Keynote Speakers
Journalist and New York Times Bestselling Author
Beth Macy is a Virginia-based journalist with three decades of experience and an award-winning author of three New York Times bestselling books: Factory Man, Truevine and Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America. Her first book, Factory Man, won a J. Anthony Lukas Prize and Dopesick was…
Chief Medical Officer, Cedar Recovery
Stephen Loyd currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer of Cedar Recovery, an addiction treatment company headquartered in Mount Juliet, TN servicing patients across Middle Tennessee. On top of his work for Cedar, he is currently a member of the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners as well as serving as…
Presenters and Panelists
Organizer, Virginia Recovery Advocacy Project
Alison Jones Webb is a public health specialist, recovery advocate, affected family member, and author of Recovery Allies: How to Support Addiction Recovery and Build Recovery-Friendly Communities (North Atlantic Books, 2022). She has written extensively about recovery from addiction, treatment, and harm reduction. Her book relies on interviews with people…
National Director, Project: REBIRTH
Brian Sims is a person in long term recovery from Substance Misuse and Co-Occurring Disorders acquired while serving his country during the campaigns and operations in support of the Global War on Terrorism as a US Army Infantryman. He is also a suicide and homelessness survivor. He later served as…
National Partnerships Manager, The Phoenix
Chelsea Dueitt Burge is the National Partnerships Manager of The Phoenix, a successful peer-to-peer based addiction recovery program that embraces a physically active and supportive community. In her role, she focuses on building and stewarding national partnerships. As a person in recovery, Chelsea understands the needs of the recovery community…
Deputy Organizing Director, Vot-ER
Chelsea (she/they) serves as one of Vot-ER’s Deputy Organizing Directors, overseeing our organizing work in North Carolina and Georgia in addition to our Social Work Strategy team. She received both her BSW & MSW from Western Carolina University and brings to Vot-ER a decade of experience dedicated to restructuring political…
Executive Director, Latah Recovery Community Center, Inc. DBA Latah Recovery Center
Darrell Keim, M.A. Founding director of the Latah Recovery Center and all-around tall guy. Responsible for hiring, policy and procedure, staff representative to board of directors, and fundraising. Over twenty years of relevant experience working with nonprofit and state organizations. Has worked in the recovery field for over ten years.…
Executive Director, Friends of Recovery – New York
Dr. Smith-Wilson brings over 20 years of human service and addiction experience to Friends of Recovery-New York. Angelia’s career spans across working with human service agencies that have served individuals with mental health, substance use, residential, and homeless issues. She has worked as an intensive case manager, a primary therapist,…
Chief Executive Officer, Equity by Design
Dietra D. Hawkins, Psy.D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist who works nationally and internationally with state and local government organizations, public and private K-12 schools and behavioral health agencies as the owner and lead consultant with Equity by Design. She is a published author and frequent speaker for workshops addressing…
Elizabeth Cruz, Womens Justice Institute
Elizabeth “Liz” Cruz, MA, CADC and CODP-I-S- Liz Cruz has worked in leadership positions throughout the field of mental health and substance use for more than fifteen years. Elizabeth earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology with a concentration in Criminal Justice from Argosy University in 2014, and her Master’s Degree…
Sr. Admin. Special Program Mgr, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Flo Hilliard has a Masters Degree in Addictions Counseling from the U of N Florida and is in long term recovery. She has worked as clinician, ad hoc faculty, video producer, and recovery advocacy champion. She created WI Voices For Recovery, WI Harbor Recovery Cntr and directed WI ED 2…
Associate Professor, UTHealth School of Public Health
H. Shelton Brown, III Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Health Economics in the Division of Management, Policy, And Community Health at UTHealth Houston in the Austin Campus. He has done work on a variety of topics including health insurance, the effects of diabetes on labor productivity, and cost-effectiveness analysis.…
Linkage to Care Coordinator, CDC Foundation
Heather Ogden is a woman in long term recovery from Substance Use Disorder and mental health issues since 2010. She is a certified peer in both mental health and addictions, as well as a counselor intern with a BA in Psychology. A firm believer in the power of peers, Heather…
CEO, The McShin Foundation
A woman in recovery from a SUD since 5/27/07 and a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist in VA. She is the best-selling author of “Scattered Pink” & is the CEO of The McShin Foundation, a non-profit authentic peer-to-peer RCO, that serves individuals and families with SUDs. She is the recipient of…
Executive Director, Minority Recovery Collective Inc. (MRCI)
Iisha Wesley, affectionately called Esha, is an Indianapolis, IN native who lives and serves within her community. As the Executive Director of Minority Recovery Collective Inc (MRCI, “mercy”) and Vice President for the Center for African American Recovery Development (CAARD), she strives to ensure that those who identify as BIPOC…
Executive Director, Latino Behavioral Health Services
Javier is the Executive Director at Latino Behavioral Health Services in Utah. Javier’s passion for community-based work was born from lived and professional experiences. Javier has a BS in Business Administration and Finance and graduated from the Nonprofit Academy at the University of Utah. Javier has developed strong management, operations,…
Faculty, Trainer, Minneapolis College
Dr. Jonathan Lofgren, a native Minnesotan and person in Long Term Recovery (1987), holds a Ph.D. in Education, specializing in T & P. I. from Capella University. Jonathan is a Licensed SUD Counselor, and a Co-occurring Disorders Professional – Diplomate. Lofgren is on faculty at Minneapolis College where he founded…
Project Manager, Rural Crisis Center Network
Joyce A. Lyons, Ph.D., LPC Joyce serves as the Project Manager for the Rural Crisis Center Network. This network includes crisis centers in Moscow, Lewiston, and Orofino at present, with plans for more. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Lewis and Clark State College, and master’s and…
Clinical Director, Latino Behavioral Health Services
Jules Martinez is a white, non-binary person in recovery from substance use and mental health conditions. Their pursuits are built upon a vast collection of interests and wound around a continuous path of learning and service to their community. After a decade of learning through music, art, farming, travel, and…
Executive Director, Volusia Recovery Alliance, Inc
Karen Chrapek, BSBM, RRT, CRPS-A, Wrap® Facilitator, AWBW Facilitator. Karen’s career in the substance use disorder (SUD) field flourished while working at the Darryl Strawberry Recovery Center where she provided public relations, business development and education about SUD. Being in long term recovery, her passion is helping individuals struggling with…
President, Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE)
Karen A. Scott, MD, MPH is President of the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE). Dr. Scott is a board-certified physician in preventive medicine. She has over 20 years experience in healthcare policy, quality improvement and public health. Dr. Scott’s previous roles include senior leadership positions at the Commonwealth Fund,…
Director of Helpline Services, Partnership to End Addiction
Ms. Castro-Soto is the Director for Helpline Services at Partnership to End Addiction. She obtained her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Ms. Castro-Soto is particularly interested in how evidence-based modalities in both the mental health and addiction arenas can be adapted successfully for work with Latinx communities. At…
Certified Sound Healer and Owner, Kelvin Young, LLC
Kelvin Young is a certified sound healer and owner of Kelvin Young, LLC. He has presented around the country in diverse settings, including yoga studios, retreat centers, conferences, high schools, colleges, prisons, addiction treatment centers, psychiatric hospitals and mental health agencies. Kelvin was featured in a powerful documentary on trauma,…
Program Director, Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE)
Ken Shatzkes, PhD is Program Director of the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE). He leads FORE’s grantmaking and programmatic activities and helps to identify new funding opportunities with a focus on patient-centered, evidence-based solutions addressing the nation’s opioid crisis. Dr. Shatzkes has over 15 years of experience in biomedical…
Co-Founding Director, Lost Dreams Awakening (LDA) Recovery Community Organization
Laurie Johnson-Wade, CBC, CRS, CRC, FPS, RSS Laurie Johnson-Wade is the Co-Founding Director of Lost Dreams Awakening (LDA) Recovery Community Organization (RCO), New Kensington, PA. Laurie is also an Advanced Implementation Specialist (AIS) with the Opioid Response Network (ORN) at UMKC and a Steering Committee Member for Addiction Peer Recovery…
Member, Provider Circle, Vot-ER
Leigh Beck, LICSW is a Senior Behavioral Health Consultant at Mosaic Group based . She primarily manages their Reverse The Cycle portfolio in Maryland, including supporting hospitals in improving their implementation of SBIRT and integration of Peer Recovery Specialists. Leigh is a member of the Provider Circle at Vot-ER, an…
Urgent Care and Emergency Department Social Worker and Clinical Program Coordinator, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Lois Marie Clay Stepney, MSW, LISW-S has served in the Columbus Community since 1995 in the mental health, substance use, and medical fields as a direct service practitioner, social services supervisor, and administrator. Ms. Stepney currently serves at Nationwide Children’s Hospital as an Urgent Care and Emergency Department Social Worker…
Rights and Recovery Administrator, Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare
Lynette Cashaw-Davis has a diverse array of leadership, training, and advocacy experience in the community, as well as 20 years in behavioral health all with Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services, the state’s behavioral health authority. She is currently part of the leadership team at Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare where…
Doctoral Candidate, UTHealth School of Public Health
Margaret (“Marnie”) Brannon Moore is a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus. Her research focuses on economic evaluation of medication-assisted treatment programs and naloxone distribution programs. Marnie is a former tax and non-profit organizations attorney.
Director of Programs
Vice President, AcademyHealth
Dr. Michael Gluck, PhD, MPP is a health services and policy researcher by training and a person in long-term recovery from SUD. He has expertise in health care financing, particularly the roles of Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance. In his role as Vice President at AcademyHealth, the professional society of…
Founder / President, Intimate Oasis, Live Simply, & Minority Recovery Collective Inc. (MRCI)
Natasha “Transparently Tasha” Cheatham is a healer, creator, and social entrepreneur. Tasha is the mogul of a wellness-centered ecosystem comprised three businesses: Intimate Oasis, Live Simply, & Minority Recovery Collective Inc. (MRCI). With over 15 years of life and work experience, Natasha focuses on addressing cultural and family dynamics along…
Community Liaison, Miracles Club
O’Nesha spent 22 years actively using substances & 15 years in prison. Because of her lived life experiences, she is passionate about helping others learn to live a life of self-sufficiency. She’s passionate about ensuring dependence & reentry needs are accessible. She’s served her community professionally in hospitals & management…
Founder, Co-Executive Director, Thrive Family Recovery Resources
Pam Lanhart is a Certified Family Recovery Coach, a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist and the founder of a non-profit family recovery organization. Pam serves on numerous advisory boards and councils including the Minnesota Governor’s Advisory Council for Opioids, Substance Use and Addiction. Pam is committed to assisting those impacted by…
Executive Director, Savage Sisters Recovery Inc
As a person in long-term recovery, Sarah leads the team calling on her experiences with substance use & homelessness to provide radical love through connection. She also uses her professional background to foster organizational growth and sustainability while positively impacting the community. In keeping with Sarah’s vision, the team is…
Doctoral Candidate, UTHealth School of Public Health
Sierra Castedo de Martell is a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus. She is a person in long-term recovery and her research focuses on the peer workforce and economic evaluation of peer-driven substance use interventions. She previously…
Director, NYS Behavioral Health Ombudsman Office – CHAMP, NYS Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS)
After receiving her MA from Columbia University, an MS from University at Albany, and an MSW from New York University, Stephanie joined Friends of Recovery – New York (FOR-NY) in 2015 and worked at the state and national levels on public policy issues affecting individuals and families impacted by addiction.…
Senior Director, AcademyHealth
Susan Kennedy, MPP, MSW, is the Director of AcademyHealth’s Evidence-Informed State Health Policy Institute, where she serves as Program Director for the State-University Partnership Learning Network, a learning network, which collaboratively supports evidence-based Medicaid transformation to address health inequities and improve the patient experience, health of populations, and efficiency in…
Executive Director, Serenity House Community
Tara Moreno-Wallen, M.A., ADS, is experienced in non-profit management, program development and implementation, strategic planning and budgeting. Moreno-Wallen worked as a news reporter for four years before becoming the founder and executive director of Serenity House Communities in 2015. Moreno’s inspiration came from her own recovery journey. Moreno-Wallen collaborates with…
Founder and Executive Director, iHOPE
Tarusa Stewart has been a woman in long-term recovery since 2002. She began working in the Behavioral Health field in 2010. Tarusa has aligned her work around the Peer Workforce Model. In February 2015, Ms. Stewart developed and facilitated the engagement of her community through focus groups in three counties…
Director of Education and Training, Friends of Recovery – New York
Theresa, an adopted person in recovery from process addictions and trauma, identifies as a family member in recovery & a family member of loss. She has over 30 years of professional experience in counseling, coaching and case management and has been an organizer of the recovery community since 2015. Theresa…
Organizer, Virginia Recovery Advocacy Project
Tom Jackson is a Registered Peer Specialist at Western State Hospital in Staunton, VA and an Organizer with the Virginia Recovery Advocacy Project. He is also an Authorized Peer Trainer. In his grassroots leadership, he supports and train new advocates to use a tool called Personal Narrative to engage and…
Executive Director, 4D Recovery
Tony Vezina is in long-term recovery with over ten years of abstinence from substances. He currently operates 4D Recovery, an RCO for youth and young adults, and has been the co-founder of several RCOs and other recovery organizations in Oregon. After finding recovery, he dedicated his life to public service…
Manager of Service, Equity & Inclusion, Partnership to End Addiction
Yoyce received a a Master’s degree in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from William Paterson University. Her area of expertise is historically underserved communities such as Hispanics/Latinos, African Americans, Veterans, and LGBTQ+, interpersonal violence, and substance use. Ms. Geronimo Galvan currently holds the position of Manager of Equity and Inclusion at…
Social Worker, Certified Addiction Professional, Certified Diversity Executive, Z&D Consulting
Zina is a social worker, certified addiction professional, and certified diversity executive. She collaborates with organizations on the development of DEIB strategies that align with their mission and values. She is a global speaker on topics related to culturally inclusive treatment and healthcare. She is passionate about co-creating inviting, intentional,…