Addiction recovery is my life. I began my recovery journey at age 21, and at the time of this writing I’m 60. So, I’ve spent well over half my life living and thriving in active recovery.  My first job in the addiction recovery world was as a client monitor in an in-patient addiction treatment facility in 1984, and I have not stopped supporting those seeking recovery ever since. I went back to school in 1999, completing BSW and MSW degrees to increase my knowledge and skills because my grassroots approach needed a scientific boost. In 2014, I completed a PhD.  My experience as a person in long-term recovery, coupled with the values of social work and respect for science, fuel my passion for addiction recovery, reducing the stigma associated with addiction, and supporting the people I serve in discovering the recovery path that’s right for them. Although addiction does not discriminate, those who are most disenfranchised in society often suffer the most because of multiple inequities in accessing treatment and recovery resources. This is what inspires me to create an environment at JCRC that eliminates barriers to life-saving addiction recovery supports and services and is committed to making recovery resources accessible and equitable to all people.