Our Team
Table of Contents
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Our team would like to welcome you to our recovery center and offer insight into what it’s like working with our clients at Cypress Lake Recovery. Our team are either living in recovery actively or are part of a specialized trained medical team that deals with addiction and mental health. Read through their profiles and get to know them before you schedule your intake call. We can’t wait to go on this journey toward recovery together. Remember, recovery is found with a great support system behind you.
Thomas Isbell | CEO
Thomas’ passion for recovery is hard to miss. His vision and commitment to high-quality treatment drive the mission at Sabino Recovery. Before joining Sabino Recovery Thomas served as founding director of The Pat Green Foundation, successfully raising millions of dollars for charity. He worked as a financial advisor for Seamless Capital, an Austin-based real estate company and has traveled the country as a motivational speaker. In recovery since 2010, Thomas has also served as a life coach and manager of a sober living home.
Thomas Isbell
Roy M. Serpa | Chairman of the Board
Roy is a proven industry leader with over 33 years experience in the Healthcare services such as Home Health & Behavioral Health. Previously responsible for the oversight and management of annual revenues in excess of $250M & the treatment 15,000+ patients annually. His experience includes facility-based and free-standing Home Health Agencies; Mergers & Acquisitions; Executive Leadership & Management; Executive Sales Management; Turn-around Management and Compliance & Regulatory issues.
Roy M. Serpa
Derek Gwaltney | VP of Business Development
For the past 10 years Derek has worked closely with business development teams at Lakeview Health and Pyramid Healthcare to grow and expand their offerings. Derek and his family recently relocated to Tucson, AZ to join the Cypress Lake family. Derek’s passion to helping individuals find quality treatment is apparent with all he does at Cypress Lake Recovery and has made a great impact to the team thus far.
Derek Gwaltney
Mandy Baker, MS, LCDC | Vice President of Texas Operations
Amanda K. (Mandy) Baker, MS, LCDC is currently the Founder and operator of Mandy Baker Consulting, LLC. She holds a Master of Science in Human Development from Texas Tech University, which she received in December of 2006. Additionally, Mandy holds graduate certificates in Adolescent Development and women’s studies. Prior to her career in the treatment industry, Ms. Baker was the Associate Director for Grants and Special Projects at the nationally recognized Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery (CSAR), where she worked as the lead project manager for the CSAR’s efforts to implement recovery support systems at institutions of higher education across the nation. Her deep understanding and study of the 18-27-year-old demographic has resulted in numerous publications in academic journals, books, curricula, and popular press outlets.
Prior to starting her own company, Mandy served as the CEO and Chief Clinical Officer of BRC Recovery, the CEO of The Ranch at Dove Tree, the Vice President of Clinical Services at Origins Recovery Centers, and the Co-Founder and Clinical Director of Windhaven Counseling Center and its women’s only IOP. She is passionate about the unique issues of women, particularly those in recovery, and applies this passion in all that she does She has served on boards supporting the academic advancement of women including the Margaret Talkington School for Young Women Leaders.
Mandy has dedicated her career to helping individuals and families impacted by addictive illness and is a passionate advocate for the mental healthcare of Veterans. She is committed to providing accessible care, to developing creative partnerships that improve continuums of care, and to researching, developing, and implementing novel treatment approaches in the addiction and mental health treatment space.
Mandy Baker, MS, LCDC
Alan Goodstat | Vice President of Compliance
Alan Goodstat, LCSW has 30 plus years’ experience in the Behavioral Healthcare field as a Clinician, Clinical Director, Program Director, Administrator/CEO, COO and Chief Compliance Officer. Alan received his Master of Social Work from Columbia University and is licensed in the States of Florida and South Carolina. Alan has a proven track record in providing compliance and organizational growth management services to both small and mid-size organizations, as well as start-up and pre-exit organizations . He sits on several behavioral health organization boards as an advisor, and member.
Alan Goodstat
Dan Gilmer | Clinical Outreach Director
Dan is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana he attended Louisiana State University and has been working in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Industry since he got sober at the age of twenty. Having various different roles in that time doing admissions, case management, outreach and owning Sober Living Homes he has a vast knowledge of varying levels of care. It is his passion to help others that are suffering to achieve Recovery.
Dan Gilmer
Stefanie Litwiller, MSHRD, SPHR | Human Resources Director
Stefanie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Psychology, and a Master’s degree in Human Resources Development. Stefanie has been in Human Resources for over two decades, primarily within the behavioral health and patient financial services industries. Stefanie’s background includes employee relations, employment law, developing policy and process, analytics, compliance in both human resources and healthcare regulation, quality assurance, and training & development. Stefanie has built HR departments from the ground-up, served on the implementation teams for mergers, and grew an organization from 35 employees to 300 employees in eighteen months. She is passionate about employee development and creating environments for employees to thrive and grow.
Stefanie Litwiller, MSHRD, SPHR
Paula Mitchell | Business Office Manager
Paula began her professional career obtaining a degree from Chenier Business College in accounting. For 13 years she worked in insurance sales, gaining a Property and Casualty Insurance license and Life and Health insurance licensure during this time. She then transitioned into the accounting and HR field working in the oil and gas industry for 4 years. She began serving in the recovery industry with her journey at CLL and has been with us for 4 years. Paula is known for her efficient work ethics and her heart of gold.
Paula Mitchell
Joani Burchett | Executive Director
Joani is passionate about helping others experience authentic wholeness as a person, making vital changes to one’s life in order to live in freedom and peace. Currently, she serves as the Executive Director at Cypress Lake Recovery, beginning her journey in therapeutic recovery work four years ago as a counselor at Cypress Lake, then later as Lead Therapist with the Family Programming role. She also serves with a CAC in Texas counseling children and teens who have been the victims of criminal acts. Joani loves integrating experiential modalities to the recovery process, such as art, music, and nature. She is a committed advocate to help others find their voice
Joani Burchett
Tanisha Hollis | Director of Nursing
After serving the residents of Polk and surrounding counties in the hospital setting for more than 20 years, Tish found her new calling in substance use prevention and treatment with a local Native American Tribe where she became certified facilitators for both White Bison Wellbriety and Native American Fatherhood and Families Association. Additionally, Tish is a State Certified Recovery Advocate in Texas. When the opportunity to merge her love of nursing with substance use treatment became available, she gladly accepted the position with Cypress Lake Recovery in hopes of making a difference for those in their addiction. Tish enjoys caring for others, spending time with her family, and anything outdoors!
