Manuel E. Menendez, III
Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Menendez serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Chrysalis Health and is responsible for running all facets of business operations in Florida. Mr. Menendez is an accomplished behavioral healthcare executive with over 30 years of leadership in the behavioral healthcare industry. Since the early 1990’s Manuel has owned and operated businesses and is know for developing effective, high-quality mental health and substance abuse programs. Prior to assuming CEO position, Mr. Menendez served as Executive Director and Board Member of Crawford Center d/b/a The Chrysalis Center, a non-profit from 1999 until becoming for profit in 2006 as Chrysalis Health.
Eduardo Lacasa
Chief Administrative Officer/General Counsel
Mr. Lacasa is the Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel of Chrysalis Health and its related companies. With over three decades of legal and executive leadership experience, he has guided strategic growth, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence across both nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Previously serving as Chief Operating Officer has played a key role in scaling operations, leading corporate restructuring efforts, and forging impactful public-private partnerships. His legal expertise spans corporate law, employment and labor law, regulatory reporting, major transactions, risk mitigation and governmental relations.
An active participant in public service, he has held appointments on numerous federal, state and local boards, including the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission, the Florida Boxing Commission, Miami-Dade County Zoning Board, Miami-Dade County Product Review Board, Miami-Dade County Nuisance Abatement Board and Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority.
Outside of his professional career, he has served on several non-profit boards including the Boys & Girls Clubs, and Board of Directors Miami-Dade County Metrozoo. Also, a member of North American Football Youth League Coach, Miami-Dade County Youth Baseball Coach reflecting his ongoing commitment to mentorship, education, and community development.
Leslie Lynch, MS.
Chief Program Officer
Ms. Lynch is the Chief Program Officer at Chrysalis Health, leading programmatic and financial strategies for the company nationally. She collaborates with state leadership to develop and oversee programs that align with Chrysalis Health’s mission and comply with all clinical and regulatory standards.
In this role, she drives organizational growth and innovation, integrating clinical and financial operations to improve service delivery, patient outcomes, and resource efficiency.
Previously, Ms. Lynch served as Administrative Director and Board Member of Crawford Center, playing a key role in its transition to Chrysalis Health in 2006 and expanding its clinical, case management, and juvenile justice services statewide.
She holds a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from St. Thomas University (1997), and brings deep expertise in program development, assessment, administration, and compliance across a wide range of behavioral health services.
Ms. Lynch is active on several State boards and committees and is a former president of the Florida Juvenile Justice Association, where she supported policy and advocacy efforts. Her leadership continues to shape Chrysalis Health’s commitment to high-quality, accessible mental health care.
Magin E. Perez
Chief Operating Officer
Magin Perez brings more than 25 years of experience with technology enabled services at Fortune 500 and Start-up companies. Extensive knowledge of the Behavioral Healthcare and HR/Payroll Outsourcing industries. Operator with track record of building strong management teams that execute with a focus on a service culture to deliver innovative and high-quality solutions, resulting in growing enterprise value.
Prior to joining Chrysalis Health, Magin Co-Founded and led as the President and CEO of a Florida based Managed Behavioral Healthcare Organization (MBHO) dedicated to providing benefit administration, coordination of care for substance abuse and mental health services, and financial risk transfer to HMOs, PSNs, commercial employers, government agencies, and other entities.
Magin received Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin, The McCombs School of Business. He also received his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Florida.
Jessica Vardaman
Senior Director of People Operations
Ms. Vardaman is our Senior Director of People Operations, with over 10 years experience in Human Resources in behavioral healthcare. She graduated from University of Central Florida with her Bachelor of Science degree in Health Services Administration and earned a Master of Health Administration from Florida Atlantic University. Ms. Vardaman started her career at Chrysalis Health in February 2012 and has helped grow and brand the People Operations team of 15 members across multiple states. In addition, Ms. Vardaman is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources from the HR Certification Institute.
Jo-Ann Prisco, LMHC
Vice President of Payor Contracts and CQI
Jo-Ann has a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Long Island University and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of Florida (LMHC). She has more than 25 years of experience at the executive management level in behavioral healthcare.
Jo-Ann joined Providence Services Corporation in 1999 and was responsible for the start-up and growth of several of their subsidiaries in the South, including Family Preservation Services of Florida, which operated in both Florida and Louisiana. In addition to behavioral health services, Jo-Ann brings experience of effective oversight in the evolution of the child welfare privatization initiatives in Florida, having served as a founding Board member for several lead agencies and actively worked in the creation and development of the child welfare system of care in several regions throughout the state of Florida.
Jo-Ann was also responsible for starting the first Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACT) in the state of Louisiana for Providence, which is a service delivery model that provides comprehensive community based treatment to persons with severe and persistent mental illness. In recent years she became responsible for overseeing their Georgia Human Services operations, much of which included home and community based services to the Seriously Mentally Ill Adult population.
Jo-Ann left Providence in 2014 to join Sinfonia Healthcare Corporation as their Executive Vice President of the East and was responsible for the start-up and growth of several of their subsidiaries in the states of Florida, Louisiana, Virginia, New Hampshire and Maine.
In 2017 Jo-Ann became President of company, where she remained until joining forces with Chrysalis Health in 2020 as their Vice President of Contracts and Payor Relations.