Dr. Owen Nichols
Chief Executive Officer & President of NorthKey

Dr. Owen Nichols is the President and CEO of NorthKey Community Care (i.e., Northern Kentucky Mental Health–Mental Retardation Regional Board). He also serves as an intermittent surveyor in the Behavioral Health Care Accreditation Program with the Joint Commission providing accreditation reviews and consultation nationally. He has previously served as the Associate Executive Director and Clinical Director of Western State Hospital in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

Dr. Nichols is a Fellow in the American Academy of Clinical Psychology, Fellow in the Academy of Medical Psychology, and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. He is Board Certified in Clinical and Medical Psychology. He served as the 2010 President of the Board of Directors of the American Society for the Advancement of Pharmacotherapy. He had the distinguished honor of serving on the Advisory Board of the Neuroscience Education Institute for over a decade. He is a Past-Chair of the Kentucky Board of Examiners in Psychology and Kentucky Association of Regional Mental Health and Mental Retardation Programs.

Dr. Nichols currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Mental Health Corporation of America and the Mental Health Risk Retention Group.

Mr. Rob Vonckx
Chief of Operations and Talent Management

Rob Vonckx is a seasoned executive management, human resources, and legal professional with over a decade of experience in the behavioral healthcare field. Rob graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Kentucky with a B.A. in Political Science and earned a Juris Doctor from Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law. Rob is passionate about serving his community and ensuring that all community members have access to quality behavioral healthcare services. Rob is an avid football fan and loves to travel. Rob and his wife Lauren live in Northern Kentucky and are proud parents of two boys.

Mr. Art Jones
Chief of Business Management and Development

Ms. Jennifer Miller
Chief of Clinical Services

Jennifer Miller is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over 15 years of experience in the mental health field. She obtained her MSW from the University of Kentucky with an emphasis on family and community work. She has served in a variety of roles within the community mental health system and has a drive to improve services for all individuals. Her mission is to ensure that all individuals have the same access to the best care possible.

Ms. Jessica Ellis
Chief Integrated Care Officer

Jessica Ellis is a seasoned operational leader. Her expertise lies in leading and developing teams to serve communities through strategic planning strategies. Jessica has over 15 years of experience in leading healthcare practices across the US and enjoys overseeing a wide variety of operational and fiscal responsibilities to ensure optimal business performance. She is a change management driver with her focus being improving health outcomes. Jessica is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University and has lived and served in this community for over 30 years.

Ms. Danielle Hubbard
Lead Manager of Community Support Services

Danielle Hubbard is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and currently serves as the Lead Manager of Community Support Services at NorthKey Community Care. Danielle obtained her BASW and MSW from the University of Kentucky with a focus in Military Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorders. Danielle began her social work career at NorthKey in 2021 as an intern and has served in a variety of roles during her time here. Danielle is a dedicated and compassionate leader and is driven to ensure individuals in our region have access to resources and services as needed to improve quality of life and recovery.

Ms. Christy McGovern
Lead Manager of Performance Monitoring

Christy McGovern is a licensed clinical mental health and substance use counselor (LPCC-S, LICDC, CADC) with over 18 years of experience in the social services and health care fields. She earned a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Northern Kentucky University in 2012. Christy leads and coordinates NorthKey’s development as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), compliance with The Joint Commission standards of care, and quality improvement activities. She also serves as NorthKey’s Health Equity leader.

Ms. Lynda Brewer
Lead Manager of IDD Services

Ms. Paula Brun
Lead Manager of Behavioral Health Services

Paula D. Brun has a MSSW from the University of Louisville and obtained her LCSW in 2019. She has over 21 years of experience in the Social Work field. Over 7 of those years have been in the Mental Health Field while working for NorthKey Community Care where she currently holds the position of Lead Manager of Behavioral Health Services.

Ms. Kelley Probst
Lead Manager of Recovery Access Services

Dr. Brian Jones
Lead Medical Officer

Ms. Valerie Simons
Lead Manager of Health Information Management

Valerie Simons is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and holds a BS in health sciences. She is a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) certified through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and has 10-plus years of experience in the HIM field. She specializes in HIPAA Privacy and Security and serves as NorthKey’s HIPAA Privacy Officer. Valerie lives in Cincinnati and is the proud parent of her son and daughter.

Mr. Jim Brun
Lead Manager of Network and Data Systems

Jim Brun has worked within the Information Technology field for over three decades. He started as a repair and support tech supporting convenience store managers with their new computer systems. He also worked on building and repairing computer systems for a local small business. In 1999, he went to work for a local college keeping their network and computer systems running, later becoming the Director of the IT department. During that time, he became an MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) as well as an MCT (Microsoft Certified Trainer). In 2015, he worked for a software development company where he was the engineer in charge of installation and support. He joined NorthKey in February of 2022 as the Lead Manager of Network and Data Systems. He loves working in the Information Technology field. He also loves working with the great people who work for NorthKey.

Mr. Randall Krueger
Lead Manager of Financial Systems

Ms. Lillie Wilson
Lead Manager of Customer Support

Lillie Wilson, the Lead Manager of Customer Support at NorthKey Community Care. Lillie has been a part of the NorthKey Community Care team since beginning her career in the Fort Thomas office as an intake receptionist in 1996. During her tenure, she has spent much of that time providing customer services or helping to develop the customer support team which includes the front desk staff at each office location and NorthKey’s call center. Lillie was born in Maysville Kentucky, grew up in Dayton Kentucky, and currently resides in Northern Kentucky. She has two grown daughters and several grandchildren. When not at work, she spends time spoiling her grandchildren or relaxing with a good book.