Starlite Recovery Center Leadership Team

Amy J. Swetnam LPC, LCDC, CEAP
Executive Director

Amy is a Behavioral Health Specialist with over two decades of experience. She holds a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Counseling from the University of Wisconsin. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a Certified Employee Assistance Professional.

Throughout Amy’s career she has worked as Clinical Director for Parkside Medical Services and Menninger-Care Services.  In addition, she provided behavioral health care and consultation for such companies as TXU and Mobil Oil.  Amy worked as the Lead Employee Assistance Professional Manager for American Airlines and American Eagle for seven years.  She worked an additional 2 years for American Airlines, but made a departure from the type of role she has traditionally held to serve in an organizational assistance capacity at Dallas/ Fort Worth International Airport.  She was asked to coordinate communication, union /management joint leadership and process improvement for 12 thousand employees. In addition, Amy is also a published author through Hazelden publishing and has been a presenter at local, state and national levels. 

“I was honored to be invited to join the Starlite team! I was well aware of the quality of staff and programming of Starlite, as I’ve been a loyal referral source over the past 10 years. “

Terry Parvin D.O
Medical Director

Dr. Parvin is one of the most experienced addictionologists in the United States. He was in the second class to achieve the special ASAM Certification and has over two decades of experience successfully treating chemical dependency. He graduated from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in 1974 with a degree in Osteopathic Medicine.

Dr. Parvin personally oversees the medical management for a safe and comfortable detoxification from addictive substances. He believes active participation in a twelve step group following treatment is imperative for a healthy and lasting recovery.

“I enjoy the daily involvement I have with people who are on a mission to improve their lives. I have the privilege of observing the transformation of people who, prior to treatment, felt hopeless gain great hope and freedom.”

Steve Thomason, LMSW, LCDC
Director of Couseling Services

Masters of Social Work from The University of Texas at San Antonio, Bachelor’s in Psychology from Texas State University, Licensed Masters of Social Work, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a Member of the National Association of Social Workers.

Steve utilizes the “Family Systems” perspective along with the Twelve Step Model of Recovery.  He believes   that if an individual can embrace the principles of honesty and humility, he or she greatly improves their chances for continuous recovery.

“The reason I am so passionate about working in this field is the joy of seeing individuals and families recover from the devastation of addiction.”

Melvin Bennett 
Director of Business Development

Melvin has been in the field of chemical dependency for over three decades.  He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Huston Tillotson University, Austin, TX.

Melvin Bennett has been a member of the Starlite team since 2000. His experience in the behavioral health field began at Meridell Achievement Center. Melvin has played a vital role in expanding Starlite’s capacity from 40 residential beds to the 103 beds operated today. He is passionate about helping others in any way that he can.

"I love my job because it makes me feel good when I am helping others."

Nancy Kneupper, L.V.N
Director of Nursing

Nancy attended Vernon Regional Jr College where she earned her Vocational Nursing License in 1979. She has over three decades of nursing experience working with chemically dependent adult and adolescents, as well as, acute care psychiatric patients in both State and Private sectors.

Nancy has been with Starlite for a decade and has advanced to Director of Nursing after serving in many capacities and roles throughout the years.

“You get out of recovery what you put into it. If you’re dedicated and you put your heart into it you will have a great result”

Mary Beth Vanden
Director of Intake

Mary Beth has worked at Starlite Recovery Center for over a decade. She began as a Nurse’s Aide and progressed over the years into her current role as the Admission’s Director.

“I love what I do, because I get to see small miracles every day. I love working at Starlite because I am a small part of a big change that takes place in every person who comes to Starlite.”

Jeremy Sosa
Director of Utilization Review

Jeremy graduated from the University of the Incarnate Word with a B.A. in Communication Arts.

Jeremy advocates for clients by communicating clinical information to Managed Care Organizations to ensure lengths of stay at appropriate levels of care. He and his staff work closely with clients, clinical staff, corporate consultants and Managed Care companies to make the U.R. process as smooth and efficient as possible.

"I was blessed to find a job that combines my recovery experience with my resume and skill set. Years ago, a U.R. Case Manager advocated for me so I could receive the gift of sobriety. Today, I can return that favor to suffering addicts with the passion of someone who understands the struggle and the solution."

Lina Woolman
Human Resources / Client Liaison

Lina is a graduate from Bradford Business School in Travel and Hospitality. She has brought her experience and education in customer service to the facility, and has served in various roles during her tenure at Starlite.

“My favorite thing about working for Starlite is the people, both my co-workers and the clients. It’s a great feeling to be a part of an extraordinary team that has such a huge impact on helping change people’s lives.”

Regina Olson
Alumni Coordinator

Regina has been with Starlite since January 2008. She started as a Chemical Dependency Technician then moved into the Counselor Assistant position. Most recently she was promoted to Alumni Coordinator and is working on completing her degree in Business Administration.  Her responsibilities are many, but most importantly, she helps keep Alumni connected to recovery and each other.

“I came to work at Starlite because I wanted to be a part of what saved my life. I'm an Alumni of Starlite and believe if you have a great sober support group, and do the work, you can make it through anything. “

Clarence Stewart
Activities Director/Training Director

Clarence has a degree from Schreiner University and is a Certified Personal Trainer. He supervises activities and is the Staff Training Instructor. Clarence is a former professional athlete; he personally works with clients to develop a plan to work toward achieving their fitness goals. 

“I feel rewarded every time someone says ‘you’ve helped me’. My only objective is to be a helping tool in any phase of our clients’ life”