We’re introducing you to our Most Admired CEOs for 2022. Honorees for this award program were nominated by Business Journal readers and staff and chosen through a vote of their peers. Will Mentesh is an honoree in the micro-company category.
For Will Mentesh, the most important part of creating a successful business is choosing the right people.
Mentesh is founder and CEO of California Recovery Center, a business that provides medically supervised drug or alcohol detox services and residential addiction treatment.
Since opening in 2019, the business has expanded from a male-only to a coed facility and added buildings to its residential campus near downtown Roseville. Transitional housing is in the works at another Roseville location.
The licensed facility is now in the final stages of the rigorous accreditation process run by the Joint Commission, a health care-standards organization.
Mentesh said treatment at CRC is geared toward working professionals who are struggling with addiction. He said he’s seen the toll that the fast-paced lifestyle of Silicon Valley startups has taken on tech professionals.
There’s no need for individuals to hit rock bottom — losing their jobs and families — before seeking help, he added.
The business has faced challenges in its first years of operation. Mentesh said he rebuilt CRC twice, as he searched for the right people to fill key roles.
He said the business reached a turning point when he hired Dena Santos as executive director and Ro-Ann Nosotros as chief of staff. The staff members have the care and empathy needed for the job, he said, and Santos has deep roots in the Sacramento area.
“It was about the leadership,” Mentesh said. “They’re both in it to win it.”
Covid-19 was another challenge for CRC.
After the pandemic started, Mentesh partnered with a medical lab to run Covid-19 tests on samples from staff and patients. Seeing a need in the community for more Covid-19 testing, Mentesh decided to offer the service to customers who drive up and provide a saliva sample. The sample is sent to the partnering lab for PCR analysis, with results usually back within 24 hours, Mentesh said.
The testing helped bring in revenue when CRC’s business slowed during the pandemic. In addition, Mentesh used some of his personal savings to avoid staff furloughs during the slowdown.
Mentesh has a bachelor’s degree in international business and a Master of Business Administration with a marketing emphasis. His diverse background includes working for an auto broker while in college, serving as a pharmaceutical sales rep, working in digital advertising and launching a wine and spirits business.
He said the different jobs honed his skills in managing money, partnering with investors, and working with remote and in-person teams.
The decision to open California Recovery Center came from Mentesh’s passion for people. Although he’s not a medical expert, Mentesh said, he is skilled at bringing together people and running a business.
Mentesh is also a believer in giving back to the community. He recently joined the Rotary Club of Roseville as a way to do so.
Anthony Sparzo, CEO and co-founder of Phoenix Rising Interventions and Court Advocacy Services, described Mentesh as having a “huge heart” in addition to being a tenacious and savvy businessman. Sparzo met Mentesh when the CRC founder contacted him about services for a client and has followed the recovery center’s progress since then.
Sparzo said having a staff that supports CRC’s mission has been central to the success of the business.
“It starts and ends with the staff,” Sparzo said. “They all have the same passion, the same energy.”
The news is originally seen at Sacramento Business Journal.
