Ben Underwood has been a respected leader in the field of addiction and behavioral health treatment for more than four decades. A graduate of the University of Georgia School of Business, he began his career in the mid-1960s as associate administrator of Atlanta's Northside Manor Hospital and served as CEO of Metropolitan Psychiatric Center in Atlanta and Ridgeview Institute prior to developing and opening the Talbott Recovery Campus in 1985.

Mr. Underwood's sustained partnership with Dr. Talbott created and has maintained a treatment program that has long been recognized as the gold standard in the treatment of addictive diseases and coexisting psychiatric disorders. His expertise has earned him national acclaim. Ben has served as chairman of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) and was awarded the American College of Addiction Treatment Administrator's Outstanding Achievement Award in 1992. On behalf of TRC, in 2006 Mr. Underwood accepted the prestigious James West M.D. Quality Improvement Award for clinical excellence at the NAATP's annual conference. The award reflects Mr. Underwood's and the TRC staff's dedication and ongoing commitment to providing TRC patients and their families the finest in addiction treatment services. In 2007 Mr. Underwood was awarded the Georgia Hospital Association's (GHA) Chairman's Award, the association's highest honor, for his dedication and professional achievements over the last 40 years in Behavioral Healthcare. He has served on the GHA Board of Trustees for 10 years, and he is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.