Leadership Team
James Button, President & Chief Executive Officer
James Button serves as President & CEO of Citizen Advocates, St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment & Recovery Centers, Harison Place and the Fieldstone Foundation. A mission-driven leader, James has guided Citizen Advocates through a period of strategic growth marked by thoughtful affiliations, service expansion, and innovation across behavioral health, addiction recovery and Intellectual/Developmental Disability services.
Appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul to the Behavioral Health Services Advisory Council and previously by Governor Andrew Cuomo to the New York State Rural Health Council, James has helped shape statewide policy to improve access and equity for New Yorkers in need of care.
Under his leadership, Citizen Advocates has advanced next-generation models of integrated care—such as behavioral health campuses that bring multiple disciplines together under one roof, and Harison Place, an innovative supportive housing community designed to promote stability, independence and recovery.
Recognized as a gifted public speaker and storyteller, James is known for communicating complex ideas in a way that inspires action and unity. He holds master’s degrees in Education and Clinical Social Work from the State University of New York and a Healthcare Administrator’s Certificate from the University of Vermont.
He lives in upstate New York with his wife Camelia, their sons Ben and Jake, and their German shepherd, Paris.
Kati Jock, VP of Operations & Finance/Chief Operations Officer
As the Vice President of Operations & Finance/Chief Operations Officer, Kati is responsible for overseeing all financial matters, human resources, and operations of Citizen Advocates. Kati is focused on providing easily accessible and convenient access to Behavioral Health, Housing, and Disability Services throughout the North Country. During her tenure at Citizen Advocates, Kati has led expansion geographically and launched three Behavioral Health Urgent Care Centers. Her greatest accomplishment is bringing the teams at Citizen Advocates and St. Joseph’s together to collaborate and learn from one another.
With a passion for strategy and analysis, Kati believes strongly in utilizing a data driven approach to transform information into meaningful action to enhance health outcomes. She especially enjoys teaching teams how to interpret financial information and make strategic business decisions through strong project management and planning.
Kati has almost two decades of experience in strategic and business planning for health systems where she played a key role in affiliations and mergers, designed business plans supporting primary care expansion, and collaborated with executives to shape organizational vision to drive profitability and sustain growth.
After completing her Bachelor’s of Science in Biomedical Technology, Kati went on to receive her Master’s in Business Administration from Clarkson University. Outside of work, Kati volunteers her time as a member of the Board of Directors for United Way of Northern New York. She enjoys walks on the shores of Lake Champlain, spending time with her family, and hosting celebrations.
Jennifer Dishaw, Chief of Staff
As Chief of Staff, Ms. Dishaw is directly responsible for managing the day-to-day priorities of the Executive Leadership Team. In addition to her duties related to the Executive Team, Ms. Dishaw has management oversight of Information Technology, Support Services and Communications & Government Affairs.
Prior to becoming Chief of Staff in 2019, Ms. Dishaw led a major initiative to modernize Citizen Advocates’ Electronic Medical Record system, known as NetSmart. Ms. Dishaw is familiar with the billing aspects of healthcare delivery, having managed the Billing Department for 11 years.
Courtney Frank, Associate Vice President of Finance
As Associate Vice President of Finance for Citizen Advocates and its affiliates, Courtney oversees finance, electronic health record, and revenue cycle strategy with a strong focus on fiscal sustainability, payer relations, and safe patient data.
Courtney began her healthcare career as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She has taken her passion for serving others into her current role by negotiating fair payment for behavioral health services, conducting financial modeling for expansion of services to address significant need in the North Country, and enhancing telehealth access to support easily accessible, convenient care when needed the most.
With almost two decades of progressive leadership roles, including Director of Behavioral Health and Senior Director of Information and Revenue Strategy at Citizen Advocates, Courtney has a passion for learning and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in business administration with anticipated graduation in 2025.
Courtney is especially proud of her children and doesn’t miss a dance competition or soccer game. In her free time, she also enjoys traveling and attending concerts.
Jennifer DiTullio, Associate Vice President of Operations
As the Network Associate Vice President of Operations, Jennifer leads strategic initiatives to enhance the delivery of comprehensive health and social support programs for clients throughout the north country. Jennifer started her career in foster care where she developed a deep understanding of and empathy for the variety of challenges faced by children and families in the north country. She has built upon this experience with over 10 years of leadership experience in the field of health and human services.
Jennifer's journey led her to Citizen Advocates, where she has successfully supported cross-functional teams, managed large-scale projects, and advocated for policy changes to advance the organization’s mission. In addition to her current role, Jennifer has previously held the positions of Director of Community Support, Director of Behavioral Health, and Senior Director of Operations.
With a commitment to fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, Jennifer is particularly focused on enhancing program accessibility, optimizing service delivery models, and leveraging community partnerships to address systemic issues in health and human services.
Jennifer holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Clarkson University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology from SUNY Potsdam. She is a dedicated mom, proud wife, and enjoys doing DIY renovation projects.
Heather Wenzel, Associate Vice President of People
Heather held several operational roles at Citizen Advocates prior to her current responsibilities within Citizen Advocates and its affiliates. She is a credentialled leadership coach, SHRM-CP, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Education at Louisiana State University in Health Care Leadership and Communications. For more than two decades, Heather has supported teams providing services to the most vulnerable in Upstate New York and the Northeast in non-profit, private equity and government spaces. Heather's first job was as a Direct Support Professional.
Heather is passionate about solving workforce challenges by providing best-in-class people resources for Citizen Advocates and its affiliates. She's also a proud member of the Youth Advocate Programs Board of Directors, a national non-profit focused on improving outcomes for youth and communities. She enjoys spending time with her family and two feisty rat terriers, running, reading, and listening to podcasts.
Board of Directors
Marc Gitlitz, Chair
Dallas Sutton, Treasurer
Felix Tam, Secretary
Nicholas Eells
Paul Goodrow
Rebecca Preve
Susan Lawson (Board Member Emeritus)
Linda Ventura (Board Member Emeritus)