Board of Directors
Board of Directors
We Are Here For You
We Are Here For You
Jason Swain
Jason Swain
President
Jason Swain was raised in Del Rio, Texas. He left Del Rio at the age of 19 to explore the world while serving his country. Jason served in the US Army for 21 years. His time in the Army included tours of duty in Germany, Italy, Iraq, Macedonia, Kuwait, the United Kingdom, as well as stateside assignments in Arizona, Florida, New York, South Carolina, and Texas. He retired from the Army in 2012 and settled in Omaha, NE where he lives with his wife and son. He also has three stepchildren, a son-in-law, and three granddaughters with a fourth grandchild expected in May 2021. Jason completed a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Bellevue University in February 2020. He is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and holds a temporary Mental Health Counselor License in the state of Iowa. He currently practices in Red Oak, IA through Waubonsie Mental Health Center.
Jessica Duncan
Jessica Duncan
Vice-President
Jessica Duncan has been the Account Executive at Angels Care Home Health in Council Bluffs for over a year. Her position allows her the opportunity to be a community educator on preventive health, a social butterfly in the community to tell people about their homebound home health options, and also to be a resource in the community on Angels services including specialty programs like Behavioral Health, Anxiety/Depression and Alzheimer's/Dementia. Jessica completed her Bachelor's Degree in Health Care Administration and Policy with a minor in Sociology from Creighton University.
Jessica has family members that have lived through depression, friends that have lived through anxiety disorders and postpartum depression, and close loved ones that have been through different mental health diagnoses. Her hope in being an active member of NAMI is to make an impact personally and professionally in her community for those that are touched by the struggles of mental health concerns.
Chuck Morris
Chuck Morris
Treasurer
Chuck Morris is currently serving his second term as a County Supervisor in Page County following his initial election in 2016. In his government role, he continues to serve on the Board of Directors for the Southwest Iowa Mental Health and Disability Region, Zion Integrated Behavioral Health Services and the Southwest Iowa Mental Health Center in Atlantic. From 2016-2019 Chuck served on the Waubonsie Mental Health Board of Directors. Prior to his political career, Chuck worked nearly three decades as a sports and news journalist at May Broadcasting Company (KMA). He has two children with brain health diagnosis’ and a passion for helping families find community resources for managing the related challenges. Chuck and his wife Jane live in Clarinda with their four dogs.
Chelsey Hirt
Chelsey Hirt
Secretary
Chelsey Hirt is the Area Director for Family Connections, INC in Glenwood, IA, Red Oak, IA and Plattsmouth, NE. Chelsey oversees all therapists and BHIS providers in those locations. Chelsey has been a licensed therapist since January 2017 and enjoys working with a multitude of clients. She is also the Vice President for Teammates Mentoring Program in Glenwood, IA and serves as a mentor in Glenwood, IA.
Chelsey is always looking to build connections around the area and help individuals get the resources and/or support they need in their community. Outside of work, Chelsey is a Volleyball Coach, Wife and Mother. She enjoys staying busy and being a part of greater causes. Chelsey’s hope is that by being on the NAMI Southwest Iowa board of directors she is able to continue serving the community in other ways as well as expanding her knowledge for mental health and her experience with those around.
Adam Hadden
Adam Hadden
Board Member
Adam was born and raised in Monona County and has lived there for all but four years of his life. Those four years Adam attended the University of Nebraska Omaha to receive a Bachelor’s in Exercise Science.
After graduating, Adam was hired at the Burgess Health Center as the Wellness Center Program Exercise Coordinator. He evaluated each gym member to get a better understanding of how to help them achieve their health and wellness goals.
In February of 2020, Adam joined the Public Health department at Burgess and helped to understand community needs as well as mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Currently, he is the Director of Public Health at Burgess and continues to evaluate ways to improve the health and resources of Monona County.
In his free time, Adam enjoys spending time with his wife, three girls, dog, and friends. They hunt, fish, golf, and exercise. They really enjoy being outside whether on the go or just sitting and relaxing.
Emily Martin
Emily Martin
Board Member
Emily Martin is employed as a Development Specialist at Nishna Productions, Inc., a non-profit agency in southwest Iowa that provides supports for adults with disabilities to live and work in the community of their choice. Her primary duties include fundraising, community awareness and involvement activities, marketing, and public relations. She has worked at NPI for 3 years.
Emily has an undergraduate degree in elementary education and a master’s in business administration. She has always had a passion for work (and volunteerism) that educates and advocates for others. Emily was born into a military family and is herself a veteran (third generation). As a result, she has lived in many different communities and has a deep appreciation for the variety of people within those communities. She is an active member of the Stanton American Legion Post #406. Emily lives in Bethesda with her three teen-age boys. Her hobbies include gardening, quilting, reading, baking, and cheering for whatever activity her boys are involved in.
Amanda Redlinger
Amanda Redlinger
Board Member
Amanda Redlinger is a Council Bluffs RN, BSN. She has over 25 years of nursing experience in nearly every realm of psychiatric care. She believes in the “Recovery Model” of treatment which emphasizes and supports a person’s potential for recovery, while understanding that recovery looks different for each individual. Amanda has a husband, 3 grown children, 4 grandchildren, and a Mini Aussie named Bindi. Her activities include attending concerts and plays, camping, kayaking, gardening, riding her UTV, and going to junk stores with friends. She is very active in her church and volunteers at the Community of Christ Thrift Store.
Maria Torres
Maria Torres
Board Member
Maria Torres was born in El Salvador, where she lived until she was 10 years old, then came to the United States. She has been in the U.S. since that time. Maria currently works for Pottawattamie County Public Health as the Health Equity Coordinator, where she works every day to make sure all communities and people feel heard and represented. Maria joined NAMI because she is passionate about mental health and it's something that she has personally dealt with. Having post-partum depression and being diagnosed with PTSD made Maria aware that there are a lot of stigmas with mental health. Maria would like to serve on the NAMI Southwest Iowa Board of Directors to help bring more awareness regarding mental health and help people like herself get the help they need and deserve.
Our Staff
Our Staff
We Are Here For You
We Are Here For You
Anna Killpack
Anna Killpack
Executive Director
Executive Director
Anna is a passionate mental health advocate and leader, currently serving as the Executive Director of NAMI Southwest Iowa. She has been involved with the organization since 2018, initially serving on on the Board of Directors, and assumed her current role in July of 2020. Anna is inspired by her son, who has driven her dedication to supporting individuals and families affected by mental illness.
Beyond her work with NAMI Southwest Iowa, Anna serves on the Mental Health Fund Advisory Committee for the Community Foundation for Western Iowa, where she works to identify and allocate resources to organizations that prioritize mental health. She is also President of the board of directors for Lookout Village, an organization that supports seniors and persons with disabilities, and a board member for Neola Betterment Corporation.
Anna is a longtime resident of rural Neola, Iowa, where she lives on a farm with her husband, Dean. Originally from Kansas, she has called Iowa home since 1993. Anna's commitment to mental health advocacy, community service, and rural living make her a valuable leader and asset to her community.
Chris Adcock
Chris Adcock
Development Director
Development Director
Chris Adcock is an AmeriCorps VISTA serving in her second year as the Development Director for NAMI Southwest Iowa. With a strong passion and commitment, Chris is all about helping our small and relatively new NAMI affiliate grow and reach more people in the rural and underserved communities in our nine-county region.
In addition to her role as Development Director, Chris is an experienced leader of the NAMI Peer-to-Peer class and facilitator of NAMI Connection Support Groups. She has helped many individuals and has made a significant impact on their lives since joining the organization.
When not working, Chris enjoys spending time with her husband and her recently-adopted blind and deaf 10-year-old Silky Terrier, for whom she affectionately calls herself his "seeing eye person." They live on 80 reclaimed acres in Southwest Iowa and Chris gets to work from home, which she loves.
Managing her depression, anxiety, and ADHD, Chris has discovered the positive impact of NAMI classes and support groups. She serves as an example of how NAMI can assist anyone in thriving and overcoming life's obstacles.
It is a privilege to have Chris on the NAMI Southwest Iowa team, bringing her expertise, commitment, and compassion to make a genuine difference in our community. We are grateful to have her aboard.