Greenwell
Melissa Greenwell has been named as chief executive officer for Comprehend Inc., replacing Joseph Gulley.
Gulley is leaving Comprehend at the end of the month and Greenwell is expected to be on board by mid-November, a board member said.
Gulley was named CEO in September, 2021 and replaced interim CEO Don Rogers who filled the gap after Dr. Pamela Vaught resigned in May of that same year. He cited personal reasons for leaving, officials said.
Greenwell currently serves as director of the Ion Center in Maysville.
“I have no doubt that Melissa will utilize her years of experience at Ion as she embarks on this journey of running a Community Mental Health Agency,” Christy Burch, CEO of the Ion Center said. “Melissa is part of the fiber of Ion Center and this parting has us sad but also excited about her future impact on the community.”
After learning Gulley was leaving, the agency’s board appointed a nominating committee and conducted a nationwide search for a new CEO, according to Board Vice Chair Earl Bush.
“It was a pretty extensive search,” he said.
More than 150 resumes were received, Bush said, and many interviews of prospects to fill the position conducted. In the end, Greenwell got the call, he said.
In an email shared with the newspaper, Greenwell told her co-workers “I am extremely proud of the work that Ion Center does for this community. I am humbled to have been a part of the mission of the agency, the relationships built in this community, and the expansion of the services provided. I am incredibly grateful for the community support that has been shown to me over the last 23 years with this agency.”
“This work, and this agency will always hold a special place in my heart and I will continue to support them at every opportunity. I’m blessed to have played a small part in their long journey in this community,” she said.
Bush said he was sorry to see Gulley, who faced a lot of issues when he came on board, leave.
“He did a good job,” Bush said.
