Michael Neatherton
President; CEO
Mike Neatherton is an industry leader with a career spanning more than 30 years. When Mike joined Northbound he immediately began to transform the corporate culture by building on the transformational leadership principles of transparency, authenticity, and collaboration. Mike believes that successful leadership requires not only vision, but the ability to gain the agreement and commitment of all of the other people in the organization. As President and CEO of NTS, Mike’s passion for treatment is founded upon the belief that all individuals can recover. Mike maintains a solid 12-Step program as the foundation for treatment at Northbound, informing all aspects of treatment, and serving as the core philosophy for the organization.
Mike embraces the challenge of providing superior treatment services to the entire family system impacted by drug addiction, alcoholism, and mental illness. He cites his strong spiritual values and the ability to find balance in his personal life as the keys to his professional success. Prior to Northbound, Mike served in various executive positions at the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage California, where he worked for more than 20 years. Mike holds a bachelor’s degree from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and a master’s degree from Indiana State University in Terra Haute, Indiana. He is a member of both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American College of Addiction Treatment Administrators.
Mike and his wife, Maria, have 3 daughters, and they reside in Newport Beach, California.

Paul Alexander, JD
Executive Vice President / COO
Paul Alexander has been a crucial leader in the development of Northbound, helping to bring to the forefront the center’s strengths. Paul relies on his experience in the leadership of many treatment facilities over the years, especially implementing and running numerous education-based treatment programs. He served as the co-creator and program director of the first treatment program coupling higher education and treatment. With this experience, Paul designed the Sober Academy College Program at NTS, now the Northbound Academy, which is widely considered the best program of its kind.
Paul cites the consistency and spiritual values of Northbound as its strengths, and he sees his contribution as rearticulating these fundamentals. Paul received his Certified Addiction Treatment Specialist training at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California, and was awarded Outstanding Alumni Service Award in 2002.  He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology, Law and Society, summa cum laude, from the School of Social Ecology at University of California, Irvine. While at UCI, Paul co-authored an honors research thesis: An Evaluation of Addiction Treatment Coupled with Higher Education, which he presented at the 2004 University of California Research Symposium.  Paul recently received his Juris Doctorate degree at Loyola Law School of Los Angeles.

Devon Wayt, MBA
Director of Quality and ComplianceWith more than nine years of experience in managing behavioral health treatment facilities, Devon Wayt’s expertise ranges from quality and compliance, to operations and change management. His management philosophy entails effectively bridging resources with leadership and measured efficiency to create value for both internal and external customers, and his passion is embedded in ensuring that a positive impact is made on the lives of those served. Devon seeks to create customer satisfaction for all stakeholders while efficiently managing “the environment of change” with motivation, dedication, and enthusiasm. His positive attitude and easy smile make Devon a role model for NTS clients.
Devon graduated from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management in Southern California where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in management and a Master of Business Administration degree with an emphasis in economics.

David Allen Gates
Director of Admissions
Throughout his career, David Allen Gates has held various directorial and executive management positions within different organizations. Most recently, David was the Chief Operating Officer of a nationally recognized treatment center that specialized in dual diagnosis treatment of young adults. With more than ten years’ experience in the managing and directing of behavioral health treatment facilities, David’s level of professional expertise ranges from the proper implementation of policies and procedures to creating systems for an efficient and healthy organization. Earlier in his career, David was the Men’s Program Director at California Recovery; a local community based non-profit organization located in Costa Mesa, California. Later on, David became actively involved in family crisis management as an intervention coordinator, working with Ken Seeley from the A&E show Intervention. David was an integral part of the intervention process, directing and guiding families to move their loved one from active addiction to the safety of treatment.

David has become a vital member of National Therapeutic Services because of his previous successes in a variety of capacities including: Intake Coordinator, Director of Operations, Director of Admissions, Director of Business Development, and Chief Operating Officer. David continues to be an active and vital member in the local recovery community of Newport Beach, California. In 2011, David was elected as a committee board member of Yellowstone Recovery for Women.

Beau Brower, BA
Director of Court Services
Beau knows that insight and empathy are vital when dealing with clients who are facing the judicial system. Beau is extremely effective in interfacing with attorneys and the court systems in order to produce favorable outcomes for Northbound clients. He grew up around a family of attorneys involved in the criminal justice community in Orange County. As a result, he is a proud activist in the recovery community, lobbying for rehabilitation instead of incarceration for those suffering from the disease of alcoholism and addiction.
Beau graduated from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, Washington with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He has worked for multiple treatment programs in Orange County, specializing in alternative sentencing, admissions and marketing in the criminal justice field.

David Tessers, MBA, CPA
Chief Financial Officer
David Tessers manages all of the financial areas of Northbound, always keeping in mind the company’s focus of supporting clients and their families. David is a key member of the executive management team and as such maintains an ethical mind-set and fosters the ability for all to have a voice and speak the truth in an environment of safety. He specializes in financial forecasting, budgeting and cost efficiencies in order to give families and their loved ones the best value for their treatment dollar. He accomplishes this by strategic planning and implementing best practices in the organization’s procedures. Prior to joining Northbound, David worked for a regional medical laboratory and a national heavy construction firm. David earned both his BS in Accounting and his MBA at California State University, Long Beach. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of California. In his free time he enjoys reading, staying fit and spending time with his family.

Sally Pahl, BS
Human Resource Manager
Sally Pahl manages the human resources department at Northbound. Sally has worked in social services and medical management, finance, administration, and business development for more than 15 years. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo where she concentrated on social and business psychology and conflict resolution. Sally’s education, background and experience have allowed her to effectively assist families in crisis.
Sally strives to achieve an effective and efficient team of workers at NTS by ensuring maintenance of appropriate policies and procedures.  Clients at Northbound deserve compassionate, qualified, and well trained individuals to manage their care which Sally’s team works diligently to maintain.

Ashton Abernethy
Admissions/Insurance Coordinator
As Insurance Coordinator, Ashton Abernethy specializes in helping clients minimize their cost, and achieve maximum reimbursement from their carriers. On a daily basis at Northbound she handles all aspects of insurance from verification to authorization to claim processing. She also assists with admissions and the intake process. She is the first person a client meets with at Northbound to go through all of the legal paperwork. She really enjoys the challenges of dealing with insurance companies. It’s an everyday battle, but it’s worth it to help out families during a time when they desperately need it.
Prior to joining NTS, Ashton worked at Spencer Recovery in Laguna Beach, California, as the Director/Business Manager and at Morningside Recovery in Newport Beach, California, as Admissions/Insurance Coordinator. One of the things she likes about Northbound is the staff’s ability to work as a team. She especially likes that this team is able to come to rational decisions as a whole to benefit the client.Ashton is an active member of the local recovery community. She enjoys running, does cross fit, and tries to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Brian Burke
Admissions/Alumni Coordinator
Brian is a warm and caring individual who is passionate about helping others in recovery. Brian came to Northboubd after years of playing an integral role in the operations of another treatment facility, working in all facets of the operation. Brian has an extensive background in addiction and recovery and is recognized as one of the leading admissions professionals in the country. His knowledge of available programs and treatment modalities enable him to provide invaluable assistance to addicted individuals, families, employers and other professionals in the field. Furthermore, his past success creating strong alumni networks at other facilities makes him the perfect Alumni Coordinator at Northbound Treatment Services.Brian has two BA Degrees from Seattle University (for Humanities/Liberal Arts and Business Administration/Management). Brian is a Licensed Real Estate agent in the State of California, is active in the local recovery community and loves spending time with his wife and young children.

Michelle Burt
Office Manager
Michelle Burt loves working in the recovery field because each fast-paced day there’s something new. She specializes in administration support, assisting the executive team as well as the legal team. Prior to joining Northbound, Michelle worked at Nationwide Support Services. On a daily basis she ties up loose ends and assists wherever she’s needed – she loves being part of the team.
She likes the fact that Northbound is family focused, treating the family along with the addict. She feels that by focusing on the younger population, NTS catches the disease early. She also likes that Northbound is more readily available to individuals from a variety of financial backgrounds. In her free time Michelle enjoys working out, going to meetings, staying involved in her children’s sports, and photography.

Keenen Diamond
Director of Operations/Brand Manager
Keenen Diamond comes to Northbound after a career in the Ski Resort Industry, specifically Outdoor Sporting Goods sales and resort operations. After completing his BS in Economics at Middlebury College and spending a short time in Venture Capital he was hired as President of a Ski and Snowboard Retail Company. Keenen was responsible for all facets of the operation of the company located in Mt. Snow, VT. In 2008 he re-located back home to Steamboat Springs, CO where he worked for Christy Sports. While at Christy Sports he helped to strengthen their position in the specialty sporting goods market. He also participated in a number of venture projects in Steamboat including a restaurant and a high-end performance ski and snowboard rental store. Keenen specializes in brand management, business development and competitive strategy as well as operations. He is actively involved in the recovery community in Orange County and when he is not working he enjoys skiing, sailing, the water and doing anything outside.

Sadi Calhoun
Court Liaison
Sadie began working for the RAP Center from its inception in 1988, just out of high school. Over the years, she has served as receptionist, bookkeeper, payroll clerk, accounts payable, accounts receivable, move coordinator, event planner, publisher, assistant to group facilitation, and has been involved in business development and court services. Her service to the company for 20 years and her Al-Anon recovery of more than 15 years contribute to her desire to pursue her education and certification through CAADAC and to work with the families directly in the healing process of recovery from addiction.

>William Walker
Court Liaison
William has worked in the field of recovery for the last 4 years. Throughout that time he has worked in many facets of the industry including:House Manager, Case Manager, Detox Program Coordinator, Clinical Office Supervisor and Community Coordinator. William comes to National Therapeutic Services from a nationally recognized treatment center that specialized in dual diagnosis treatment and brings his extensive knowledge and passion for recovery to his position as Court Liaison. William continues to be of service in the local recovery community and is actively engaged in Alcoholics Anonymous. William is dedicated to helping others get into treatment and start the process of recovery from the disease of addiction. This dedication has lead him to receive his certification as a CSAC I and also to further his education, his certification through CAADAC.

Tim Adrian
Clinical Outreach
Tim Adrian is an experienced clinical outreach professional in the Pacific Northwest. Tim finds great satisfaction working in the addiction treatment field and in helping those afflicted with the disease, find freedom in recovery.  Tim is quick to share his experience, strength and hope with others and believes that working the 12 Steps and developing a dynamic spiritual life are integral pieces in the recovery process.   Tim is a Certified National Drug and Alcohol Interventionist and earned a B.S. from Oregon State University.  He lives with his wife and kids in Stanwood, WA and volunteers on the Snohomish County Alcohol and Other Drugs Board and with Everett Recovery Café.  When he is not working or volunteering in recovery he loves to golf, hike and watch his kid’s play sports.