The Board of Directors of CHRIS 180, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing trauma-informed mental health services for children, youth and families, has appointed Cati Diamond Stone as President and Chief Executive Officer. Stone joins CHRIS 180 from Susan G. Komen® and succeeds Kathy Colbenson, who announced her retirement earlier this year after serving the Atlanta community for 37 years as President and CEO of the organization.
As the demand for mental health services continues to increase, the work of CHRIS 180 is more important than ever,” commented Jay Bernath, Chairman of the CHRIS 180 Board of Directors. “The Board is excited to welcome Cati to the role of CEO. She is the ideal choice to lead our organization forward as we continue to innovate and deepen our impact for Atlanta’s children, youth, adults and families.”
Stone, who will begin her work on behalf of CHRIS 180 on October 7, comes to her new role after more than 11 years with Susan G. Komen, the world’s leading breast cancer organization. She currently serves as Komen’s Vice President, Community Health and as a member of the senior leadership team, where she created a new national community health strategy that resulted in the development and deployment of focused, best-in-class programming, including direct patient support programs that have served over 200,000 people. She previously served as CEO of the Komen Greater Atlanta Affiliate, focusing on people affected by breast cancer in metro Atlanta and building the affiliate into one of Komen’s largest and most respected in the country.
“Cati’s commitment to service and impressive background in community health development set her apart in our search process,” said Julia Houston, Chair of the CHRIS 180 CEO search committee. “Her passion, focus, and track record in developing and leading transformative initiatives make her a strong leader for the future of CHRIS 180.”
“CHRIS 180 has spent more than four decades healing children, strengthening families, and building communities. The organization provides vital services throughout metro Atlanta and serves as a national model for accessible mental health services and trauma-informed care,” said Stone. “I am honored to lead CHRIS 180 into the next stage of its evolution and to continue the powerful work that Kathy Colbenson began.”
Prior to her tenure at Susan G. Komen Stone was an attorney, holding positions including Assistant General Counsel at Nash Finch Company, and Litigation & Corporate Counsel at Unisource Worldwide Inc. Stone holds a J.D. from The University of Alabama School of Law and a B.A. in English from The University of Southern Mississippi. She serves on the Board of Directors for Leadership Atlanta and the International Women’s Forum Georgia Chapter.
“I am very proud of the accomplishments and impact of CHRIS 180 and know that the organization is in great hands to lead it into the future,” said Kathy Colbenson, LMFT. “Cati’s community-focused leadership; her passion for children, youth and families; and her commitment to increasing access to care make her the right choice to continue our legacy.”
The CHRIS 180 CEO search was advised by BoardWalk Consulting, a national executive search firm specializing in CEO recruitment for nonprofits, foundations, and community-enhancing initiatives.
