Pat George

President and Chief Executive Officer

Pat has served on our Board of Directors since 2003 and was appointed CEO in July 2015. He brings a distinguished record of public service to our organization, most recently as Kansas Secretary of Commerce. A member of the Kansas House of Representatives for six years, Pat chaired the Committee on State Employee Pay Plans, was vice-chairman of the Vision 2010 Committee and served on the Committee on Economic Development. In addition to his public service, Pat has a 25-year track record of starting and building successful business ventures, from his family’s automobile dealership to real estate development to professional sports. He is dedicated to helping those suffering from addiction “one person at a time, honorably and respectfully.”

Dr. Jolene Nichols

Vice President of Clinical Services

Dr. Nichols oversees clinical services for all Valley Hope locations. She is a Licensed Clinical Addiction Counselor and attended Colorado State University and Capella University earning a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Doctorate Degree in Psychology. Over the past 17 years, she’s held key positions with Valley Hope including Residential Counselor, Admissions Coordinator, Outpatient Counselor, Utilization Review Counselor, Director of AC/ESS Services, Director of Outpatient Services, Corporate Clinical Supervisor, Clinical Director of Valley Hope Tech and, currently, CEO of Valley Hope Solutions. With her vast experience and wide-ranging abilities, Jolene is a critical and dynamic member of our leadership team.

Dr. Patrick Hall

Vice President of Research

Dr. Hall steps into a new role to analyze more than 50 years of Valley Hope patient data to help the organization better treat patients and generate more foundational support. He joined Valley Hope in August 2013 as a Corporate Clinical Supervisor, providing patient care and clinical supervision at the residential facility in Norton, Kansas. In 2014, Patrick assumed more leadership responsibilities as a member of the corporate team and was named Vice President of Clinical Services in July 2015. He is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and earned a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College. He has received extensive training at leading health centers including Mt. Sinai Hospital, Edward Hines VA Medical Center, the University of Chicago Medical Center and the Iowa City VA Health Care System.

Christopher Wilkins

Interim Director of Administration

Chris brings a wealth of experience and innovation to his role as Interim Director of Administration, where he is responsible for business operations and special initiatives. He is the Founder and President Emeritus of the Loyola Recovery Foundation in Pittsford, New York, where he developed initiatives to help veterans and their families overcome their substance use disorders. Chris launched another initiative to commercialize and proliferate ACHESS (Addiction Comprehensive Health Enhancement Support System) on behalf of Dr. David Gustafson in a Type “B” public benefit corporation, CHESS Mobile Health, Inc. Chris currently serves on the SAMHSA’s National Advisory Council. He earned his master’s degree in health administration from Seton Hall University.

Tricia Olson

Chief of Staff

Tricia works closely with our Executive Leadership to assist in the operations and overall management of the organization. She held a similar role at the Kansas Department of Commerce in Topeka after serving as the Executive Assistant to the Secretary of Commerce. Prior to joining the Department of Commerce, Tricia was the Executive Assistant for Jeffry J. Larson, District Judge for the Kansas Fifth Judicial District. She attended Emporia State University and is a proud Hornet.

Dawn Johnson

Corporate Clinical Director

Dawn became Valley Hope’s Corporate Clinical Director in November 2017 where she brings a wealth of clinical knowledge and expertise to the leadership team. She began working as a counselor at Valley Hope of O’Neill in Nebraska in 1999. She fell in love with the state and became a huge fan of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. In July 2007, she was promoted to Program Director at the O’Neill facility. She moved to Norton, Kansas, in November 2010 to join the corporate office as Clinical Supervisor and then Regional Manager. Dawn earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Eastern Illinois University.

Melissa Windsor

Director of Outpatient Services
Melissa oversees the programming for Valley Hope’s seven outpatient facilities across its continuum. She has worked almost continuously for Valley Hope for the past 17 years, starting as a residential counselor and assuming various other roles for the organization. Melissa earned a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Northwestern Oklahoma State University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology emphasizing substance abuse studies from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor (LADC) and professional counselor (LPC) in Oklahoma.

Ryan Stover

Director of Operations

Ryan joined Valley Hope in August 2017 and serves as Director of Operations. He brings valuable experience in the physical health industry and revenue cycle management. Ryan was formerly the CEO of Norton County Hospital in Norton, Kansas, and managed 130 employees. Before taking the top job at the hospital, he was chief financial officer for seven years. Prior to his hospital management days, he worked in public accounting and the construction industry. Ryan’s true passion is in health care and helping those in need. He graduated from Fort Hays State University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and passed the certified public accounting exam in 1999.

Laurie Cliff

Director of Business Operations
Laurie began working with Valley Hope in 2001 and has held several positions with the organization including Business Manager at the Norton facility for 12 years. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and a Master of Science in Management degree from the University of Phoenix. In her current role, she acts as liaison to the Business Operations Managers and Financial Counselors and assists with daily operations and patient finance at the facilities. Laurie works to share her deep care and concern for our patients in delivering excellence in patient care through all operations and support staff roles.

Renee Hawks

Director of Information Systems

A native western Kansas farm girl, Renee believes putting in the hard work today will improve all tomorrows. It’s an approach that’s served her well in her career. Renee joined Valley Hope in 2009 as a customer support technician. Since then, she’s taken on increasing responsibility and expanded her knowledge as network administrator and support service technology manager. She understands the vital role technology plays in connecting patients to our programs and she’s excited for what future technologies hold for our patients. Renee attended Fort Hays State University where she studied biology.

Megan K. O’Connor

Director of Development

Megan is responsible for fundraising activities including the Annual Fund Drive, major gift solicitations, special events and stewardship. She’s also an editor of Coffee Cup, our quarterly newsletter. After earning a BS in Business Administration and Marketing from Oregon State University, Megan began her career as an event planner in the hotel/hospitality industry. She joined Valley Hope in 2003 and was certified as an addiction counselor in 2004. In 2005, Megan was promoted to her current position where her efforts have helped countless patients and their families get the treatment they need. Megan holds a certificate of fundraising management from The School of Philanthropy, University of Indiana.

Dr. Kasey Nichols

Corporate Medical Advisor

Dr. Nichols’ training and experience combines the best of conventional medicine, as well as a variety of alternative treatments including Chinese medicine/acupuncture, botanical medicine, spinal manipulation, and mind-body mental/emotional techniques. Kasey has completed numerous rotations in drug and alcohol treatment centers throughout Arizona. He earned his medical degree from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine from Tempe, Arizona, and a bachelor’s degree in human biology from the Cleveland University. Kasey is passionate about helping the public understand the vital role Valley Hope plays in helping individuals overcome substance abuse disorders.