Executive Leadership Team
Jared Perkins, MPA
Chief Executive Officer
Jared Perkins has nearly two decades of experience advancing access to high-quality, comprehensive healthcare for children and families. As Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Clinics, a nationally recognized Multi-Specialty Interdisciplinary Clinic in Southern Arizona, he leads an organization that serves as a medical home for children with complex healthcare needs. Jared is deeply committed to transforming care delivery, advocating for system improvements, and fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and long-term sustainability.
A proud Tucson native, Jared’s leadership extends beyond Children’s Clinics. He has co-founded and led local autism advocacy organizations, served in advisory roles for state and university partners, and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Pima County Health Care Benefits Trust Board and on the Board of Catholic Community Services. His leadership has helped guide Children’s Clinics to recognition through awards such as SHRM’s Innovation in the Workplace (2021, 2023) and the Tucson Metro Chamber’s Top Workplace nomination (2024).
Jared was recognized as a 40 Under 40 honoree by the Tucson Hispanic Chamber in 2016. He holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Arizona, where he was inducted into the Phi Alpha Alpha Honor Society.
Jared and his wife, Jaime, are the proud parents of four children—Zoe, Sylvia, Aidan, and Asher.
Gemma Thomas
Chief Administrative Officer
Joining Children’s Clinics in 2015, Gemma has held various leadership positions and currently serves as the Chief Administrative Officer. Gemma brings twelve years of healthcare experience to her current position at Children’s Clinics, having worked with vulnerable populations in both direct care and administrative roles. Following completion of her bachelor’s degree in molecular and cellular biology from the University of Arizona, Gemma received her master’s degree in social work from the Arizona State University School of Social Work with an emphasis on nonprofit administration. A graduate of the Arizona Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program and Greater Tucson Leadership, Gemma is committed to improving the overall health of children with complex illnesses living in the culturally diverse communities of southern Arizona. Gemma has been recognized by the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as a 2017 40 Under 40 Honoree and by Tucson Local Media’s 2018 Women of Influence Awards. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Museum Tucson and the Association of Fundraising Professionals Southern Arizona Chapter.
Melissa Ritchey, MSN, RN
Chief Clinical Officer
Melissa Ritchey, MSN, RN, joined Children’s Clinics in 2017 as Chief Clinical Officer. She provides strategic and operational leadership for the organization’s Primary Care, Family Support Services, Specialty Services, and Rehabilitative Therapies, ensuring high-quality, family-centered care for children with complex medical needs.
Melissa brings extensive experience in pediatric and acute care settings, including prior leadership as Director of the Emergency Department at Tucson Medical Center. She has been recognized for her contributions to nursing and community health, including being named one of Tucson’s “Fabulous Fifty” nurses by the Tucson Nurses Week Foundation and induction into Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
She currently serves on the Boards of Directors for Tu Nidito and the Tucson Nurses Week Foundation. Melissa earned both her Bachelor and Master of Science in Nursing, with a focus in Clinical Systems Leadership, from the University of Arizona. She lives in Tucson with her husband, Chris, and their two children, Izaiah and Emma.
Chris Farley
Chief Financial Officer
Chris Farley has 12+ years of hospital experience in both the for profit and nonprofit setting. This includes direct work with Renown Health in Reno, NV as a financial leader helping to grow their medical group facilities (including primary care, urgent care, and specialty clinics). This work started with 6 facilities and grew to over 60+ in his 8 years. This group also expanded from 100+ employed physicians to 300+ during this same time period. His recent work includes Behavioral Health services in both Reno, NV and Tucson, AZ recently with Sonora Behavioral Health Hospital. Much of his work has been focused on the pediatric/adolescent population in both a CEO and CFO capacity. Born and raised in Reno, NV which included attending the University of Nevada and completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Chris relocated to Tucson in July 2018 with his wife Kelsey and their two children: Jackson and Brooklynn. Chris is committed to helping achieve the Children’s Clinics mission and supporting our values.
Dr. Sydney Rice, MD, MSc
Chief Medical Officer
Sydney Rice is a developmental pediatrician and is dedicated to improving the lives of children who have disabilities and their families. She began working at Children’s Clinics in 1998 and has worked in the clinic in varied roles, including as a pediatrician in the primary care clinic, spina bifida clinics, osteogenesis imperfecta and developmental clinics. She sees children with varied motor and cognitive disabilities. She serves on the Governor’s Committee on Autism Services and is an advocate in the state and regionally for children with disabilities. She works on varied research projects that support the care of children with disabilities such as the CDC Autism surveillance program and directs the University of Arizona LEND (training program for professionals who care for children with disabilities).
Board of Directors
John Stephens, MD
President
Svetlana Pitman
Corporate Secretary/Treasurer
Tracy Nuckolls
Immediate Past President
Van Elrod
Square & Compass Board President
Rees “Chip” Lee, MD
U of A College of Medicine, Pediatrics
Julia Strange
Tucson Medical Center Representative
Beth Draves, RN
Banner University Medical Center Representative
Rob Settlemeyer
Square and Compass Representative
Jaclyn Larson
Parent Representative
Joy Upshaw, RN, MBA
Tucson Medical Center Representative
Tawnya Tretschok, MA
Banner University Medical Center Representative
Rachel Cramton, MD
Banner University Medical Center/MEC President
Darrell Stewart
Community Representative
Medical Executive Committee
David Parry, MD | Otolaryngology
(President)
Tucson Ear, Nose, and Throat
Lindsay Don, DDS | Orthodontia
(President Elect)
Leber Orthodontics
Rachel Cramton, MD | Pediatric Hospice & Palliative Care
(Past President)
Banner UMC, Department of Pediatrics
Kevin Carter, MD | Pediatrics
(Secretary/Treasurer)
Children’s Clinics, Primary Care
Chi Dai, MD | Child Neurology
(Chair – Medicine)
Center for Neurosciences
Aaron Mason, MD | Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
(Chair – Surgery)
Banner UMC, Department of Surgery
Andrew Hoyer, MD | Pediatric Cardiology
(Member-at-Large)
Banner UMC, Department of Pediatrics
Disha Patel, DO | Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
(Member-at-Large)
Dan Twelker, OD | Optometry
(Member-at-Large)
Banner UMC, Department of Ophthalmology
Family Advisory Board (FAB Team)
Jaclyn Larson, Chair
Elisa Binder, Recorder
Adiba Nelson, Community Liaison
Kimberly Williams, Clinic Liaison
Selene Saenz, Patient
Jessica Munoz-Tucker, Patient
Caryn Paye, Clinic Liaison