Vermont Business Magazine Retiring Howard Center CEO Bob Bick has been recognized by the Vermont Legislature with a concurrent resolution honoring his three decades of leadership at Howard Center and noting that over the past three decades, the scope and quality of mental health and substance use services in Vermont, “has moved forward due, in large measure, to the visionary work of Bob Bick.”
At a reading of the resolution in Montpelier attended by Bick and his extended family, Representative Barbara Rachelson of Burlington said, “We want to thank Bob for the many thousands of people he has touched, and for the work that he has pioneered that is a legacy for our own state and for the nation.”
A licensed alcohol and drug counselor, Bick was executive director at Champlain Drug and Alcohol Services when it merged with two other local providers in 1994 to become Howard Center. Bick became the new agency’s director of mental health and substance abuse services until 2015 when he took the role of CEO.
A pioneering national leader in mental health and substance use treatment, Bick was a key figure in the creation of Burlington’s Street Outreach program in 2000, the opening of Vermont’s first methadone clinic in 2002, and with the creation of Vermont’s hub and spoke treatment model for opioid use disorder.
On announcing his retirement plans last fall, Bick said, “I am so very grateful to have the privilege to serve an organization with such a critical mission—Howard Center is a cornerstone in our community and part of the fabric that holds us all together. I have been honored to work with our committed leadership team, staff, local and statewide community partners and board to forge relationships that improve the lives of individuals and families.”
Bick’s term at Howard Center will conclude at the end of May. After a national search, Sandra McGuire, Howard Center’s chief financial and operations officer, has been selected as his replacement, to begin on June 1.
ABOUT HOWARD CENTER: Howard Center has a long and rich history as a trusted provider in the community. With a legacy spanning more than 150 years, we have been providing progressive, compassionate, high-quality care and supports to those in need. Today, we offer an array of exemplary mental health, substance use, and developmental services across the lifespan. As Vermont’s largest social service organization, our 1,500 staff help more than 19,000 people each year in over 60 locations throughout Vermont in collaboration with hundreds of community partners. Howard Center’s 24/7/365 crisis service, First Call for Chittenden County, is available to meet the needs of Chittenden County children, adults, and families in crisis by calling 802-488-7777. www.howardcenter.org. Help is here. A United Way of Northwest Vermont Funded Agency.
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