Shelburne resident begins tenure as HowardCenter Executive Director

Bob Bick of Shelburne became the Executive Director of the HowardCenter board, effective Jan. 1. Bick has been the Director of HowardCenter’s Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services since1994 when an organization that he led for 10 years merged with two others to form the current day HowardCenter.

“Bob stood out in a national field that included other deeply qualified candidates with experience running organizations that are similar to, or even larger than, HowardCenter,” said HowardCenter Board President Mark Baglini, who also co-chaired the search committee. “We were impressed with his energy, his deep knowledge of HowardCenter and Vermont’s human services landscape, his track record for overcoming obstacles to launch collaborative programs, his passion for the mission, and his commitment to transforming HowardCenter to better serve our clients, our staff, and our community. Bick succeeds Todd Centybear, who has led HowardCenter for 13 years and has been at the organization since 1975. Centybear is retiring Jan. 15.

“We owe a large debt of gratitude to Todd Centybear for his decades of leadership,” said Baglini. “During his tenure, HowardCenter has constantly stretched itself to meet the community’s needs because Todd cares so much about every individual’s needs.”

With a staff of 1,500, more than 60 locations, and a budget of approximately $85 million, HowardCenter is the state’s designated mental health agency for Chittenden County. Each year, HowardCenter serves the mental health, substance abuse, and developmental services needs of more than 15,000 individuals.

Prior to joining HowardCenter, Bick was Executive Director of Champlain Drug and Alcohol Services. In 1994, he played a key role in the merger of that agency and the Baird Center for Children & Families with HowardCenter. His previous posts include four years of clinical and program leadership positions with adult and adolescent residential, outpatient and shelter programs throughout New England for Marathon House in Providence, R. I.

Bick currently holds numerous local, state, and regional service appointments, including serving as President of the Board of the Vermont Care Network (previously Behavioral Health Network of Vermont), the Advisory Committee of the Green Mountain Care Board, the Governor’s Criminal Justice and Substance Abuse Cabinet, the Steering Committee of the Vermont Health Care Innovation Program (VHCIP), the Burlington Service Executive Committee of the Burlington Police Department, the Vermont Certification Board and as vice president of the board of the New England Institute of Addiction Studies. A licensed substance abuse counselor, Bick holds a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Hartford and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota.

“I am truly humbled to accept this new role,” said Bick. “I look forward with great enthusiasm to working with our dedicated staff and board as we continue to forge partnerships with our community partners that improve the lives of individuals and families. It is an honor to be part of this organization, which plays such a key role in the health and wellbeing of our community.”

HowardCenter’s Board selected Bick following a nationwide search that began in May with the appointment of a board committee. Supported by the Vermont based search firm LeFevre & Associates, the committee created a job description with input from hundreds of stakeholders, including board members, staff, and community partners. After receiving nearly 140 applications from around the nation, the committee narrowed the field to eight candidates who were invited to interview in the first round. Two finalists were then selected for 1.5 day extended interviews that included meetings with board and staff leadership, a town hall event with staff and consumers, and a community roundtable with leaders from partner organizations.

“All of us involved in this process are grateful to the hundreds of staff and community members who took the time to respond to surveys, to talk with us about their hopes for this process, to attend events to meet the candidates, and to provide feedback on our finalists,” said Search Committee Co-Chair Elizabeth Bassett, who also serves as Vice President of the HowardCenter Board. “The process confirmed that our community has high regard for HowardCenter’s expertise, its willingness to collaborate, and its dedication to doing what’s right for the community.”