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ABOUT RECOVERY ALBERTA

Leadership

Recovery Alberta leadership comes with many years of experience within the health care and addiction and mental health care field to help delivery.

 
Kerry Bales

Kerry Bales

Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair

Kerry is an accomplished leader in healthcare service delivery and strategy planning in the province of Alberta for more than two decades. In his current role as Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair of Recovery Alberta, Mental Health and Addiction Services. Kerry is responsible for providing provincial leadership of the addiction and mental health and correctional health services in order to serve all impacted Albertans. Kerry is a Registered Nurse and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing and Masters degree in Healthcare Leadership.

Sara Bisbee

Sara Bisbee

Executive Lead and General Counsel

Sarah Bisbee, LL.B., BA, is the Executive Lead, Legal, Risk & Preparedness and General Counsel. She is a legal and governance leader with more than 15 years of experience across healthcare, government and private practice, with a strong focus on mental health and addictions, clinical research, and system level risk management. Sarah provides strategic oversight of legal, risk and preparedness functions in complex, highly regulated healthcare environments. Her previous background includes providing legal counsel in support of clinical research and healthcare innovation, corporate and commercial work, and advancing modern, technology enabled approaches to legal and risk management. She is deeply committed to equity, access to justice, and strengthening systems that deliver safe, high quality mental health and addiction care for Albertans.

Richard Heron

Richard Heron

Executive Lead, People & Culture

Richard Heron is the Executive Lead of People and Culture. Richard has spent the past 25 years in progressively senior leadership roles within Alberta’s healthcare system, with Alberta Health Services and the former David Thompson Health Region. Passionate about supporting people - including those we serve every day in their pursuit of recovery, and Recovery Alberta’s most valuable resource - our dedicated and skilled staff and physicians, Richard has led teams and system-wide initiatives in both human resources and health system strategy. Much of his work over his career has focused on ensuring our people have the support and work environment they need to do what they do best: making a difference in Albertans’ lives, every single day.

Nicholas Mitchell

Dr. Nicholas Mitchell

Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Nicholas Mitchell is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta, and Chief Medical Officer for Recovery Alberta, Mental Health and Addiction Services. In his current role, he is involved in government and community stakeholder relations, policy, strategy, and research and innovation with a goal of improving the quality of healthcare for Albertans. Currently, Dr. Mitchell maintains an active clinical practice with the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry service at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, focusing on the treatment of psychiatric disorders in the medically ill. He is involved in the teaching and supervision of medical students, residents, and graduate students at the University of Alberta.

Thomas Mountain

Thomas Mountain

Chief Operating Officer

Thomas has lived in communities throughout Alberta. He grew up in northern Alberta before moving to Calgary to complete his first degree at the University of Calgary. In Calgary, Thomas started a career that included working in not-for-profit organizations supporting youth, working in EMS, and actively leading groups in wilderness-based adventures. He eventually settled in southern Alberta where he held leadership roles in addiction and mental health programs for youth, adults, and acute inpatient psychiatry settings. Thomas has also had opportunities to lead a variety of acute care medical sites including holding senior leadership roles for several rural hospitals. He has a strong commitment to helping provide equitable, effective and timely addiction and mental health services to all Albertans, regardless of where they live, work or play.

Jennifer Ocloo

Jennifer Ocloo

Executive Lead, Finance

Jennifer Ocloo, CPA, CMA, is the Executive Lead Finance responsible for providing strategic financial leadership. She has over 26 years of healthcare experience, supporting a broad range of programs across the healthcare system in business advisory services. Jennifer is committed to community service and has volunteered extensively, serving on several community boards over the years.

Sara Tomlinson

Sara Tomlinson

Executive Lead, Strategy, Planning & Performance

Sara Tomlinson, MSc, CHE, is the Executive Lead, Strategy, Planning & Performance for Recovery Alberta. She brings more than 20 years of experience in mental health and addiction, with a focus on strategic planning, advancing provincial priorities, and strengthening the use of research and evidence in system design and decision-making. Prior to the establishment of Recovery Alberta, Sara led strategic and capacity planning, program development, and corporate accountability initiatives for provincial addiction and mental health at Alberta Health Services. She began her career in research and administration with the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alberta. Based in Edmonton, she enjoys golfing, running, and travelling.