Mary Hargrave, President and C.E.O., of River Oak retires after 28 years of service.

River Oak Center for Children announced today that its President and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Mary Hargrave, is retiring on September 1, 2010 after 28 years of dedicated service. River Oak has named Chief Operations Officer Laurie Clothier, who has been with the agency for 26 years, as Interim CEO.

A 1967 honors graduate of California State University, Sacramento, Mary Hargrave earned her Ph.D.
at the University of Washington in Seattle in 1972. Later she was selected to complete a post-doctoral internship program in Clinical Psychology at Lackland Air Force Base, becoming the first female psychologist in the U.S. Air Force in Texas. Her career then brought her to Terrell Adolescent Center in Dallas where she managed a 60-bed adolescent in-patient hospital program with an on-campus school and outpatient family treatment facility. In 1980, she was hired as the Executive Director of a private, nonprofit day treatment/residential/in-home family-based treatment center for emotionally challenged children and their families in Oregon.

In 1982, Dr. Hargrave began her career at River Oak as a Program Director/Consulting Psychologist, providing overall clinical direction of the residential, family, and private school components of the agency's services at the time. Several years later, in 1985, she was selected to become River Oak's President and CEO. Under her direction and unwavering commitment to providing evidence-based practices, the agency (with a current budget of $15.1 million) has grown to be the Greater Sacramento area's leader in providing research-based behavioral and mental health services to emotionally and behaviorally challenged children and their families.

Dr. Hargrave received numerous awards and distinctions throughout her career, including Women Who Mean Business Award, Sacramento Business Journal; Distinguished Service Award, California State University Sacramento; Champion of District, Sacramento City Unified School District; Outstanding Service Award as Chairman, Sacramento County Children's Coalition; and Outstanding Contribution to the Profession of Psychology Award, Sacramento Valley Psychological Association. She currently is Chair of the Research and Evaluation Committee of the California Alliance for Child and Youth Services and is a member of its Board of Directors. Additionally, Dr. Hargrave is a Fellow of the American Leadership Forum and a board member of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, representing California, Nevada, and Hawaii.

A graduate of California State University, Chico, Laurie Clothier joined River Oak in 1984 and has served in a number of positions before becoming Chief Operations Officer in 2008. In her current role, Ms. Clothier provides physical plant, information technology, financial, and contract management in support of River Oak's program divisions. In 2009, she completed her first year at the Executive Leadership Institute of the University of Michigan School of Social Work and University of Michigan Ross School of Business, a program offered by the Alliance for Children and Families. Ms. Clothier has ably worked with River Oak's Board of Directors and Executive Management Team on large picture program development and is poised to lead the agency during its time of transition.

"We are deeply grateful to Mary for her tireless devotion to the children and families of River Oak over the last 28 years, and for her inspiring leadership to the agency's staff," said Morissa Anapolsky, President of River Oak's Board of Directors. "We wish her the best of luck in retirement and pledge to continue River Oak's tradition of excellence laid forth by Mary over nearly three decades."

Since 1966, River Oak Center for Children (www.riveroak.org) has helped children and youth who need support, coaching and treatment to thrive at school, at home and in the community. Through evidence-based programs, River Oak strengthens close to 2,000 at-risk children and families each year to manage life's challenges and achieve their full potential.