Speakers

As president and CEO, Ghinassi is responsible for the strategic oversight and direction of a statewide system of academic, behavioral health, addiction services, training, and funded research. UBHC, one of the largest providers of behavioral health and addictions healthcare in the country, offers a wide range of clinical and support services across all diagnosis, and across the lifespan.

In his role as senior vice president at RWJBarnabas Health, Ghinassi directs the strategic development and operations of behavioral health and addictions, fostering synergies between Rutgers Health and RWJBarnabas to enhance high-quality, fully integrated and interdisciplinary academic care throughout New Jersey.

He is also a professor at Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, a professor of Psychiatry at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and a core faculty member at Rutgers Global Health Institute.

Ghinassi is NABH’s immediate past board chair and presently chairs the association’s Quality Committee.

Jim Shaheen is the CEO of New Season, a Medication Assisted Treatment company serving more than 32,000 patients in 88 clinics located in 20 different states. Prior to his current role,

Jim founded Shaheen Strategic Investments (SSI) in order to provide a vehicle for the Shaheen family to grow and expand its holdings in a variety of businesses. Prior to SSI, Shaheen founded a national healthcare company called Strategic Behavioral Health, a chain of private psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals across the nation.  Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., the company grew from Denovo to 13 hospitals in 8 states with revenues under $200 million.

With more than 33 years of behavioral health experience, Shaheen has helped a variety of small and large companies grow and expand services in order to meet the demands of behavioral health services in many communities. Shaheen is the Chairman of the UT Health Science Center College of Medicine Board of Visitors.  Shaheen also sits on the Jason Foundation Board of Directors, as well as the JC Runyon Foundation Board. Additionally, Shaheen sits on the Board of Directors of the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare’s Education and Research Foundation. Shaheen holds a master’s degree in organizational communications from Murray State University and an undergraduate degree in Therapeutic Recreation also from Murray State University.

John Pallasch is founder and CEO of One Workforce Solutions. He was previously the Senate-confirmed assistant secretary for employment and training at the U.S. Labor Department.

Assistant Secretary Pallasch’s appointment marked his return to the Department where he previously served as special assistant to the assistant secretary for administration and management and the deputy assistant secretary in the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Prior to his return to DOL, Pallasch served as the executive director of the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Office of Employment and Training where he led initiatives to improve outcomes for workforce education programs, increase accountability and performance of the unemployment insurance program, and consolidate job training and workforce development programs in a single cabinet agency.

An Illinois native, Pallasch earned a Bachelor of Science degree from The Ohio State University and a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law.

Kristen Nelson Weeden has spent the majority of her career in non-profit leadership, using data to drive program design in an effective and efficient way. Kristen has designed programs for non-profit organizations, Institutions of Higher Education, and local governments.  

Most recently, Weeden has worked with entities across the United States to design pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, and career pathway programs. Prior to this role, Kristen was the Vice President of Business Development for a local non-profit, where she was responsible for partnerships and fundraising.    

Weeden began her career as a Child Protective Case Worker and understands the importance of accessible, high-quality, behavioral healthcare services.

Kristen received her B.S. from Ohio University and her M.S.W. from Case Western Reserve University. Kristen will complete her Ph.D in Human Services in December 2025.  

Kyle Zebley serves as senior vice president of public policy at the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) and executive director of ATA Action, the ATA’s affiliated trade organization established in 2022 to expand the association’s advocacy efforts.

As founding Executive Director of ATA Action, Zebley plays a pivotal role in preserving essential federal telehealth flexibilities in the post-pandemic era and advancing pro-telehealth legislation in nearly every state. His leadership spans a complex regulatory landscape, forging broad bipartisan coalitions across Congress, the White House, state governments, industry, and diverse stakeholders to expand responsible, system-wide access to high-quality virtual care, for every American, in every community.

Zebley’s public service career includes senior roles in both the legislative and executive branches. He served as chief of staff in the Office of Global Affairs at the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS), overseeing global health security, multilateral diplomacy, health and trade policy, and U.S. engagement with the G7, G20, WHO, and other international institutions. 

Previously, as legislative director to former Rep. Tom Price, M.D. (R-Ga.), Zebley led healthcare policy development across the U.S. House Budget, Ways and Means, and Education and the Workforce Committees. 

He holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from Duquesne University.