Management Team

Carl Kester is the CEO of Lakeside-Milam Recovery Centers. Carl has been with Lakeside-Milam since 1993 and is the majority owner of the organization. Carl is the son of Charles Kester, one of our organization’s founding members. Carl has served as President since the year 2000 and added the responsibilities of CEO in 2012. Carl is active with the Washington State Association of Addiction Providers (AAP) and a member of the Board of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP). A lifetime resident of the greater Seattle area, Carl is a graduate of the University of Washington and lives with his wife and two children.

As part of the Lakeside Milam team since the beginning, Julie Mitchell has served in multiple positions including Administrator of both outpatient and inpatient facilities, Vice President of Quality Assurance, and currently as Senior Vice President of Operations. In this capacity, she oversees all of our outpatient programs, supervises program development, acts as a liaison with governmental agencies and federal and state legislators. She is the head of the Health & Safety Committee, and she also ensures that our programs and our policies and procedures exceed CARF standards, enabling us to repeatedly receive the highest level of accreditation they offer.

Amy has a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Washington and has passed the CPA exam. She has been with Lakeside-Milam since 1999 and had experience with accounting for both health care and technology organizations prior to that time.

Dr. Jackson is a board-certified Addiction Medicine physician. Prior to joining Lakeside Milam, she was the Medical Director of Addiction Medicine for EvergreenHealth. After receiving her undergraduate and medical degree from the University of Arizona, she completed a surgical residency and fellowship. She began her Addiction Medicine career in 2014 in Arizona and moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2018. Dr. Jackson currently serves as the Region VIII Director on the national ASAM Board of Directors.

Ross is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been part of the Lakeside family for over 30 years; the last several with a focus on intervention, family education, and patient care. Ross is currently the Clinical Director at Lakeside-Milam. He is responsible for the oversight of Lakeside’s treatment philosophy throughout the continuum of care. Also, he leads the development and execution of additional mental health services for patients and their family members.

Elizabeth has been working in the behavioral health field since 2004 and has been with Lakeside-Milam since 2013. During that time Elizabeth has held a variety of roles and is currently the Administrator of the Kirkland Inpatient Treatment Facility. Elizabeth is a certified Substance Use Disorder Professional and has a Master’s degree in Education. Her experience in the field and the value she places on helping others in achieving individual recovery has been an integral part of her ability to represent the mission of Lakeside-Milam.

JP Liddle returned to Lakeside-Milam in January of 2018 as the Vice President of Business Development and in October of 2020 moved into the role of President. JP had worked for Lakeside-Milam for 15 years in all phases of the organization. He began his Lakeside Milam career as an Associate Counselor, worked as a Case Manager with both adults and adolescents in outpatient and residential treatment. Served as the Administrator of our Adolescent Residential Treatment center and as the organizations Director of Human Resources. After leaving Lakeside Milam, he worked in a Human Resources leadership position for a large health care system and as the Vice President of Partnership Development for a rapidly growing consumer packaged goods company. JP lives in Issaquah Washington with his wife Cindy and 3 boys and he is overjoyed to have returned home to Lakeside-Milam Recovery Centers.

Quincy Jefferson is a Substance Use Disorder Professional with vast experience in both residential and outpatient treatment. Since joining Lakeside Milam in 1997, He has worked in direct patient services, administrative capacities and is currently a member of the Corporate Management Team as the Director of Training.

Monica Nelson started working for Lakeside-Milam Recovery Centers on September 16, 1986. During Monica’s time at Lakeside she has been in many roles within the company starting out as administrative assistant, then moved to medical records, purchasing, accounts payable, payroll and secretary to the then President/CEO, Chuck Kester and is currently the Director of Human Resources and Administration.

Kat Larson has been helping individuals since 2009. Prior to beginning her employment with Lakeside-Milam (2013), she volunteered with various organizations aimed at helping young individuals reach for and achieve a better life. At Lakeside-Milam, she has proven talent in many areas including direct clinical care, utilization review, administrative tasks and organizational planning. She is a certified Substance Use Disorder Professional and has special training in clinical supervision. Kat is the Administrator of the Kirkland Inpatient facility and she exudes a passion for recovery and quality care that can be felt throughout the facility.