementation of programs at Hanna including Archbishop Hanna High School and the residential and clinical areas as well as the Hanna Institute. Smith will continue to ensure that the programs are operated through a trauma-informed care lens.

"I am pleased to represent my team of fellow leaders of the various Hanna programs to our board and to continue our commitment to trauma-informed care and our community," Smith said.

Hanna Boys Center includes Archbishop Hanna high school and residential facilities for at-risk boys. It was founded in 1945 by two Catholic priests in San Francisco.

ACEs Aware Grant

The Hanna Institute, which provides awareness and training in trauma-informed care, received $275,000 for two ACEs (adverse childhood experience) Aware grants.

ACEs grants are funded through Office of the California Surgeon General and the Department of Health Care Services to provide training on how to conduct ACE screening for Medi-Cal recipients. To further the ACEs initiative the state awarded a total of $14.3 million to 100 organizations.

Hanna is working collaboratively with Redwood Community Health Coalition and Santa Rosa Community Health, which each received funds for a combined total of $575,000, to raise awareness of adverse childhood experiences, promote the ACEs Aware initiative among the Medi-Cal provider community, and training on how to conduct ACE screening.

One grant will be used to develop materials and information to reach the local community about ACEs, and why it is important to conduct screening. The information will help people understand what and why a pediatrician may inquire about a child, and it will align with state mandates as it relates to trauma-informed care.

The other grant will fund a series of seminars and trainings on topics related to trauma and childhood adversity. For example a seminar may examine the complex health diagnosis, perinatal mental health, and the role of community health workers in educating the community on trauma and adversity.

Due to COVID-19, everything will be online. The trainings and webinars are free to providers.

Email Anne at anne.ernst@sonomanews.com.

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