David joined the Vashti Center with 40 years of experience in behavioral health. He came to us from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) where he served as the Director of Public Affairs. He previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of the South Georgia Community Service Board/Behavioral Health Services of South Georgia. In addition, he served as the Acting Director of Regional Operations, Regional Coordinator, and Administrator of Southwestern State Hospital/Bainbridge State Hospital for the Georgia Department of Human Resources and DBHDD. He also served as the Assistant Secretary for Substance Abuse and Mental Health for The Florida Department of Children and Families. Sofferin received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from The Florida State University and a Master of Arts degree in Psychology from The University of West Florida in Pensacola. Sofferin is a loving husband, who has 4 adult children, a son-in-law, and 2 grandchildren.

Kamini is the newest addition of the leadership team here at Vashti, having joined in November 2022.  Kamini holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey and a Master’s in Educational Psychology from New Jersey City University. She has spent the past 33 years working with children with developmental disabilities and mental health in their homes, in foster care and in the community across New Jersey, Florida and Georgia. Kamini was the previous Director of Community Based Services-South for Elks Aidmore Inc., a foster care agency, managing the Valdosta and Savannah locations. Through the different agencies she has worked with the ultimate goal has been the same, to help create a stable foundation for children so they can grow and thrive.

Cathy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and worked as the therapist for our RBWO program for 25 years. Over the last two years, Cathy has taken on the role of Clinical Director, managing our Clinical staff, and has helped grow our mental health outpatient program in the six counties we serve. Marchant is a proud graduate of Florida State University, and holds a Master’s degree in Social Work. Cathy has strong spiritual values and these values have communicated themselves in her ministry to the children of the Vashti Center. She is a loving wife, and mother of two adult sons, and her favorite role, is being a grandma to her grandbabies.

Alex graduated from Florida State University in 2015 with a Bachelors in Hospitality & Event Management. Alex’s interest in mental health awareness, child advocacy, and non-profits landed her at The Vashti Center where all of her passions are met. Since joining the team, she has served as Vashti’s community training liaison and Resilient SWGA coalition leader. She has been trained as a facilitator for multiple professional learning opportunities that cover topics such as Adverse Childhood Experiences, Trauma-Informed Care, Child Sexual Abuse Prevention, Suicide Prevention, and Resiliency and has helped to effectively train over 2,000 community members since August of 2020. Alex also manages our marketing and communication efforts, as well as our fundraising events for the organization.

Michael holds a Doctorate of Divinity Degree from St. Thomas Christian University in Jacksonville, FL. Before joining Vashti in January 2023, he founded his own church, the Relentless Generation Church in Valdosta, GA where he is also currently the Senior Pastor. His experience in Chaplaincy began at the Madison Correctional Institution in Madison, Florida, where he turned around their spiritual care program for male inmates and brought hope and support to this marginalized population of people. He also served as a Chaplain at the South Georgia Medical Center in Valdosta.  Ultimately, being a family man is his most significant accomplishment, Dr. Carter is a loving husband and father to his wife and 3 children, where they have served their community with love, support, and ministry over the past 18 years together.

Tammy joined the Vashti team in 2006 as a Childcare Worker for our residential program, later moving on to the Intake Coordinator role for our community mental health program. Her knowledge and heart for our mission brought her to the role she serves in today as our Human Resources leader. Prior to Vashti, Tammy worked for the Southwestern State Hospital and Georgia Pines Community Service Board Behavioral Health Crisis Center, ultimately leading her here to further use her skills, love for children, and mental health background. Tammy’s commitment is to help Vashti’s workforce expand and be the best it can be, so that we can continue to serve children & families for another 120 years.