NEPA Community Health Care is thankful for the engaged community members who selflessly volunteer their time and energy to serve on our Board of Directors. As a federally qualified health center (FQHC), federal guidelines dictate the composition of our Board as well as their responsibilities.
Comprised of at least nine members, the majority of our Directors must be health center patients and, as such, representative of the community and populations served by the health center. The guidance of our Directors ensures the integrity of our organization, utilizing their professional experience and personal connections to our community. Board members are often selected for their unique expertise in relevant subject areas such as finance, law, community relations and healthcare compliance. A position on a Board of Directors, however, isn’t only for the seasoned or highly accomplished professionals of our community. There will always be a place at our table for the new, the young and the passionate – whatever your job title may be!
NEPA Community Health Care consistently invites new members to join our Board of Directors.
To learn more about the difference you can make, please contact our administrative office at (570) 278-5151.
Kristen Follert, MS | Chief Executive Officer
As a 15+ year resident of Susquehanna County and member of the NEPA CHC family since 2017, Kristen Follert has demonstrated long-term commitment to northeastern Pennsylvania and the Health Center Program.
Kristen has over 20 years of healthcare experience, including a decade of supervisory, quality improvement and operational strategy work. Prior to joining us, Kristen served in key roles with ProCare Physical Therapy, Friendship House and Johns Hopkins Hospital. Among Kristen’s notable contributions to NEPA CHC are her work operationalizing the health center’s medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program and Care Management service line, as well as strengthening the organization’s Quality Assurance program through collaborations with community and industry partners.
As an active member of her community, Kristen places a high value on volunteerism. She currently volunteers as President of the Parent-Teacher Organization of Lathrop Street Elementary School and as a Girl Scout leader. In past years, she has also served as an elected official on the Montrose Area School District Board of Directors and has a history of avid involvement with the community’s many festivals and fundraising events.
Kristen and her husband, Tom, reside in Montrose with their three children. In moments away from work, Kristen enjoys trips with her family and connecting with friends and neighbors.
Board of Directors
Andrew Coolbaugh | President
Andrew Coolbaugh attended Elk Lake School District until 2002 and received his GED from Mountain View the same year. Andrew now serves as a Certified Recovery Specialist with Trehab, a community action agency serving seven counties of northeastern Pennsylvania. Andrew has been employed with Trehab since 2018 and has provided peer support services to individuals in recovery in Wyoming and Susquehanna counties. As a Certified Recovery Specialist, Andrew works to support individuals in overcoming barriers as they work toward long-term recovery. In addition to empowering clients to take an active role in their own recovery planning, Andrew assists his clients in gaining access to MAT programs, enroll in PA Medicaid, find housing and pursue employment. Andrew is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Information Technology through Keystone College. He and his wife, Alicia, have two children and reside in Springville, PA.
Traci Decker, MS | Vice President
Traci Decker has a Masters in Psychology with a concentration in organizational work-life interface and has worked in the behavioral health field for over 20 years. Prior to her current position as a mental health practitioner in Broome County, Traci was a Clinical Director and Therapist with an outpatient substance use disorder clinic in Susquehanna County for over 14 years. In that role, she coordinated the development and implementation of several successful projects, including peer-led Certified Recovery Specialist services and two recovery support centers. Comprehensively supporting individuals and families impacted by substance use disorder, addressing social determinants of health and utilizing a therapeutic, trauma-informed approach has always been the through-line of Traci’s professional work.
Traci holds certifications in evidence-based Rational Living Therapy (CBT/L1), Health Counseling/Coaching and Moral Reconation Therapy; she enjoys volunteering at a county correctional facility in Pennsylvania where she has the opportunity and privilege to share these skills with the residents. Outside of work, Traci is an outdoor enthusiast who engages in ATV riding, paddleboarding and hiking.
Lori Mitchell, MBA | Treasurer
Lori Mitchell graduated from Susquehanna Community High School and began pursuing higher education at the University of Pennsylvania before obtaining her MBA from Louisiana State University and an accounting degree from the University of New Orleans. Before retiring from Capital One in April 2016, Lori contributed more than 25 years to the consumer finance industry and was instrumental in underwriting, compliance, and asset management. Most of her career was spent building a $4 billion business portfolio with 140+ clients and completing over $10 billion in transactions.
Lori now serves as an industry consultant specializing in capital structure, strategic planning, mergers, and acquisitions. Based in New Orleans, she provides leadership counseling to lending executives that are critical to growth to enhance return on investment. Her expertise ranges from buy-here-pay here auto finance portfolios to direct and indirect lending including sales finance, tax lien arbitrage, small dollar credit, marketplace lending, and securitized transactions. Along with this, Lori maintains strong ties to this community and spends 4 to 5 months of the year residing in her Susquehanna County home. Lori’s personal interests include real estate investing, scuba diving, skiing and golf.
Anne Cook, PA-C | Secretary
Anne Cook grew up in Susquehanna County and has spent most of her adult life there. She earned her graduate degree from Lock Haven University in 2002 and has served as an Orthopedic Physician Assistant ever since. Anne has been employed with United Health Services in Binghamton, NY for over a decade, specializing in the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis, requiring knee and hip replacements. In addition to physical health, Anne believes in the importance of focusing on one’s mental health and practicing a healthy work/life balance.
In her youth, Anne was very active in sports which she credits to her career in Orthopedics. Although the days of her own extracurricular activities are past, Anne continues to be a vivid member of the Susquehanna County community. Whether she’s coaching, keeping score or keeping the kids safe, Anne volunteers her time helping local soccer, softball, basketball and football teams in various facets. She and her husband, Kyle, share two children – son, Owen and daughter, Kate. Family is a core value of Anne and Kyle’s home and, when not working or volunteering, they greatly enjoy spending time with their extended relatives.
Kenneth Cooper | Member & Past President, 2017 – 2019
Ken Cooper was born and raised in McKinleyville, California. Before attending Brigham Young University in Idaho, Ken served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, part of which was spent on the Crow and Cheyenne Reservations in Montana. Ken then spent 28 years in Maryland, where he was co-founder and partner of Professional Benefits Solutions, a firm which brokered employee health and welfare plans as well as retirement plans on a national and international basis. Ken moved to Montrose in June 2011 and now serves as an ecclesiastical leader for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He and his wife, Susan, have been married since 1982 and have six children together.
Lynne Blye Graham, RN | Member
Lynne Graham graduated from the University of Pittsburgh summa cum laude with a BS in Nursing. As a Registered Nurse, Lynne has worked in both hospital and private practice settings. Her work began at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore before she spent 10 years as a stay-at-home mother of three sons. Lynne then spent 21 years as a RN/Office Manager for a surgical practice. Following the surgeon’s retirement, she transitioned to the floor of Howard Co. General Hospital before moving to Montrose and working for Tyler Memorial Hospital until her own retirement.
In her retirement, Lynne has expanded her passion for community service as a Senior Warden at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church here in Montrose. Under her leadership, they have built many wonderful service projects including making sleeping bags for the homeless, a monthly free soup night, a 4th of July community breakfast, and diaper drives for the local CareNet and Women’s Resource Centers. Lynne also serves on the Board of Directors of the Susquehanna Symphony Society as well as the Standing Committee, which is the Bishop’s Advisory Board for the Diocese of Bethlehem.
Elisabeth Landes, CRT | Member
More than a lifelong resident of Susquehanna County, Liz Landes is a dedicated humanitarian committed to improving the quality of life for families in the Great Bend area. Her passion for philanthropy and belief in the power of community has resulted in more than a dozen successful events and thousands of dollars raised to develop the Specialist Lee A. Wiegand Memorial Park in Great Bend, Pennsylvania. Liz additionally serves as an active, participating member of the Musa Stiles VFW Auxiliary Post #6223‘s Youth Program and Veteran’s Support committees.
Outside of her community improvement efforts, Liz has held licensure as a Respiratory Therapist for 10 years. She is employed with Endless Mountains Health Systems in Montrose, where she helps her patients live their best lives with the assistance of therapeutic respiratory programs. Liz and her husband, Ray, reside in Great Bend and have three children and two grandchildren.
Macy Matthews, MHA | Member
Macy Matthews knew from a young age that she wanted to work in the medical field, but not in a traditional role. Following graduation from Mountain View School District in 2009, Macy earned her undergraduate degree from James Madison University and her Masters of Health Administration from the University of Scranton. Macy has devoted her career to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and currently serves as a Specialized Business Senior Manager within their Global Medicine division where she co-manages a team of 30 members helping patients around the world seek advanced medical care with CHOP.
Macy’s Susquehanna County roots keep her engaged in our service area, eager to give back to the community which helped shape her personally and professionally. In her moments away from work, Macy enjoys spending time at Elk Mountain and Crystal Lake with friends, family and her beloved golden retriever.
SFC Jeffery Mead, M.Ed. (retired) | Member
Jeff Mead is a dedicated human services professional with a passion for motivating individuals to make positive and lasting changes in their lives. He is a veteran of the National Guard, retiring in 2016 after 30 years of service. During his time serving in the National Guard, Jeff worked as a Behavioral Health Advocate. He continued this work outside of the military, working as an in-home therapist to help children with mental health challenges and as a Drug & Alcohol Counselor for Trehab. Jeff currently serves as the Director of Veterans Affairs for Susquehanna County, proudly helping veterans get the benefits they deserve. Outside of his professional pursuits, Jeff stays active in the recovery community, is a lifelong member of the VFW, and has been a community Scout Leader since 2007.
Todd Moffett, Esq | Member
Before earning his law degree from Columbia Law School in 1985, Todd Moffett began his educational career at Washington state’s Whitman College where he majored in Political Science. Over the past 34 years, Todd’s legal practice has focused on employer sponsored and individual retirement plans and investment vehicles – primarily involving large employers, banks and life insurers but also accident and health insurers, mortality and longevity risk transfer solutions. Todd has served as Corporate Counsel for the Prudential Insurance Company of America since 1998.
Supplemental to his expansive career, Todd has long made time for active involvement in his community. In addition to serving on NEPA Community Health Care’s Board of Directors since 2020, he is a Senior Warden with the Christ Episcopal Church in Susquehanna, PA and is active on numerous Diocesan committees and initiatives with the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem in Bethlehem, PA.
Rachael Thomas, Esq | Member
Rachael Thomas completed her undergraduate education at Mansfield University where she triple-majored in Psychology, Political Science and Philosophy – Pre-Law with a minor in Business. After graduating with magna cum laude honors, Rachael went on to earn her law degree from Wayne State Law School in Detroit, Michigan. She currently serves as a partner with DeWitt & Thomas Law Offices PC, focusing primarily on estates, real estate and corporate law. As a Susquehanna County native, it was important to Rachael to move home when starting her family and she is now a proud wife and mother of two rambunctious boys!