A Note from Our Board of Directors
Dear CBHL Community,
We are writing to share an important update regarding leadership at The College for Behavioral Health Leadership (CBHL). As a result of the loss of funding and to ensure the long-term sustainability of our organization, the CBHL Board of Directors has made the very difficult decision to eliminate the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position at this time. This decision was not made lightly. It reflects the challenging realities of so many of us in public behavioral health leadership.
We extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation to our CEO, Charly Weldon, for her exceptional leadership, passion, and steadfast commitment to CBHL’s mission. Charly has led with heart, clarity, and an unwavering focus on transforming behavioral health systems. Her tenure has been marked by integrity, compassion, and a collaborative spirit that, even in her short time, has deeply impacted our organization, our partners, and the broader field. Throughout this transition, Charly has remained remarkably supportive, embodying the servant leadership that has defined her time with CBHL.
Our commitment to CBHL’s mission and to our network of members and collaborators remains strong. Working with our Director of Operations, Chelsey Gutierrez, our extraordinary Board and partners, we will continue to support, educate, and empower behavioral health leaders in the US.
Leadership support has never been more important than now. Though we are cutting back now, we remain steadfast to the values of recovery, equity, and social justice that have always defined our organization. Through our collective power, we will endure.
Thank you for your continued support and belief in the power of leadership to drive meaningful change in behavioral health. If you have any questions or would like to offer any assistance please contact Fran Sylvestri, CBHL Board President, at Fran@pl.net.
With appreciation,
Fran and Marcy
Chelsey Gutierrez (she/her) is the Director of Operations at CBHL and a behavioral health leader with over a decade of experience in nonprofit organizations. A proud Colombian American originally from Florida, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Florida Gulf Coast University. In 2016, she earned Master’s of Science in Nonprofit Management from Northeastern University.
Throughout her career, Chelsey has worked across diverse sectors, supporting adults with developmental disabilities, youth experiencing homelessness, and individuals in residential drug and alcohol treatment programs. She has also played a key role in a member-network collaborative, leading workforce development initiatives in behavioral health. Passionate about advancing equitable access to care, she specializes in program development and continuous quality improvement.
Now based in Canton, Michigan, Chelsey enjoys spending time with her family and participating in her book club.
Ebony Chambers is the Director of Equity-Grounded Leadership for The College for Behavioral Health Leadership. In this role, she oversees the delivery, facilitation, content, and progress of the Equity-Grounded Leadership (EGL) Fellow Program. Ebony has over 18 years of experience working with issues of social justice, equity, education, mental health and diversity.
Email: echambers@leaders4health.org
Vicki Goutzoulis is a Project Coordinator at The College for Behavioral Health Leadership (CBHL). Before deciding to pursue a career change and pivot toward a future in public health, she worked for nearly 8 years in marketing and communications. She is currently pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) at Brown University School of Public Health.
