SAMHSA ANNOUNCES NEW ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS

For Immediate Release: June 30, 2004

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Administrator, Charles Curie, today announced the appointment of three new members to the SAMHSA National Advisory Council.

They are: James R. Aiona Jr., Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii, Columba Bush, First Lady of Florida and Kenneth D. Stark, Director of Alcohol and Substance Abuse at the Washington Department of Social and Health Services. The announcement took place at the 35th National Advisory Council Meeting in Washington, D.C.

At the meeting, Curie congratulated the new members on their appointment. He said: “Each new member brings a valuable perspective, critical expertise and new energy to the SAMHSA National Advisory Council. I look forward to working with each of them on advancing SAMHSA’s vision and mission.”

The new members on the council are:

• James R. “Duke” Aiona, Jr, is Hawaii’s lieutenant governor. He has previously served on the Corrections Population Management Commission and the Advisory Committee of the Hawaii Drug Court. After being elected into office in 2002, he quickly set the tone for his new administration by immediately addressing the issues of public safety to include substance abuse and other Native Hawaiian issues such as health, education and federal recognition.

• Columba Bush, First Lady of Florida, dedicates her time and energy to promoting a variety of issues including substance abuse prevention and art appreciation and education among Florida’s youth. She is also a board member of the Columbia University’s Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), a resource institution on the prevention of substance abuse. She is also on the Board of Phoenix House, which is devoted to the treatment of prevention of substance abuse.

• Kenneth D. Stark has worked in the substance and alcohol field since 1971. He is served as a consultant and educator on alcohol and drug issues. He has managed the Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse within the Department of Social and Health Services since 1988. He previously served on SAMHSA’s National Committee for Women’s Services.

Retiring from the council are Pablo Hernandez, M.D., former administrator, Wyoming Department of Health and Administrator of the Wyoming State Hospital, and Jane C. Maxwell, Ph.D., a research scientist at the Center for Social Work Research at the University of Texas at Austin.

SAMHSA’s National Advisory Council is charged with advising, consulting, and making recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Assistant Secretary for Health, and the Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, concerning activities carried out by and through the agency. Meetings are held twice a year.

Current council members include: James R. Aiona, Jr., lieutenant governor of Hawaii; Mary T. Burns, M.D., Columba Bush, first lady of Florida; Gwynneth A. E. Dieter, mental health advocate; Diane Holder, CEO, UPMC Health Plan; Barbara Huff, executive director, Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health; Thomas Lewis, president, The Fishing School; Theresa Racicot, former first lady of Montana; Kenneth D. Stark, director, Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, Washington Department of Social and Health Services; Kathleen Sullivan, journalist. Ex officio members include the Honorable Tommy G. Thompson and Dr. Laurent S. Lehmann, chief consultant for Mental Health Strategic Healthcare Group, Department of Veterans Affairs.

SAMHSA, a public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead federal agency for improving accountability, quality and effectiveness of the Nation's substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment and mental health services.
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For more information, contact:
Celyn Chong Kee
Public Liaison Phone: 586-0255

Lenny Klompus
Senior Advisor – Communications
Phone: 586-7705

Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: 586-0043