Keith A. Ackerman, LMSW, HS-BCP

Chief Operating Officer, Colton Strawser Consulting

Keith Ackerman is a veteran nonprofit leader and licensed master social worker with more than 30 years of experience spanning executive leadership, operations, and human services. As Chief Operating Officer of Colton Strawser Consulting, Keith partners with nonprofits across the country to enhance organizational capacity, strengthen leadership, and drive measurable, mission-focused outcomes.

Prior to his current role, Keith served as the COO at Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County, the Executive Director at The Cottages at Hickory Crossing, COO at CitySquare, where he led complex, multi-service operations and oversaw clinical and community programs, and Corporate Director of Human Resources at Millwood Behavioral Health Hospital System. In addition to leading local initiatives, Keith has overseen human resources strategies and compliance efforts on a national scale, ensuring consistency across multiple state regulations and organizational contexts. He has also consulted for community development organizations, behavioral health hospitals, and hospice providers, bringing deep expertise in system transformation, accreditation readiness, facility management, clinical programming, and trauma-informed practice. Prior experience included working for the Boys & Girls Club of Arlington, Volunteers of America of Tarrant County: Riverside Re-entry Center, and additionally, the VOA House Arrest Monitoring program.

Keith holds a Master of Science in Social Work and a BSW from the University of Texas at Arlington, is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), and a Human Services–Board Certified Practitioner (HS-BCP). He also earned a Nonprofit Leadership Certificate from Southern Methodist University. A Charleroi, PA (Greater Pittsburgh area) native and Eagle Scout, Keith is known for blending social work values with strategic insight to help organizations grow with integrity, compassion, and purpose.

Scott Walters

Scott Walters is a Regents Professor at UNT Health Science Center. His research combines technology, behavioral science, and systems-level implementation to improve health outcomes for underserved and high-risk populations. Outside of research, he frequently trains professionals in motivational interviewing, and in his spare time, he enjoys writing newspaper articles on topics such as Ben Franklin, Western movies, and cartoon villains.

Amy Callaway

Amy Callaway graduated from the University of Arizona in May of 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology. She spent over a decade working in the child abuse field as a Forensic Interviewer and Outreach Manager for a couple of different children’s advocacy centers in the Austin area and outlying counties. She has extensive knowledge about child abuse, domestic violence, human trafficking, crisis intervention, mental health, networking, resources, and outreach. She has trained over 25,000 people in her career in over 800 trainings. She is currently the Outreach and Disaster Coordinator for 211 Texas United way Helpline for North Central Texas Fort Worth. She was born and raised in Fort Worth and is very happy to be living and working in her hometown to help make a difference in the lives of her fellow Texans.

Melinda Pitts, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC

Melinda Pitts, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and owner of A Therapized Life, LLC, where she provides outpatient psychiatric evaluation, medication management, and psychotherapy to pediatric, adolescent, and adult populations. She has practiced across outpatient, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and psychiatric emergency settings, bringing broad clinical expertise to diverse patient populations. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing as a Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Texas Christian University and anticipates graduating in December 2026. Her clinical interests include evidence-based psychopharmacology, suicide risk assessment, and integration of structured screening tools into routine practice. Her DNP work focuses on implementing evidence-based mental health interventions in community settings to strengthen quality and patient safety.