Hancock County ADAMHS Has A New Executive Director
(From Hancock County ADAMHS)
Zach Thomas, of Findlay, has been named the new executive director of the Hancock County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS).
Thomas’ appointment follows an exhaustive candidate search and multiple interview process, which began shortly after longtime director Precia Stuby announced her retirement after 29 years earlier this year.
Stuby said Thomas is right for the job: “Zach is a talented individual with a strong commitment to the community.”
Thomas, 49, has been the ADAMHS Wellness and Education Director since 2012 and has nearly 25 years of experience in behavioral health systems administration, coalition development, collective impact, and public education.
A search committee was chaired by board member and retired judge Joe Niemeyer and assisted by the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities.
Jennifer Swartzlander, ADAMHS’ deputy director, has served as interim director since Stuby’s retirement. The Board approved Thomas at its May meeting on Tuesday. He will officially take the executive director post on June 1. A new wellness director will be hired later this year.
Thomas is only the third director to serve in such a capacity in Hancock County in 58 years. Phyllis Putnam was the county’s first mental health director from 1968 to 1997. Stuby was the director from 1997 to 2026.
Thomas, a 1999 Bowling Green State University graduate and music education major, said he is honored to be named the ADAMHS executive director.
“Being entrusted to lead our community behavioral health system is an extraordinary honor,” he said. “Hancock County has built one of the most progressive and responsive systems of care in the nation and stewarding that legacy is a privilege.”
Board chair Dr. Jim Darrach said Thomas brings a substantial work history in Addiction and Mental Health recovery in Hancock County, noting the new director was instrumental in constructing the current evidence-based ROSC (Recovery Oriented System of Care), which is unparalleled in Ohio and the USA.
“Zach is widely known throughout Ohio for his work in Hancock County and the compassion he shows for those affected directly and indirectly by substance use and mental health,” Darrach said.
With federal and state funding declining, the ADAMHS board could need to seek a levy in the coming year, but Darrach said Thomas “is uniquely qualified to lead us through troubled financial times.”
Thomas helped manage successful levy drives in 2016 and 2022 during his time at ADAMHS.
“Even amid financial uncertainty, I am confident that the collective wisdom and dedication of our Board, staff, and partners will ensure that residents continue to receive the compassionate, high-quality behavioral health care they deserve,” Thomas said.
Thomas’s job responsibilities were numerous. He provided oversight for local, state, and federal grant programs, including the Community Partnership grants, OACBHA grants, the state System of Care Enhancement Grant, and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Grant.
He provided administrative oversight of the Community Partnership and Coalition on Addiction and recently co-led the redesign of ADAMHS coalitions into the Coalition for Mental Wellbeing.
Thomas has delivered presentations at the local, state, and national levels, including the CADCA National Forum, on board initiatives, community projects, and advocacy priorities. In 2025, he received the Ohio Prevention Professional Advocate Award.
He has been an Ohio Certified Prevention Specialist and an International Certified Specialist since 2014.
Thomas’ promotion comes as no surprise to Dr. Michael Flaherty, Hancock County’s ROSC consultant. Flaherty said he felt both thrilled and assured by the board’s selection.
“Having worked closely with Zach over the years, I concluded long ago that he is the leader for ADAMHS’s next steps, particularly in these most challenging times,” Flaherty said. “His dedication to serving all and his knowledge of local history and development will only benefit Hancock, assuring the best possible outcomes for Hancock County and its citizens. He is a wonderful choice.
Zach has always been the voice for those most often unheard in Hancock’s planning. Precia and he knew well that only by serving the least do you serve all.”