Kenan was born in Alexandria, VA, and raised in the Northern Virginia suburbs.  She attended George Mason University where she earned both a BA in English and a master’s in Education: Curriculum and Instruction.  For the next 8 years, she worked as a high school English teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools. In 2004, Kenan…

With over 24 years of leadership experience across healthcare, behavioral health, developmental services, and human services, Heather brings a wealth of knowledge and a strong record of impactful leadership. She recently resigned as Executive Director at Cayuga Counseling Services, where she had led for nearly 13 years. During her tenure, Heather has excelled in managed…

Alisha Wright is the Director of Clinical Services at SBH. Alisha recently moved to the area after falling in love with the community during a camping trip with family. Although she is new to the area, Alisha is no stranger to crisis work. Alisha served as a Peer Suicide Prevention Counselor as a teenager in…

Paul Mandel has been part of the Southside Behavioral Health team since 1997. He describes his career with the Board as “someone who grew up in the agency.” Originally, Paul began his career as a Mental Health Case Manager. Within two years, he moved into the position of Intellectual Developmental (ID) Case Manager. After this,…

Galyna Hightower is the Director of Financial Services She has been with the agency since 2012. She is a licensed CPA. Prior to joining the Southside Behavioral Health team, she worked in the banking industry and was hired as an Accountant before progressing to her current position. Financial Services Department provides support for other agency…

Nicole Lewis is the Director of Quality and Compliance for Southside Behavioral Health. She has been with SBH since 2019. Her department provides support with continuous quality improvement throughout the agency, medical records, and management of our electronic health record. Nicole’s department is responsible for the agency’s performance contract with the Department of Behavioral Health…