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Mississippi Gulf Coast Community Impact Summit

Date: March 20, 2026
Location: Singing River Healthcare Academy – 3401 Bienville Blvd., Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39564
Purpose: Overdose Prevention Community Education & Naloxone Awareness Campaign

FREE TO ATTEND

OVERVIEW
On March 20, 2026 we hosted the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community Impact Summit. This event was one of the cornerstone elements of our efforts to save lives and bring hope, health and healing to Gulf Coast communities. In partnership with the Mississippi Public Health Institute, Singing River Health System and Fund Recovery, we hosted a half-day hybrid – in-person and livestream – Summit that engaged essential stakeholders and community champions at all levels to educate them on the benefits of implementing evidence-based overdose prevention strategies that also provide pathways to treatment and recovery. 

 

FEATURED THEMES

  • Best practices and current guidance on overdose prevention and stigma reduction. 
  • Engaging and networking with key community advocates. 
  • Prominent guest speakers and VIP guests. 
  • Local resource vendor fair and Naloxone training. 

 

AUDIENCE TAKEAWAYS

  • Understanding Addiction – A Treatable Disease of the Brain
  • Bridging Prevention, Diversion & Treatment to Strengthen Outcomes
  • Stories of Hope & Healing
  • The Faces of Addiction & Recovery: Building Eco-systems of Care, Compassion and Resilience

 

TARGET AUDIENCE – EVERYONE!

  • Public health and prevention officials
  • Treatment center professionals and healthcare providers 
  • Behavioral health organizations
  • Peer-support specialists, PWUD, PWLE
  • First responders and public safety agencies
  • Federal, State and local government officials and lawmakers
  • Faith-based leaders
  • Business leaders
  • Educators and researchers
  • Advocates and families
EVENT AGENDA
SPONSOR PROSPECTUS

SPEAKERS & PANELISTS

Randall Cobb

Executive Director of Facilities Services, Singing River Health System

READ BIO

The Honorable Robert “Bobby” Cox

Mayor of Ocean Springs, MS

Judy Dalgo, RN, DNS

Volunteer with Overdose Prevention Collective; Retired RN & Teacher; Mother of Eric Dalgo who died of fentanyl poisoning in 2022

The Honorable Michael B. Dickinson

County Court Judge, Harrison County Youth Court

READ BIO

Dean Doty, MSW

CEO, Gulfport Behavioral Health System

READ BIO

Daniel Edney, MD, FACP, FASAM

State Health Officer, Mississippi State Department of Health; President-Elect, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)

READ BIO

Chief Michael Kelly

Project Manager, Office of Substance Use, Prevention and Control, Mississippi Public Health Institute

READ BIO

Colonel Steven Maxwell

Director, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Department of Public Safety; Director of Corrections Investigation Division, Mississippi Department of Corrections

READ BIO

Stacy Miller, MS

Public Health Analyst, CDC Foundation, Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) in Mississippi

READ BIO

James Moore

Moore’s Bike Shop, Hattiesburg, MS; Member MS Opioid Settlement Fund Council; Father of Jeffery Moore who died of an OD in 2015

Ustav Nandi, MD, MSCI, MSPHS, FACEP, FAAEM

Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Population Health Science; Associate Director of Research, Department of Emergency Medicine; Associate Medical Director, Clinical Research Support Program, University of Mississippi Medical Center

READ BIO

Esther Faye Stacy, LMSW

Director of Chemical Dependency Services, Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources

READ BIO

Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM

President, American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM); Chief Medical Officer, Pathway Healthcare

READ BIO

THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS!

THANKS TO OUR EVENT PARTNERS!

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community Impact Summit

AGENDA AT A GLANCE

 

March 20, 2026

8:30AM-9:00AM          Breakfast and Event Check-in

9:00AM-9:03AM          Welcome & Introductions

9:03AM-9:10AM          Opening Remarks: Ocean Springs Mayor, The Honorable Robert “Bobby” Cox

9:10AM-9:55AM          PANEL SESSION I: Understanding Addiction – A Treatable Disease of the Brain

Panelists:

Daniel Edney, MD, FACP, FASAM – State Health Officer, Mississippi State Department of Health; President-Elect, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)

Utsav Nandi, MD, MSCI, MSPHS, FACEP, FAAEM
Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Population Health Science; Associate Director of Research, Department of Emergency Medicine; Associate Medical Director, Clinical Research Support Program, University of Mississippi Medical Center

Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM – President, American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM); Chief Medical Officer, Pathway Healthcare

9:55AM-10:00AM        BREAK

10:00AM-10:40 AM     PANEL SESSION II: Bridging Prevention, Diversion & Treatment to Strengthen Outcomes

Moderator/Panelist: Chief Michael Kelly – Public Health & Safety Specialist, Mississippi Public Health Institute – PHAST Teams

Panelists:

The Honorable Michael Dickinson – Harrison County Court and Youth Court Judge

Colonel Steven Maxwell – Director of MS Bureau of Narcotics, MS Department of Public Safety; Director of Corrections Investigation Division, MS Department of Corrections

Stacy Miller, MS – Public Health Analyst, CDC Foundation, Overdose Response Strategy (ORS) in Mississippi

10:40AM-10:45AM      BREAK

10:45AM-11:05AM      Mid-Program Keynote: A Story of Hope & Healing

Randall Cobb – Executive Director of Facilities Services, Singing River Health System

11:05AM-11:50PM      PANEL SESSION III

The Faces of Addiction & Recovery: Building Eco-systems of Care, Compassion and Resilience

Moderator/Panelist: Esther Faye Stacy, LMSW – Director of Chemical Dependency Services, Pine Belt Mental Health Resources

Panelists:

Judy Dalgo, RN, DNS – Volunteer at Overdose Prevention Collective; Mother of Eric Dalgo who died of fentanyl poisoning in 2022

Dean Doty, MSW – CEO, Gulfport Behavioral Health System

James Moore – Moore’s Bike Shop, Hattiesburg, MS; Member, MS Opioid Settlement Fund Council; Father of Jeffery Moore who died of an OD in 2015

11:50AM-12:00PM      Final Q&A

12:00PM-12:05PM      Closing Remarks

12:05PM                       Program Concludes

12:05PM-12:30PM   Post-Program Networking/Ideas Exchange and Local Vendor Resource Fair

Randall Cobb

Executive Director of Facilities Services, Singing River Health System

Profile

Experienced Director Of Facilities with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & health care industry. Skilled in Team Building, Construction, Biomedical and Diagnostic Imaging Services, Management, Healthcare, and Leadership. Strong support professional with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) focused in Mechanical Engineering from Mississippi State University.

The Honorable Judge Michael B. Dickinson

County Court Judge, Harrison County Youth Court

Profile

Judge Dickinson is a graduate of Mississippi State University where he earned a Bachelor’s of Accountancy, and he is also a graduate of Mississippi College, School of Law where he received his law degree.  Judge Dickinson worked in the private practice of law since 2005 in civil litigation in Gulfport.

Between 2016 and 2023, the Dickinsons served as foster parents in Harrison County, Mississippi, and during that time have fostered 10 children for various lengths of time. In 2018, Mike was elected to serve as a County Court Judge handling all Youth Court matters in Harrison County.  He also served in the U.S. Navy on the USS Independence (aircraft carrier) in Japan.  

Mike has been married to Siobhan (“Shuh-von”) for over 20 years, and they have five children (3 biological, and 2 adopted from foster care).  Mike also helped spearhead the Rescue 100 ministry at Michael Memorial Baptist Church which served to boost the number of foster homes in both Harrison County and across the State of Mississippi.  In 2021, he became a Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner through Texas Christian University.  Judge Dickinson serves on the Commission on Children’s Justice, the Judicial Leadership Council for National CASA/GAL, and the State Intervention Court Advisory Committee.

In 2023, Judge Dickinson was appointed by the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court to serve as a member of the Mississippi Task Force on Foster Care and Adoption which was created by the Mississippi Legislature in 2023.  Additionally, Judge Dickinson was selected as a 2023 recipient of the Angels in Adoption award by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute for his work in the adoption, foster care, and child welfare community.

Dean Doty, MSW

CEO, Gulfport Behavioral Health System

Profile

Dean Doty serves as Chief Executive Officer of Gulfport Behavioral Health System, where he leads the organization in delivering safe, high-quality, patient-centered behavioral healthcare across the Mississippi Gulf Coast. With more than 25 years of experience in healthcare leadership and behavioral health operations, Dean brings a strong background in strategic growth, operational excellence, and team development.

Since assuming the CEO role in 2022, Dean has focused on advancing the hospital’s mission, strengthening clinical and operational performance, enhancing community partnerships, and ensuring regulatory and fiscal accountability. His leadership emphasizes quality care, workforce engagement, and sustainable growth.

Prior to becoming CEO, Dean held multiple senior leadership roles across Mississippi and Alabama, including Chief Operating Officer, Operations Director, Clinical Director, and Director of Practice Development. Throughout his career, he has overseen inpatient and outpatient behavioral health services, led multidisciplinary teams, developed new programs, increased patient access, and driven measurable improvements in productivity and service delivery.

Dean holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from The University of Southern Mississippi and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Belhaven College. His career reflects a deep commitment to behavioral health advocacy and operational leadership that strengthens both patient outcomes and community impact.

Daniel Edney, MD, FACP, FASAM

State Health Officer, Mississippi State Department of Health; President-Elect, Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)

Profile

Dr. Daniel P. Edney serves as the State Health Officer for the Mississippi State Department of Health, where he leads statewide efforts to protect and improve public health.

He joined the Mississippi State Department of Health in 2021 as its first Chief Medical Officer and was later appointed State Health Officer in August 2022, a role in which he continues to serve with distinction.

In October 2025, Dr. Edney was elected President-Elect of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), representing the nation’s top public health leaders and advancing health policy at the national level.

A board-certified General Internist with a subspecialty in Addiction Medicine, Dr. Edney is a proud Mississippi native. He earned his undergraduate degree from William Carey University and his medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Virginia before returning home to Vicksburg, where he has practiced primary care internal medicine since 1991.

Dr. Edney’s interest in addiction medicine was sparked by his frontline experience during the opioid crisis. Since 2013, he has dedicated much of his work to treating substance use disorders and educating others through inpatient, outpatient, and community-based recovery settings.

He is a former president of the Mississippi State Medical Association, a Fellow and Laureate of the Mississippi Chapter of the American College of Physicians, and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

Dr. Edney and his wife Lori are the proud parents of three children: Daniel, Meredith and Meg. They are also doting grandparents to Benjamin, James, Rosemary, Virginia and Vivian.

Michael Kelly

Project Manager, Office of Substance Use, Prevention & Control, Mississippi Public Health Institute

Profile

Michael Kelly serves as a Project Manager in the Office of Substance Use, Prevention, and Control with the Mississippi Public Health Institute. There Michael leads statewide initiatives at the intersection of behavioral health, public safety, and community resilience. With a background in law enforcement—including service as a former Chief of Police—Michael brings over two decades of experience in crisis response, emergency management, and trauma-informed leadership.

He has been recognized both locally and nationally, receiving honors such as Mississippi Law Enforcement Officer of the Year and National Peacemaker of the Year for his innovative and compassionate approach to community care.

Michael’s work focuses on building bridges between public health and public safety—supporting the development of PHAST (Public Health & Safety Teams) across Mississippi, and partnering with local, state, and national stakeholders to reduce harm, increase access to care, and promote systems-level change.

Known for his grounded, heart-centered style, Michael is passionate about helping leaders and communities reimagine safety, justice, and healing.

Colonel Steven Maxwell

Director, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Mississippi Department of Public Safety; Director of Corrections Investigation Division, Mississippi Department of Corrections

Profile

Steven Maxwell is a dedicated law enforcement professional with over 30 years of distinguished public service. He began his career as an Agent with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (MBN), where he rose through the ranks to serve in various leadership capacities, including Group Supervisor of Special Operations, Captain of multiple divisions, Major of the Central and Southern Regions, Lieutenant Colonel of Enforcement, Deputy Director, Interim Director, and ultimately Director of MBN. Steven now continues his service as the Director of Corrections Investigations for the Mississippi Department of Corrections, where he oversees critical operations and investigative initiatives.

Throughout his career, Steven has earned numerous accolades, including the prestigious MBN Claude Stuckey Award, recognizing a sustained and superior record of service, the MBN Director’s Award, honoring his outstanding contributions to the agency’s mission, and the Sheriff Malcolm E. McMillian Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to individuals who have made career long significant contributions to law enforcement. A sought-after speaker, Steven has delivered hundreds of presentations on leadership, education, substance use prevention, and related topics, engaging and educating thousands of attendees across Mississippi and beyond.

A lifelong resident of Mississippi, Steven is a proud graduate of Stone County High School in Wiggins. He holds an associate degree from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, a bachelor’s degree in Corrections Administration from Langston University, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Steven is also a graduate of the esteemed FBI National Academy (252nd Class) and serves as an adjunct faculty member at William Carey University. His career reflects an unwavering commitment to public safety, public health, education, and leadership excellence.

Anastasia "Stacy" Miller, MS

Public Health Analyst, CDC Foundation, Mississippi Overdose Response Strategy

Profile

Stacy Miller is the public health analyst in Mississippi for the CDC Foundation’s national Overdose Response Strategy (ORS). Stacy has gained over 30 years’ experience in Mississippi’s public and private mental health system serving in leadership and administrative roles. Stacy realized the need for overdose prevention and treatment while serving for over a decade as a Facility Director of a 24-hour adolescent mental health program where she added an evidenced based alcohol and drug prevention and treatment model.
 
Along with a Master of Science from the University of Southern Mississippi, she earned designation as a Certified Public Manager, a Fellow of the American Association on Individuals with Developmental Disabilities, is a graduate of the John C. Stennis State Executive Development Institute, and a Mississippi Business Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40”. When not connecting public health and public safety partners to prevent community overdoses, Stacy enjoys boating and camping with family and friends.
 

Ustav Nandi, MD, MSCI, MSPHS, FACEP, FAAEM

Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Population Health Science; Associate Director of Research, Department of Emergency Medicine; Associate Medical Director, Clinical Research Support Program, University of Mississippi Medical Center

Profile

Dr. Utsav Nandi is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Population Health Science, and the Associate Director of Research in the department of Emergency Medicine, at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). He completed his emergency medicine residency, Master of Science in clinical investigation, and Master of Science in population health science at UMMC. He works clinically as an attending physician at UMMC’s emergency department. His research is focused on understanding and ameliorating the social drivers of multiple health conditions in Mississippi including opioid use disorder, severe maternal morbidity, and firearm injury through ED-based treatment and community linkage-to-care programs.

Esther Faye Stacy, LMSW

Director of Chemical Dependency Services Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources

Profile

Esther Faye is a lifelong Gulf Coast resident and received her bachelor’s and masters degrees in Social Work from the University of Southern Mississippi-Gulf Coast, graduating with her MSW in 2018. She previously worked with adults as an outpatient therapist at Gulf Coast Mental Health, and as an adult inpatient therapist at Oceans Behavioral Hospital.


In 2021, Esther Faye began working with Region 12-Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources as the Director of Chemical Dependency Services, where she oversees all SUDs programs. These programs include outpatient, intensive outpatient, detoxification-withdrawal management, transitional, and residential levels of care, as well as working with veterans in two different programs, SSVF and GPD. These programs are located at Crossroads Recovery Center, Clearview Recovery Center, Oak Arbor Transitional Apartments, and Summit Outpatient Recovery Center, throughout the Region 12 catchment area. She has experience working with individuals and families seeking treatment for substance use disorders, including co-occurring disorders, as well as working with people seeking medicated assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder.

Stephen M. Taylor, MD, MPH, DFAPA, DFASAM

President, American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM); Chief Medical Officer, Pathway Healhcare

Profile

Dr. Stephen Taylor is board-certified in general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and addiction medicine. In more than 30 years of practice experience, and as an educator, presenter and advocate, Dr. Taylor’s life’s work has been to help adolescents and adults avoid or overcome addiction disorders and co-occurring general psychiatric disorders. Having served 16 years as the Medical Director of the Player Assistance and Anti-Drug Program of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), and while currently serving as a consultant to Major League Baseball, Dr. Taylor currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer of Pathway Healthcare Services, a company that has opened and is operating more than 30 outpatient addiction and mental health treatment offices, servicing over 30,000 patients across six states.

Dr. Taylor is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). He currently serves as the President of ASAM and Chair of the ASAM Board of Directors. He also serves as Chair of ASAM’s Delegation to the AMA House of Delegates. Dr. Taylor’s past service to ASAM has included serving as President of the Alabama Society of Addiction Medicine (ALSAM), the Alabama state chapter of ASAM; representing ASAM’s Region X on the ASAM Board of Directors; chairing ASAM’s Public Policy Coordinating Council, as President-Elect of ASAM; and co-chairing the ASAM Writing Subcommittee on Advancing Racial Justice in Addiction Medicine, which drafted ASAM’s Three-Part Public Policy Statement Series on Advancing Racial Justice in Addiction Medicine and Beyond. Dr. Taylor also represents ASAM in the Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Group of the National Academy of Medicine’s Opioid Action Collaborative, and has on several occasions represented ASAM at the Annual Congress of the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM).

Dr. Taylor is a certified Medical Review Officer (MRO) and serves on the Board of Directors of the Medical Review Officer Certification Council (MROCC). He has also served on the Drug Testing Advisory Board (DTAB) of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and on the Board of Directors of the Addiction Prevention Coalition, a non-profit community organization focused on primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of addiction disorders in Birmingham, AL. Currently, Dr. Taylor continues to serve on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Foundation for Opioid Recovery Efforts, a non-profit organization dedicated to funding research and prevention interventions to address the opioid and addiction crisis.

An honors graduate of Harvard College, with a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard T.S. Chan School of Public Health and a medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine, Dr. Taylor completed “Triple Board” residency training in pediatrics, psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Bronx Municipal Hospital Center, and then completed a fellowship in addiction psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine/Bellevue Hospital Center.