Our Leadership
Mario Jardon, LCSW
President & Chief Executive Officer
Mario Jardon, LCSW is the founding President and CEO of Citrus Health Network, Inc., a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) based in Hialeah, Florida. Citrus Health Network was founded in 1979 as a community mental health center dedicated to serving mentally ill individuals and their families. In 2004, Citrus Health Network received a Section 330(e) grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) began offering primary care in addition to mental and behavioral health services; taking an integrated approach to care. Today, Citrus Health Network serves more than 30,000 patients annually across behavioral health, primary care, and community-based supportive services. Beginning in July 2019, Citrus assumed the role of Community-Based Care Lead Agency for Child Welfare for Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties as a contractor for the Department of Children and Families. Citrus’ CBC division is known as Citrus Family Care Network.
Mr. Jardon began his career in New York and New Jersey. After earning his Masters in Social Work from Fordham University, Mr. Jardon moved through direct service positions and in 1977, became Center Director at the Mount Carmel Guild Community Mental Health Center in Newark, New Jersey.
In 1979, Mr. Jardon relocated to South Florida to lead a newly-formed Community Mental Health Center in Hialeah, Florida, now known as Citrus Health Network. In the past 35 years, Mr. Jardon, with the support of the Citrus Health Network Board of Directors and staff, has been able to achieve continued growth for the Center.
Mr. Jardon has a history of involvement with organizations that help communities and individuals in need. He has served as Chairman of the Health Council of South Florida and as Co-Chairman of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Miami-Dade County’s Jail Diversion Task Force. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Florida Council for Community Mental Health and more recently, on the Board of South Florida Behavioral Health Network (SFBHN).
Mr. Jardon is a member of the Florida State University College of Social Work Center for the Study and Promotion of Communities, Families and Children. He also serves on the Nursing Advisory Council for the Florida International University College of Nursing and Health Sciences (CNHS). The Advisory Council serves as a link between the CNHS and the community.
He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Health Choice Network (HCN), an administrative services organization located in Miami, Florida that serves FQHCs in 11 states, including more than 24 FQHCs in Florida. Mr. Jardon is the Chairman of the HCN Managed Care Committee.
In 2009 the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) approved the creation of Prestige Health Choice, a Provider Services Network (PSN) owned by FQHCs and affiliated with HCN. Mr. Jardon was elected by his peers to serve on the Prestige Health Choice Audit Committee, and subsequently on the plan’s Board of Governors. Mr. Jardon also served on the Board of Managers of Prestige’s Community Care of Florida.
Maria Alonso, MBA
Chief Operating Officer
Maria Alonso, MBA is the Chief Operating Officer of Citrus Health Network. She is also the Designated Institutional Official (DIO) who oversees all graduate educational programs accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Citrus Health Network is the first Federally Qualified Health Center to achieve institutional accreditation from ACGME, hosting a Psychiatry Residency Program beginning in July 2015, and a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship since July 2018. Citrus has been training psychologists through APA-accredited programs since 1988 through the Doctoral Psychology Internship Program and has been training Post-Doctoral Psychology Residents since 2004. The Psychology Residency program is the only one in the nation to be based in a Community Mental Health Center.
As a result of her duties as DIO, she has been appointed as an Affiliate Dean at the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. Ms. Alonso also serves as an Advisory Council member for the Florida State University College of Social Work Center for the Study and Promotion of Communities, Families, and Children founded to generate and sustain transformational knowledge development for effective policies, services, and usable research for the promotion of communities, families, and the children of Florida, the nation, and across the globe.
Ms. Alonso joined Citrus Health Network in 1981 and has more than 40 years of experience working in the healthcare field. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry and a Master’s in Business Administration with a specialization in Health Administration from the University of Miami. She is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians with a Subspecialty Certification in Patient Safety and Risk Management.
In 2003, Ms. Alonso was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Board of Directors of The Children’s Trust of Miami-Dade County, an independent special taxing district that funds programs and services for children and youth. During her tenure, she chaired the Procurement Committee, served on the Executive Committee, and, from 2013-2015, served as Chairman of The Children’s Trust Board of Directors. The Children’s Trust works to ensure a stable, recurring source of dollars for children’s services in Miami-Dade County. The Trust partners with the community to plan, advocate for, and fund strategic investments that improve the lives of all children and families in Miami-Dade County.
Ms. Alonso was appointed by the Miami-Dade County Commission to serve on the Miami-Dade County Children’s Services Council in 1989. She served as Chairperson from 1996-1998. She has also served on a number of other state and local boards, including the Alliance on Aging, the Florida Multi-Agency Network Advisory Board for Severely Emotionally Disturbed Children, the South Florida Perinatal Network, and the City of Miami Health Facilities Authority.
Leslie Veiga, MBA
Director of Communications & FCN Human Resources
Leslie Veiga is the Director of Communications and Family Care Network Human Resources for Citrus Health Network, one of the largest non-profit organizations in South Florida, which provides behavioral health and primary care services to underserved and vulnerable populations and serves as the lead agency for child welfare for Miami-Dade and The Florida Keys.
Ms. Veiga joined the Citrus team in 2013 and has since worked on a variety of assignments and initiatives by addressing diverse needs across the organization.
Through strategic planning and communications, project management, and legislative advocacy, she has been involved in developing and implementing a variety of initiatives aimed at improving delivery and availability of services for individuals with mental illness, people who are homeless, teen survivors of human trafficking, and children, young adults, and families involved in the foster care system. She has acted as a liaison to stakeholders and payers, and provided other support for operational needs including various accreditations, licenses, and quality improvement activities.
Prior to joining Citrus, Ms. Veiga served as the Communications Director for a member of Congress, and the Congressional campaign. The Congressional office was considered one of the most active press operations in the House of Representatives at the time. Before that, she was an Executive Project Coordinator at a Miami-based governmental affairs firm that advises private and public sector clients on matters at federal, state, and local levels.
Ms. Veiga served the Chair of the Florida KidCare Coalition of Miami-Dade County, a group dedicated to increasing community awareness about children’s health insurance coverage. She also serves as the President-Elect of the Pilot Club of Miami, a volunteer service organization, that focuses on youth, brain-related health, and caregiver support.
Ms. Veiga holds four degrees from the University of Florida; a Master of Business Administration from the Warrington College of Business, a Master of Arts in Political Science with a certificate in Political Campaigning, a Bachelor of Science in Journalism, and a Bachelor of Arts in History. Further, Ms. Veiga holds a certificate in Transformative Leadership in Disruptive Times from Stetson University, as well as Gold and Yellow Belt Lean Six Sigma Certification.
Renan Llanes, MBA
Chief Information Officer
Renan Llanes serves as the Chief Information Officer for Citrus Health Network and Citrus Family Care Network, a role he has held for over 21 years. With more than 32 years of dedicated service at Citrus Health, Mr. Llanes brings extensive experience and leadership in health information technology.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Master of Business Administration (MBA), both from Florida International University.
Throughout his career, Mr. Llanes has successfully led numerous system implementations and strategic initiatives. He has served on various internal and external committees, including the IT Committee of the Florida Behavioral Health Association, where he has been a board member for several years and served as President. His professional background also includes two years at Arthur Andersen Business Consulting, where he contributed to several high-impact projects.
Jose Pagliery, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Jose Pagliery is a board-certified internist with over 20 years of experience in internal medicine. He has served as the Medical Director of Citrus Health Network since 2016 and has been Board Certified in Internal Medicine since 1995.
Before joining Citrus Health Network, Dr. Pagliery spent five years teaching and supervising medical students and residents from Florida International University’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at West Kendall Baptist Hospital. He has served as an Associate Clinical Instructor at FIU since 2011 and has also led webinar-based training on risk management strategies for emergency physicians.
A Fellow of the American College of Physicians since 2014, Dr. Pagliery is committed to advancing medical education and clinical excellence. In 2020, he earned executive certificates from Cornell University in Healthcare Leadership and Healthcare Change Leadership, further strengthening his expertise in healthcare systems and organizational strategy.
Melina Visser, Psy.D.
Chief Quality Officer
Dr. Melina Visser is a licensed clinical psychologist with specialized expertise in the assessment and treatment of children, adolescents, and families. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from Boston University and completed both her master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology at the University of Denver.
With over 12 years of direct clinical experience, Dr. Visser has worked in a wide range of settings—including schools, community mental health centers, hospitals, psychiatric facilities, and university programs—across various states and internationally. Her clinical work has spanned all levels of care, from outpatient services to emergency, inpatient, residential, and crisis stabilization programs.
Since transitioning into Quality Improvement (QI) in 2018, Dr. Visser has led and supported QI initiatives at Citrus Health Network and Citrus Family Care Network, in addition to consulting with external agencies. Her experience includes work with The Joint Commission, NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition, and compliance with state and federal regulatory standards.
Dr. Visser is passionate about advancing integrated healthcare for diverse and underserved communities. She currently serves as chair of CHN’s Scholarly Activity Committee and has contributed to research in the areas of quality improvement, clinical and health psychology, integrated care, pedagogy, and professional development.
Jose Garcia, MBA, CHCQM
Chief Financial Officer
Jose F. Garcia, MBA, CHCQM, brings over 30 years of experience in Health and Human services. A unique background as a former medical doctor (D. Med.), with an MBA, he has held a variety of supervisory and management positions at Citrus Health Network Inc., culminating in his current role of Chief Financial Officer.
In his role as Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Garcia has played a pivotal role alongside the CEO and COO in guiding the organization through the ever-evolving healthcare landscape. His knowledge of programs and services leads to thorough analysis of the financial position of each line of service which brings about recommendations and strategies which are instrumental in successfully navigating the challenges and opportunities for the company.
Prior to being the Chief Financial Officer Mr. Garcia served as Contract and Grants Administrator for Citrus Health Network Inc. In this role Mr. Garcia was responsible for overseeing the entire process of grants management, budget preparation and financial reporting on a large scale. This experience has equipped him with a deep understanding of the intricacies involved in financial planning and compliance.
Due to Mr. Garcias work experience providing direct services, he has been invited to present at national conferences, including The Innovation Forum in Atlanta, where he presented on Citrus Health Network’s initiatives on “Working to End Homelessness and Hunger” as well as Flexible Resources Data Driving Solutions conference in Atlanta.
Mr. Garcia is a Certified Health Care Quality Manager by the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review Physicians (ABQAURP). This certification underscores his commitment to ensuring the highest standard of quality and efficiency in healthcare delivery. Mr. Garcia has also completed the Leadership Institute with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) gaining the necessary skills and knowledge to lead the organization in delivering high quality healthcare services and financial management.