Meet the Buckhorn Staff

Billy Smith, Chief Executive Officer

Billy Smith has over 20 years experience with Buckhorn Children & Family Services. Mr. Smith has a degree in Social Work from Morehead State University. He is responsible for the overall administration and operation of the Agency.

He and the Executive Team ensure that the Agency remains focused on its mission, vision and values through monitoring and adjusting as needed agency programs, finances, and operations and communicating with donors, volunteers, partners, stakeholders and communities regarding the transition and Agency initiatives.

billy.smith@buckhorn.org


Mitch Smith, Chief Financial Officer

A native Breathitt Countian, Mitch Smith brings over ten years of experience in governmental and not-for-profit finance to Buckhorn Children and Family Services’ executive team.  After graduating from the University of Kentucky in 2011, Mitch returned to eastern Kentucky where he has devoted the majority of his professional life.  As a member of the executive team, he helps to ensure that the Agency’s finances are consistently aligned in a manner conducive to both its short and long-term strategic goals. 

He and the executive team ensure a safe and nurturing environment through monitoring, managing and providing leadership among campus and program operations.  By combining an innovative and fiscally responsible approach, Mitch hopes to help the Agency make a lasting and positive impact on its most important stakeholders – the clients!

mitch.smith@buckhorn.org


Patty Wilder, Chief Operating Officer

Patty Wilder has over 28 years’ experience with Buckhorn Children & Family Services. Ms. Wilder has a degree in Human Resource Management. She is responsible for the overall management of the agency’s operations and the overall administration of the various human resource functions including policy and benefit administration, personnel records management, employee development, and employee issue resolution.

She and the Executive Team ensure that quality services are provided in support of employment, training, employee relations, benefits, and the retention of a highly diverse workforce to ensure productivity and customer satisfaction, as well as ensuring a safe and nurturing environment for clients in all agency programs, adding overall value to the Agency’s mission.

patty.wilder@buckhorn.org


Roger Coleman, Chief Clinical Officer

Roger Coleman has a Master’s Degree in Social Work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. he has over 25 years of experience in the mental health field. He has been with Buckhorn for the last five years and is currently the Chief Clinical Officer. He has worked with the youth in the RTF, PRTF, Foster Care and the DDID program since his employment here at Buckhorn Children & Family Services.

roger.coleman@buckhorn.org


Sue McIntosh, Development Specialist

Sue has worked at Buckhorn Children & Family Services for 40 years.  Sue is a lifelong resident of Buckhorn, graduate of Buckhorn High School and Lees Junior College.  She has talked to many of you over the years and loves spreading the word about Buckhorn’s mission.

sue.mcintosh@buckhorn.org


Darlene Herald, Director of Compliance

Emma Darlene Herald (Darlene), a Breathitt County native, is a 1975 graduate of Morehead State University, with a Bachelor of Science with Area of Concentration in Business.  Darlene had a 40+ year career in Long Term Health Care Fiance and Administration, primarily private not-for profit facilities.  She retired in the late Spring of 2017, to quickly realize she didn’t like retirement, so she returned to work, writing grants for a Housing Development Non-Profit prior to joining the Buckhorn Children & Family Services team.  Darlene says “I am proud to be a part of this long-standing service to Kentucky’s at risk children and families.”

darlene.herald@buckhorn.org