Martha Fling, former Board Chair committed to family wellbeing and mental health, has been selected as the next President and CEO of the Ackerman Institute for the Family, effective February 1, 2020. Ackerman Board Member Ira Sallen will succeed Ms. Fling as Chair of the Board of Directors.
As Ackerman’s sixth President and CEO, Ms. Fling will lead the Institute to further its mission to improve the mental health of families through the dynamic interaction of innovative treatment, training, and research. Ms. Fling succeeds Gisselle Acevedo, who served as the President & CEO since 2018.
Prior to serving as President & CEO at Ackerman, Ms. Fling acted as Executive Director at SeaBridge, a residential treatment center that served adolescents with substance abuse and mental health disorders. Her commitment to family mental health began with this venture, and under her leadership, the center became a pioneer in prioritizing family involvement in the treatment and rehabilitation process.
Ms. Fling has a career of over twenty years in the financial sector, which began at Morgan Stanley in 1996. She is the founder of the multi-family advisory firm, Drake Libby LLC, and has brought her vision and leadership to numerous organizations.
Ms. Fling was elected to the Ackerman Board of Directors in 2011, where she first served as Development Committee Chair, and then as Board Chair from 2015 to 2020.
Mr. Sallen joined the board in 2017 and served as Vice Chair until his election to Chair. Mr. Sallen is the Chief Operating Officer of BMG, a global entertainment company where he leads business development, acquisitions, and liaising between BMG’s corporate office and Primary Wave.
The Board of Directors recognizes Ms. Fling and Mr. Sallen for their dedicated leadership and commitment to continuing the success of the Ackerman Institute for the Family.