IACP Board of Directors

DAVE COMSTOCK, ChildServe 
Chair

Dave joined ChildServe in 1996 and has served there in various roles, including Program Manager, Director, and Vice President. He transitioned to Senior Vice President in July of 2018, and his current responsibilities include management of Behavioral Health, Community Services and Homes, Health Information, and Organizational Quality and Improvement. Throughout his career, Dave also served in the Iowa National Guard, retiring after 26 years as a Chief Warrant Officer. His special interests include quality and performance improvement. He has participated in the Iowa Recognition Program for Performance Excellence (IRPE) for more than six years, serving as a Baldrige Examiner, Team Lead, Coach, and Judge. This program is overseen by the Iowa Quality Center where Dave recently began serving as Board Chair. Dave has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from William Penn University.

MARCY DAVIS, Candeo
Vice-Chair 

Marcy spent eleven years in Hotel, Restaurant and Entertainment Center management in Dallas, TX before transitioning into the Human Service industry. While working on her master’s degree at Letourneau University in Longview, she worked at Dallas MHMR (now the Dallas Authority) as an Employment Specialist. This was her first experience supporting adults with disabilities to find and maintain employment in the community. Her work as an employment consultant took advantage of both her business background and her passion for people. During the five years at Dallas MHMR she later worked with the Employment Services Director to redesign the entire county wide employment programs and later was selected as a Regional Team Leader over one of the five newly formed regional employment teams. 

At the same time as her employment at Dallas MHMR, Marcy provided contract work on the Texas Sheltered Work Conversion Grant. This work involved traveling around Texas to sheltered workshops to provide training to sheltered work staff to prepare them to provide supported employment services and to work with leadership to develop employment services. Under a private contract, Marcy worked with Kevin Edwards to provide employment services consulting to the state of North Carolina and again, they traveled to employment providers to train staff and consult on workshop conversion efforts.

After completing the master’s degree, Marcy relocated to Ankeny, Iowa in 1996 as the CEO at Candeo (then Creative Community Options). At this time Candeo served approximately fourteen individuals and employed seventeen staff and a budget of $300,000 per year. To date Candeo has added Habilitation Services, Brain Injury Services and an outpatient mental health clinic and grown to approximately $8 million and is CARF accredited. Marcy has enjoyed 25 years working to advocate and support the full inclusion of people with disabilities.

During her employment at Candeo, Marcy also worked for the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) for several years. For this work, she traveled around the nation providing either Personal Outcome Measures Training (POM), recertifying POM interviewers or serving on accreditation teams. This work was done between 1988 and 1992.

Marcy is married to Terry; they have three adult daughters and one granddaughter (and a grandchild on the way!). Terry and Marcy enjoy gardening, biking trails, camping and hanging out with family.

CHERYL PLANK, Hope Haven Area Development Center Corp.
Secretary

With more than 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Cheryl has served in a variety of leadership roles overseeing a large array of services. Her experience spans a range of programs demonstrating a strong record of leadership, management, policy development, relationship building, and a passion for service that has impacted the lives of many people. Cheryl recently became the CEO of Hope Haven Development Center in South East Iowa and was also appointed to the ANCOR Foundation Board of Directors.

For the last two years, she was the CEO of Vision 20/20, a project assisting small nonprofits in Muscatine to work together to assure mission-driven sustainability. These organizations work with individuals with disabilities; seniors; housing and homeless.  During her time working on this project she led the effort to merge two of the organizations – Crossroads, an agency that provides services for people with disabilities and Senior Resources, an agency that provides services to seniors. 

Prior to taking the role in Muscatine, Cheryl spent 3 years as the CEO of Tenco, Inc.,  headquartered in Ottumwa. During her tenure there she was able to develop several relationships with state legislators.  Cheryl spent nearly 18 years in a variety of positions with Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI). Her last position there was as the vice president of operations.

Cheryl has participated as a member of IACP for many years. Serving as the Children’s Advisory Chair in 2015 and 2016, and then became a member of the IACP Membership Committee. In September of 2017, Cheryl was nominated and elected as an at-large member of the IACP board for a 3-year term. In October 2019, was appointed as the Secretary of the Board and the Chair of the Membership Committee. She also served on the Iowa Providers Political Action Committee (PAC). She currently serves on the Government Relations committee. Cheryl was awarded the Relentless Advocate of the Year Award from IACP in 2020.

Cheryl’s personal mission (her why) is “to use my abilities to serve, support and sustain peace and understanding through compassionate action.” As an organizational and servant leader, she is mindful of the absolute importance of modeling behaviors that always and in all situations, reflect her organization’s values and manifest its mission. She believe that successful change begins with effective communication, a clear vision and an inclusive approach.

Married to Tim for 40 years, they enjoy bike riding, hiking, vacationing and spending time with their 2 sons and their families, which includes 8 grandchildren.

MATT BULEY, Hope Haven 
Treasurer

BILL VAUGHN, Mainstream Living, Inc. 
Past Chair 

Bill Vaughn was appointed President and CEO of Mainstream Living in 2013. He began his career with the organization in 1980 as a direct care staff member, serving in a variety of roles, including 1st Vice President. He is the founder and served as Executive Director of Community Support Advocates, LLC (CSA), a subsidiary of Mainstream Living until it was sold in 2014. Under his direction, CSA was recognized for outstanding services and received the highest annual independent reviews awarded from the University of Iowa Law, Health Policy & Disability Center for eleven straight years. CSA was also awarded the prestigious “Excellence Award for Program Innovation and Quality” from the Iowa Association of Community Providers.

Vaughn holds a Master’s degree in social work administration from the University of Iowa, and a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Iowa State University. He is a Licensed Independent Social Worker and provides clinical supervision for the agency’s therapy and counseling staff. Vaughn also serves as an Administrative Surveyor for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), where he leads accreditation teams in reviewing similar organizations throughout the United States. He is proud to have outstanding long-term relationships with members and their families and a proven record of developing extraordinary teams.

RICH WHITAKER, Vera French CMHC 
Behavioral Health Advisory Chair 

Dr. Richard Whitaker began his career in the Quad Cities 24 years ago as a doctoral intern at the historic Marriage and Family Counseling Service in Rock Island, Illinois before receiving his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Brigham Young University. Since that pivotal year, Dr. Whitaker has pursued a career in community mental health, providing services, supervision, and executive administration at community mental health centers in Grand Island, Nebraska (9 years) and Jasper, Indiana (12 years as CFO). Since January 2017, Rich has served as the CEO of Vera French Community Mental Health Center in Davenport, Iowa. Dr. Whitaker also serves as a Governor-appointed commissioner for the Iowa MHDS Commission, as a board member for the Iowa Association of Community Providers, and as a member of the Eastern Iowa MHDS Regional Advisory Committee.

Rich and Miriam, his wife of 28 years, are the parents of 3 daughters and one son and the proud grandparents of 2 highly intelligent and multi-talented granddaughters. In his spare time, Rich enjoys family time at home, exercising, ultimate Frisbee, vocal performance, and service in the church and community.

KENDALYN HUFF, Innovative Industries
Employment Advisory Chair

Kendalyn Huff started as the Executive Director of Heartland Management Alliance in 2013. Before answering the Board’s call to lead the Alliance, Kendalyn served as the Director for Support Services of South Central Iowa for 8 years. The field of serving those “at-risk” has been the lead area for her entire professional career-from her roots with the YWCA to today.

The Huffs have lived in three of the four corners in Iowa; LeMars, Tabor and then Muscatine County before returning to their childhood home area in southwest Iowa, residing in Greenfield. Kendalyn and Dave, her husband of over forty years, have six children who have given her destinations to vacation and see the grandkids. Life has been an adventure with this group that continues to grow, but life only grows sweeter with all of them.

Serving as the CEO for Heartland Management Alliance also continues to be an adventure. The organizations of CARE dba Wm Eadie Residential Services, Innovative Industries Inc., Southern Iowa Resources for Families, and Support Services of South Central Iowa make up the Alliance that began in 2010. The organizations combined have decades of experience and they have built a stronger network over the past decade together.  Having the combination of professionals who work with residential at several levels to the expertise of staff in the job training area makes this a complete, strong team.

Volunteering is Kendalyn’s favorite pastime. From helping with youth sports to volunteering at the public school to being an American Red Cross Volunteer to being there for Brain Injury individuals and their families, it is what keeps life interesting and fulfilling. Serving on the IACP committees and Board makes the picture bigger and better.

DIANE BRECHT, Penn Center
Residential Advisory Chair

Diane has more than 40 years of experience working as a nurse and leader in the non-profit world in a variety of leadership roles and currently serves her organization as the Vice President of Innovation and Clinical Services. In her role, she has been instrumental in the development of and expansion of services for individuals living with brain health conditions, intellectual and developmental disabilities and brain injuries.  She has helped her organization and the communities in which she has worked develop new and innovative services especially in the rural communities. She has relentlessly worked to educate communities and legislators on the need for services and funding supports so that all people can live in the community of their choice. 

Diane has been a part of the development and expansion of crisis services in Eastern Iowa.  Working collaborative with other community partners to develop the Linn County Mental Health Access Center and GuideLink Access Center in Johnson County. This collaboration has provided a new access point with no wrong door for individuals in crisis and has helped to reduce barriers to access to services for not only the local communities but across the state. 

Diane continues to work hard at creating programs to fill the gaps in our system of care. She currently serves on the Mental Health and Disabilities Services Commission and chairs the East Central Region Advisory Committee.  She is dedicated to reducing the stigma of brain health conditions and dedicated to the continued development of services for individuals in need.

Diane first joined the IACP Board as chair of the Residential Advisory Committee in 2015 and 2016.  She was elected to a 3 year at-large position in 2017. She was elected again in 2021 to serve as the Residential Advisory Chair. She has been a member of the IACP Membership Committee and is also a member of the IACP Nominations Committee. Diane was awarded the Executive of the Year Award from IACP in 2021. 

Diane’s personal lived experience with family members struggling with brain health conditions and suicide creates an intense desire to change the way that brain health care is treated.  She believes that we need to provide health care for brain health in the same manner that we do physical health.  We need to ensure that anyone living with brain health conditions receives the care they need in a respectful and caring manner and we need to create environments where it is OK to talk about it.

Diane has been married to her high school sweetheart, Pete, for 44 years.  One of her greatest joys is spending time with her 9 grandchildren and looks forward each summer to Grandma Camp where parents aren’t allowed to interfere with Grandma and the camp events with all the grandkids. 

STEVE MULLER, Balance Autism 
At Large Director 

For over 30 years Steve has served the special needs population with a focus on autism. Working with committed families and professionals, he helped launch The Homestead in 1994, an autism program for children and adults that would eventually become Balance Autism. While Steve has served as CEO, Balance Autism has expanded, developing a full spectrum of services supporting children and adults with autism, their families and allied professionals. 

Today Balance Autism provides services in Clive, Altoona, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls, Davenport, and Burlington. Programs address the needs of children and adults by offering personalized, evidence-based interventions including vocational, residential, community-based, clinic, telehealth, and consultation. 

Steve has served on a variety of non-profit boards and national and state associations, serving as a founding board member of two national autism associations. Steve has presented in state, national and international conferences covering topics that include autism and leadership. 

MARK DODD, One Vision
At Large Director

Mark is the CEO of One Vision, based in Clear Lake, Iowa.  One Vision serves approximately 450 individuals in more than 20 communities across north central Iowa operating intermediate care facilities, daily and hourly supported community living services, employment services, and clinic-based autism services for children.  In addition to these core services, One Vision operates four thrift stores, online thrift sales, a textile recycling business, and a 55+ independent living community.

Mark began his career in behavioral healthcare in 1987 and has worked in a variety of roles from entry-level direct care to executive leadership, always with a focus on helping individuals live their best lives.  He has served on various boards, committees, and workgroups to promote the advancement of behavioral healthcare over his career.

Mark is married to Shannon, and they have three grown daughters.  His interests include Iowa Hawkeyes sports, canoeing, beekeeping and reading.

JENNIFER ELLIS, Friendship Ark
At Large Director

Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Services from Iowa State University. She joined Friendship Ark as the Executive Director in 2014. Prior to that, she had worked in community based services for individuals with disabilities since 2001 at Genesis Development.  Throughout her career, she has held many different positions, working directly with individuals with disabilities as well as in administration. Jennifer currently serves as the Chair of the Adult Advisory Committee for the CICS Region.  She is a member of the Ames Rotary Club and will begin serving as a board member in July 2022.  Jennifer and her husband of 17 years, Paul, live in Ogden, IA with their two daughters and their black lab, Ace. When Jennifer is not attending her daughters' many activities, she is active in her church, enjoys spending time with family and friends, and is passionate in her support of ISU athletic teams.