Press Releases

Caron Treatment Centers Announces 2022 Corporate Board Appointments

Wernersville, PA – June 7, 2021 - Caron Treatment Centers, a leading, internationally recognized not-for-profit dedicated to addiction and behavioral healthcare treatment, research, prevention, and addiction medicine education, appointed three new board members to its Corporate Board of Trustees and two new Regional Advisory Board Chairs.

At the recent annual meeting for Caron, Board Chair Dr. Thomas F. Flynn announced that Rev. Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake, John Gallen and Sharon Hanson would begin their corporate board terms on July 1st. In addition, Flynn announced that Colleen Greene, Stacey Orr Gallant and Stephen Kane (Posthumous) completed their terms on the Board. Caron also appointed two new Regional Advisory Board Chairs, Ira Jackson in Atlanta, and Robyn Gerry in Florida.

“We’re at a pivotal moment in the history of behavioral healthcare. The sector is evolving, and we are fortunate to have diverse leaders on our board who empower Caron’s mission and continue to support our advancement of education, research, and evidence-based treatment,” said Brad Sorte, who will take over as President and CEO of Caron on July 1st. “I also want to recognize our trustees completing their years of service.”

Rev. Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake is president of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation (Foundation), leading strategic, programmatic, and operational efforts to fulfill the Foundation’s mission to lead sustainable solutions that improve the health and wellness of the community. Marshall-Blake is also vice president of community affairs at Independence Blue Cross (Independence), where she develops and manages relationships with community partners to advance Independence’s social mission efforts. While overseeing grant-making work for the Foundation, valued at more than $100 million, Marshall-Blake steered the Foundation to be a collaborator, innovator, convener of diverse organizations, and thought leader in addressing emerging health needs in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Marshall-Blake and the Foundation have been strong partners of Caron for many years; however, this partnership evolved more deeply at the launch of the Foundation’s Supporting Treatment and Overdose Prevention (S.T.O.P.) initiative. Since then, the Foundation has supported Caron philanthropically by way of grant funded projects that have addressed prevention work in schools and child serving agencies, SBIRT trainings, addiction medicine training and family education. The Foundation also provided Caron with a grant for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training and helped increase access to care through their support of Caron’s Access to Treatment Scholarship. Caron and the Foundation also collaborated during the Someone You Know® campaign – an endeavor on the part of the Foundation to break the stigma associated with addiction.

John Gallen Jr. is the owner of Ethosource, LLC a Reading-based office furniture manufacturer and dealer. Since its inception in 2001, Gallen has grown the firm from a laptop computer and a unique concept into a thriving business with over 65 employees, and a customer base that spans the nation. Gallen is also the owner and President of Wyatt Seating, an office seating manufacturer. He was recognized as Entrepreneur of the year in 2019 and 2020 by the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce.

Gallen served on Caron’s Board of Trustees and Development Committee from 2006 to 2009. He has also served on Caron’s Berks Dinner Committee and the 2008 Capital Campaign Committee. In 2012, Gallen and his wife, Lisa, were honored by Safe Berks with the “Voices of Change Award”. In 2013, Gallen received the “Making a Difference Community Service Award” from Easy Does It. In 2015, Gallen received the “Berks County Community Service Award for Community Leadership” from Caron. Gallen was named Champion of Youth by the Reading YMCA at the Breakfast of Champions in 2019. This month, the couple will be honored as the Vision of Peace Award recipients by Safe Berks.

Sharon Hanson is General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer of The Edward Davis Company. She is responsible for the day-to-day management of company operations; providing vision, leadership, and management to ensure proper controls, systems, processes, and personnel are in place for effective growth and financial strength of the company. She was an active member of the Caron New England Advisory Board for several years and is the facilitator for the New England Parents Support Group.

Robyn Gerry retired in 2008 from her position as the Vice President of Marketing for Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (BWCA), a 501(c)3 performing arts center located on the historic site of the original Woodstock Festival. She is currently a member of the BWCA Strategic Planning Committee and serves on the BWCA Museum Collections Committee. She has served on Caron Florida’s Regional Advisory Board since 2016 and is also a member of the “Open the Door” committee for the forthcoming Keele Medical Center in Florida. Additionally, Robyn serves on the board of the Gerry Foundation.

Ira Jackson has served as president of Perfect Image since 1991, where he and his team of industry veterans provide clients with a rich portfolio of commercial printing and marketing support solutions. An alumnus of The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Ira serves on the institution’s board of trustees and Black Alumni Council. He also serves on the board of directors of Georgia Humanities and is chairman of the development committee. Ira has participated in Leadership Atlanta, Leadership Cobb, Leadership Georgia and served on the Metro Atlanta Super Bowl host committee board of directors. He has been a member of the Caron Atlanta Advisory Board since its inception in 2014 and was appointed to Caron’s Marketing Committee in October 2020.

Caron Treatment Centers
Caron Treatment Centers is an internationally recognized not-for-profit dedicated to addiction and behavioral healthcare treatment, research, prevention, and addiction medicine education. Headquartered in Wernersville, Pennsylvania, our mission is Recovery for Life. For more than 60 years, we have helped thousands of individuals struggling with substance use disorder and their families begin to manage this chronic, treatable disease. Caron provides a continuum of care for teens, young adults, women, men, and older adults. Caron’s signature programming provides concierge treatment for executives, healthcare professionals, older adults and first responders. In addition to the Pennsylvania campus, Caron provides services in Palm Beach County, Florida, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and New York City. Caron accepts several major insurance plans and provides financial assistance for those who qualify. For more information, please visit caron.org or @CaronTreatment.