Paul Beshay is the founder and CEO of Ascend Psychological Service, where he leads the company's mission to deliver timely, high-quality mental health evaluations and care. A licensed therapist and serial entrepreneur, Paul founded Ascend to bridge the gap between rigorous clinical practice and accessible, client-centered service, particularly for law firms and individuals navigating personal injury and litigation cases. Under his leadership, Ascend has grown into a trusted partner for attorneys, healthcare providers, and clients who depend on thorough, defensible mental health evaluations. Paul brings a builder's mindset to every aspect of the business, constantly refining how Ascend delivers care, scales operations, and supports its clinical team. His combination of clinical insight and entrepreneurial drive continues to shape Ascend's growth as a leader in psychological evaluation and therapeutic services. Outside of work, Paul is an avid traveler with a deep interest in church history, and a coffee always within reach.

As Chief Clinical Officer, Anthony Yater oversees clinical operations at Ascend Psychological Service, ensuring every evaluation and therapy session meets the highest standards of evidence-based care. A Licensed Professional Counselor with Mental Health Service Provider designation, Anthony brings over a decade of experience in the mental health field, with particular expertise in trauma-informed care and complex clinical assessments. He leads Ascend's clinical team in developing protocols, supervising practitioners, and maintaining the quality and consistency that referral partners rely on.

Anthony's approach blends clinical rigor with genuine compassion, a combination that defines how care is delivered across the organization.

As Chief Strategy & Growth Officer, Bill Bronson leads Ascend's strategic direction, brand positioning, and growth initiatives, drawing on over 20 years of executive leadership across healthcare, financial services, insurance, and marketing. Bill holds a Doctorate in Business Administration with a marketing focus, an MBA, and dual bachelor's degrees in Finance and Management Information Systems; a background that pairs deep marketing expertise with operational and financial discipline. Throughout his career, he has built and led national sales and marketing organizations, repositioned healthcare brands, launched SaaS products, and supported agent networks of 7,500+ across 47 states. His specialties include aligning sales, marketing, and operations to drive measurable revenue growth, forged by his experience as CMO, VP of Sales & Marketing, and Marketing Director across multiple industries. At Ascend, Bill bridges strategy and execution, overseeing the marketing, communications, and growth functions that position the company as a leader in psychological services. Outside of work, Bill is a published author of The Mortgage Millionaire, and his first children's book, Poopie the Puppydog, released in 2025.

Bishoy Bishara brings over six years of experience in telehealth program operations, backed by a Master's in Public Health and a strong foundation in healthcare management. As Director of Operations, he leads the day-to-day systems that keep Ascend running smoothly, from clinician scheduling and client coordination to process improvement and operational scaling.

Known for thriving in fast-moving environments, Bishoy plays a central role in ensuring that clients, clinicians, and partners experience seamless service at every touchpoint.

Courtney Jayroe brings more than 15 years of experience in business development, healthcare sales, strategic partnerships, marketing, and relationship development to Ascend Psychological Service. As Sales Director, she leads the company’s sales efforts and helps cultivate referral partnerships with personal injury law firms, physicians, healthcare professionals, and legal networks.

Before joining Ascend, Courtney served as Vice President of Business Development for Guiding Star Mental Health, where she helped expand legal and medical referral partnerships across multiple states and worked closely with executive leadership on growth strategy and market development. Her background also includes medical account management, corporate event strategy, marketing, and national account development.

Known for her relationship-focused approach, Courtney plays an active role in expanding Ascend’s referral network, developing the sales team, and building lasting partnerships with the professionals and organizations Ascend serves.

As Chief Operating Officer, Colby Morris leads operations at Ascend Psychological Service, building the infrastructure that allows a multi-state telehealth mental health practice to scale with quality and consistency. Colby brings deep experience operating PE-backed and founder-led healthcare companies, with a career focused on the operational middle ground where ambition meets execution, taking organizations through rapid growth, M&A integration, and multi-state expansion. Before joining Ascend, he served as COO across several behavioral health, legal services, and pain management platforms, and as founder and CEO of NXT Step Advisors, a strategic advisory firm supporting PE-backed and founder-led healthcare companies. He holds a Bachelor's from Stephen F. Austin State University and is recognized across the industry for his combination of operational excellence, executive leadership, and a people-first approach to building high-performing teams. At Ascend, Colby works closely with the executive team to scale clinical operations, strengthen cross-functional systems, and position the company for continued growth.

As Chief Revenue Officer, Laurri Wallace leads Ascend's revenue strategy, operations, partnerships, and growth initiatives, drawing on more than 20 years of C-suite experience in healthcare operations and business transformation. Laurri brings a rare combination of clinical and executive expertise, holding a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, an MBA from Georgia State's J. Mack Robinson College of Business, and a proven record of driving revenue growth and operational excellence across multi-site healthcare organizations. Before joining Ascend, she served as Chief Executive Officer of a multi-location pain management practice with 68 employees across 6 sites, and as CEO of a neurological care organization that she scaled from 2 locations to 10 and from 27 employees to 140. A certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Certified Medical Practice Executive, Laurri is recognized for building high-performing teams, strengthening referral networks, and delivering consistent EBITDA growth. At Ascend, she focuses on expanding payer and partner relationships, scaling revenue and operational systems, and positioning the company for sustained national growth.

As Director of Strategic Initiatives & Business Growth, Elizabeth Urdaneta-Vargas drives Ascend’s national expansion and builds partnerships with attorneys, medical providers, and community networks. She creates outreach strategies and referral systems that improve access to high-quality psychological care and works closely with leadership and clinical teams to ensure smooth coordination, clear communication, and outcomes-focused solutions.

Elizabeth has been instrumental in Ascend’s growth across 40+ states. Her mix of strategic vision, collaborative problem-solving, and hands-on execution helps Ascend deliver trusted, client-centered services nationwide.

As Director of People Operations, Leilani Stevens leads Ascend's HR strategy, workplace culture, and team development. With over 12 years of experience in organizational leadership, she brings a strong foundation in HR compliance, employee engagement, and operational alignment, ensuring that Ascend's people practices keep pace with the company's clinical and business growth. Leilani works closely with leadership to support hiring, onboarding, and retention across Ascend's clinical and operational teams, building the systems that allow a growing healthcare company to scale without losing its culture. Known for her steady communication style and people-first approach, she plays a central role in making Ascend a place where talented clinicians and staff want to build their careers.

Shaheela Hawkins is a business development and marketing executive with more than 15 years of experience driving revenue growth, market expansion, and strategic partnerships across healthcare, legal, and service-based industries.

Known for her ability to turn relationships into measurable business opportunities, Shaheela specializes in developing referral networks, expanding territories, building high-value partnerships, and creating scalable business development strategies that strengthen both revenue and brand presence. Her experience spans healthcare operations, physician and attorney relations, sales leadership, marketing strategy, and team development.

Currently serving as Regional Director of Florida for Ascend Psychological Service, Shaheela leads the organization’s Florida growth strategy, overseeing market development, referral partnerships, and business development initiatives across the state.

Throughout her career, she has built a reputation for connecting the right people, identifying untapped opportunities, and translating strategy into execution. Her approach combines relationship-driven business development with a strong focus on ROI, operational infrastructure, and sustainable growth.

Shaheela’s professional philosophy is straightforward: strong relationships open doors, but strategy, execution, and measurable value are what turn those relationships into long-term growth.