BAKERSFIELD, California—Centre for Neuro Skills (CNS), a premier provider of traumatic and acquired brain injury rehabilitation services, announced David Harrington as its new chief executive officer. Harrington, who previously was CNS’s president and chief operating officer, expands his role at CNS and assumes the CEO position from founder Dr. Mark Ashley. Ashley will continue as full-time chairman of the board and remain actively involved in directing the company’s vision and business strategy.
“David Harrington and I have worked side-by-side at the Centre for Neuro Skills for more than 24 years, and he is the right executive to lead CNS in its next phase of growth,” said Ashley. “As executive chairman, David has my full support while I continue to provide vision, organizational growth and strategic development for CNS.”
CNS has provided neurorehabilitation therapy to those with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke since 1980. CNS has seven clinics—including Texas locations in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and California locations in Bakersfield, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
As CEO, Harrington will oversee innovative strategies for heightening awareness of brain injury, improving the efficacy, efficiency, and quality of healthcare interventions. In addition to clinical treatment, he will focus on organizational growth, strategic development and management, and marketing and sales.
“Mark has been a mentor and a friend to me for several decades now, and I feel like I'm well positioned to carry on his legacy,” Harrington said. “Mark is more than the founder of CNS; he is the patriarch of this family-owned and multigenerational company. I am grateful for the trust he has placed in me and excited to lead a company with such a deep history.”
Harrington began working in the field of post-acute brain injury rehabilitation in 1993. He is a Registered and Licensed Occupational Therapist with advanced practice in hand therapy and physical agent modalities. His career has included being a therapist, clinical case manager, quality manager and director of operations. David studied occupational therapy at San Jose State University prior to obtaining his master of businessaAdministration at California State University in Bakersfield. He has been a Certified Brain Injury Specialist and Trainer (CBIST) since 2006.
Harrington routinely presents to medical and academic groups regarding the neurology and function of vision and perception after acquired brain injury, disease management of brain injury, and ethics in health care. He is also an adjunct instructor at the School of Business at California State University Bakersfield, where he teaches operations management, business ethics, stakeholder management, business data analysis, organizational behavior and diversity management. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Brain Injury Association of America. Harrington is a member of the Kern County Concussion Consortium.
