Clinicians, Board of Directors, Leadership

Clinicians

Ali Lyons

Ali is a Licensed Certified Social Worker - Clinical (LCSW-C) in the state of Maryland. She is one of the Intake Specialists at Arundel Lodge in addition to providing individual and family therapy services. She specializes in depression, anxiety, trauma, and adolescent and young adult populations. She is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. Ali enjoys spending time outdoors and traveling.

Amber Long

Amber is an LCSW-C who earned her master's in social work from University of Maryland, Baltimore. She uses an eclectic approach to therapy, with an emphasis on self-compassion and mindfulness. She has experience working with adults with a variety of concerns, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and difficulty coping with life changes. In her free time, she enjoys kayaking, hiking, and nature.

Bronte Vaughn

Bronte is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) working with adults and adolescents (ages 16+). Specialties include ADD/ADHD, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and grief/loss. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from Morgan State University and Master of Arts Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Bowie State University. She enjoys reading novels and spending time with family.

Candace Jones

Candace is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) who specializes in grief, trauma, crisis stabilization, and vocational supports. She has a passion for all people, especially vulnerable/marginalized populations, and those living with mental health and/or substance use disorders. She works with underserved populations as a part of ALI's Behavioral Health Urgent Care Clinic. Candace completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Bowie State University and her Master of Arts in Social Work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She is currently pursuing education in Christian Counseling as this is another passion of hers as well. She is a natural advocate and enjoys listening and learning from others just as much as she enjoys leadership.

Francisca Okwukogo

Krista Rogers

Krista Rogers is a Licensed Master Social Worker with over three and a half years of experience. She practices from a cognitive behavioral, solution focused perspective. She strongly believes that clients can make effective change in their lives by being consistent and committed to personal growth. She believes that effective change can happen when clients have hope and understand that they are more than capable of progressing on their own unique and specific journeys through life. She encourages and supports clients to reach their goals in ways that are uniquely meaningful to them. When partnering with clients, it is her hope to increase self-awareness and improve self-worth through acceptance and empathy so that clients can have a healthy sense of self to create purposeful relationships with the people that are closest to them.

Leon Washington

Maureen Steele

Maureen is a LCSW-C with twenty years of experience working in the field of Behavioral/Mental Health. She received an MSW from the University of Maryland School of Social Work. She is currently the Clinic Director at Arundel Lodge as well as a therapist. Maureen started her professional career working in residential communities that support people with disabilities, mental health and substance use disorders. Those early experiences informed her desire to become a social worker and to continue to work in spaces that prioritized creating community, where everyone would feel not only accepted but also encouraged and supported. In her practice, she emphasizes self-compassion and acceptance. She works with people who are dealing with a variety of life challenges including, grief and loss, trauma, substance use, depression, anxiety, and emotion regulation as well as other mental health disorders. She is also a Maryland BSWE approved clinical supervisor. In addition to therapy, Maureen also provides clinical supervision to the wonderful team at Arundel Lodge.

Melanie J. Coates

Melanie is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and her therapeutic process is comfortable and warm. Her space, an OASIS: Open And Safe InSide. Mindfulness and Prayer are unique to her practice, and clients who work with her appreciate my calm demeanor and down-to-earth spirit. She also provides faith-based counseling. Melanie believes therapeutic models like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) help clients find peace, hope, direction, and joy. She is passionate about healing in the areas of anxiety, depression, domestic abuse, marital/relationship issues, PTSD, self-esteem/self-worth, sexual abuse, trauma, and workplace issues. Melanie received her B.S. from Freed-Hardeman University, her M.A. from Fayetteville State University, and is in pursuit of her Ed.D in Community Care and Counseling with a focus on Traumatology from Liberty University. She is an author, poet, and blogger who loves Dr. Pepper and eating stove-popped popcorn while relaxing in her rocking chair.

Michelle Lyon

Michelle is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). She enjoys working with children, adolescents, and their families in the Marcus Youth and Family Center at ALI. She is trained in Child-Centered Play Therapy, Directed Play Therapy, CBT, TF-CBT, DBT, ACT, and other modalities. Michelle thrives on helping kids and their families to enjoy lives that are not limited by anxiety, depression, the effects of trauma, behavior problems, and problems in family relationships and social interaction. When she is not in the office, Michelle enjoys hiking, baking and cooking, traveling, playing games, and hanging out with her family.

Rachel Carlson

Rachel Carlson received her Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of Georgia. She went on to receive her Masters of Social Work at the University of South Carolina. While working on her MSW, she also completed a certificate in Drug and Addiction Studies. Rachel completed clinical internships at the Substance Abuse Prevention and Education Office and at the University of South Carolina's Counseling and Psychiatry Center. She is an LMSW who particularly enjoys helping those working on substance use concerns and co-occuring disorders. During her free time, Rachel enjoys mountain biking, spending time with friends and family, and volunteering with animals.

Rakeeda Commodore

Rakeeda is a Child Therapist that specializes in Early Childhood and Attachment work. She also loves to work with school-aged children, adolescents, and their parents. She provides groups for young girls, teens, and families. When she is not in the office, she enjoys spending time with her family, roller skating, or spending time at the beach.

Raquel Brown

Rob Emerson

Rob is a psychiatric nurse practitioner who has worked at Arundel Lodge for over 10 years. He received his Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Virginia in 1997 and completed coursework at the University of Maryland to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner in 2010. He enjoys playing guitar badly and watching his daughter play soccer.

Samantha Jefferson

Samantha is a LCSW-C whom obtained her master’s degree from the University of Maryland, School of School Work. She is also a board approved supervisor and is actively providing supervision. Samantha is currently the Clinic Director at First Step Recovery, working with individuals who experience mental health and substance use concerns. She has enjoyed working with children, adolescents and adults for over ten years now. While providing a welcoming and warm environment, Samantha works with individuals who have ADHD, adjustment disorders, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, substance use, and other chronic mental health disorders. She strives to provide an environment for individuals to feel safe and comfortable; making it possible for the person to accomplish goals, work on life skills or access additional supports. In her free time, Samantha enjoys cheerleading, taking walks with her dog and spending time with her family.

Taylor Adams

Veronica Castillo

Veronica is a Bilingual Licensed Therapist who specializes in grief, trauma, substance use, depression, anxiety, PTSD, self-esteem/self-worth, sexual abuse and emotion regulation as well as other mental health disorders. She enjoys working with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families at ALI. She is trained in Child-Centered Play Therapy, Directed Play Therapy, CBT, TF-CBT, and other modalities. Veronica thrives on helping clients to enjoy lives that are not limited by anxiety, depression, the effects of trauma, behavior problems, and problems in family relationships and social interaction. When she is not in the office, Veronica enjoys teaching Yoga, cooking, traveling, trying new foods, and hanging out with her family.

Board of Directors

Beverly Marcus
President
Chair, Compliance Committee

Michael Marvin
Vice President & Treasurer Chair, Finance Committee

James Banwell
Member, Finance Committee

Waleska Casiano-Matos, Esq.
Member, JDEI Committee

Frederick Delp
Member, Finance Committee

Kelly Dunn
Member, JDEI Committee

Charlestine Fairley, PhD
Member, JDEI Committee

Jimmy Gibbons
Member, Finance Committee

Ray Hobson
Secretary
Member, Finance Committee

Barbara Isaacs
Chair, Development Committee

Karen Stacy
Member, Governance Committee, Compliance Committee

Tom Staskowski
Chair, JDEI Committee
Member, Development Committee

Kevin Hazucha
Executive Director, Ex Officio Member

Leadership

Kevin Hazucha

Executive Director

Jim Buckey

CPA Chief Financial Officer
Jim is a graduate of Loyola University – Maryland with a BA in Accounting and a Master’s in Business Administration. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant. After 10 busy tax seasons in Public Accounting, Jim decided he wanted his winters back and took a position as a Controller/CFO for a large Mental Health provider in Baltimore County. Since then Jim has worked as a Chief Financial Officer for a private school and a child welfare agency. He has also served in the US Army Reserves where he retired as a Medical Logistics Officer for a Combat Support Hospital. He brings to Arundel Lodge more than 28 years of experience in the nonprofit world. Both Jim and his wife are lifelong residents of Anne Arundel County where they have raised their four talented children.

Deborah Anawalt

Director of Human Resources
Debbie is a graduate of Towson University where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and Human Resource Management. She has worked in the Annapolis non-profit HR world for twenty-five years. She hopes to continue the traditions and excellence in supporting those that work at Arundel Lodge, Inc. Debbie enjoys being an empty nester with her husband, taking care of the garden, doing yoga, and reading books.

Mary Henry

Director of Development and Marketing
Mary Henry is a graduate of Notre Dame of Maryland University and has a BA degree in Human Services. Her background includes more than 15 years of nonprofit fundraising. Mary is passionate about fundraising because it supports the important mission of a nonprofit organization and the people it serves. She is a native Annapolitan who now lives in Severna Park with her husband, kids and two dogs. “Our health is one of our greatest gifts. We must nurture both our physical and mental health to be whole. I am honored to work for a group that provides resources and help to assist people in becoming whole again.”

Jennifer Messix

R.N., Chief Clinical Officer
Jenn Messix is a nurse, a servant leader, an advocate, and the Clinical Director at Arundel Lodge’s Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center in Annapolis, MD. She earned an Associate Degree in Nursing from Chesapeake College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Western Governor’s University and received an ANCC psychiatric-mental health nursing certification in 2017. Jenn is currently engaged in a Master of Science in Nursing degree program at Walden University with an anticipated graduation date of November 2023. Upon graduation, she will sit for the Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner board exam and is looking forward to caring for patients in a greater capacity, once licensed. Jenn began her nursing career at Shore Regional Health in Easton, MD as an Emergency Room Nurse after completing their Critical Care University program. Additionally, she has worked as a psychiatric staff nurse, nurse supervisor, and nurse educator of acute and residential psychiatric services at Adventist Behavioral Health and Wellness services in Cambridge, MD, and worked as a charge nurse for the adolescent inpatient unit as well as managed 2 adult co-occurring inpatient units for Adventist Behavioral Health and Wellness Services in Rockville, MD. Recently, Jenn served as a hospital representative for involuntary admission court hearings and worked as the clinical director of behavioral health with oversight of their adolescent & adult inpatient, adolescent & adult partial hospitalization, and emergency psychiatric service lines at Calvert Health Medical Center in Prince Frederick, MD. These combined experiences as well as support from her mentors who are also local leaders, have served her well throughout her professional nursing career. Jenn’s current role is to support her team of administrative assistants, peer support specialists, nurses, therapists, and psychiatric nurse practitioners in serving individuals from local communities with their mental health and substance use disorder needs. Her passion for building rapport, stigma reduction, mental wellness, patient advocacy, self-awareness, education, and patient-centered care is readily apparent. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, traveling, listening to true-crime podcasts, and spending time with her family and 2 Maine Coon cats. Jenn wants everyone to know that “Being diagnosed with a mental illness does not define who a person is or what they are capable of achieving."

Kathy Farrell

Director of Rehabilitation Program
Kathy Farrell is a graduate of University of Maryland Baltimore County where she received her BA degree and double majored in Psychology and Social Work. Kathy is also a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner. Before coming to Arundel Lodge, Kathy interned at Springfield Hospital Center for Social Work and worked for an adolescent group home for children diagnosed with autism. Kathy started at Arundel Lodge over 20 years ago as a member of the Direct Care Staff, and is now Director of Rehabilitation Program. “I love what I do. I enjoy being in this field and working with people who want to take control of their recovery and overall wellness,” she says. “Arundel Lodge is also family oriented and has been a great company to work for. The staff and persons served are supportive of one another and my hope is that Arundel Lodge can continue to provide quality programs that will encourage persons served to live the best life possible.”

Peter Palmquist

Facilities Director
Peter first joined the Lodge leadership team in 2015. Peter is a licensed Construction Supervisor with 20+ years of building and construction experience. With a Universal License in HVAC, certification in Serve Safe, and a Certified Pool Operator (CPO). Peter leads Arundel Lodge in the upkeep, safety and compliance of the Lodge's 36 residential homes and the main campus. With oversight of the facility's fleet of automobiles and vans, Peter is also responsible for auto safety training. Often pitching in to assist with projects ranging from IT to county interface for inspections and permitting, Peter leads a team of five to keep the Lodge's portfolio of properties in excellent working order.