NAMI Fortifies Board with Lived Experience to Steer Through Mental Health Crisis

ARLINGTON, Va. – June 15, 2026 – The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) today announced its 2026–2027 board of directors, a strategic assembly of leadership that signals a powerful doubling-down on its core identity: leveraging lived experience to drive systemic change. In what CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. calls "a pivotal time for mental health in our nation," the organization is not merely filling seats. It is deliberately curating a blend of continuity and deeply personal expertise to navigate a landscape fraught with workforce shortages, a youth mental health crisis, and persistent barriers to care.

The move reinforces NAMI's position as a grassroots behemoth, where the authority to lead is derived as much from personal journeys as it is from professional credentials. With the re-election of a seasoned president and the addition of members who have transformed personal struggle into public advocacy, the new board appears engineered to translate empathy into action.

A Steady Hand at the Helm

In a clear vote for stability, Jeff Fladen, MSW, will continue his tenure as President of the NAMI Board of Directors. Fladen, the former executive director of NAMI Tennessee, brings a comprehensive background that bridges clinical practice, nonprofit management, and policy advocacy. His career as a therapist, crisis counselor, and psychiatric program director provides the board with a leader grounded in the front-line realities of mental healthcare.

"As I begin another year serving as NAMI's board president, I am inspired by the dedication of our volunteers, advocates, and leaders across the country," Fladen said in a statement. "Together, we will continue to build on our progress, translating lived experience into action, advocacy, and lasting change."

This message of continuity is echoed by CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., who emphasized the critical need for proven leadership. "NAMI's newly elected board leaders bring the experience, insight, and unwavering commitment needed to help guide the organization forward," he stated.

Fladen is supported by a robust executive committee, including 1st Vice President Barbara Ricci of NAMI New York City, a veteran of global finance and a powerful advocate for workplace mental health; 2nd Vice President Mary Kay Battaglia of NAMI Wisconsin; Treasurer Linh Preston of NAMI Indiana; and Secretary Rebecca Kiessling of NAMI Northern Virginia. This core team suggests a focus on maintaining operational and strategic momentum while integrating fresh perspectives from newly elected members.

The Mandate of Lived Experience

Beyond the executive roster, the story behind these appointments lies in the board's profound commitment to what it calls "lived experience." This is not a hollow corporate buzzword but the foundational principle of an organization founded by families for families. The 2026-2027 board is arguably one of its most potent embodiments of this ethos, featuring leaders who have navigated the complexities of the mental health system not just as professionals, but as patients, parents, and survivors.

Among the newly elected members is Dr. Devika Bhushan, a pediatrician who served as California's Acting Surgeon General. Dr. Bhushan has been a public and vocal advocate for destigmatizing mental illness by openly sharing her own journey with bipolar disorder. Her professional work, including co-leading the state's landmark ACEs Aware initiative to address childhood trauma, is directly informed by her personal understanding of the need for compassionate, trauma-informed systems. Her presence on the board brings a rare fusion of high-level policy experience and the vulnerable, powerful credibility of personal testimony.

Similarly, Dr. Victoria Harris, a retired forensic psychiatrist, brings an almost unimaginable depth of perspective. Her career was spent working with incarcerated individuals with serious mental illness, but her advocacy is supercharged by her own catastrophic experience with medication-induced psychosis that led to her own incarceration. Now chairing NAMI's Justice Workgroup, her voice carries the weight of both a seasoned clinician and a survivor of the very system she seeks to reform.

The board also welcomes April Simpkins, whose advocacy was born from profound personal tragedy. Following the 2022 death by suicide of her daughter, former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, Simpkins has become a national voice on mental wellness and stigma reduction. As a NAMI Ambassador and co-author of a bestselling book about her daughter's hidden struggles, her work focuses on the critical importance of open conversation, particularly in high-achieving environments and within the workplace. Her presence ensures the family perspective—NAMI's very origin—remains central to its mission.

Positioning for the Future of Mental Health

The composition of this board is a clear strategic response to the nation's most pressing mental health challenges. The inclusion of "NextGen" directors like Rishika "Rish" Rohatgi and continuing member Davy Yue directly addresses the youth mental health crisis, ensuring the perspectives of young adults are integrated into the organization's strategy for early intervention and school-based support.

The board's expertise is also aligned with emerging trends in healthcare. Members like 1st VP Barbara Ricci, who co-created the #IWILLLISTEN campaign and has hosted CEO Summits on workplace mental health, position NAMI to be a key player in the corporate wellness movement. This focus is critical, as employers are increasingly recognized as a vital entry point for mental health support.

As the organization moves forward, it builds on the significant contributions of outgoing board members Laklieshia Izzard, Sukhi Sahni, and Dhanu Sannesy. Their expertise in clinical practice, strategic communications, and grassroots program delivery, respectively, helped shape the robust platform from which the new board will launch its initiatives. "Their contributions have helped shape NAMI's work and will continue to benefit the individuals and families we serve for years to come," Gillison noted.

By electing this particular group of leaders, the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization is sending an unambiguous message. In an era of unprecedented need, the most effective strategies will be those designed and driven by individuals who understand the landscape not just from a map, but from having walked the terrain themselves.

This is a board built not just to govern, but to testify. It is a strategic assembly of professionals, advocates, and survivors poised to ensure that, as the organization states, no one affected by mental illness has to face their journey alone.