Ex-County Board Member Is Interim Behavioral Health Group CEO

(Springfield, IL) – An ex-Sangamon County board member has been appointed as the interim CEO of one of Illinois’ top behavioral health trade associations.

Randy Wells, who served on the county board from 1999 to 2003 and who is the current vice president of government relations at the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health, will lead the group as the interim CEO effective April 11, 2020.

Wells replaces long-time CEO Sara Howe who has taken a job as executive vice president of the Illinois Primary Health Care Association.

“Randy has unmatched experience in behavioral healthcare policy as well as in human services more broadly,” said Howe. “As a former elected official, Randy has a unique background and rapport with lawmakers being able to look at issues through their eyes.”

Prior to joining IABH, Wells served in multiple high-level positions in state government, including: Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Legislative Affairs at the Illinois Department of Human Services and Director of Legislative Affairs at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

Wells also previously served as Executive Director of NAMI-Illinois. He lost a bid for Sangamon County Treasurer in 2002.

“Squeezing into Sara’s shoes will be difficult,” said Wells. “Sara emerged as formidable leader of behavioral healthcare advocacy in Illinois over the years and helped guild the association through the dark years of Illinois’ budget impasse and is still doing so again during the coronavirus pandemic, so I will follow her model.”

“We thank Randy for his willingness to lead our association while we continue the search for our next CEO to lead IABH into the future,” said Howe. “In the meantime, the association’s members and behavioral health advocacy in Illinois will be in good hands.”

davidormsby@davidormsby.com