Steering Committee

David W. Covington

David W. Covington, LPC, MBA, is an entrepreneur and storyteller in the behavioral health field. He serves as the CEO and president of Recovery Innovations and is a co-founder and partner at Behavioral Health Link. As the producer of Moving America’s Soul on Suicide, Covington is committed to transforming suicide prevention efforts. He also curates a... Read more

Tia Dole

Tia Dole, PhD, is the chief 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline officer at Vibrant Emotional Health. Dr. Dole is a licensed clinical psychologist and a long-time advocate for the rights of those with intersectional identities. Prior to stepping into her current role, Dr. Dole was the executive director of the Steve Fund, the nation’s only organizat... Read more

John Draper

John Draper, PhD, has more than 30 years of experience in crisis intervention and suicide prevention, and is considered an international expert in crisis contact center practices (e.g., hotline, online chat, and text services). Since 2004, Dr. Draper has been the executive director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (currently 800-273-TALK; 988 as o... Read more

Daniel L. Hatcher

Daniel L. Hatcher is professor of law at the University of Baltimore, teaching at the Civil Advocacy Clinic. Hatcher previously worked at Maryland Legal Aid as assistant director of advocacy, and as staff attorney representing children in foster care and adults with low income. He was also a senior staff attorney with the Children’s Defense Fund. Hatch... Read more

David A. Jobes

David A. Jobes, PhD, ABPP, is a professor of psychology, director of the Suicide Prevention Laboratory, and associate director of clinical training at The Catholic University of America. He is also an adjunct professor of psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine. Dr. Jobes has published seven books and numerous peer-reviewed journal... Read more

Matthew Miller

Dr. Matthew Miller is the director of suicide prevention at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where he leads a team dedicated to the implementation and reinforcement of evidence-based community and clinical interventions addressing suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention for the Veterans Health Administration. Dr. Miller previously serv... Read more

Preston Mitchum

Preston Mitchum is a Black queer attorney, advocate, and activist who hails from Dayton, Ohio and now lives in Washington, D.C. He is the chief executive officer of PDM Consulting, LLC, a multi-purpose consulting firm focused on the power of Black people, LGBTQ+ people, and young people. In his decade of legal and policy experience, Mitchum has served in mul... Read more

Christine Yu Moutier

Christine Yu Moutier, MD, serves as the chief medical officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and knows the impact of suicide firsthand. After her own lived experience and losing colleagues to suicide, she dedicated herself to fighting this leading cause of death. Dr. Moutier has testified before Congress, the White House, and prov... Read more

Jonathan B. Singer

Jonathan B. Singer, PhD, LCSW, is a professor at Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work, past president of the American Association of Suicidology, and coauthor of two editions (2015 and 2024) of the best-selling text, Suicide in Schools: A Practitioner’s Guide to Multi-level Prevention, Assessment, Intervention, and Postvention.... Read more

Deborah M. Stone

Dr. Deborah M. Stone, ScD, MSW, MPH, is a nationally recognized suicide prevention expert and suicidologist with 24 years of experience. She currently serves as special advisor to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of Injury Prevention director, co-leading development of the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Previ... Read more

Pata Suyemoto (Chair of LEAC)

Dr. Pata Suyemoto is a feminist scholar, writer, educator, curriculum developer, equity trainer, mental health activist, jewelry designer, and avid bicyclist. She earned her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, focusing her research on anti-racist education and issues of race and racism. Dr. Suyemoto is the training director for the National Asian ... Read more

Elena Rose Vera

Rev. Elena Rose Vera, a Filipina-Ashkenazi transgender woman from rural Oregon, served on the Trans Lifeline executive team from 2018 through 2021. A longtime organizer, educator, and performing artist, Rev. Vera holds an MDiv focused on social justice and community care work. She was ordained a minister by the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples, a his... Read more