COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Board of Directors of Maryhaven, Inc., central Ohio’s oldest and most comprehensive addiction treatment and behavioral health provider, announced Wednesday that Oyauma Garrison is the unanimous choice to serve as chief executive officer, effective July 11.

Garrison comes to Maryhaven after four years at the helm of A Kid Again, a nonprofit that offers ongoing recreational therapeutic relief for families with children facing a life-threatening illness. A finalist for Columbus CEO’s CEO of the year, chosen by Columbus Business First as a Most Admired C-Suite leader, and selected by the National Black MBA Association for its Lifetime Achievement Award, Garrison has received an honorary doctorate from Franklin University for community leadership. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Dennison University and earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Franklin University. He also acquired more than two decades managerial experience in the insurance industry.

Maryhaven Board Chair Kevin Brady said, “Our board was honored and excited by the number of talented, qualified candidates who expressed an interest in leading Maryhaven. After an extensive interview process, we believed that Oyauma’s flair for innovation, his extensive nonand for-profit leadership experience and his passion to continuously improve services to clients and families make him an outstanding candidate for our organization.”

Garrison, who also has served on other nonprofit boards serving people with mental health conditions, said, “It is truly an honor to be able to advocate for those battling addiction recovery. Maryhaven has been an integral part of the Central Ohio community since 1953, offering recovery services to more than 300,000 of our loved ones and neighbors. I’m excited to lead an organization that inspires faith, hope, and trust as we expand our services to meet the growing needs and improve our community’s quality of life.”

Brady also applauded Maryhaven’s existing leadership and staff for their great work at all times and especially during the search.

“We are blessed with an incredibly dedicated and talented group of clinicians and caregivers,” he said. “The board especially wants to acknowledge and thank Adam Rowan, interim CEO, for his leadership during the past six months. Adam will return to his role as COO and has a very bright future.”