Board of Directors
Ashley’s Board of Directors is a passionate and energetic group of individuals committed to sustaining our co-founders’ legacy of healing with dignity. Our Board is led by Chairman Jim Denvir. Jim is an experienced business person, a passionate Ashley advocate and a skilled leader. Ashley’s Board is comprised of individuals with diverse professional backgrounds. Our Board is a working Board that focuses on governance and management issues while providing guidance and strategic oversight.
Executive Leadership Team
Alex Denstman, MBA
Co-CEO & President
After having been a part of Ashley in many different roles since 2009, Alex now serves as the Co-CEO and President of Ashley Addiction Treatment together with Dr. Greg Hobelmann. Alex started working at Ashley in 2009 as a patient care coordinator and continuously progressed into new positions, including director of Alumni Services and Clinical Outreach, vice president of Business Development, and until recently, senior vice president and chief growth officer. In his new role as Co-CEO, Alex will combine his talents with those of Greg’s by overseeing Intake, Clinical Outreach, Patient Care Coordination, Communications, Alumni and Development, as well as Human Resources, IT, Finance, Maintenance, Safety and Security, Grounds, and Maintenance. Alex received his undergraduate degree from the University of Baltimore in Health Systems Management with honors and his Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland Global College. His association with Ashley started in 2003 when, at age 20, he became a patient at Ashley. Alex has remained in recovery and is an active member of the local recovery community. He is passionate about using his personal experiences and 15+ years of background in the industry to help ensure that Ashley creates the best possible care environment for our recovering patients and their families.
J. Gregory Hobelmann, M.D., M.P.H.
Co-CEO & President
Dr. Greg Hobelmann serves as the Co-CEO/President of Ashley Addiction Treatment together with Alex Denstman. He previously worked as a staff psychiatrist and until recently as the senior vice president and chief clinical and medical officer here at Ashley. As Co-CEO and Presidents, Greg and Alex share responsibilities, with Greg overseeing Medical Services and Nursing, all of Ashley’s inpatient and outpatient programs, extended care programs, Stabilization Unit, Spiritual and Weekend Counseling, Family Services, as well as Dietary, Quality Improvement, Health Information Management, and Patient Support and Transportation. Greg holds a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and completed a psychiatry and anesthesiology residency as well as a pain medicine fellowship at Johns Hopkins. Prior to his arrival at Ashley, Greg worked as an interventional pain specialist. His special treatment interests include substance use disorders and chronic pain. Greg is committed to assuring that all our patients and their families receive the most innovative and excellent holistic care on their recovery journey.
David T. Nassef
Senior Advisor and Envoy
David T. Nassef currently serves as the Senior Advisor and Envoy of Ashley Addiction Treatment. In his new role, Dave will focus on advising Ashley leadership, external relations, and legislative and policy initiatives. Dave has been an integral part of Ashley for nearly two and half decades, serving, until recently, as the president and CEO after over 15 years as Ashley’s board chairman. He has also served as board chairman at High Watch Recovery Center and Gunster House. Prior to working at Ashley, Dave served as the vice president of Global Government and Regulatory Affairs for Pitney Bowes Inc., overseeing and managing U.S. and international U.S. and international government and regulatory influencing activities within the company. Dave has served as the chairman of the Connecticut State Ethics Commission, vice chairman of the Connecticut Alcohol and Drug Commission, and was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps before joining Pitney Bowes. He is a graduate of Fairfield University and holds advanced certificates in medical ethics from the Albert Einstein and Columbia Schools of Medicine, and language expertise from the Defense Language Institute. Dave has become an irreplaceable part of Ashley’s history and will continue to shape its future with passion.
Mark Hushen, M.Div., M.A.
Chief Mission and Legacy Officer
Mark Hushen joined Ashley in 2007 and serves as the Chief Mission and Legacy Officer. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in spirituality, recovery and wellness to the care of Ashley’s patients and families. In his role, he oversees all Spiritual Wellness Services including prayer, meditation, worship, retreat work, yoga, spiritual counseling, grief counseling, art therapy, massage, acupuncture and recreational activities. Prior to joining Ashley, he was an educator, faith leader and served as the Director of Clinical Pastoral Care at Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor of Science from Penn State University, State College, his Master of Divinity from De Sales School of Theology, and his Master of Arts in counseling from The Catholic University of America.
Jennifer Aguglia, LCSW-C
Vice President of Outpatient Services
Jennifer Aguglia, LCSW-C joined Ashley in 2015 and serves as the Vice President of Outpatient Services. She previously held several roles including Clinical Manager and Clinical Director. In her current role, she oversees the daily operations of both outpatient locations and the development of new outpatient services. Prior to taking on her role at Ashley, she was the Director of the Women and Children’s Program at Recovery Network, University Psychological Center in Baltimore, Maryland. She earned her Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore with a specialization in mental health. She is a licensed Clinical Social Worker in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware. She is an approved Social Work supervisor for the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners as well as a Professional Counselor Supervisor and Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Approved Supervisor with the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors. Jennifer is passionate about working in the field of addiction, especially with the population of pregnant women and women with children.
James M. Ryan, LCPC
Vice President of Clinical Services
James M. Ryan is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and serves as the Vice President of Clinical Services at Ashley Addiction Treatment. He joined the Ashley clinical team in 2014 and has served in a number of capacities as a counselor and leader throughout his time. As a helping professional, he is dedicated to the holistic health of every individual with whom he works. His clinical philosophy accounts for the ecological and developmental context surrounding the individual when treating them. His counseling style is rooted in spiritual and existential traditions, with particular emphasis on the inherent need for meaning and purpose in life for the wellness of all human beings. He is a passionate people manager with a leadership philosophy rooted in service-oriented leadership and “management by walking around.” He believes that productivity and performance are the byproducts of feeling connected at work, engaging in fulfilling work, being part of a high functioning team, and contributing to the mission in a meaningful way.
Karen L. Canter, M.D.
Vice President of Medical Services
Dr. Karen Canter serves as the Vice President of Medical Services of Ashley Addiction Treatment. She previously worked as a staff physician, senior staff physician and director of medical services. Karen oversees the medical and nursing departments for Ashley’s inpatient programs. Karen holds a Bachelor of Science in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Science in computer science from Drexel University and earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania. She completed her family medicine residency at Christiana Care Health Systems and was a family medicine physician in the community for 12 years prior to joining Ashley in 2012. Karen is dedicated to providing excellent medical care to Ashley patients of all ages.
James Burgess, CPA
Vice President of Finance
James Burgess joined Ashley in 2019 and serves as the Vice President of Finance. In this role, he oversees the Finance Department which includes Patient Accounts, Patient Financial Services, Accounting and Financial Reporting. Prior to joining Ashley, James spent eight years in the Assurance practice of the Baltimore, MD office for PricewaterhouseCoopers focusing on healthcare and not-for-profit clients. James received his Bachelor of Science in accounting and his Master of Science in accounting from the Smeal College of Business at Pennsylvania State University. James is an active licensed Certified Public Accountant and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants.
Tosha Hershey
Vice President of Talent Management
Tosha Hershey joined Ashley in 2019 and serves as the Vice President of Talent Management with over 16 years of HR experience, more than half of which have been in the non-profit, social services and healthcare industries. In her role, she will oversee the entire HR function. Prior to Ashley, Tosha was the Director of Human Resources for Health Care for the Homeless. While at Health Care for the Homeless, she was a part of the National Council for Health Care for the Homeless’ first national collaborative on diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Morgan State University and is currently attending Towson University for a master’s degree in human resources development. Tosha’s passion for healthcare and social justice issues has been passed down to her by her mother, a retired nurse, and father, who was an active member in Baltimore social justice issues. It is because of this, that she finds herself drawn to nonprofits with strong missions and a history of helping others in the community.
Tara Handron
Vice President of Engagement
Tara Handron joined Ashley in 2021 and serves as the Vice President of Engagement and will oversee the Alumni and Development teams at Ashley. Previously, she served as the Regional Vice President in the greater Washington, DC area for Caron Treatment Centers and was responsible for fundraising, marketing, community outreach, business development, board management and alumni relations. Tara’s mission has been to raise awareness about the disease of addiction along with the many resources available in which to get help. Before Caron, she worked for Booz Allen Hamilton where she focused on workforce planning, strategic communications, and change management for government agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs. Tara holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and a Master of Arts in communication, culture & technology from Georgetown University. She also regularly performs a one-woman show about alcoholism and recovery called Drunk with Hope based on her master’s thesis.
Elaina Denu
Chief of Staff & Corporate Secretary
Elaina Denu joined Ashley in 2016 and serves as the Chief of Staff & Corporate Secretary. Prior to joining Ashley, Elaina managed regulatory and compliance processes for Ashley at Crothall Healthcare. Elaina also has years of experience in executive assistant roles at Alex, Brown & Sons brokerage firm, and Ernst & Young. In addition to providing management support to the Joint CEOs, she also serves as the Corporate Secretary, acting as the liaison between leadership and the senior staff as well as between the Board of Directors and leadership. She studied Business Administration and Psychology at the University of Maryland and Harford Community College.