WARWICK – After 28 years as The Kent Center’s President and CEO, David S. Lauterbach has retired, effective June 2. “It has been a privilege and an honor to exercise my stewardship over The Kent Center for the last 28 years,” Lauterbach said in a statement. “I am very grateful to have had a dedicated Board of Directors, talented staff, and warm hearted community for support during my tenure as CEO.” The Kent Center provides comprehensive behavioral health care services and programs to children and adults in Rhode Island.
Dan Kubas-Meyer is The Kent Center’s new CEO, effective June 5. Kubas-Meyer was the former executive director of Riverwood Mental Health Services, which merged with The Kent Center earlier this month.
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With more than 45 years of experience as a direct service provider and administrator of behavioral health care services, Lauterbach has also served as a consultant, both locally and nationally, on systems of care for children and families, trauma-informed care and trauma services, community support systems, treatment of co-occurring disorders and integration of medical and behavioral health care. He will remain a member of The Kent Center’s Hillsgrove House Advisory Board.
“We thank David for his leadership, service and dedicated efforts to improve The Kent Center’s clients’ quality of life,” Mark Delaney, chairman of the Kent Center’s board, said in the statement. “Under his leadership, thousands of men, women, children and their families were helped by his staff. It is because of his initiative that many of the most vulnerable Rhode Island residents continue to receive the services they need to lead fuller, more productive lives.”
Throughout his career, Lauterbach advocated for Clubhouses, a work-ordered day program designed for people with mental illnesses who seek a rewarding and productive lifestyle through a friendly and supportive community. The Clubhouse model champions the concept of membership, a sense of belonging, the right to self-determination for its members and opportunities for gainful employment. The Kent Center’s Hillsgrove House is Rhode Island’s first certified Clubhouse, and Lauterbach has been instrumental in forwarding its mission.
Over the years, Lauterbach has served as chairman of the Center Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce, Rhode Island Council of Community Mental Health Organizations and RICCMHO’s Children’s Services Committee. Lauterbach was a founding member of the Warwick13, a collaborative network of social service providers, and was active on the RI Prison Reentry Council.
