Beth Cousins, MBA

Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer

Beth Cousins is Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Yellow Wood Recovery. A seasoned executive with extensive experience in technology leadership, enterprise operations, and organizational transformation, she brings a unique combination of strategic vision and operational excellence to addiction treatment. Beth’s career spans leadership roles in state government, municipal administration, and Fortune 500 companies, where she has consistently delivered innovation and results.

  • Design Thinking for Executives, Stanford University Graduate School of Business
  • Executive MBA, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota
  • Master of Science in Computer Science, University of Minnesota
  • Master’s Certificate in Project Management, George Washington University
  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (Math Minor), Winona State University
  • Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification
  • Prosci Change Management Certification
  • FEMA Emergency Management Training, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Beth served as Chief Information Officer for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) from 2020 to 2022, where she led technology strategy and operations for the state agency responsible for coordinating emergency preparedness, response, and recovery efforts across California. This role provided invaluable experience in crisis management, large-scale operations, and serving diverse populations during critical times—skills that directly inform her leadership at Yellow Wood Recovery.

Prior to her state government role, Beth served as Deputy Chief Information Officer for the City of Minneapolis, where she helped lead an IT organization supporting thousands of employees across 20 unique lines of business. Her responsibilities included enterprise operations, cybersecurity, business intelligence, project portfolio management, and vendor relations. She established human-centered design practices that improved service delivery and led initiatives to modernize infrastructure and strengthen organizational capabilities.

Beth also held leadership positions at Target Corporation, where she directed technology projects and process improvement for Target.com, and at IBM Corporation, where she managed cross-functional teams for software and hardware development projects.

Beth served as a Baldrige Quality Evaluator for the Minnesota Council for Quality – Performance Excellence Network, evaluating healthcare, education, and government organizations against the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Baldrige framework for performance excellence. This expertise in quality management and continuous improvement directly supports Yellow Wood Recovery’s commitment to delivering exceptional patient care.

Leadership at Yellow Wood Recovery

As Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Beth oversees the day-to-day operations of Yellow Wood Recovery, ensuring that clinical excellence is supported by efficient, well-managed business systems. Her experience in large-scale operations, crisis management, organizational transformation, and quality improvement enables her to build sustainable infrastructure that supports the organization’s mission of providing compassionate, evidence-based addiction treatment.

Beth’s unique combination of executive leadership and commitment to quality makes her an invaluable member of the Yellow Wood Recovery founding team.

Get Care From Our Team

When you or someone you love is struggling, our team is here to answer your questions, explain your options, and help you take the first step.

Call us for a confidential assessment