Leadership

Mary Parrigon – Joplin

President, Board of Directors

Stacy Welling – Jefferson City

Vice President, Board of Directors

Stacy Welling started her career in the radio industry where she was the Promotions Director for a seven- station radio group in the Jefferson City-Columbia market. In 2005, she relocated to Jefferson City to join her family business, Whaley’s Pharmacy, where she now serves as the President and part-owner of the company. She has been involved with many community organizations and events including the Jefferson City Area YMCA Board, the American Heart Association Heart Ball, the Circle of Red and the March of Dimes.

Jane Frances Pfefferkorn — Sikeston

Treasurer, Board of Directors

Jane Pfefferkorn, B.S., CCJP, MRSS, MATS, CRPR, has spent the past 23 plus years creating and building a faith-based recovery network in Southeast Missouri. In 2005 Mission Missouri was credentialed by the Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH) as a Recovery Support Services Provider and Access Site for the Access to Recovery Federal SAMHSA program. The agency is also certified by DMH to provide outpatient counseling for substance use disorders. In 2017 Mission Missouri received designation as a Certified Recovery Support Services Provider, the recently approved designation through the DMH Certification Standards. In 2018 Mission Missouri was awarded the designation as the Southeast Access Site for the Recovery Support Services funding through DMH. Jane serves on the Missouri Credentialing Board and the boards of the Missouri Recovery Network and the Missouri Mental Health Foundation. She currently serves as Secretary of the Missouri Coalition of Recovery Support Providers and is the chair of the coalition’s Housing Task Force.

Jonce Chidister – Kennett

Secretary, Board of Directors

Jonce Chidister is an attorney and current Partner with the Dalton, Mowrer, and Chidister, LLP. He previously served as the Dunklin County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, an attorney for the Dunklin County Juvenile Ofce, and worked with the Missouri Public Defender’s Office, 35th Judicial District as an Assistant Public Defender. He also represents the interests of children in child abuse and neglect cases as a Guardian Ad Litem, serves as the current Board President for the Cotton Boll Sheltered Workshop/Cotton Boll Handicapped Housing Group Home and serves as the Board Vice-President for the Bootheel Youth Museum.

Terry Trafton – Kansas City

Immediate Past President, Board of Directors

As a Mental Health Expert, Emotional Energy Catalyst, Wellbeing Strategist and Speaker, Terry Trafton works with organizations to support and educate people and leaders to build a strong work, team and organizational culture that includes resilience, emotional energy awareness, and mental Wellbeing. Terry offers customized services that focus on operational effectiveness, leadership development, strategy, and employee insight.

Terry holds a license and certifications to build organizational engagement and employee resilience through appreciative inquiry, energy intelligence, and is trained in emotional intelligence and psychological trauma-informed culture transformation. Terry works directly with employees/leaders, teams and organizaitons to reduce burnout, retain talent, build amazing culture, activate great leaders, and engaged employees.

With over 25 years of experience in professional business settings including healthcare, behavioral health, profit, and non-profits, and serving as an Administrator, Managing Director, Chief Executive and Business Strategist, Terry has a proven track record of building success. He has significant business management and development experience. Terry holds a National Certification and License as a Professional Counselor with a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. Terry serves in various civic community leadership roles as the Governance Committee Chair of The Health Forward Foundation, Past President of the Missouri Mental Health Foundation, and Board Member of The Greater Lee’s Summit Healthcare Foundation Board of Directors. He is also a previous member of the Kansas City Business Journal Leadership Trust.

Ladell Flowers – Kansas City

Member, Board of Directors

Ladell Flowers has more than 40 years of faith-based counseling, correctional counseling and administration experience. He serves as the Executive Director of the Dismas House of Kansas City, Inc., where he has provided oversight to its residential and outpatient programs since 1977. He is a past Chairman of the Missouri State Advisory Council, the Kansas City Substance Abuse Treatment and Recovery Support Coalition, as well as serving on other boards and committees to aid his community.

J. Michael Keller – St. Louis

Member, Board of Directors

Mike Keller served as the Executive Director of Independence Center, a leading Clubhouse model program for adults with mental illness, until his retirement in 2016. He has twenty years experience at non-profit management and leadership, having previously served for ten years as President of St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, and three as Vice President – Marketing of the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association.

Clay McGranahan, Jr.

Member, Board of Directors

Clay McGranahan, Jr. is currently the Vice- President of Program Services for the Arc of the Ozarks, a nonprofit agency that provides supports to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) through Medicaid and government contracts. Clay has been active with the I/DD population and services for the last 20 years on a professional level. Clay and his family reside in Rogersville, Missouri and were introduced to the realm of developmental disabilities as the parents of a son with autism and hearing loss. The dedication of this family has paved the way for a successful model for other individuals and families in recognizing and honoring the aspects of the I/DD world.

Nancy Pennington

Member, Board of Directors

Nancy Pennington serves as the Executive Director/CEO of the Missouri Association of County Developmental Disabilities Services (MACDDS).  Prior to this, she worked with the Adair County SB40 Developmental Disability Board in Kirksville, Missouri, serving as the Executive Director and in a variety of volunteer roles with the MACDDS Board of Directors including President-Elect, Treasurer/Secretary and on the Governmental Affairs, Finance, and Conference Committees.  Nancy has over twenty-five years working with various non-profits, previously serving as the Executive Director for the United Way of Adair County/Northeast Missouri and working with several organizations in the nonprofit field. She received her BS degree in Accounting from Truman State University, earned her certificate in Certified Public Accounting, and is a graduate of the National Leadership Institute on Developmental Disabilities.  Nancy also currently serves on the Advisory Leadership Team for the Institute of Human Development at the University of Kansas City.  Nancy and her husband also served as foster parents for several children.  Nancy’s strengths include her ability to build relationships and cultivate a positive culture, her knowledge of and experience with local developmental disability services, as well as her sincere dedication to individuals with I/DD, MACDDS and our mission.

John Stuckey

Member, Board of Directors

John is Associate Director of Community Relations at Alkermes. In this role, he develops strategy and communicates with key stakeholders in order to connect resources and ultimately, make positive contributions to the community, increasing access to care for those impacted by substance use disorder and serious mental illness. 

John is also the founder and previous CEO of ARCHway Institute, a National 501(c)3 non-profit, which originated in Missouri. The organization provides education, peer support, and financial assistance to help both individuals and their families overcome the barriers to achieving long-term recovery. In addition, John worked at Assisted Recovery Centers of America in both inpatient and outpatient settings, and he served as the Executive Director of Recovery House of STL. Over his eight years in this role, he developed and built the program and culture of the organization to be able to house over 120 men, guiding them all towards a pathway to sustainable recovery. He also played an integral role in the peer support movement in Missouri, growing and developing a large number of certified peers. 

As a person in long-term recovery from opioid use disorder, John utilizes his lived experience to change the stigma related to this disorder and ensure that individuals and families are provided with the opportunity and the necessary resources in order to reach recovery. John was named Missouri Mental Health Champion in 2020. He has spoken in front of thousands in venues across the country sharing his personal and professional experiences in this field and inspiring and providing the hope that recovery is possible! 

John enjoys spending time with his wife, Emily, and is a Dog Father to two rambunctious English bulldogs. He’s an avid golfer, loves using his new smoker, cooking enough meat for an army, and visiting friends and family in different parts of the country.

Debra Walker – Jefferson City

Ex-Officio Member, Board of Directors

Debra Walker currently serves as the Director of the Office of Public & Legislative Affairs for the Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH). In addition, she serves as the DMH Liaison to the Missouri Mental Health Foundation and serves on the board as an ex-officio member. Her previous work experience includes Broadcasting, Public Relations, Media and Communications, Marketing and Event Planning.

Mitchell Woodrum

Member, Board of Directors

Mitchell W. Woodrum is an officer in the Army, former commander, and combat veteran. He holds a bachelor’s in political science and master’s in management and leadership. Mitchell has served on several nonprofit boards including the City of Jefferson’s Human Relations and Art Commissions, Jefferson City Arts Foundation, and the Missouri Contemporary Ballet. He currently serves as the board president for the Capitol City Cinema, board of directors for the Historic City of Jefferson Foundation, and board of directors for the Special Learning Center. When not working or volunteering you will likely find Mitchell spending time with husband Dalton and three dogs at their lake cabin. Mitchell is passionate about spreading awareness on the importance of mental health care accessibility.

Katie Andrews – Joplin

Executive Director, Missouri Mental Health Foundation

Katie joined the Missouri Mental Health Foundation in 2021 as the Associate Director/Marketing Coordinator. Previously, she was with the Department of Mental Health for 10 years frequently working alongside the Foundation on various projects and events including establishing and coordinating the Real Voices, Real Choices Conference. During her tenure at DMH, she helped improve access for Missourians to behavioral healthcare, conducted agency reviews to ensure service delivery systems met the standards and program quality expected of the State of Missouri, and connected justice-involved individuals to specialized programs to reduce (re)incarceration and increase public safety. Katie graduated from Florida State University with a Master of Social Work. She currently lives in Joplin with her fiancé, daughter, and two dogs. When she isn’t keeping busy with her daughter’s softball games, you can find her spending time with her family or reading a book.