Dr. Brad Holloway, Chief Executive Officer of Birch Tree Communities, has been elected President of the Arkansas Council for Behavioral Health. His two-year term began on October 2, 2025.
The Arkansas Council for Behavioral Health is a nonprofit organization representing behavioral health and substance use disorder providers across the state. The council advocates for legislation, policy, and funding to improve the lives of Arkansans living with behavioral health and substance use disorders. Its mission is to advance a comprehensive and innovative system of care based on evidence-based practices that support prevention, treatment, and recovery.
Dr. Holloway brings more than 40 years of clinical and administrative experience to this statewide leadership role. His career began as a therapist at Southeast Arkansas Behavioral Healthcare System (SABHS), where he later served as Lincoln County Director and Assistant Administrator. He went on to hold leadership roles at Mid-South Health Systems, Vantage Point Behavioral Health, and the Little Rock Community Mental Health Center.
Since joining Birch Tree Communities in 2018 as Clinical Director and Chief Operations Officer, Dr. Holloway has played a vital role in shaping the organization’s mission. He was named CEO in 2022. Birch Tree Communities is a nonprofit behavioral health provider offering rehabilitative treatment and supportive housing for adults with serious mental illness. With 12 branches across Arkansas, it serves approximately 400 members living with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and schizoaffective disorder.
In addition to his leadership in behavioral health, Dr. Holloway has served as a disaster mental health volunteer with the American Red Cross, responding to natural disasters and national tragedies, including leading a clinical team at the Pentagon following the 9/11 attacks. He has received numerous appointments, including to the State Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board by Governor Bill Clinton, the Governor’s Safe Campus Task Force by Governor Mike Beebe, and the State Commission to Reform Documentation of Juvenile Cases by Chief Justice Jack Holt, Jr.
A dedicated educator and researcher, Dr. Holloway taught at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Arkansas State University, and the University of Arkansas at Monticello. He has published widely on mental health topics and presented both nationally and internationally, including in Canada and Israel.
Dr. Holloway is a native of Star City, Arkansas, where he was active in local government and community service while advancing his behavioral health career. He and his wife Rhonda, a home health nurse, have three children and four grandchildren. In his free time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and golf.
