NASADAD staff members can be reached via e-mail and phone:
Telephone number: (202) 293-0090
Office of the Executive Director
Robert Morrison
Executive Director and Director Legislative Affairs
X4862, rmorrison@nasadad.org
Robert Morrison first came to the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Agency Directors (NASADAD) in 1998 when he worked on legislative and regulatory affairs as Public Policy Associate. Robert then broadened his health care portfolio by serving as Associate Director of Government Relations at Smith, Bucklin and Associates from 1999 to 2001 where he directed government affairs programs for a variety of organizations, including the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. Robert returned to NASADAD in 2001 as Director of Public Policy and went on to become Deputy Executive Director; Interim Executive Director; and, in 2009, Executive Director. Robert began his career working for the late U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (NJ) for approximately four years, spending his last two years as a Legislative Aide. In 2013, Robert re-assumed the lead for the Association’s legislative and regulatory affairs program – returning to the type of work that originally brought him to NASADAD. Robert graduated from Drew University in New Jersey with a B.A. in Political Science and completed graduate work in American Government at the Johns Hopkins University.
Michael Langer
Senior Advisor and Membership Services Liaison
, mlanger@nasadad.org
Michael Langer has joined NASADAD as a Senior Advisor and Membership Services Liaison. Michael retired from the State of Washington earlier this year, having served within the SSA for Substance Use and Mental Health since 1986. During his State service, he was actively involved with NASADAD for nearly 30 years. In his role as SSA, he served in leadership positions on the NASADAD Board of Directors. He further contributed to the association by serving within the Network Prevention Network (NPN) and the National Treatment Network (NTN).
Michael is joining NASADAD as a part-time staffer where we will leverage his vast experience to enhance our capacity to serve members as they join NASADAD and serve their home State/jurisdiction SSA offices. He will also be advising NASADAD senior leaders and staff on federally funded projects designed to support our membership.
Fachon James-Simpson
Member Services Coordinator/Meeting Planner
x4867, fsimpson@nasadad.org
Fachon Simpson is currently a Membership Services Coordinator/Meeting Planner at NASADAD. She has performed a wide-range of executive/administrative duties for the Executive Director/Director of Legislative Affairs, Deputy Executive Director/ Research and Program Applications, and Director of Finance for over 10 years. Fachon provides services for planning and staging the membership’s Annual/Board Meetings and all other NASADAD meetings. She is responsible for hotel contracts, meeting rooms set-up, meeting logistics, arranging exhibitors, travel, lodging, audio/visual equipment set-up, registration and development and distribution of meeting materials. Ms. Simpson is also responsible for scheduling conference calls and meetings, responding to membership requests for technical assistance, disseminating information via e-mail and fax, and the staging of meetings.
Ms. Simpson also performs various tasks within NASADAD’s Department of Finance. Her duties include preparing invoices and purchase orders; collecting membership dues; developing spreadsheets and inputting data; and tracking membership funds.
Daniel Diana
Public Policy Associate
, Ddiana@nasadad.org
Daniel Diana holds a Master of Public Policy with a concentration in Nonprofit Policy, Management, and Leadership from American University's School of Public Affairs. He completed his undergraduate studies at Villanova University in Spring 2021 with a Bachelor’s in Political Science and Sociology and has experience working for legal tech, compliance-oriented, and substance use related organizations. Daniel also served as NASADAD's Public Policy Intern from May-August 2022 and Legislative Coordinator from August 2022-June 2024. In his free time, Daniel enjoys basketball, chess, and walking his Bernedoodle Rosie.
Maddie Hise
Public Policy Intern
, mhise@nasadad.org
Maddie Hise is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Addiction Policy and Practice at Georgetown University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Human Dimensions of Organization from the University of Texas at Austin in 2019. Maddie has a diverse background with experience in marketing and paralegal work. In her free time, she volunteers with the Red Cross and at women’s shelters.
Financial and Management Information Systems
Research and Program Applications
Melanie Whitter
Deputy Executive Director
4873, mwhitter@nasadad.org
Melanie Whitter is the Deputy Executive Director for the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Agency Directors (NASADAD). In this role, she facilitates the translation of research and knowledge into state practice, sharing state evidence-based and best practices across the nation, and identifying state problems and issues that merit further study and research; provides technical assistance to the NASADAD membership; and coordinates and facilitates timely information exchange to the States concerning policies, programs and practices in the substance use disorder field. Prior to her role at NASADAD, she held the position of Principal Associate and led Abt Associate’s Behavioral Health Practice. She has also held the position of Single State Authority for alcohol and other drug services for the State of Illinois and served on the NASADAD Board of Directors, as the Vice-President for Treatment, and as a Regional Director. She is a member and served on the Board of the College for Behavioral Health Leadership. Over her career, she has been recognized for her commitment to advancing system change by building workforce and infrastructure capacity, creating and sustaining partnerships, and emphasizing research and evaluation.
Doug Fuller, PhD
Associate Director of Research and Program Applications
, dfuller@nasadad.org
Douglas Fuller, Ph.D., joined NASADAD in May 2020. He currently works as the National Treatment Network Team Leader and the Opioid Treatment Network Team Leader, as well as leads other technical assistance and research projects. His experience includes serving as a senior health researcher with over 18 years of experience focused on HIV/AIDS, substance use/disorders, criminal justice, and veteran wellness. Dr. Fuller brings expertise in strategic planning, contract management and acquisition, project budget monitoring, collaborative engagement, technical assistance, and diversity initiatives. He provides deep subject matter expertise in primary and secondary data for patient reported outcomes, clinician reported outcomes, HIV and hepatitis testing, and access to care for historically vulnerable and underserved populations. He received his doctorate in sociology from Howard University in 2005.
Tracy Tlumac Flinn, Ed.D.
Associate Director for Planning and Program Management
X4865, tflinn@nasadad.org
Tracy Flinn, Ed.D., joined NASADAD in September 2013 as a Senior Research Analyst primarily working with the State and Territory Prevention Directors. In this role, Dr. Flinn provides and arranges for technical assistance to state and territorial substance use prevention directors; coordinates topic calls and webinars; develops fact sheets and other resources; coordinates the annual National Prevention Research Conference and Prevention Leadership Summits; and oversees and manages day-to-day project implementation.
Dr. Flinn has over 20 years of experience working in prevention at the national, state, and local levels, and is a senior expert in substance use prevention strategies, project management, training and technical assistance, and alcohol and drug research, trends, and policies. She was previously the Associate Director of the U.S. Department of Education’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Violence Prevention. Dr. Flinn also directed the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded “A Matter of Degree” coalition at the University of Delaware, where she implemented environmental prevention strategies to reduce alcohol and other drug problems among students and established a statewide prevention coalition of colleges and universities. She received her doctorate in higher education administration and educational leadership from the University of Delaware in 2007.
Mellie Randall
Senior Research Analyst
, mrandall@nasadad.org
Mellie Randall works with the State Opioid Treatment Authorities and on opioid research and technical assistance projects. She has over 30 years of experience in state government, having worked as the Single State Agency Director and National Treatment Network representative for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. She managed the administration of the SAPT Block Grant as well as discretionary grants, led collaborative projects across sectors of state government, and participated in several national projects. She also led efforts to establish access to medication assisted treatment (MAT) in rural Virginia and, with the advent of STR funding, implemented MAT in all 40 of Virginia’s publicly funded behavioral health organizations. Mellie was an integral part of the team that designed, obtained and implemented one of the first CMS SUD waivers.
Becky Vaughn
Senior Research Analyst
, bvaughn@nasadad.org
Becky Vaughn supports a variety of treatment and recovery projects for NASADAD. She has been working in the treatment and recovery field for over 40 years. Beginning her career at St. Jude’s Recovery Center in Atlanta, GA, Ms. Vaughn’s work turned to public policy and association leadership in 1992 when she established The Georgia Council on Substance Abuse (GCSA), the first treatment services provider association in Georgia. As CEO of GCSA, her work focused on legislative advocacy on issues concerning prevention, treatment, recovery, homelessness, and drug courts including passage of many bills and securing funding for programmatic resources. In 2008, Ms. Vaughn joined the State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS) as their CEO. Following their merger with the National Council for Behavioral Health, Ms. Vaughn served as the Vice President for Addictions, building the addiction presence and services at the Council until 2016. Following her tenure at the National Council, Ms. Vaughn joined the Colombo Plan in Sri Lanka and served as their Director of the Global Centre for Credentialing and Certification (GCCC) until 2023, spreading the important message of workforce development and a well-trained and credentialed workforce. Ms. Vaughn has served on numerous state and US federal committees/panels and has spoken on the topic of substance use, treatment, and recovery to a variety of stakeholders.
Shanthy Edward
Senior Communications Specialist
, mailtosedward@nasadad.org
Shanthy Edward, PsyD, joined the NASADAD as a part-time Senior Communications Specialist. Leveraging Dr. Edward's diverse background, she will promote the Associations policies and activities, as well as support research and technical assistance projects. Dr. Edward brings a unique blend of clinical psychology and strategic communication expertise to her role. With a career that started in underserved areas, Dr. Edward quickly realized the crucial role of effective communication in addressing complex issues affecting individuals and communities. This realization led her into non-profit leadership roles, strategic communications positions, and strategic growth roles where she has made a lasting impact. Dr. Edward has worked in direct service environments serving individuals, families, and communities experiencing a broad range of needs, including substance use disorders and mental disorders/intellectual disabilities. In addition, she is an expert in strategic communications, marketing, advocacy, and content development. She has crafted presentations, reports, speeches, white papers, video scripts, podcasts, and more for people and organizations with diverse needs and audiences. She has also led strategic planning, revenue growth, and business development, including within the substance use disorders and mental health fields.
Claire Gray
Research Analyst II
4864, cgray@nasadad.org
Claire Gray supports various technical assistance and research projects at NASADAD. She previously supported the Prevention and Treatment Learning Communities as a Research Associate. Before coming to NASADAD she worked with a community coalition in Baltimore, supporting environmental strategies for substance use prevention. Claire received a B.A. in Public Health and Global Environmental Change & Sustainability from Johns Hopkins University.
Jose Silva
Research Analyst II
, jsilva@nasadad.org
Jose Silva, MPH, MSW, joined NASADAD in 2019. Jose is Research Analyst II, supporting the states' State Opioid Treatment Authorities and Recovery Coordinators. Among his various technical assistance projects, Jose has led efforts in planning and coordinating a 5-year learning collaborative with state recovery units on integrating recovery support across multiple SUD provider settings for the Center of Excellence for Integrated Health Solutions (CoE CIHS Project). As a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Jose carried out an extensive literature review on the use of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) within criminal justice institutions and its impact on the rehabilitation of individuals with OUD. He also successfully completed a qualitative study at the master's level, examining treatment orientations and identifying barriers and facilitators in this specific field.
Jose brings over a decade of experience in clinical services, including assessment and treatment planning, conducting substance use group therapy, and implementing behavior modification interventions for adolescents. Additionally, he conducts substance abuse assessments, manages and leads DUI offender prevention and treatment groups, and reports to the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP).
Emma Neller
Research Associate I
, eneller@nasadad.org
Emma Neller is a Research Associate who works with the National Prevention and Treatment Networks and supports the state Prevention and Treatment Coordinators. Before coming to NASADAD she held a fellowship position working with the Washington State Health Care Authority, where she supported substance use disorder prevention services throughout Washington State. Emma received a B.A. in Public Health-Global Health from the University of Washington.
Cara Dufresne
Research Associate
, cdufresne@nasadad.org
Cara Dufresne, MPH, joined NASADAD as a Research Associate supporting the Prevention, Women’s Services, and Youth Coordinators in October 2024. Before coming to NASADAD, she worked as a Youth Coordinator for a regional coalition outside of Boston, MA, focused on substance use initiation prevention strategies. She also has experience with college campus substance use prevention and harm reduction efforts and has previously engaged in policy work surrounding alcohol home delivery. Cara received her B.A. in Community Health from Tufts University and her MPH with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health from The George Washington University.