Our Team

Jeremy Klemanski is a highly respected leader in the behavioral health field, bringing more than 30 years of experience in addiction treatment, mental health services, and nonprofit management. Since January 2023, he has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Gateway Foundation, a national, nonprofit organization that provides evidence-based substance use and mental health disorder treatment in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas, Wyoming, and support services in California. In this role, Jeremy is advancing Gateway Foundation’s mission of saving lives and fostering long-term recovery through compassionate, innovative care and operational excellence.

Prior to joining Gateway Foundation, Jeremy was President and CEO of Helio Health and The Helio Health Foundation in Syracuse, New York. Under his leadership, Helio Health experienced transformative growth—expanding by more than 1300% and broadening its service footprint across upstate New York. He spearheaded the creation of the Helio Health Training Institute, led multiple nonprofit mergers to improve continuity of care, and championed workforce development and diversity in clinical leadership.

Jeremy’s influence extends well beyond the organizations he has led. During 2024 and 2025 he served as a member of the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health Board of Directors and prior to that served on the National Council for Mental Wellbeing Board from 2021 to 2022. He held the role of Vice Chair of the National Council’s Addiction Committee from 2022 to 2024, helping to shape national strategies and policy recommendations on addiction treatment and recovery support.  Prior to joining Gateway Foundation, Jeremy was elected Chair of the New York Association of Addiction Services Providers where he helped lead a merger with another state advocacy organization.  He also was a founder of a behavioral health IPA in upstate NY and led that entity to a merger with another IPA to broaden their geographic reach.  With a strong belief in health equity, community collaboration, and data-driven care, Jeremy continues to be a trusted voice and driving force in the behavioral health space, dedicated to transforming lives through accessible, person-centered care.

Jeremy earned a Bachelor of Science from the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from Syracuse University.

Gregg Dockins oversees Gateway’s correctional treatment services, with programs currently located in Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Texas and Wyoming.

Hired in April of 2000, Mr. Dockins began his service to our mission when he was hired as the program director of Gateway’s community-based facility in Dallas. He managed the Dallas program for five years before moving to Illinois in 2005 to direct the Sheridan Correctional Center Therapeutic Community (Illinois Department of Corrections).

Following that assignment, he was asked to lead the growth and expansion of correctional treatment services across the nation, and was ultimately promoted to lead all Corrections Division operations in 2013. Gregg has co-authored manuals on chemical dependency counselor training, is a contributing author on two college textbooks and worked as the principal author of the Sheridan Correctional Center Integrated Standard Operating Procedure Manual for the Illinois Department of Corrections. Gregg remains committed to personal and professional advocacy aimed at advancing the field of substance use disorder treatment, both within community settings and with criminal justice-involved populations.

Gregg holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wayland Baptist University and completed graduate coursework in sociology at the University of Texas-Arlington. He is a Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Professional (CCJP) and has been a licensed substance abuse counselor (Texas: LCDC) since 1991.

Jim Scarpace brings over 25 years in administration, operations, criminal justice programs and the treatment of mental health and substance use disorders to Gateway Foundation. Recently, he served as the Regional Director of the Behavioral Medicine service line for the Ascension IL Hospital system. Before that, he was with Gateway Foundation for 14 years in Executive Director and Program Director roles. 

Jim’s areas of expertise include addiction, trauma, group therapy, crisis intervention, family therapy and advocacy. He is also an assistant professor of Clinical Psychology at Benedictine University and has taught graduate classes in clinical psychology since 2003.

Maria Bruni, Ph.D., is the Chief Strategy Officer at Gateway Foundation, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit addiction treatment providers. With more than 20 years of leadership in behavioral health policy, program development, and systems transformation, she is responsible for driving Gateway’s strategic planning and growth to expand access to quality substance use and mental health services. Dr. Bruni has held leadership roles in national and regional behavioral health organizations and is committed to improving access to evidence-based care. She holds degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Chicago.

Ave Costa joined Gateway Foundation in January 2024 bringing more than three decades of fundraising experience and expertise. With a passion for fostering connections and building relationships, Ave has a remarkable track record of establishing and nurturing strong partnerships with donors. She recently served in a key fundraising role at Brookfield Zoo Chicago where she raised funds from corporations, foundations, and individuals.

Ave holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Public Relations with a Minor in Psychology from Illinois State University.

Dennis R. James is Chief Finance Officer at Gateway Foundation, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit addiction treatment providers. He oversees the organization’s financial strategy, operations, accounting, revenue cycle management, grants administration, financial planning and analysis across multi-state locations.

Dennis is an accomplished financial executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience across healthcare, human services, and nonprofit sectors. Prior to joining Gateway Foundation, he held key roles at Envision Unlimited, The Salvation Army, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository. He holds a master’s from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a bachelor’s from St. Cloud State University.

With 30 years of Human Resources and leadership experience, Yolanda has built a career dedicated to fostering talent and driving organizational success. For the past 20 years, she has made significant contributions at Gateway Foundation, where she played a pivotal role in establishing talent acquisition and business partnership functions and aligning HR strategies with business objectives.

Throughout Yolanda’s career, she has successfully led initiatives transforming the HR landscape at Gateway and other employers, such as Lutheran Social Services of Illinois and Ryerson Tull. She is committed to creating a work environment where employees feel valued and motivated to reach their full potential.

Yolanda has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Chicago State University and a Master’s in Organization Development from Roosevelt University. 

Julie Newman is Chief Marketing Officer at Gateway Foundation, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit addiction treatment providers. She oversees brand development, integrated marketing campaigns, digital and social media engagement, and market expansion efforts across the organization’s nationwide network of treatment centers.

Since joining Gateway Foundation in 2024 as Director of Marketing, Julie has leveraged her more than 25 years of expertise in healthcare marketing to elevate the organization’s profile. Julie previously led marketing at Duly Health and Care and for marketing communications agencies representing national healthcare clients. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Illinois Gies College of Business.

Dr. Roueen Rafeyan brings over 20 years of specialized experience to Gateway, having served as a medical director for psychiatric and substance use programs at leading Illinois healthcare institutions including Rush, Michael Reese, Resurrection and Presence Behavioral Health.

As chief medical officer, Dr. Rafeyan is responsible for continuously advancing Gateway’s wide array of services; upholding medical protocols, policies and procedures; as well as working closely with Gateway’s team of experienced physicians and clinicians to deliver comprehensive high-quality addiction, psychiatric and medical treatment as needed for each patient.

In addition to Dr. Rafeyan’s extensive medical experience, he is also a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. He is currently on the faculty at Northwestern University and an active member of the American Medical Association, American Psychiatry Association, Illinois Psychiatric Society and Illinois State Medical Society.

April Schweitzer brings more than a decade of healthcare regulatory and transactional legal experience to Gateway Foundation. During her time in private practice, April worked with a variety of provider clients (including hospitals, health systems, physician groups, and federally qualified health centers) on transactional matters as well as corporate governance, contracting, licensure, tax exemption, and formation issues. Advocating for health related issues has always been central to April’s professional endeavors. Before becoming a lawyer, April spent time in Washington, DC working for a public health focused not-for-profit organization.

April earned her B.A. from Marquette University and her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She currently serves on the board of directors of a federally qualified health center as well as the Illinois Association of Healthcare Attorneys.