Leadership
Nina Richtman serves as Interim Executive Director of TAC, where she provides steady leadership and is focused on strengthening the organization’s foundation while positioning it for its next phase of growth. Previously, Richtman served as TAC’s Director of Advocacy for 3 years, where she led TAC’s nationwide policy and advocacy initiatives, including legal consultation, resource and information sharing, educational programming, and support through the TAC Helpline. Richtman began her career as a technical scientist in agriculture before transitioning to the nonprofit sector in 2019. Her background in science and human-centered service delivery shapes her commitment to elevating lived experience and advancing innovative, data-driven solutions. Prior to joining TAC, Richtman worked at the CSG Justice Center and NAMI, where she led initiatives focused on crisis response and justice diversion. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Master of Science from Iowa State University.
Sharron Day spearheads operational and administrative functions of the organization, including office management, finance, human resources, technology, and performance management. Day has over 27 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. Before joining TAC, she served as a station advocate for PBS KIDS, aiding public television stations in the development and implementation of plans to use services while meeting the goals set forth by the U.S. Department of Education. Prior to that, Day worked as a program associate and meeting management specialist for Early Head Start National Resource Center at Zero To Three. Day earned her bachelor’s degree in organizational administration from George Mason University and a master’s degree in business administration from Argosy University.
In Alphabetical Order:
Leslie Carpenter tracks legislation across the country and assists in educating and mobilizing advocates in their respective states to help support the passage of legislation in their own states. Carpenter has been active at the state level in Iowa, as a volunteer lobbyist, NAMI Iowa Board Member, and public speaker. Previously, she successfully led the effort to start Iowa’s first AOT Program in the 6th Judicial District. She and her husband have 2 adult children, one of whom lives with a severe Schizoaffective Disorder. Carpenter has a bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy and retired from her 34 year career as a PT in order to work on reducing barriers to treatment for people with SMI.
Jerri Clark supports help seekers through the TAC Helpline, develops content for the Schizophrenia and Psychosis Resource Center, supports TAC grassroots advocacy networks, and offers a seminar on coping with ambiguous losses related to SMI. Clark dedicates her work to the memory of her son, Calvin, whose psychotic condition and suicide death are documented in her memoir of self-help, Gone Before Gone: When Mental Illness Steals Someone You Love. Previously, Clark worked for a nonprofit organization in Washington State to support families seeking services for their children with disabilities. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Kansas.
Leslie Craig contributes writing, editing, formatting, strategy and project management in her role as Communications Manager for TAC. Leslie has experience at the nexus of communications, administration, and operations for dynamic nonprofits operating in the social and environmental justice spheres. Leslie has a bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from Wilmington College and a master’s degree in Strategic Communications from Purdue University.
Nate Evans develops, implements, and oversees creative content strategy across all of TAC’s platforms. Nate graduated with a master’s in public health administration and policy and a bachelor’s in neuroscience from the University of Minnesota. He worked with Minnesota Recovery Corps and Catholic Charities Twin Cities as a substance use project coordinator and COVID contact tracer across Twin Cities homeless shelters.
Brooke Gentry coordinates educational offerings and events on assisted outpatient treatment and manages assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) resources. Brooke also supports the implementation team as they consult and provide technical assistance to entities implementing AOT across the country. Previously, Brooke worked at Expect Miracles Foundation providing financial assistance to young adult cancer survivors. While there, she utilized Salesforce to award and administer grants, as well as aid applicants. Brooke has a bachelor’s degree in religious studies with a minor in Mandarin from Colby College.
Katie Helbing supports caregivers, family members and individuals requesting help and resources through the TAC Helpline. Helbing began her career in the agriculture industry after completing her college education. Upon becoming a parent of children with congenital birth defects, she began advocating for those with disabilities. Katie earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University.
Jennifer Hoerl oversees TAC’s finances, to include financial statement preparation, budgeting and regulatory compliance. She has served as a Finance Director for the ONE Campaign and Turnaround for Children, and she has over 30 years of finance experience in many industries, such as credit union examination, government auditing, and university financial analysis. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Maryland University College. Jennifer’s greatest personal achievement is walking the Camino de Santiago, a 500 mile pilgrimage across northern Spain, learning the lesson of “one step at a time and trust.”
Sarah Hyatt serves on the assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) implementation team advising on AOT legal issues and providing training and technical assistance to support new and expanding AOT programs. Previously, Sarah was responsible for the oversight of an AOT program in Hamilton County, Ohio for many years where she acquired vast knowledge on the day-to-day operation of a successful program. Sarah has used her experience as a registered nurse and attorney in inpatient and outpatient behavioral health settings in the areas of risk management and quality assurance. Her broad-based background also includes several years’ experience practicing law in the private sector, after serving as legal clerk at the Arkansas Supreme Court. Sarah earned a juris doctor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Shadoe Jones advises on key policy considerations, collaborates with legislative partners, and provides legal counsel to advocate for the improvement of state and federal laws and systems of care to benefit individuals with severe mental illness (SMI). Previously, Jones served as a criminal defense attorney for those with SMI in Arizona. She advocated for resolutions that acknowledged the role of SMI, included treatment, and mitigated the impact of criminal charges on the individual’s future and access to benefits. Jones has been active in grassroots efforts to reduce barriers to treatment and the criminalization of SMI within Arizona. Jones received her juris doctor from Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law and her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and sociology from the University of Delaware.
Richelle McLean supports executive leadership across operations and development, with a focus on institutional giving and donor relations. She brings extensive experience in nonprofit organizations across healthcare, juvenile justice, and the arts, and has held roles in global education at New York University and the University of Melbourne in Australia. She earned a B.S. in International Trade and Marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology and has worked in sustainable garment development in New York City.
Ashlee Reyes is an integral part of the overall operations within the advocacy team, providing administrative support for events, resources and education, and grassroots advocacy. Previous to her advocacy work at TAC, she has extensive nonprofit experience at the Arizona Foothills Foodbank, where she was the leader of the volunteer program assisting with scheduling, education, and community engagement.
Shanti Silver supports TAC’s advocacy and public education efforts through managing research projects, writing research summaries, and responding to internal and external data requests. Prior to joining TAC, Shanti worked in higher education where she used analytics to evaluate programs and improve the student experience. Shanti has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in statistics from Kenyon College, and is currently pursuing a master of science degree in educational data science from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Jared Wyma-Bradley provides training and technical assistance to support new or improving assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) programs and creates content for the AOT Learning Network and AOT Resource Library. Prior to joining the AOT implementation team, Jared worked at one of Virginia’s state psychiatric hospitals, where he provided individual counsel and hosted therapeutic groups on spirituality and mental health. Jared also designed and led training for new employees at the hospital and was an ambassador of the diversity, equity, and inclusion committee. Jared has a bachelor’s degree in religious studies and master’s degree in divinity with an emphasis on spiritual care in healthcare.