Anita Bradley is the founder and Executive Director of The Northern Ohio Recovery Association NORA. Anita has a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Studies obtained from Kent State University. She later earned a Master’s degree in Social Work Administration, graduating from Cleveland State University. Mrs. Bradley is an International traveler visiting different states and countries educating others on substance abuse prevention, recovery and advocating for those in need of treatment. Bradley founded the Northern Ohio Recovery Association in 2004 to prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs utilizing a holistic healing and recovery approach. Her vision is to establish innovative care to support continued recovery in communities throughout Northeast Ohio and beyond. In December of 2024 the organization celebrated its twenty-year anniversary.
Anita has been in sobriety for over 35 years and understands the importance and magnitude of blending personal and professional knowledge to promote the power and possibility of recovery. Mrs. Bradley served on the Department of Health and Human Services Center for Substance Abuse Treatment from 2004-2010 under the Bush Administration. In 2014 she extended her expertise on substance abuse to the administration of President Barack Obama. Throughout her impressive career, for more than two decades, Anita has served as a clinician and administrator. She specializes in community organizing, program planning and program development. April 2016, Bradley was honored by the White House as a “Champion of Change” for the many programs she has created in the Addiction Recovery field. Bradley has also been honored by National Faces and Voices of Recovery as the Joel Hernandez recipient. In 2016 Anita was the Cavaliers Hometown Hero. She has also been nominated twice by Cleveland Smart Business for the Entrepreneur of the Year and Smart Business 50 award. In 2017 Mrs. Anita Bradley was recognized in Cleveland Heights, Ohio for the Alumni Foundation (1983) Hall of Fame and UHCAN Ohio Health Care for All as an outstanding healthcare leader of Ohio.The no non-sense but compassionate executive has extensive experience in planning, implementing, and evaluating new and evolving substance abuse treatment programs. She has provided technical assistance to a multitude of other agencies. She’s monitored treatment agencies for program compliance and quality improvement, in addition to providing guidance and technical assistance to agencies ensuring success of ongoing programs. Anita has conducted numerous training sessions on substance abuse treatment for her peers.
Before founding N.O.R.A. in 2004 Bradley was the Executive Director of Compass House, Inc. located in Loran, Ohio. A facility with a budget of 5.7 million dollars. With over 70 staff members, more than 100 volunteers, Anita led the charge of the country’s largest residential treatment center. During her tenure, she was successful in garnering funding and cultivating a statewide network of trainings, educational resources and relationships within the service system. Through this network participants learned to write and administer grants, the importance of enforcing service standards and policies in addition to monitoring agency performance of the Board of Trustee and agency funding partners. Mrs. Bradley has achieved over $46 million dollars in Federal Funds over a 20-year time period.
She continues to promote and ensure a continuum of recovery by sustaining a peer recovery model that is both paramount and essential to on-going sobriety. In 2009, Mrs. Bradley Launched NIA Consulting LLC based on a demand for her expertise in training and support services needed by young business leaders across the country. NIA has supported the efforts of many new and old businesses in Evaluation, Training, Data Collection, Curriculum Development and many other areas.
Mrs. Bradley is the recipient of local leadership and volunteer service awards in the substance abuse profession. She was the inspirational catalyst who organized a public Recovery Month event called the Recovery Motorcycle Ride, which has stimulated the planning of other yearly recovery and substance abuse prevention events. In addition to her many professional accolades, Anita remains loyal to her roots, initiating several AA groups across Northeast Ohio.
Anita is committed to the N.O.R.A motto “No One Recovers Alone” she has a tremendous presence and a sound voice for those in the recovery community and faithfully demonstrates that advocacy is the critical link between treatment, recovery, and the rest of the world. Similarly, she continues “Building Recovery into Diverse Globally Effective Systems,” or BRIDGES of HOPE, to offer culturally relevant consumer choices, presented with dignity and respect to youth, adults, and families in communities throughout Ohio.