Our Leadership
Ashley Board of Directors
Ashley's mission is clear: Our sole purpose is to heal.
Ashley’s Board of Directors is a passionate and energetic group of individuals committed to sustaining our co-founders’ legacy of
healing with dignity. Our Board is led by Chairman David Nassef. David is an experienced business person, a passionate Ashley advocate and a skilled leader. Ashley’s Board is comprised of individuals with diverse professional backgrounds. Our Board is a working Board that focuses on governance and management issues while providing guidance and strategic oversight. Ashley’s Board consists of men and women who have been touched by addiction and recovery at a personal level. Consequently, our Board members share a love of Ashley and a passion for helping the addicted and their families heal from the devastation of chemical dependence.
Senior Leadership
Mark Hushen, O.S.F.S.
President and CEO
Father Mark Hushen has been President and CEO of Father Martin's Ashley since 2007. He is a Catholic priest and a recovering alcoholic and addict. Fr. Mark brings a wealth of experience in the areas of 12 Step spirituality and alcohol and drug addiction treatment. Prior to joining Ashley, he served as the Director of Clinical Pastoral Care at Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania. He received his B.S. from Penn State University, State College, his Master of Divinity from De Sales School of Theology, and his M.A. in counseling from The Catholic University of America.
Bernadette Solounias, M.D.
Vice President of Treatment Services, Medical Director
Dr. Solounias joined Ashley in 1995. She was previously associated with the Division of Drug and Alcohol Abuse at University of Maryland Hospital where she directed the Alcohol and Drug Consultation Service, and also taught medical students and psychiatric resident physicians.
Dr. Solounias is a member of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatrists, the American Society of Addiction Medicine and the Maryland Psychiatric Society. She is a speaker on the topics of dual diagnosis and women and addictions. She earned her M.D. at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and did her residency in psychiatry at the University of Maryland at Baltimore School of Medicine. Her undergraduate and master's degrees are in nutrition from Cornell University. She is board-certified in psychiatry and also certified in the sub-specialty of addiction psychiatry.
Steven M. Kendrick, M.B.A.
Chief Operating Officer, SVP
Steve Kendrick came to Ashley in 2010 as Chief Operating Officer after a nine-year tenure as Vice President and Corporate Director of IT at Hazelden Foundation in Minnesota.
As Chief Operating Officer, the leaders of Facilities, Quality and Information Technology, Finance, Marketing and Human Resources report to him. Steve has an MBA from San Diego State University and a B.S. in business management from University of Redlands.
Daniel Berardi
Vice President of Support Services
Dan has been with Ashley since 2006 and has over 30 years experience in health care facilities management. Prior to joining Ashley, he was Director of Facilities Services at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center. Dan has a B.S. in management from Goldey-Beacom College. He has been a board member for the professional organization, Chesapeake Area Society for Healthcare Engineering for the past 10 years. In his role as Vice President of Support Services, Dan oversees maintenance, grounds, housekeeping, safety, security, communications, transportation and food services.
Peter Bilsky
Director of Information Technology
Peter joined Ashley in 2011 with over 25 years of IT experience. He has a B.S. in information systems from University of Baltimore and an M.A.S. in management information systems from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to joining Ashley, Peter was VP of Backoffice Services Development at Legg Mason, Inc.
Lisa Nickerson Bucklin
Director of Marketing
Lisa joined Ashley in 2007 with over 25 years experience in marketing and advertising. She has a B.A. from Millersville University and graduated cum laude. Prior to joining Ashley, Lisa was Vice President of Client Services at Carton Donofrio Partners, a large advertising and brand agency in Baltimore. She was a recipient of the President's Award for her work at Armstrong World Industries and is also a trained facilitator.
Lisa Dehorty
Director of Admissions
Lisa joined Ashley in 1994 as an admissions counselor and was later promoted to Director of Admissions in 1998. In her role Lisa is also involved in contract agreements for insurance and employer groups. She earned an M.A. in psychology from Towson University and an B.A. from Sheppard University in West Virginia.
Alex Denstman
Director of Alumni Services
Alex joined Ashley in 2009 in the acquisition of Kelly Productions (Father Martin Media), where he was Marketing Director. Alex worked as a continuing care counselor prior to joining the alumni team. He holds an A.A. in psychology and is working towards his B.A. in psychology from University of Maryland Baltimore County. He is on the Board of Directors for Mann House Inc., a residential treatment program in Bel Air, MD.
David Gerick
Director of Quality Improvement/Privacy Officer
Dave has been with Ashley since 1988 and has over 29 years experience in quality improvement. He holds a B.S. in psychology from Towson University, and is Certified in Health Care Quality Management, in addition to a CCDC certification. Dave won the James W. West Award in 2002 as a facilitator and a Solutions Leadership Award in 2009 as project manager.
Thomas Haller
Director of Human Resources
Tom has been with Ashley since 2011 and has over 26 years
experience in human resources. He holds an M.A. in human resources development from George Washington University and a B.A. in human resources and labor relations from University of Maryland. Tom is a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and won the Leonard A. Nader Award Winner at GWU for academic excellence in 2006.
Kristine Hitchens, Ph.D.
Director of Family Services
Dr. Hitchens has been at Ashley since 1998, and Director of Family Services since 2006. She holds a Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr College, Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research,
a master’s degree in social work from Widener University
and a B.A. in psychology from Wesley College. Her licenses are LCSW-C and LCADC, with a CCDC certification.
Catherine Hryncewich
Director of Development
Cathy has more than 25 years experience in fundraising and management in the non-profit sector. She joined Ashley in 2006 and was previously the Development Director at a two-hospital health care system and hospice program, and managed multiple community service organizations. She has a B.A. in business and management from the University of Notre Dame of Maryland. Cathy is a member of the National Planning and Giving Association, Association of Healthcare Professionals and Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Wendy Insalaco
Clinical Supervisor
Wendy joined Ashley in 2011 with over ten years experience in the field of addiction treatment. She has an M.S. in clinical psychology from Millersville University and a B.S. in psychology from East Stroudsburg University. She is a Certified Addiction Counselor and Certified Co-occurring Professional. Prior to joining Ashley, she was Director of Clinical Services for a treatment center in Pennsylvania.
David McNamee
Director of Food Services
Chef Mac is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and is a Certified Executive Chef. Prior to joining Ashley in 2003, he was the executive chef for Darden Restaurants.
Charlotte Meck, R.N., CARN
Director of Nursing
Charlotte is a Registered Nurse with over 35 years of health care experience. She holds an A.A. in nursing and a B.A. in management of health care services from Ottawa University. Prior to joining Ashley in 2001, she was Director of Emergency Services at Upper Chesapeake Medical Center in Bel Air, MD. Charlotte is a member of the International Nurses Society on Addictions and is certified in addictions nursing.
She is experienced in quality improvement and has successfully led quality improvement process action teams which received national recognition.
Peter Musser, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Musser joined Ashley in 2011 with over 12 years of combined private therapy, teaching and psychological research experience. He holds a Ph.D. in human services psychology from University of Maryland Baltimore County and an M.A. in general psychology with an emphasis in research methods from The Catholic University of America. Dr. Musser is a member of the American Psychological Association, Maryland Psychological Association, American Counseling Association and the former Co-Chair of the Maryland Abuser Intervention Collaborative.
George Plesniak
Clinical Program Director
George joined Ashley in 1997, serving as a relapse addiction counselor and then as Director of Utilization Review. In addition to his counseling CAC-AD credentials, he holds an M.S. in business and industry counseling and a B.A. in industrial and organizational psychology from the California University of Pennsylvania. He has conducted Gorski Relapse Process training and is ACRPS certified as a Relapse Counselor through the Center of Applied Sciences.