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Founder / Operator·Behavioral Health

C.J. Davis

Chief Executive Officer at Centerstone

Nashville, Tennessee

CD
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Why they matter

Davis has executed 25+ behavioral health mergers and now runs a $1B+ nonprofit platform, making him a key relationship for anyone underwriting sector consolidation or M&A.

Background

Dr. C.J. Davis is a clinical psychologist with more than 30 years of behavioral health leadership experience, having led or been instrumental in more than 25 mergers and affiliations across the sector. He built Brightli (parent of Burrell Behavioral Health and Preferred Family Healthcare) into one of the nation's largest nonprofit behavioral health systems before its 2025 affiliation with Centerstone, where he becomes CEO in January 2027.

Notable deals

  • 2022
    Led Burrell Behavioral Health's merger with Preferred Family Healthcare, creating parent company Brightli (~$400M revenue, 5,000 employees, 200+ locations)
  • 2025
    As Brightli CEO, announced non-binding merger agreement with Centerstone to form a $1B+ revenue nonprofit serving ~250,000 people across 9 states
  • 2025
    Named CEO-elect of the combined Centerstone-Brightli organization, set to become the nation's largest nonprofit behavioral health provider

Call-prep brief

C.J. Davis — CEO-Elect, Centerstone

Background

  • Clinical psychologist by training (30+ years); rose through community treatment, residential, inpatient, and criminal-justice behavioral health settings in IN, MO, and PA.
  • Built Brightli from a 2022 Burrell/Preferred Family Healthcare merger into a ~$600M, 5,000-employee, 200-location nonprofit system.

Current focus

  • Closing and integrating the Brightli-Centerstone affiliation (announced July 2025, closed Nov 2025) into a combined $1B+ revenue, 360-location, 9-state organization — the largest nonprofit behavioral health provider in the US.
  • Formal CEO title transition set for January 2027, when longtime Centerstone CEO David Guth becomes CEO Emeritus.

What he cares about

  • Consolidation as a strategy for scale, workforce retention, and access — not just cost synergy.
  • Technology-enabled care delivery and expanding into new/underserved markets.

Recent moves

  • Announced the Centerstone affiliation (Jul 2025); deal closed Nov 2025.
  • Currently managing a multi-year leadership handoff and cultural integration across merged entities.

Sensitivities

  • Nonprofit governance — decisions run through boards, not sole ownership; expect slower deal cadence than a for-profit platform.
  • Sensitive multi-year CEO transition (2025–2027) — avoid implying urgency that could be read as undermining Guth's tenure.
  • Track record is nonprofit M&A/affiliation, not PE-style transactions — gauge appetite before pitching a capital partnership.

Questions to ask

  1. What criteria determine whether Centerstone pursues another affiliation vs. organic growth next?
  2. How is the combined platform thinking about capital needs (real estate, tech, workforce) that a private partner could help fund?
  3. What did integration friction from the Brightli-Centerstone merger teach you about deal structure for future partners?

Outreach draft

Subject
Congrats on the Centerstone-Brightli merger
Dr. Davis, Congratulations on closing the Centerstone-Brightli affiliation — building a $1B+ nonprofit behavioral health platform across 360 locations is a remarkable achievement, especially given your track record of 25+ successful mergers. I work with [Firm Name], and we've been closely tracking consolidation and capital dynamics in behavioral health. As you move through integration and think about the platform's next phase of growth, we'd welcome the chance to share what we're seeing across the sector and hear how you're approaching capital, workforce, and technology investment priorities. Would you have 20 minutes in the coming weeks for an introductory call? Best, [Your Name]

Linked companies

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