David Theis, DMH, Executive Director

David Theis, DMH has served as Executive Director of Ann Martin Center since 1989. Dr. Theis received his Doctorate in Mental Health (DMH) from the Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Francisco. The DMH Program was an innovative five year graduate training program in community psychiatry that emphasized the developmental, psychological, bio-medical, and social-cultural dimensions of mental health treatment, theory, policy, and administration. 

In 1984, Dr. Theis was accepted into the child psychotherapy internship program at Ann Martin Center and was hired onto the clinical staff the following year. In 1989, Dr. Theis was selected as the Center’s executive director.

Dr. Theis received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University and a Masters of Science degree in Health & Medical Sciences from the University of California at Berkeley. He is on the Children’s Advisory Committee for Alameda County and is recent past president of the Alameda Council of Community Mental Health Agencies. Dr. Theis served on the Advisory Board for the Oakland Head Start Program and the Parents' Educational Resource Center in San Mateo. He was previously an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, UCSF.

Laurie Lober, LCSW, BCD, Clinical Director

Laurie Lober received her AB in Social Welfare in 1977 and her MSW in 1981 from the School of Social Welfare at the University of California at Berkeley. From 1981 to 1983, Ms. Lober was a Clinical Social Work Fellow at the Department of Psychiatry at Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco. She joined the clinical staff at the Ann Martin Center in 1982 and became the Clinical Director in 1986

As Clinical Director, Ms. Lober oversees the clinical and administrative work of 60 clinicians who provide psychotherapy, psychological testing, and school-based counseling.

Ms. Lober is a Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Social Work, serves as Clinical Supervisor on the Attending Staff at UCSF/Mt. Zion Hospital Department of Psychiatry, PediatriCare (a program of the East Bay Agency for Children), and has been in private practice in San Francisco and Oakland since 1983. Her clinical specialty is in the treatment of children, adolescents and families.

Betty Peterson, MEd, Learning Director

Betty Peterson joined Ann Martin Children’s Center as Learning Program Director in 1998. She has been involved in education since 1977 as a classroom teacher, educational assessment specialist, and coordinator or director of various programs. She has worked extensively with children, parents, teachers and school districts as an advocate for children with learning differences.

Ms. Peterson received her BA from SUNY at Buffalo, and her MEd in Special Education from Oregon College of Education in 1978. She is certified as an Educational Therapist through the program at Holy Names College in 1998. She became a professional member of the Association of Educational Therapists in 1999. Her specialty is assisting youth with learning differences, and their families.