Erika Clark Jones Assumes Leadership of ADAMH Board of Franklin County
Strong, competent, highly qualified leader and collaborator takes ADAMH’s reins, poised to build on the agency’s commitment to improving community health.
The Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County (ADAMH) Board of Trustees and staff welcomed Erika Clark Jones as the agency’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). She succeeds David Royer who retired this past fall after 18 years leading ADAMH.
Jones has extensive experience as a public health administrator, most recently through her work with CelebrateOne where she led efforts to reduce infant mortality and improve health equity. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a track record of success, most notably by collaborating with a coalition of public, private, non-profit and community stakeholders responsible for reducing infant deaths by 23 percent in Franklin County.
“In her work with CelebrateOne and her work on homelessness, Jones has shown she understands the intersectionality of mental health and alcohol and other substance use within the populations we serve. She recognizes that it affects issues of stigma, access to care, and consequences differently in various communities,” said Peggy Anderson, ADAMH Board of Trustees Chair. “Our work is complex, and Jones is a highly competent and qualified leader. We look forward to her serving as the newest CEO of the ADAMH Board of Franklin County.”
A unanimous selection of the Board, Jones is eager to embrace the challenges at hand. “I am grateful to the ADAMH Board for its confidence in me, and I am thrilled for the opportunity to maximize the impact ADAMH has in our community. I hope to do that by bringing people together and serving as a ‘collaborator in chief.’”
“I believe in the power of multi-disciplinary teams and inclusive coalitions, and for that reason, over the next 90 days I will prioritize meeting with all staff, board members and system providers,” said Jones. “I plan to take stock of what ADAMH and our County system do well, where we can improve and how best to strengthen our systems’ infrastructure so that consumers are getting quality care, consistently.”
Jones is a former board member of Community Housing Network and a current board member of the YWCA, as well as a member of Vineyard Church of Columbus. She has a bachelor’s degree from Capital University and is currently completing her Master of Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University.