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Paso del Norte Center at MMHPI announces Founding Leadership Cabinet Members

November 16, 2021

The Paso del Norte Center at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute recently introduced its founding leadership cabinet members at a community reception. The Center, which launched in July 2021 with $1.5 million in grant funding from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, provides policy and program guidance for regional initiatives and advances mental health awareness efforts in the Paso del Norte region.

“The PdN Center and leadership cabinet members will bring new perspectives to the work of the El Paso Behavioral Health Consortium and help to inform important next steps to improve the mental health system of care,” said Tracy Yellen, CEO, Paso del Norte Health Foundation and Paso del Norte Community Foundation.

“The founding leadership cabinet members represent incredible talent and experience, as well as a shared commitment to making the region a model for community-led mental health improvements,” said Andy Keller, President and CEO of the Meadows Institute. “With a dedicated regional focus, the Paso del Norte Center will build on significant advances made over the last several years, deepen collaborative relationships, and further improve mental health systems and programs to address challenges specific to the Paso del Norte region.”

Founding Leadership Cabinet Members:

• Sharon Butterworth, Chair, Mental Health Advocate
• Tracy Yellen, Vice Chair, CEO of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation and Paso del Norte Community Foundation
• Lisa Piesen, L&F Distributors
• Stacy Hunt Spier, Hunt Family Foundation
• John T. Hjalmquist, Pizza Properties Inc.
• Mark Walker, Attorney, Dickinson Wright
• Henry Gallardo, Strategic Wealth Advisors

The Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute helps legislators, state officials, members of the judiciary, and local, state, and national leaders identify equitable systemic solutions to mental health needs and has become Texas’s most trusted source for data-driven mental health policy. The Meadows Institute is making a significant impact in multiple areas, helping Texas and national leaders shift the focus of new investments toward early intervention, addressing the mental health crisis in our jails and emergency rooms, and helping all people with mental health needs recover and be well. Learn more at https://mmhpi.org/.