CALO - Meet Our Wonderful Staff

Alex Stavros’ childhood shaped his professional and personal aspirations. As the son of missionaries, Alex grew up in Lima, Peru and spent his weekends working with the youth of Lima’s slums. Prior to joining CALO, Alex lived in California and was the Managing Partner of a small private equity fund, Lia Capital Partners, which he founded, focused on making acquisitions of mission-driven businesses. Before that, Alex lived in Boston and was the Associate Director of Firm Wide Operations – working directly for the President and COO - at Cambridge Associates, the world’s largest global investment advisory firm to not for profit organizations. Alex also has experience in public service having worked at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, a U.S. government agency that mobilizes private capital to help solve critical world challenges, and on the Capitol Hill in Washington DC for a Minnesota Congressman. Alex has served as a Board Fellow at one of the most enchanting Aquariums in the world, California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium, and a Rising Fellow at the Hoover Institution, a world renowned public policy think tank. Alex graduated with Honors from American University with both an Economic Theory and International Relations degree and he earned an MBA and Certificate of Public Management from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Alex is happily married to his wife, Maria-Paz, who has the most important job in the world, raising their beautiful baby girl.

After completing his BA in English, Ken Huey received a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Florida State University. He then earned his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Purdue University. Dr. Huey has been working with troubled youth for 17 years. He started his career in the helping professions as a therapist in community mental health. He then spent time in a private practice focusing on family preservation/in-home therapy. As part of that practice he also worked on custody evaluations and provided expert witness testimony for courts in Indiana. Dr. Huey moved to Utah and began work with troubled youth in a residential treatment setting. He joined Provo Canyon School at the beginning of 2003 and was named as their Director of Business Development in June of 2004. He left Provo Canyon in July of 2005 and joined West Ridge Academy as their Director of Clinical Services.

In November of 2006, Dr. Huey helped launch CALO. Dr. Huey has presented at conferences around the country on issues of parenting, couples communication, and residential care. He serves on the boards of the Attachment and Trauma Network (ATN), the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs (NATSAP), and the Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children (ATTACh). He and his wife, Jo, live in remote Linn Creek, Missouri with their 6 children. Prior to the Huey family arriving in Linn Creek, the population was 280. The Huey family increased the Linn Creek population by 3% (288). Chiggers and ticks are their only neighbors.

Landon has been working with children, adolescents, adults and families for the past 15 years. During graduate school, Landon became immersed in the world of adoption and attachment and this became a personal and professional passion of his. Following the completion of his Master of Social Work degree from BYU in 2003, Landon was hired as a full-time clinician where his responsibilities were divided between therapy, birth parent and adoptive couple work. Specifically, Landon worked with birth parents struggling with the option to marry, single-parent, or place their child for adoption and provided counseling and resources to help them make their important decision. An adoptive parent himself, Landon also counseled, approved, and placed prospective adoptive families with children. Landon feels very close to many adoptive parents and the shared issues of infertility, longing to have children, and post-adoption issues. In December of 2005, Landon joined West Ridge Academy as a full-time therapist. Within six months he was promoted as the Campus Administrator; supervising, coaching, and training all residential staff on how to mentor, engage, and lead male and female students in residential treatment. In January of 2007, Landon was hired as the Clinical Director and Chief Operations Officer for CALO. Landon is originally from Jacksonville, Florida although he has also lived in Kansas, Idaho, Minnesota, and Utah before moving to Missouri. Landon enjoys many sports and outdoor recreation especially football, tennis, basketball, golf, camping, hiking, and fly-fishing. Top on his list of interests is spending time with his wife Jill and their son Tanner (2004) and daughter Kambrie (2009). The Kirks reside in Osage Beach, Missouri.

Nicole has worked for over 19 years with adolescents and their families as a youth leader, therapist and Admissions Director. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado, and a Master of Arts degree in Counseling from Denver Seminary. Her graduate focus was in child, adolescent, and family psychotherapy, and course work allowed her to complete all academic requirements for licensure as a Professional Counselor in the State of Missouri. Nicole's clinical experience includes work in community and crisis counseling centers, national youth service and ministry organizations, long-term residential treatment programs, and short-term behavioral health care facilities. In these environments she has provided a broad range of mental health and general support services including individual, group, and family psychotherapy, clinical assessments, treatment planning, case management, and referral services. Her areas of clinical expertise include facilitation of adolescent behavioral interventions, treatment of mood and motivational difficulties, eating disorder treatment and prevention, and family crisis management. Nicole is a Nationally Certified Counselor and a Licensed Professional Counselor. She is also a member of the American Counseling Association as well as the American Association of Christian Counselors. As a trained and experienced clinician, she provides a depth of expertise to inquiring families and referral sources not often found in admissions departments. Nicole and her husband Matt, live in Osage Beach, Missouri with their three children, Jacob, Abigail and Matalyn.

Vicki Wagner joined CALO in August 2008. She grew up in St. Louis, Missouri with her parents and two older brothers. Before relocating to the Lake of the Ozarks, Vicki spent 25 years working with the elderly. She worked as a Business Office Director, Fundraiser and Human Resources Director before moving to the corporate entity serving as Facility Liaison to 20 managed and owned communities. In this capacity she served within the Finance Department providing customer service and relations to hundreds of staff and family members. Vicki resides in Linn Creek with her husband, Richard and two cocker spaniels, Annie and Berkley. Vicki has three children, Ryan 27, Kyle 25 and Richie 24. She most enjoys family and friends and hobbies include lake activities, watching sports, bowling and fishing an occasional tournament with her husband.

Originally from San Clemente, California Rob headed south to San Diego where he graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communication. He then headed to the Midwest where he graduated with honors from Webster University with a Master of Arts in Counseling. Rob has had a passion for working with youth since he was in college. He feels extremely privileged to be able to participate in the emotional and behavioral growth of adolescents and their families. This passion led Rob to complete all of his practicum units at a child advocacy center where he became intimately experienced with the therapeutic healing and growth of children and their families faced with varies types of trauma and abuse. This invaluable experience motivated Rob to work in private practice where he specialized in testing, assessment, group therapy with adolescents in a school setting, and individual therapy. Being a part of CALO has allowed Rob to utilize his education, experience, and passion in a therapeutic environment focused on providing the highest quality of treatment. Rob lives in Osage Beach with his wife Katy and their sons Bailey and Riley.

Chris has worked with and mentored youth for nearly 10 years in a variety of settings. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies from Palm Beach Atlantic University in 2005, Chris became the College Program Director for a local church in West Palm Beach. It was there his passion for working with youth was cemented. Before arriving at CALO, Chris was the Operations and Human Resources Manager for Fun Depot, a large Family Entertainment Center in Lake Worth, Florida. Chris is very excited to be working with CALO as the Program Director as it combines his love for youth with his management and supervisory experience. Chris is an avid outdoorsman and can’t wait to explore the hunting, fishing, hiking, and camping Missouri has to offer. He and his wife Krista live in Lake Ozark, MO

Krista is currently working on her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at Florida Atlantic University. She began her career working at a residential treatment center in Florida, which ignited a passion for educating troubled youth. Since then, she has focused her dissertation on students’ educational experiences within the residential treatment center. Krista has a passion for education and has mentored youth in a variety of settings for nearly 10 years. She has experience teaching college courses, grant writing, and working with a variety of residential treatment centers in many capacities. She is excited for the opportunity to work with CALO as the Academic Director and hopes to pass on her passion for education to all the students. She and her husband Chris live in Lake Ozark, Missouri. If she is not completing her doctoral work during her free time, she loves to be outdoors enjoying nature or spending time with family and friends.

Dr. Christy Maher is originally from Richmond, Virginia. Prior to joining CALO's clinical team, Dr. Maher lived in Georgia for 2 years where she worked as an Associate Director of Counseling at a well respected therapeutic boarding school. As an Associate Director of Counseling, Dr. Maher supervised eight masters level therapists, facilitated parent workshops, was the lead therapist for all post-graduate students and provided group, individual and family therapy for students in the program. She reviewed student’s psychological reports and assisted in the development of treatment plans. Dr. Maher also facilitated treatment team meetings to discuss struggling students, regularly evaluated counseling staff skills and training needs, traveled to job related conferences and met with referral sources. During her last few months at Hidden Lake Academy she transitioned to the Director of Admissions position where she supervised and facilitated the acceptance and enrollment process for students and their families.

Dr. Maher received her undergraduate degree from Christopher Newport University in Early Childhood Psychology. After completing her Bachelor degree she continued her education, receiving her Masters and Doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from Regent University. For three years during her doctoral training she worked with children, adolescents and adults in individual and family sessions. Dr. Maher moved to Bakersfield, California for a year where she completed her doctoral internship. Her clinical internship focused on the forensic population and she worked with adjudicated adolescents at Kern County Crossroads Facility. She also performed Competency to Stand Trial evaluations and worked with probationed adult sexual offenders for Kern County Mental Health. At both facilities she performed intake and full psychological assessments, developed and implemented treatment plans, and facilitated individual and group therapy sessions. Dr. Maher has been a therapist at CALO since August 2007.

Kim graduated in 1992 from the University of South Dakota with her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Social Work with a minor in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Studies. She graduated from Arizona State University in 1995 with a Master of Social Work. She is currently a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Missouri. She has over 16 years experience working with children, adolescents and their families. Kim’s experience includes work in many mental health settings. These include a college HELP center, elementary school, Level 1 Trauma Center, two residential treatment centers for adolescents, and two outpatient mental health centers. She has also worked as an Adoption Caseworker and did home-based therapy with children and adolescents and their families. Her experience in adolescent residential treatment includes 5 years as a coach/behavioral health specialist. She has provided a wide variety of services, including assessment, crisis intervention, individual, family, group, marriage and employee assistance counseling. She has lived in Missouri for over 11 years. She has been employed as a therapist for the past 13 years, aside from taking two years off to be a stay-at-home Mom. She and her husband, Robert, live in Four Seasons, MO with their two children, Ethan and Ella.

Amanda graduated from Northwest Missouri State University with her Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology. She began working with children and families in residential treatment facilities, and private practice in Kansas City, Missouri and domestic violence shelters in Maryville, Missouri. In these environments she provided counseling, case management, and crisis intervention services. Amanda graduated with honors from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a Masters of Arts Degree in Counseling and Guidance. During her graduate studies, Amanda conducted an exploration of Western Europe. Backpacking through Ireland, Scotland, England, Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Greece, Amanda experienced endless cultural diversity. This voyage would prove to be the backbone of her passion to incorporate multicultural awareness and sensitivity into therapeutic interactions. Upon returning to the United States, Amanda continued her work with children, adolescents and families in community mental health centers in Kansas City, Missouri where she provided diagnostic assessments, treatment planning, case management, and individual, group, and family counseling. Amanda has been a therapist at CALO since June 2008. Amanda enjoys spending time with her husband, Joe, and two children, Gabriel and Ava.

Evan completed his Bachelors of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Colorado Mesa University. After graduation, he worked at Doulos, a residential treatment center for teens in Colorado. While there, Evan lived with and mentored students who struggled with depression, anger, self-destructive tendencies, and manipulation. This opportunity cemented Evan's desire to counsel teens and, after a brief expedition in North Africa to teach English, he went on to receive his Masters degree in Counseling from Denver Seminary. During this time Evan co-facilitated orientation for incoming counselors and helped run the school’s community counseling center, Shepherd’s Gate. Evan joined the CALO team in 2010, and has enjoyed working with students as they repair their relationships and grow and develop into confident young men and women. Evan is a member of the American Counseling Association and is Prepare and Enrich Certified. In his free time he enjoys reading, hiking, and overseas humanitarian work.

For the better part of the last decade, Michael has mentored and counseled youth in a variety of settings including wilderness, residential, school, service learning and volunteer programs. In 2010 Michael graduated from Naropa University in Boulder, CO with a Master’s degree in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology and Wilderness Therapy. Michael gained extensive experience in therapy with teens during his graduate internship working as an interventionist in a public high school. Before that Michael served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand and was able to travel all over Southeast Asia. Michael has also spent significant time volunteering as a youth leader in South and Central America. Given Michael’s depth of skill leading youth in the woods and urban settings both at home and abroad, he brings an experiential, client-centered and relationship-based approach to therapy. A native to Kansas City, Missouri, it has been a true homecoming for Michael to relocate to the Ozarks and join CALO. In his free time, Michael enjoys music, hikes through the woods with his dog Zephyr, fishing, cooking, gardening and spending time with family and friends.

Raised in the South, by two mid-west parents, Kim grew up in Stone Mountain, Georgia where she received her Bachelor’s Degree at the Art Institute of Atlanta in Interior Architecture. Her deep passion for working with teens placed her in various environments as a camp counselor, teacher, and mentor in churches and schools. In these settings, Kim found nature and art to be her primary and unparalleled method of healing relationship and connection. This led her to take several trips overseas to South and Central America where her passion for culture and adoption grew. Kim mentored, taught seminars, and led American teens in cultural immersion experiences and personal growth and team building opportunities. Her passion for counseling and relationship led her to Denver, Colorado where she completed her Master’s degree in Clinical Counseling. In Denver, Kim served as a Community Events Coordinator at her church designing and implementing community wide events. In addition, she spent a considerable amount of time volunteering at the Eating Disorder Foundation of Denver. Kim’s specific line of work has focused on developmental progress and delays in adolescents and young adults. Kim has worked at a college university where she identified appropriate treatment options for individuals with a myriad of these issues. Her specialties include multicultural counseling, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, attachment issues, addictions, eating disorders, parent-child relationship, identity issues, and life skills. She has also worked as a group therapist initiating options for individuals and couples considering divorce. Kim is Prepare Enrich Certified. In her free time, Kim enjoys running, reading, cooking, photography, writing, entertaining, and nearly every outdoor activity. She lives in Osage Beach with her six year old tabby cat named Georgia.

After completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education at Drury University, Cory earned a Master of Arts degree in Counseling, with a double emphasis in Human Growth and Development and School Counseling from Saint Louis University. Currently, she is a Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor, a certified school counselor, a certified teacher, and a member of the American Counseling Association. Cory’s graduate work focused on working with youth and their families in a variety of settings, including public schools, an inner-city clinic, and a non-profit agency, providing individual, family, and group counseling. Her specific clinical experiences of working with families going through divorce, separation, and loss reinforced her passion for working with adolescents and strengthened her relationship focused and goal-oriented approach to therapy. While earning her degrees, Cory worked as a substitute teacher and an individual support staff advocating for individuals with disabilities throughout the community. In her free time, Cory enjoys hiking, playing soccer, cooking, and spending time with family and friends. Originally from St. Louis, Cory recently moved to the lake area and resides in Camdenton with her husband, Jacob and two dogs, Ellie and Noah.

After completing his BA in psychology at Utah Valley University, Logan worked with troubled youth for six years. Logan then moved to Nevada and began working with troubled youth in a residential treatment setting at Horizon Academy in early 2005 and quickly became their Assistant Director of Operations. He then left Horizon in January of 2007 and became the Director of Pacific View Academy. Logan then took a position at Cirque Lodge in Sundance, Utah as the Assistant Lodge Coordinator working with clients suffering from substance abuse in adults, and their families. Logan returned to school to obtain his Masters in Social Work, during which time he worked as a therapist in the Provo School District and at Front Line Services, which specializes in working with children that have been diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder. In 2011, Logan joined the CALO Team as a Therapist and Recreations Therapist. Logan and his wife April have a son, Anson, and a dog Cooper. They enjoy sports, the outdoors, and spending time with friends and family.

Mike and his wife moved to Lake of the Ozarks 2 years ago from Des Moines, Iowa. Mike was in the restaurant business for 28 years and wanted to find a more meaningful occupation. He obtained his Iowa Paramedic Specialist certification in 1998 and volunteered with the local Fire Department when he decided to take it a step further. He obtained his Registered Nurse license and has worked as a nurse exclusively in Emergency Department - until he discovered the opportunity to work with adolescents at CALO. He holds certifications in trauma nursing, advanced life support and pediatric life support. Mike enjoys interacting with the teens at CALO and tries to give them a positive picture of what the future can hold for them. Mike, Kathy and their Labrador, live on the quiet side of the lake and enjoy boating, fishing, fish fry's and spending time with friends and family.

Mary Ann is from St Louis MO. She and her husband moved to the lake area from St Louis in 2002. She is married and has two grown children and one grandchild, Lily. Mary Ann graduated from St Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1975. She worked in the hospital as a staff nurse for 15 years. The past 20 years she has worked in various home health positions. Mary Ann says she is excited to be part of the CALO team.

Joy has lived and worked in the lake area since 1969. She enjoys spending time with her husband Lloyd, taking care of her home, fishing, and going to visit her 3 sons and 5 grandchildren, all who live out of state. She has always enjoyed working with people and has held positions with the Missouri State Parks System, Windermere Baptist Conference Center and the Camdenton R-III School District. Joy began her college education in 2006 and successfully obtained her RN licensure in 2010. Since she began employment at CALO the staff continues to amaze her and the students have gained a special place in her heart. She hopes to have a positive influence on the lives of everyone she comes in contact with.

Lisa, has lived in the lake area with her husband for 20 years. My children include Christine, (degree from Mizzou in Television Journalism) and Jacob, (School of the Osage High School). Her beautiful granddaughter, Lily, has brought much joy to our lives. Her papillion, Natasha, thinks that she is a baby person. Herr family has rescued numerous animals throughout the years. Currently, she serves as School of the Osage High School PTA President and has served 8 previous terms as well. The first 10 plus years at the lake were spent as a full time volunteer working with children and animals. Nursing has allowed her to combine a desire to help others with her love of science. She believes that getting paid to work as a nurse with students and animals at CALO is amazing. She also works at the Lake area hospital. Her greatest joy working at CALO has been to be a part of such a successful program! It is heartwarming to see students that have come here distraught and frowning graduate with smiles on their faces and a positive outlook towards the future with their loving families. As a result she says, "I am now the world’s biggest advocate of Canine Therapy!" Her favorite author is Leo Tolstoy and Florence Nightengale is her role model. Florence Nightengale said, “The most important practical lesson that can be given to nurses is to teach them what to observe.” The emotional healing that she has observed at CALO has been tremendous!

Sara has spent her life in central Missouri. She is a graduate of Columbia College and has experience in retail, conservation, schools, and hospitals. Sara is also a volunteer with ShowMe Response. She feels that she has found a professional home at CALO, where she is allowed to combine two things she is passionate about: medicine and children. Sara enjoys working and interacting with both the staff and the students and is eager to make as positive of an impact on their lives as they have on hers.