May 27, 2005
For Immediate Release
Contact: Alison Y. Evans, Psy.D., Chair
SC Mental Health Commission
843-383-0170
Mental Health Commission Names Interim Director
Columbia, SC: The South Carolina Mental Health Commission has named former South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH) executive John J. Connery, M.A., to serve as the agency’s interim director, effective today.
Mr. Connery will replace state Director George P. Gintoli, who has resigned to take a position with a private company in Florida.
Connery began his career at SCDMH in 1972 at the Charleston/Dorchester Community Mental Health Center. From 1975 until 1988, he served as the director of the Berkeley Community Mental Health Center. From 1988 until his retirement in June 2001, he was deputy director, SCDMH Community Mental Health Services.
According to SCDMH Commission Chair Dr. Alison Evans, “We are very fortunate to have a person with John’s management experience to serve in this vital position while we conduct a search for a permanent director. He understands our system of care and the needs of the clients we serve.”
The SC Mental Health Commission is the governing body of the SC Department of Mental Health and has jurisdiction over the state’s 17 mental health centers, two hospitals, and two nursing care centers. Its seven members are appointed for five-year terms by the governor with advice and consent of the Senate.