SummitStone Health CEO and leadership

Michael Allen has more than 20 years of experience in behavioral health, both as a clinician and as an administrator. In addition to being a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and holding his Colorado Certified Addiction Counselor Level III (CACIII) certification, Michael also earned an MBA from Colorado State University. He joins SummitStone Health Partners after serving as Vice President at AspenPointe in Colorado Springs, where he worked for more than a decade.

Dr. Fred Michel recently joined SummitStone Health Partners as Chief Medical Officer. Previously he served as CMO at Mental Health Partners, the Community Mental Health Center for Boulder and Broomfield Counties. Prior to that, he was a psychiatric provider and CMO at AspenPointe Health Services in Colorado Springs.

Dr. Michel received his medical degree at the University of Washington School of Medicine and completed dual residency training in Adult Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. He maintains board certification in both specialties.

Dr. Michel has been an active advocate for the uninsured and underserved clients of our communities through a lengthy career in community psychiatry at AspenPointe, Mental Health Partners, and now, Summit Stone.

He is a founding board member for the Institute for Behavioral Healthcare Improvement (IBHI), which is focused on Quality of Care improvement strategies in behavioral health systems. He has also provided service on several other boards of directors, most recently UC Health - Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs and First Steps Spirituality Center, a non-profit devoted to serving children who have experienced emotional and physical trauma.

As CMO at SummitStone, Michel will oversee medical and nursing operations and provide clinical services for children, adolescents and adults.

Cyndi has a great passion for behavioral health services. She is the Chief Clinical Officer at SummitStone Health Partners and previously served as the Executive Director for the Namaqua Center in Loveland. Her work has included more than two decades with behavioral health organizations in Northern Colorado. She began her career as a direct service provider at Island Grove Regional Treatment Center in Greeley and then at Larimer County Mental Health Center. She moved into senior leader roles at the Namaqua Center and SummitStone. Cyndi is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of Colorado. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Alliant University in San Diego and a Master of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from Colorado State University. Cyndi serves on the Larimer County Interagency Oversight Group, Colorado Behavior Healthcare Council Health Care Operations Committee and Colorado State University School of Social Work Advisory Board. She has served on the CBHC Conference Committee, CBHC Clinical Outcomes Subcommittee, the Colorado Association of Children and Family Agencies Public Policy Committee, CAFCA Board of Directors, and the Larimer County Federation for Families Board of Directors.

Gerry Brew comes to SummitStone after serving as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administration Officer for Journey Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery in Madison, Wisc. He has been recognized nationally for several awards and affiliations, including the National Leadership Award for Neurology/Brain Foundation, and CEO of the Year Finalist (In Business). Gerry earned his bachelor’s degree from Chadron State College, his MBA from the University of Nebraska and an Executive EMA from the Stanford University AEA Executive Institute. He has also received the designations of Certified Management Accountant and Certified Healthcare Financial Professional.

Dr. Lesley Brooks serves as the Chief of Addiction Medicine for SummitStone Health Partners and as the Assistant Medical Director for the North Colorado Health Alliance in northern Colorado. Dr. Brooks, a board-certified family physician, has practiced full-scope family medicine including prenatal care, chronic pain, and substance use disorder/addiction in northern Colorado for more than a decade. Since her transition to SummitStone Health Partners in 2020, she specializes in substance use and mental health. As the Chief of Addiction Medicine at SummitStone, Dr. Brooks leads the design, development and implementation of Larimer County’s Behavioral Health Services facility, which is set to be open in 2022.

Jess Russell, MA, LAC, CFI, is a Licensed Addictions Counselor and holds a certificate in the state of Colorado as a Child and Family Investigator. She has more than 25 years in leadership roles in for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. She graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Business with an emphasis in Marketing from Upper Iowa University and holds a Masters in Counseling from Regis University. Jess has had extensive involvement in managing substance use disorder programs including withdrawal management programs and residential treatment programs for men, women and children. Jess has enjoyed volunteering as a Board of Director member and is also an appointed Member of the Colorado Supreme Court Lawyer Well-Being Task Force with the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel at the Colorado Supreme Court. More recently Jess was also appointed to the Behavioral Health Entity Implementation and Advisory Committee (BHE-IAC) for the State of Colorado to represent a statutorily required role as an advocacy organization that represents behavioral health consumers. Finally, Jess previously served as a member on the State of Colorado’s Opioid Consortium.