Meet the Peerstar Team

leadership

The people guiding our mission

Our leadership team brings together lived experience, clinical expertise, and a deep commitment to peer-led recovery.

Larry Nulton, Ph.D.

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Chairman, CEO Emeritus

Dr. Larry J. Nulton founded Peerstar LLC in 2008 with a core belief: people who have successfully managed their own mental health challenges are uniquely qualified to help others do the same. Under his leadership, Peerstar grew to deliver recovery-based services across 34 Pennsylvania counties, utilizing Certified Peer Specialists to mentor others in recovery. He developed Peerstar’s Forensic Peer Support and community programs, which have become essential components in reducing recidivism and fostering long-term stability for vulnerable populations. His model shifts the treatment paradigm from clinical management to a peer-led journey of personal growth, emphasizing empowerment, citizenship, and community reintegration.

Jay Gittleson

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Chief Executive Officer

Jay Gittleson brings over a decade of experience in healthcare financial services and operations to his role as CEO of Peerstar. He has served as CFO for a major multi-facility healthcare organization, founded Eastern Healthcare Group in Virginia and grown it to 18 skilled nursing facilities, and built a diversified business portfolio spanning behavioral health, logistics, and healthcare-related services. His priorities at Peerstar include continued growth, operational excellence, and ensuring strong performance across the organization.

Justin Weinberg

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Partner

Justin Weinberg brings nearly two decades of experience across elder care and behavioral health to his role at Peerstar. He serves as Director of Strategic Growth & Analytics at Eastern Healthcare Group, overseeing a network of skilled nursing facilities in Virginia, and has operated and grown healthcare facilities of his own. His work with Peerstar reflects a commitment to expanding access to care in underserved areas of behavioral health. Justin and his wife co-founded Gan Moshe Academy in Passaic, New Jersey, a school serving children with diverse special needs, and he volunteers as a certified EMT with Hatzolah of Passaic & Clifton. He holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Thomas Edison State College and is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator in New York State.

Jessica Peacock, Ed.D.

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Chief Recovery Officer

Dr. Jessica Peacock oversees recovery initiatives at Peerstar, ensuring the integrity of peer support from training to service delivery and everything in between. Her path to this work is deeply personal—as a child, she experienced a significant loss resulting from unsupported mental health struggles. Since then, she has devoted her education, career, and much of her personal life to learning how to be a meaningful support to others. Grace is her guiding principle—she believes that being human can be hard, but that doesn't mean we can't meet our goals.

Cari Rebecca

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Director of Care Management

Cari Rebecca guides the vision, design, and execution of peer support care management services at Peerstar, ensuring these services align with recovery-oriented systems of care and organizational objectives. She's passionate about promoting a culture that values lived experience while providing professional support. Her experience in care management led her to embrace peer support as a proven method for enhancing engagement and outcomes.

Lisa Bruno

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Director of Recruiting

Lisa Bruno oversees the full-cycle recruiting and onboarding process for all new hires at Peerstar. She finds purpose in knowing that each new employee directly impacts the quality of services Peerstar provides, and that connection between recruiting excellence and community impact is what motivates her every day. She is passionate about supporting people and building long-term relationships. Lisa leads through coaching and a people-first approach, balancing clarity and accountability with a genuine investment in each person’s growth and well-being. She holds a B.B.A. in Human Resources Management and an A.A.S. in Business Administration.

David Braid

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Director of Senior Living

David Braid leads the development of partnerships and programs that bring recovery-oriented support into senior living communities. With nearly a decade in the mental health field, David has seen firsthand how the right support can change outcomes—a perspective that drives him to build responsive, innovative systems that meet people where they are. He's guided by the belief that everyone has a story, and that understanding it matters.

Jessica West

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Director of Compliance

Jessica West balances regulatory compliance with operational efficiency while maintaining the integrity of Peerstar's services. She thrives on variety—working across dozens of counties means the work is never slow or boring—and she enjoys the challenge of navigating complex regulations and developing creative solutions. She holds an MBA with a specialty in healthcare and brings a strong background in emotional intelligence to her work.

Adam Bender, MS, CPSS, CRSS, MHP

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IRP Specialist Supervisor

Adam Bender oversees the IRP Department and guides the IRP Specialists Team at Peerstar. What he enjoys most is helping a peer or a CPS and watching them succeed. His own mental health struggles and recovery journey brought him to this field. Adam holds a Master’s Degree in Criminology and a Counseling Certificate, and he is guided in his work by compassion, mercy, and empathy.

Tamar Jaskiel

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VP of Intake and Admissions

Tamar Jaskiel leads the Intake and Admissions team, helping ensure that individuals feel supported, heard, and guided from their very first interaction with Peerstar. She works to build thoughtful systems and processes that allow her team to serve with compassion, excellence, and alignment. She cares deeply about supporting individuals during defining moments in their lives and sees enabling access to care as an act of service. Tamar holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management with a focus on Marketing and brings that perspective to how she thinks about communication, experience, and access to care. Respect and a deep belief in people’s potential guide everything she does.

Christina Jenkins

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Director of Admissions

Christina Jenkins oversees the admissions department at Peerstar, managing the process from peer referral through authorization for services. She is driven by a desire to help peers gain the support they need to address their mental health. Christina holds an Associate Degree and carries certifications as a CPSS, along with credentials in Co-Occurring, Forensic, and Intellectual Development specialties. Her additional training, resources, and years of experience guide how she supports the people she works with.

Jamie Bush, CPSS

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Director of Outreach

Jamie Bush works to enhance engagement and connection within Peerstar and across communities, bridging gaps between departments and creating a place of support for all who find Peerstar. She started at Peerstar as an entry-level Certified Peer Support Specialist because she wanted to make a difference—to use her lived experience, her story, and her vulnerability to show others that they could recover and that they have purpose. She holds certifications as a Peer Support Specialist, Recovery Specialist, Supervisor, and Forensic Peer Support Specialist, and is also a Wellness Coach and SMART Recovery Presenter.

Michelle Seaman

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Director of Training and Development

Michelle Seaman oversees and provides Peerstar Orientation to new hires while mentoring Regional Directors, Supervisors, and CPS staff. She finds purpose in supporting people to find their success—whether staff or peers. Michelle has always been someone who supports others and looks for positives to build upon, making this field a natural fit. She holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Sociology and brings 40 years of experience in the field.

Shalom Orlian

Director of Human Resources

Shawn Baker

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Forensic Regional Director

Shawn Baker oversees Peerstar's Forensic Peer Specialist operations. She shows up as her authentic self every day—learning from diverse perspectives, expanding her creativity, and playing an active role in the company's growth and impact. Lived experience and a deep belief that anyone is capable of change are what brought her to this work. Shawn holds certifications as a Peer Specialist (CPS/CPSS) and in Forensic Peer Support, an Associate's degree in Behavioral Health Human Services, and is completing her Bachelor's in Social Work (expected 2026). She is also trained in the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) framework. Professional ethics, core CPS values, evidence-based practices, and person-centered, trauma-informed principles guide her approach. When she's not working, Shawn loves to crochet and hang out with her grandbabies.

Christy DiStefano

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Director of Forensic Programs

Christy DiStefano develops programs and enhances services that support the recovery process for reentrants and justice-impacted adults, modeling successful strategies for this underserved population. Assisting vulnerable communities and reducing stigma restores her hope in humanity. She holds a BA from Penn State in Human Development and Family Studies and co-developed Peerstar's Forensic Training, which is now delivered internally and externally to numerous companies and justice-involved organizations.

Gerald Maida

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Business Systems & Integration Lead

Gerald Maida is a technology executive with over a decade of experience leading IT strategy, data analytics, and digital transformation across healthcare, finance, and enterprise technology. He brings a thoughtful, solutions-driven approach to his work—combining technical expertise with a strong focus on building systems that support people and scale impact.

Gerald currently serves as a Solutions Engineer at Peerstar LLC, where he architects custom Salesforce environments and develops internal tools to support peer support case management. Prior to this, he was a Solutions Engineer at Sanalabs, where he led enterprise implementations of their AI-native learning platform.

Earlier in his career, Gerald served as Chief Technology Officer at Enlightened Solutions, where he led a team of over 40 professionals and oversaw the adoption of platforms such as NetSuite, Tableau, Jira, and Azure Cloud. His experience spans cloud computing, cybersecurity, and AI/ML implementation, with deep expertise in enterprise platforms including Salesforce, Azure, and AWS.

Outside of his work, Gerald is passionate about staying at the forefront of emerging technologies and finding innovative ways to apply them in real-world settings.

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DIRECTORS AND PROGRAM MANAGERS

Leading across Pennsylvania

Our regional directors and program managers lead teams across 35 Pennsylvania counties, bringing peer support to communities statewide.

Bobbi Rutledge, BSW, CPS

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Senior Living Program Manager

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Bobbi Rutledge leads and expands peer support programs in senior living facilities, developing customized services, generating referrals, and overseeing implementation. She manages partnerships and ensures seniors receive recovery-oriented support. Bobbi finds working with seniors and engaging them in this chapter of their lives incredibly rewarding. She holds a Bachelor's in Social Work and is driven by her faith, which grounds her purpose and guides her commitment to serving others with integrity and compassion.

Carla Povich

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Regional Director, Region G

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Carla Povich oversees day-to-day operations in her region, managing field staff, marketing services to agencies, attending networking meetings, and developing goals for regional growth. She loves all of it—the challenges, the variety, the fact that it's never boring. Carla has been in recovery from a substance use disorder and mental health disorder since March 2005. She wanted to work in a field where she could give back what was so freely given to her.

Cheyenne Raley

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Regional Director, Region H

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Cheyenne Raley provides support to both staff and peers, with a strong belief that staff need to be supported in their roles to do their best work. She values being able to have both personal and professional conversations with her team—she wants to know how their work is going, but also their upcoming adventures, hobbies, and how their families are doing. She joined Peerstar in 2022 as a CPS because she loved what the organization offered.

Christine Butterbaugh

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Regional Director, Region B

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Christine Butterbaugh oversees operations in Cambria County for CPS/CRS services, supporting staff and participating in community events. She is constantly in awe of the patience, understanding, and non-judgmental support her team brings to their work—and she's always learning from them. Her path to peer support was accidental: someone recommended her for a job at a local drug and alcohol rehab, and she was instantly hooked by people's stories and the incredible strength she witnessed.

Eli Turk

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Regional Director, Region D

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Eli Turk oversees operations, ensures compliance, supports supervisors and CPS teams, and works to maintain high standards of service delivery across his region. He was drawn to this field by a desire to combine his operational background with meaningful, community-based impact. Eli holds a Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration and is credentialed as a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA). He believes people perform best when expectations are clear, communication is direct, and support is steady.

Heather Belles

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Regional Director, Region C

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Heather Belles manages Peer Support Services across her region. She enjoys learning from and about the people Peerstar serves—a calling she's felt since childhood, when she first recognized a pull toward supporting others. Her approach centers on truly listening to what people are saying so she can understand how to best support them.

Héctor Colón

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Regional Director & Director of Bilingual Support Services, Region D

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Héctor Colón leads and supports Peerstar staff across Philadelphia and Delaware County while overseeing the Bilingual Services Program, ensuring high-quality, culturally responsive services and strong team development. What he enjoys most is supporting individuals and staff in reaching their full potential—whether guiding participants forward in their recovery journey or empowering team members to grow with confidence and purpose.

Jennylee Swatsworth, BSN

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Regional Director, Region A

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Jennylee Swatsworth oversees company operations, staff, and performance for her region, focusing on strategic management and team leadership. She finds deep satisfaction in watching staff grow professionally while making an impact in their communities. For Jennylee, there's nothing more beautiful than someone finding hope again—she describes it as magical to watch the light of life return to those who had given up on happiness long ago.

Joseph Hickey, BS, CPRP, CPSS

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Regional Director, Region F

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Joseph Hickey serves Peerstar staff in supporting community peer support programs, building systems that work in the real world—not just on paper. He finds deep reward in watching CPS staff grow into confident professionals and seeing programs translate into meaningful impact. Lived experience, curiosity about systems that don't always work as intended, and a strong belief that peer support can change lives brought him to this field.

Kelly Smith, BS, CADC

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Senior Living Program Manager

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Kelly Anne Smith develops and maintains the Senior Living Solutions Program, serving as Peerstar's messenger to communities about Senior Living Peer Support. She believes this senior community benefits greatly from a program designed to see them and support them as the valued generation they are. Kelly Anne has worked in social services in some capacity since March 1985, evolving through most facets of the field.

Tina Dixon

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Regional Director, Region E

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Tina Dixon supports supervisors and CPS staff across her region, handling everything from daily reports and staff meetings to networking and outreach. What she values most is being there for her team. Her own lived experiences brought her to this work, driven by a desire to give back and promote hope. Tina is a U.S. Army veteran who served as a medic, and she holds certifications as a CPS, CPSS, and Supervisor. Patience, understanding, and compassion guide her approach, grounded in a simple principle: treat people how you would want to be treated.

Tina Martino, CPS, CDP

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Senior Living Program Manager

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Tina Martino manages the day-to-day success of Peerstar's Senior Living program in Philadelphia and Delaware counties—from facility partnerships and onboarding to operational execution, reporting, recruiting, and training. What drives her most is empowering staff with the resources and support they need to be successful. Tina brings experience in senior living, home health, and hospice care, and is a Certified Dementia Practitioner. She fosters trust, practices empathy, communicates clearly, encourages growth, and respects everyone she works alongside. She is also a licensed hairdresser.

Meet the Team