Staff
Jennifer Gilley as the Executive Director of Tarrant County Challenge has been involved in substance abuse prevention for over 15 years. She has extensive experience in mobilizing stakeholders to create broad based community collaborations to address public health issues. She has served on numerous planning groups charged with assessing community need and providing viable plans to achieve change. Jennifer has served on both state and local advisory boards charged with developing implementation strategies to address issues relating to substance abuse prevention, intervention and treatment.
To contact Jennifer, e-mail her at jen@tcchallenge.org
JJohn Haenes is a Licensed Master’s level Social Worker and International Certified Prevention Specialist with 20 years experience with substance abuse issues and juvenile delinquency. Mr. Haenes is a recognized expert in addiction and adolescent brain development, and served as the Deputy Assistant Director for Specialized Programs at Tarrant County Juvenile Services. The Juvenile Drug Court he administered has gained national attention and has served as a mentor court for numerous states and localities. Mr. Haenes has been a trainer for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) the Texas Center for the Judiciary, the Texas Justice Court Training Center, the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, Department of Family and Protective Services, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Tarrant County, and numerous Local Independent School Districts and police departments. Mr. Haenes has an extensive history of program development, evidenced based practices and strategies and program evaluation. Mr. Haenes currently serves as the Chief Operations Officer of Tarrant County Challenge, a non-profit agency whose mission is to confront substance abuse by identifying needs, educating the community, mobilizing resources, promoting collaborations and advocating for sound public policy.
To contact John, e-mail him at john@tcchallenge.org
Margaret Slayton is the Director of Program Operations for Tarrant County Challenge and has been in that position for over 14 years. She is responsible for the daily operation of the agency, including grants management, overseeing all company accounting practices, which includes preparing budgets, financial reports, tax, and audit functions. In addition, she provides the agency financial position to the Board of Directors
To contact Margaret, e-mail her at margaret@tcchallenge.org
Larry Ellis is a Certified Prevention Specialist and the Director of Community Partners for Alcohol Safety & Awareness at Tarrant County Challenge Inc. Mr. Ellis has a decade of experience in the field of substance abuse prevention, substance abuse treatment and coalition building. As a frequent trainer on alcohol related issues, Mr. Ellis has presented to numerous community groups, parents, concerned citizens and professionals.
To contact Larry, e-mail him at larry@tcchallenge.org
Holly McFarland is a lawyer and social worker. After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis, she worked at a public interest law firm in Los Angeles. When she returned to her home town, Fort Worth, she worked at a large non-profit as a director of the adoption program and as general counsel. Ms. McFarland then spent several months working with a human rights organization in Argentina where she decided to focus more on her social work experience. Back in Fort Worth, Ms. McFarland worked as a therapist before joining Tarrant County Challenge. Currently, Ms. McFarland is the Supervisor of the Family Drug Court program which calls on her experiences both as a lawyer and social worker.
To contact Holly, e-mail her at holly@tcchallenge.org
DeDe Patton, LMSW has spent over 10 years working with adolescents impacted by substance abuse. Most recently of her work has been a focus on understanding the systemic issues and policy implications that often limit the prevention and treatment efforts and effectiveness. Her current position as Director of Drug Free Communities provides the opportunity to collaborate with substance abuse prevention, intervention, and treatment professionals in the planning and implementation of professional seminars and trainings. She also conducts ongoing community needs assessment, researches activities to advance coalition strategies, and coordinates the Tarrant County Red Ribbon campaign.
To contact Dede, e-mail her at dede@tcchallenge.org