Muir Wood is the choice of medical professionals around the country because of its specialized, evidence-based care for teens. It is also distinguished by the talent and collegiality of its team members. Muir Wood carefully selects its staff for their ability to provide exceptional care, and for their ability to support the values of compassion, kindness, cooperation, and quality that are its hallmark. Working as a close-knit unit, our dedicated staff helps ensure strong collaboration and continuity of care for teens. They include clinical and medical professionals, academic leaders, and administrative staff. Meet the Muir Wood team that impacts lives by nurturing change and advancing adolescent health.
Senior Management Team
Stacey Irving has held leadership positions at some of the country’s leading healthcare brands, including McKesson, DaVita Kidney Care, and most recently, Tia Health. At DaVita, she was deeply involved in scaling operations and advancing patient care models, helping to support one of the nation’s largest networks of dialysis centers. At Tia, she played a key role in building the brand’s network of integrated clinics, expanding access to women’s healthcare across the U.S. Stacey brings this blend of operational expertise and mission-driven leadership to Muir Wood, fostering a culture where every teammate is valued and contributes to the overarching goal of “making exceptional care accessible.”
“Joining Muir Wood as a CEO is not just about leadership; it’s about being part of a mission that empowers adolescents to overcome their challenges and unlock their full potential, creating ripples of positive change in our communities.”
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Bryan is a proven addiction treatment executive with a unique combination of experience in new business venture, management, business development, admissions, and intervention. With over 20 years in the treatment industry, Bryan got his start as an overnight tech and has worked his way up to be recognized as a National Leader in the Industry. Bryan has served on many non profit boards for recovery, addiction and intervention related organizations. These include; California Association of Addiction Recovery Resources (CAARR), The Association of Intervention Specialists, The Helen Vine Detox Center and The Henry Ohlhoff Programs. Bryan’s philosophy on treatment is to provide the best clinical care and provide families with the education and resources they need to become an integral part of the healing process. He is an empathetic leader who creates teams that people want to be a part of. In his spare time, Bryan leads an active life in the beautiful surroundings of Northern California with his wife and daughter.
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Dr. Wolds comes to Muir Wood from Constellation Behavioral Health where he served as President, overseeing all facets of the company and its treatment programs. As a licensed clinical psychologist, Ian has spent his entire career working in the care and treatment of clients with addiction and co-occurring disorders, spanning back to 2005. He brings an integrative psychology framework to his work that emphasizes the interdependence of psychological, physical/medical, sociocultural, spiritual, developmental and systemic dynamics in each individual’s life. Ian has worked with a wide variety of clinical populations dealing with addiction, mental illness and other co-occurring disorders across individual, group, and family contexts. He has worked in inpatient, residential, and outpatient treatment settings and completed a dissertation studying spiritual development in 12-Step recovery from a variety of cultural viewpoints. Ian’s passion lies in helping clients and families develop self-awareness, resilience, personal agency and the capacity to thrive in spite of life’s adversities, and ultimately the creation of more meaningful relationships and personal fulfillment.
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Danny Pencak is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) serving as the Chief Financial Officer for Muir Wood overseeing the company’s revenue cycle management, accounting, and financial operations.
Danny has over twenty years of experience in financial management within the healthcare sector. His most recent CFO position, prior to joining Muir Wood, included facilitating strategic acquisitions and expansion for Akeso Occupational Health. Danny led Akeso to grow into one of California’s largest providers of occupational medicine services. Prior to joining Akeso, Danny held various other financial management positions with key accomplishments including raising $1.8 billion for a specialty diagnostic laboratory and executing over $10 billion in transactions for KPMG’s healthcare advisory group.
In addition to serving as CFO for Muir Wood, Danny serves on the Board of Directors for several non-profit organizations including the Boys and Girls Club of Vista and the La Costa Valley 35 Athletic Club.
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Pat has more than 20 years of behavioral health marketing experience and has worked for a who’s who of mental health and substance use disorder treatment brands. Most recently, Pat served as VP of Marketing for Altior Healthcare where he guided the marketing of four adolescent and young adult mental health treatment brands; Paradigm Treatment Centers (CA & TX), Innercept (ID), Shortridge Academy (NH), and Ironwood Maine (ME). From 2002 until 2018, Pat was a founding partner of Psynchronous Communications, a premier behavioral health marketing firm. During that period, Muir Wood was an agency client. So, Pat is well familiar with the Muir Wood brand, its people and its programs.
Prior to co-founding Psynchronous, Pat served as SVP/Group Director at the venerable Arnold Worldwide in Boston where he set the strategic direction for the $600mm Verizon account. While at Arnold, Pat also helped craft the branding for the launch of www.WSJ.com.
Pat has twice been honored for his work benefiting the hungry with the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Award for Public Service, “…the only award that ever really mattered,” says Pat who has seen an award or two in his time. Two fantastic grown daughters – a 2nd grade teacher and a musical theatre actress – and a healthy obsession with the guitar keep Pat occupied when he isn’t laser focused on his marketing responsibilities.
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Brent is an extremely respected professional in the field of behavioral health and addiction treatment with over two decades of experience working in executive level positions at many highly regarded treatment programs and organizations. Additionally, as a consultant, Brent has been instrumental in assisting many other programs with licensure, accreditation, compliance and regulatory issues. As the Director of Compliance for Muir Wood, Brent ensures that the facility is in compliance with all health and safety practices, monitors the policies and procedures to ensure they are in alignment with licensing, manages the program’s performance improvement planning and monthly meetings, monitors the electronic health records to ensure proper and timely documentation, monitors employee hiring practices and human resource compliance, and is a valued member of the executive leadership team at Muir Wood.
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Dr. Krueger oversees all aspects of clinical programming for Muir Wood’s growing teen mental health and substance use disorder treatment programs. Dr. Krueger comes to Muir Wood from Newport Healthcare where she served as National Director of Clinical Program Development.
A frequent national presenter on mental health topics, Dr. Krueger earned her doctorate from Argosy University and is trained in modalities including CBT, DBT, Functional Family Therapy, Attachment-Based Family Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing.
She has conducted research on stress and competency in parents of adolescents and young adults with ASD, as well as on female aggression and barriers to reentry from juvenile detention.
“Dr. Krueger’s impressive pedigree, extensive experience working with adolescents and their families, and her important academic contributions to our field, have made her an ideal addition to Muir Wood’s leadership team,” said Scott Sowle, Muir Wood Founder and CEO.
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Heather brings over 30 years of experience to the Muir Wood team, with the last 25 years focused on behavioral health treatment. The behavioral health insurance realm can be complicated for families and programs alike. Her passion is helping both parties navigate the complexities which arise. Heather is well versed in revenue cycle management, payor strategy / contracting and utilization review. She enjoys working through the challenges each of these offers. When not working, Heather enjoys spending time with her family, fishing, and traveling.
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Maura, or “Mo” as we call her, brings two decades of business experience to her role as Director of Admissions. Previous to working at Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services she was an Admissions Counselor at a treatment center in Marin County and also held positions in sales, marketing, finance, and operations in various industries over the years. She joined the Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services team in February of 2018 and was our Director of Operations for 3.5 years before moving over to the business office in July of 2021 to direct our admissions department. When asked about being part of the Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services team, she states, “to be fortunate enough to help adolescents and their families in the very same county where I was once an adolescent myself, it just feels like home, it is an absolutely beautiful feeling.” Maura was born and raised nearby in picturesque Sonoma Valley and her family still resides there. At 22 years of age, she graduated Cum Laude from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business and a minor in Viticulture. Maura is passionate about helping others become the best version of themselves through living a healthy, balanced, sober, lifestyle and is extremely proud of the excellent care that the Muir Wood Adolescent and Family Services Team provides its clients and families. Outside of work, she is fulfilled by spending time with her loving husband, young son, rescue kitty cats Indy and Curry, and French Bulldog Luna.
You can reach Mo at Msangster@MuirWoodTeen.com
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Vice President of Outreach
Kelli brings years of administration and operations experience to Muir Wood in her role as Director of Operations. She joined the Muir Wood team in July of 2021. Kelli formerly worked in other treatment center settings and most recently worked as an Operations Manager for a small private school in Marin County. Kelli was born and raised in Sonoma County. Kelli has been in recovery since she was 17 years old and is passionate about her own recovery and helping others on their journey. At Muir Wood she is responsible for the day-to-day operations of all Muir Wood properties and facilities, supporting Muir Wood’s mission, goals, and professional standards.
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Kathleen brings a wealth of experience in building strong, people-first workplaces while keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes. Throughout her career, she has helped organizations support their teams, enhance culture, and drive operational excellence. Most recently, she served as VP of Employee Relations at Cinemark, where she supported a large, multi-state workforce. She understands how to balance the needs of clients, teammates, and the bigger mission—which makes her a fantastic fit for Muir Wood.
As we continue our work to strengthen our culture, enhance the teammate experience, and refine our people processes, Kathleen’s leadership will be instrumental in ensuring Muir Wood remains not only a leader in adolescent behavioral health but also a truly great place to work.
In her new role, Kathleen will be leading our HR team and working closely with the Muir Wood staff to create a place where teammates feel valued, supported, and set up for success.
Beyond her professional expertise, Kathleen is a people person through and through. She lives in Novato with her husband, and she and her three daughters share a passion for healthcare and helping others. Outside of work, she loves staying active outdoors and spending time with family.
CloseClinical Leadership
Clinical Director, Auberry North and Makena Programs
Clinical Director – Skillman Program
LMFT
Program Director – Petaluma IOP
Rawly is Muir Wood’s Director of Family Services. He is also a nationally recognized presenter on co-dependency and was the recipient of the Addiction Professional Outstanding Clinician award in 2012. He has been a practicing therapist for over 15 years and involved in the field of social work for over 30 years. Rawly holds a B.S.W. from Pacific Union College and a M.S.W. from Walla Walla University in Washington, with a dual emphasis on clinical work with children and adolescents along with addiction treatment. Rawly’s sincerity, obvious compassion, and commitment to the families and teens at Muir Wood make him a favorite at our Family Program presentations.
Clinical Director – Riverside
Medical Leadership
Chair, Addiction Medicine & Medical Quality Assurance Committee; Diplomate, American Society of Addiction Medicine
Read BioDr. Smith is recognized as a national leader in addiction medicine, the psychopharmacology of drugs, new research strategies in the management of drug abuse problems, and the treatment of adolescent substance abuse. He is the founder of the Haight Ashbury Free Clinics of San Francisco and has been honored as one of the “Best Doctors in America.”
Dr. Smith is a fellow and past President of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, past president of the California Society of Addiction Medicine, past medical director for the California State Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs, and past medical director for the California Collaborative Center for Substance Abuse Policy Research. In addition to his role as Chair of Addiction Medicine here at Muir Wood, Dr. Smith is also an adjunct professor at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Smith is the founder and publisher of the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs and co-editor of the International Addiction Infoline newsletter. In addition, he has authored or co-authored twenty-six books, written over 340 journal articles, edited twenty-eight journals, and been the technical consultant for twenty-eight drug abuse-related films.
Listen to the podcast about Dr. Smith.
Nurse Practitioner
Dr. Nan Herron is a triple board-certified psychiatrist who received her training at Yale University and Brown University Medical School. She completed post graduate training at Brown University with a triple-board residency in Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and was a Clinical Fellow in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (supervised by Bessel van der Kolk, MD) at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University Medical School. Dr. Herron has extensive training in Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction from the University of Massachusetts Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Training program and is certified in Trauma-Informed Mind-Body Programs. She has also received certification at the Marin Mindfulness Institute: Teaching for Children and Adolescents, and 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Certification. She has authored publications on the history of trauma in psychiatry, as well as trauma and the development of borderline personality disorder. Dr. Herron is affiliated with the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Medical Association, and First Responder Support Network.
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Child, Adolescent, Adult, & Addiction Psychiatrist