By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
Amanda Kern will lead the Wood County Alcohol Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board as the new executive director.
Kern, who is vice president of clinical services at Unison Health, was selected by the board during a special meeting Monday night. The board resolution stated she “was the best person for the position.”
“We were fortunate to have two very good candidates,” board member Judy Ennis said about Kern and Aimee Coe, who most recently served as interim executive director for the board since Sept. 26, 2022.
“I am honored to have been selected for the position, and I look forward to collaborating with the board and the agencies to continue to build the quality of addiction and mental health services Wood County is known for,” Kern said.
According to Frank McLaughlin, board chair, Kern’s start date has not yet been finalized.
Kern, a Licensed Independent Social Worker with Supervision (LISW-S) started as a mental health case manager with Unison Health in 2008 and was named clinical program manager in 2012. In 2017, she was appointed director of intensive services before becoming vice president in 2020. She earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Bowling Green State University in 2008 and a Master of Social Work from the University of Toledo in 2012.
