Meet our Executive Committee
Explore the profiles of our esteemed Executive Members to gain deeper insights into the dedicated professionals steering the Oregon Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Click on each individual to uncover their unique contributions and expertise, as we collectively strive to enhance the well-being of children and adolescents in our community.
The Executive Committee meets the second Thursday of each month. If you are interested in attending a meeting or getting more involved with OCCAP, email info@occap.org.
President Nikhil Rao, MD, MSc
Dr. Nik Rao is a recent transplant to Portland, having moved from the opposite corner of the country. A native of Texas, Dr. Rao attended Cornell before pursuing graduate school across the pond at University College London where he studied the evolution of social systems in monkeys, who are not as easy to talk to as kids. While successful in that endeavor, the effort to obtain a posh-sounding British accent was not, so he moved back home. After obtaining an MD from University of Oklahoma and completing general and child psychiatric training at multiple institutions, he earned an additional board certification in obesity medicine. Dr. Rao has practiced across a range of environments including emergency, consultation, and general and specialty pediatric embedded services. Perhaps the most poignant lesson from these experiences was how ineffectual it can be for mental health practice to be walled off from medical, academic, and community supports for children and teenagers, and how productive collaboration across community systems can be, particularly in the process of demystifying mental health and psychiatry for the general public. When not engaged in outreach and collaboration, he also enjoys small-scale research and giving lectures at all levels of education. An inveterate sci-fi geek, he misappropriated his MD to sidle closer to his favorite authors as a volunteer ‘medical and science content advisor’. It also gives him an excuse to speak at sci-fi conventions and use it as resume fodder. Some have claimed he picked a pediatric specialty so he could dress up as Batman and claim it is ‘for the children’. He has never denied this claim.
President Elect/VP - Kyle Johnson, MD
Bio coming soon.
Secretary/Treasurer AACAP Delegate AACAP Disaster & Trauma Liaison - Ken Ensroth, MD
Dr. Ensroth is the Chair of the Psychiatry department at Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center (PWFMC) and is the President Elect of the PWFMC Medical Staff Office. Dr. Ensroth a member of the Board of Directors of Children’s Center. A graduate of Michigan State Medical School, he completed his Residency & Fellowship at the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry. He has been a member of OCCAP since 2001, and is a past President of the Council (2012-2013). Dr. Ken enjoys backpacking, triathlon training, playing jazz trombone, and spending time with his two offspring. He strives to help children, adolescents, parents and families feel heard, understood, and accepted, as a springboard for health, wellness and loving connections.
AACAP Delegate since 2002 AACAP Advocacy Liaison - Kirk Wolfe, MD, DFAACAP, DFAPA AACAP
Kirk Wolfe, MD, DFAACAP, DFAPA serves as a child psychiatric consultant to several school districts and mental health agencies, advocates for Oregon youth and families with an emeritus position with the state's Children's System Advisory Council and Wraparound Committee, the Oregon Psychiatric Physicians Association executive committee, as a Board of Trustee for the Oregon Medical Association, as clinical assistant professor with OHSU and as Oregon's Advocacy Liaison and Delegate to AACAP. Dr. Wolfe has served on the Oregon Council's executive committee since 2000, including his presidency in 2001-2 and as Oregon delegate to AACAP since 2002. He was the Oregon Council's Child Psychiatrist of the Year in 2003, has been a Distinguished Fellow of AACAP since 2013, and a Distinguished Fellow of the APA since 2019. His youth suicide prevention efforts date back to the Governor's Task Force on Youth Suicide Prevention in 1996; was chairman of Oregon's first Youth Suicide Prevention Conference in 1997; was the physician representative with Oregon's original youth suicide prevention plan, The Oregon Plan for Youth Suicide Prevention: A Call to Action, published in 2000; was co-chairman of Oregon's first Oregon Children's Mental Health Conference in 2001; developed brochures for teachers, and parents of school-age and college students, designed to help recognize when youth are depressed and at risk for suicide; was awarded the state's Mental Health Award for Excellence in 2001 at the State Capitol for his work on youth suicide prevention, helped to develop the state's Youth Suicide Intervention and Prevention Plan published in 2016, and and serves on the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Suicide executive committee. He received YouthMove Oregon's Heart of the Healer Award at the State Capitol in 2011. He received the Oregon Medical Association's annual Doctor-Citizen Award in 2018. Dr. Wolfe enjoys time with family and friends, and keeps healthy with skiing, golfing, jogging and biking in the Columbia Gorge, as well as international travel.
AACAP Alternate Delegate - Naomi Fishman, MD
Naomi trained at OHSU for adult residency and child fellowship and graduated in 2016. For the past six years she has worked at Albertina Kerr Centers, a non-profit in Portland that provides mental health care to youth around the state and a variety of services to the I/DD community, including Kerr’s youth and adult group homes. At Kerr she works to provide care for youth and families in the sub-acute unit and through the outpatient clinic, which serves many youth who live in Kerr group homes as well as youth in the community at large. For the past year she has been Albertina Kerr’s medical director. She recently accepted the role of Child Psychiatrist representative on the OHA Mental Health Clinical Advisory Group and she previously sat on the OCCAP executive committee as the Program Committee Chair.
Rural Representative - David Rettew, MD
David Rettew, MD is a child & adolescent psychiatrist who currently works as the Medical Director of Lane County Behavioral Health in Eugene and is a clinical faculty member at OHSU. Before moving to Oregon, he worked as a tenured associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of Vermont Medical Center and was Medical Director of the child and families division of the Vermont Department of Mental Health. He was also past president of the Vermont Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Rettew was previously the Training Director of UVM’s child psychiatry fellowship program. He is the author of 2 books and over 50 peer reviewed journal article on a variety of mental health topics. He currently is the co-chair of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry’s (AACAP) Health Promotion and Prevention committee and was previously on their journal’s (JAACAP’s) editorial board. Dr. Rettew did his general psychiatry and child & adolescent training at the combined Massachusetts General/McLean Hospital programs.
Sr. Program Co-Chair - Anthony Cordaro, Jr. MD
Dr. Cordaro works as an outpatient child and adolescent psychiatrist (CAP) at Northwest Permanente / Kaiser after moving to the Portland metro area in 2017 from Colorado. A native of Texas, he attended the U. of Texas for undergrad where we worked in Jamie Pennebaker’s lab focused on how written emotional disclosures can promote physical health. This sparked a curiosity in how the link between a person’s ability to create a positive cohesive narrative is linked to one’s health. The summer after his first year of medical school at the U. of Texas Southwestern (UTSW), he developed joy for crisis work as a clinical summer intern in Parkland Hospital’s Psych ER. After his second year at UTSW, he took a year off to do a Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellowship focused on CBT with Robin Jarrett, Ph.D. Needing a change of pace, he left Texas for the U. of Colorado for his adult psychiatry and CAP training. During his time, he was a mentee of Marianne Wamboldt, MD going on to complete a 2-year post doc focusing on parent-child relationships which included expanding parent- child relational problem for the DSM-5. He has worked as faculty at the University of Colorado / Childrens’ Hospital Colorado serving on the C\L service, built an outpatient clinic focused on kids and families dealing with chronic medical conditions, and served as an embedded psychiatrist in the ER. Prior to moving to Oregon, he moved to working at a mental health center in the Boulder, CO area. Over the years he has developed a family focused approach helping families communicate and support each other better. Along the way in 1998, he co-founded a national non-profit called the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA). ACHA is a unique blend of adults with congenital heart disease, their families, and medical professionals working toward common goals. ACHA has grown to become a national leader in patient advocacy, support, educating the next generation medical professionals, certification of Adult Congenital Heart Disease Centers across the nation. He looks to bring this approach of unifying patients, families, and medical professionals together to OCCAP. He has been honored with the UTSW- Outstanding Student in Psychiatry award, AACAP’s campaign for America’s Kid’s Annual Meeting Junior Scholar Award, co-chief CAP Fellow, and ACHA’s Distinguished Service Award. He is married with 3 kids spanning elementary to middle school. Together they enjoy camping, various outdoor activities of the PNW, Wild Krats among other shows, watching his kids learn new things, and taking care of their guinea pigs.
Chief Administrator - Deanna Murry, QMHA
Deanna Murry, is a dedicated mental health professional with a deep-rooted commitment to the well-being of children and adolescents. A native Oregonian, Deanna's journey began in the realm of community service as a 4-H leader, nurturing her passion for working with young minds. Throughout her career, she has played a pivotal role in inpatient psychiatric programs, where she oversaw direct care staff, emphasizing her expertise in fostering a supportive environment for youth. Beyond her professional endeavors, Deanna brings a compassionate touch to her work, driven by her genuine care for the diverse needs of children. Her dedication extends to a profound interest in genealogy, and she is trained in forensic genealogy for law enforcement. Notably, Deanna has been instrumental in reuniting adoptees and donor-conceived individuals with their families, showcasing her commitment to holistic mental health and the importance of identity. As an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Deanna has served on Equity and Inclusion committees, as well as transgender clinical review boards, reinforcing her commitment to creating inclusive spaces for all. With a wealth of experience, Deanna is also a seasoned instructor in trauma-informed care and various training programs, contributing to the growth and education of professionals in her field.
Academic Leadership Representative - Karen Bos
Bio coming soon
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