Presenters

Shalini Wickramatilake, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs

Shalini Wickramatilake serves as Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). In this role, she coordinates with State, local, and Tribal governments on drug policy issues. Before joining ONDCP, Shalini served as Policy Director for 2020 Mom, focused on maternal mental health. Before that, she was…

Read More

Michael Askew, Deputy Director of The Office of Recovery at SAMHSA

Michael Askew is the Deputy Director of The Office of Recovery.  In his role at Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse to manage, provide leadership, and ensure SAMHSA’s needs are met.  established to evaluate and initiate policy, programs and services with a recovery focus…

Read More

Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD

 Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, is CEO of the American Psychological Association, the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States.  Before joining APA in March 2017, Dr. Evans spent 12 years as commissioner of Philadelphia’s $1.5 billion Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services. In that post, he emphasized a…

Read More

Will M. Aklin, PhD

Will M. Aklin, Ph.D., is Chief of the Clinical Research Grants Branch of the Division of Therapeutics and Medical Consequences at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and director of the Behavioral Therapy Development Program. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Maryland—College Park. Dr. Aklin’s areas of research include…

Read More

Council Member LaTrisha Vetaw

LaTrisha is proud to serve Ward 4 in North Minneapolis on the City Council. LaTrisha loves the diversity and small-town feel of Ward 4. She started her career in public service twenty years ago when she left the corporate world and started working in community health. LaTrisha served as the Director of Health Policy and…

Read More

Ese Aghenta, MD, MPH, University of Minnesota

Dr. Aghenta completed her Family Medicine Residency at Hennepin Healthcare. Following residency, she started practicing as a Hospitalist caring for hospitalized adult patients. She is completing her fellowship in Addiction Medicine at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Aghenta is committed to eliminating healthcare disparities and improving access to evidence-based substance use treatment for vulnerable populations.

Read More

Alister Martin, MD, MPP

The Opioid Crisis in 2023: Meeting the Moment

Dr. Alister Martin is an ER physician and an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Kennedy School and was a former Chief Resident at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was a former Biden Administration appointee serving as an advisor in the Office of the Vice President under Kamala Harris as an appointed White House…

Read More

Dorothy West, LCDC, RSPS Trainer, TIC Trainer

Dorothy West is a person in long term recovery with over 19 years of continuous sobriety. She is the Executive Director for the Center for Recovery and Wellness Resources (CRWR); a CAPRSS accredited RCO in Houston Texas. She has been employed as a Program Director and Recovery Coach Trainer with CRWR for 10 years. Her career in behavior health began as a technician as she pursued her education.  Upon receiving her license as Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC) in 2009,…

Read More

Elizabeth Burden, MS; Senior Advisor National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Overdose Prevention and Response: Challenges and Opportunities

Ms. Burden is a Senior Advisor with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.  In this capacity she works to advance substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery support services, providing technical assistance and training to a wide range of organizations and participants. Ms. Burden has extensive experience in providing technical assistance to nonprofits on translating knowledge…

Read More

Liz Folie, LMFT; Clinical Director at Friendly House

Liz Folie has a B.A. in International Relations from The University of Southern California and a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from USC’s Rossier School of Education. She did her post-graduate study at the renowned Maple Counseling Center in Beverly Hills, working in both the adolescent and adult tracks. Liz has since worked in…

Read More

Henry A. White (Tony), Director of Outreach at Fletcher Group Inc.

An Inclusive Recovery Ecosystem and Quality Recovery Housing.

Tony has been committed to long-term recovery since July 2003. He has over 12 years of experience as a Program Director of two residential, long-term, peer-led, peer-driven, social model recovery programs in rural eastern Kentucky. Each center had a minimum of 100 beds, serving the homeless, marginally housed, and criminal justice-involved men seeking recovery. As…

Read More

Minerva Francis, EdD, MPH, CHES

Identifying the mental health needs of people living with opioid use disorder through Promoting Integration of Primary and Behavioral Health Care (PIPBHC) in outpatient treatment programs

Dr. Minerva Francis is a social scientist specializing in health and behavior research. She completed a T32 pre-doctoral fellowship with NIDA’s Behavioral Science Training (BST) program in Drug Abuse Research at New York University. As a second-year postdoctoral fellow in Addiction Research and Evaluation with the Partnership to End Addiction, Dr. Francis is responsible for…

Read More

Jesse Kaplan, RCPF, CPRSR-AS, CPS

Dynamic Prevention in the Age of Generation Z and Alpha

Jesse Kaplan (he/him), RCPF, CPRSR-AS, CPS, is a person in long-term recovery who is currently serving the recovery community through his role as a CPRS Supervisor, overseeing a statewide team of AmeriCorps Recovery Navigators at Mn Prevention & Recovery Alliance and providing others with Peer Recovery Support Services (PRSS) training through his Recovery Coach Professional…

Read More

Macy Hyland, BA, CPRS

Dynamic Prevention in the Age of Generation Z and Alpha

Macy Hyland, BA CPRS, is currently overseeing statewide community peer recovery support services (PRSS) as the Recovery Advocate Manager at Mn Prevention & Recovery Alliance (MnPRA). Throughout her work, travel and volunteer experiences, the theme of engaging individuals from difficult backgrounds using hope-focused interventions has been present. Macy is honored to celebrate and serve the…

Read More

Jen Belemu, PRS

With 11 years of experience working with teenagers in recovery at MaryHaven Drug and Alcohol Treatment Center, Jennifer Belému brings a unique and vital perspective to Heartland High School as the school’s Recovery Coach. Most importantly, however, she is a living example of thriving in recovery. Jen’s passion for healthy, productive and meaningful personal growth…

Read More

Dominiquie “CJ” Clemmons-James, Ph.D., LCMHC, CRC, LCAS, CCS

Dr. CJ holds a PhD in Rehabilitation Counseling and Administration. She is also a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist, a Certified Clinical Supervisor, and credited with being a founding member and coordinator of Aggies for Recovery, the first collegiate recovery community at an HBCU, at North Carolina Agricultural…

Read More

Jonathan Lofgren, PhD, LADC

Integrated SUD and MH Recovery in the African American Community: Boots On

 Jonathan Lofgren is a native Minnesotan, lives a life of long-term recovery (est. Labor Day, 1987). Jonathan holds a Ph.D. in Education, specializing in Training & Performance Improvement from Capella University and a Master of Arts degree in Community Counseling Psychology from Springfield College. Jonathan is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor and a Co-occurring…

Read More

Jerome Adams, MD; Former U.S. Surgeon General

Dr. Jerome Adams is a Presidential Fellow and the Executive Director of Purdue’s Health Equity Initiatives on October 1, 2021.  He is also a Distinguished Professor of Practice in the departments of Pharmacy Practice and Public Health. As the 20th U.S. Surgeon General and a prior member of the President’s Coronavirus task force, Dr. Adams…

Read More

Abu As-Sidiq, Recovery Navigator & CPRS

Abu As-Sidiq is a person in long-term recovery. Abu grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and has lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota since 1989. Since the early 1990s, Abu struggled with addiction. For many years, he was in and out of correctional facilities and treatment centers. Growing sick of a cycle of addiction and incarceration, Abu ended…

Read More

Bobbi Bledsoe, BSW, CPSS

Black, Pregnant, Substance Abuse and Unheard: Breaking the Silence and Removing Treatment Barriers to Heal Future Generations

Bobbi Bledsoe is the & Project Specialist for Pregnant and Parenting Women’s Services at the Greater Louisville Recovery Project.  Bobbe a person in long term recovery from substance abuse and has overcome the odds and stigma related to recovery in the African American community. While life prior to recovery was filled with countless attempts to…

Read More

Phil Rutherford, Chief Operating Officer at Faces & Voices of Recovery

COO, Faces and Voices of Recovery

Philip Rutherford is the Chief Operating Officer at Faces & Voices of Recovery. He is a recovery coach, a passionate member of the Recovery Community and possesses a self-described Doctorate from the school of Hard Knocks. As COO, he is responsible for multiple lines of business within the Faces & Voices ecosystem. Phil is credited…

Read More

Anita Bradley MSW, LSW, LICDC-CS

Let’s Talk about getting the Bag – Let’s talk about enhancing your budget- Where is the Money$$$

Anita Bradley is the founder and Executive Director of the Northern Ohio Recovery Association (NORA). Anita is a graduate of Kent State and Cleveland State Universities. She earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice studies and a master’s degree from Cleveland State, respectively. Bradley founded the Northern Ohio Recovery Association in 2004 to prevent the…

Read More

The Rev. Jan M. Brown, MSc, RCP, CPRS

The Rev. Jan Brown is Founder/Executive Director of SpiritWorks Foundation Center for the Soul. An ordained Deacon in the Episcopal Church, Archdeacon of the Diocese of Southern Virginia, she serves at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg, VA. Jan is a graduate of the College of William and Mary with a BA in Psychology, is certified…

Read More

LeRoy Brown, Founder and CEO of “The Heart of it All Recovery Project LLC.”

Leroy Brown was born in Hamilton at Fort Hamilton Hospital May 16, 1978 to Leroy Henderson and Tommie Ann Brown. Mr. Brown went to Harrison Elementary School and graduated from Hamilton High School. In 2004 Leroy gave his life to Christ and recorded his first Gospel rap album title “Living Water.” He joined Community Friendship…

Read More

Christopher Burks, CPRS & TCRP Outreach Coordinator

Mr. Burks is a CPRS and the outreach coordinator for Twin Cities Recovery Project in Minneapolis, MN.  Christopher is a person in long term recovery, who has battled with addiction and incarceration for over twenty years. Tired of the life he was living previously, Christopher wanted more, and realized he needed a change. Christopher decided…

Read More

H. Westley Clark, MD, JD, MPH

Dr. Clark, MD, JD, MPH is currently the Dean’s Executive Professor of Public Health at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. He is formerly the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, where he led the agency’s national effort…

Read More

Allegra Comas ACSW, MA

Allegra is a an Associate Clinical Social Worker. She earned her masters in social work at Smith College in 2019, and her first masters degree in women and gender studies from San Francisco State University in 2008. Allegra worked as a high school literacy specialist in the Bay Area for six years prior to becoming…

Read More

Akosua Dankwah MPH, DrPH Candidate, 2022

Akosua Dankwah is graduating with her Doctor of Public Health degree in May 2022 from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She is a fellow at the Recovery Research Institute at the Massachusetts General Hospital. She is also a consultant at the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) on Opioids and Overdose at…

Read More

Dora Dantzler-Wright, BS, CADC, NCRS, CPRS, RCT

CRCC- Chicago Recovering Communities Coalition Founder/Executive Director

Executive Director: Chicago Recovering Communities Coalition 35 yrs. long term recovery from substance use disorder and mental illness 25 years’ experience in the field of alcoholism and substance abuse treatment and recovery. 10 years’ experience in clinical supervision in residential inpatient treatment programs, outpatient services for women involved in the DCFS and Recovery Home settings.…

Read More

Pastor Monica DeLaurentis

After many years of addiction, Pastor Monica found the love of God and was compelled to go to the streets with it. She worked in homeless shelters while attending North Central University. It was here that she began to grasp a vision for how God can meet the needs of hurting people by providing a…

Read More

Willie Pearl Evans, MAPL – Master of Advocacy and Political Leadership

My contribution to the panel discussion will focus on addressing stigma using a harm reduction approach: Person center language Harm reduction Substance use disorder education

Read More

Tracie Gardner, Senior Vice President of Policy Advocacy

The Impact of the War on Drugs and the Recovery Movement for Black Communities

As Legal Action Center’s Senior Vice President of Policy Advocacy, Tracie oversees both the New York and Federal policy advocacy work on LAC’s core issues related to substance use, harm reduction, and criminal legal system reform. Tracie has worked more than 30 years in the health and social services policy arena as a policy advocate, trainer,…

Read More

Peter Gaumond, Senior Policy Analyst, Office of National Drug Control Policy

Peter has over 30 years’ experience in the substance use disorder treatment and recovery field.  He joined the Office of National Drug Control (ONDCP) in October 2010 as the Chief of the Recovery Branch and currently serves as a Senior Policy Analyst supporting the ONDCP Office of Public Health. In this capacity, Peter provides expertise…

Read More

Nate Hurse MSW, MBA, LICSW, LADC

Vice President, Minnesota Certification Board, & Vice President, National Acupuncture Detoxication Association (NADA)

Nate Hurse is a Licensed Independent Clinical social worker. He comes with a wealth of expertise in the areas of clinical and program development, substance use disorders, successful treatment of co-occurring disorders, recovery coaching, as well as specializing in culture-centered counseling. He is also a licensed alcohol and drug counselor in multiple states and has…

Read More

Carlton “CJ” Jessup

Founder and Owner, the 2nd Chance Project

I started the 2nd Chance Project in June of 2020, in response to the unrest that was happening in my community in South Minneapolis. My vision was to provide housing, role model support, and structure to individuals coming out of state hospitals and prisons. I’m originally from Chicago, IL but moved to Minnesota with my…

Read More

Michael E. Johnson, LMSW, CPRC, CPRM

Detroit Recovery Project, Inc

Michael E. Johnson is a nationally recognized trainer and lecturer in the field of addictions. Over the years he has served the addictions field in many capacities; as a counselor, program director, consultant and trainer. He has developed a series of educational DVD’s that are shown throughout the United States within residential AOD treatment settings,…

Read More

George Lewis, CPRC

George Lewis is the CEO of Motivational Consulting provides services and resources to substance use treatment, education, therapy, and mental health professionals. Motivational Consulting currently has contracts with several treatment facilities. The organization’s services include motivational lectures, discussion groups, Bami Soro (Culturally Directed Healing) curriculum and Addict Chronicles DVDs aimed at bridging the communication gap…

Read More

Gregory Kemp, CPRS-R & TCRP Program Director

Gregory Kemp is a CPRS-R and the program director of the Twin Cities Recovery Project in Minneapolis, MN.  Gregory is a person in long-term recovery, with experience with co-occurring disorders and substance use. Greg has been a familiar face at TCRP, frequenting the social club when it was in the church basement, and continuing to…

Read More

Aja King, Ed.D, LPCC

Dr. Aja Dionna King is a Counseling Psychologist and Licensed Professional  Clinical Counseling with over 22 years.  She earned her Bachelors of Science degree  from the University of Alabama at  Birmingham, and her Masters of Art in  Community Counseling from Argosy University  in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. King also holds a Doctoral degree in Education with…

Read More
Tony Sanchez

Tony Sanchez

Tony Sanchez is a passionate advocate who works tirelessly to enhance and develop recovery-oriented systems of care for all people. As a person in long-term recovery, Tony is continually amazed by the opportunities that have come his way to use his lived experience and knowledge of recovery to serve others. He served as the Director…

Read More

Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC

Mark Sanders, LCSW, CADC is CEO of On The Mark Consulting and Founder of the Museum of African American Addictions Treatment and Recovery.

Read More

Corrie Vilsaint, PhD

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Recovery Research Institute

Dr. Vilsaint is a principle investigator at the Recovery Research Institute and Center for Addiction Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, and research fellow at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on addiction recovery capital, reducing discrimination among individuals in recovery, and racial health equity in remission and recovery. Dr. Vilsaint is a community psychologist whose…

Read More

Waltrina E. DeFrantz-Dufor, Ph.D.

Waltrina E. DeFrantz-Dufor, Ph.D., is the Director of the Collegiate Recovery Program at the University of Denver in Denver, CO, and uses the pronouns she/her/hers. She has over 18 years of experience in helping people in recovery from addiction during her 25-year tenure in higher education in student and academic affairs. Waltrina lost a 20…

Read More

Tina Nelson BA

Producer, Ask The Messenger

Tina Nelson has a bachelor’s degree in journalism & screen study from the University of Michigan. Her degree has taken her to many monumental opportunities. Her most recent work can be seen every Sunday morning on WMYD TV 20 Detroit on a television show called Ask the Messengers TV Show. She is the writer, editor,…

Read More

Jakub Tolar, MD, PhD.

Dean, Vice President for Clinical Affairs, University of Minnesota Medical School

Dr. Jakub Tolar is Dean of the Medical School and Vice President for Clinical Affairs at the University of Minnesota. A pediatric blood and marrow transplant physician whose life work centers on helping children with devastating genetic disorders, Dr. Tolar is a clinician-researcher whose efforts span both the clinic and the laboratory. He was the…

Read More

Gertrude Matemba-Mutasa

Assistant Commissioner for the Community Supports Administration, Minnesota Department of Health

Gertrude Matemba-Mutasa is the assistant commissioner for the Community Supports Administration, which includes the Behavioral Health, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Disability Services, Housing and Support Services, Fiscal Analysis and Performance Management, and Community and Care Integration Reform divisions. Before coming to DHS, Matemba-Mutasa was the executive director of the Phyllis Wheatley Community Center,…

Read More

Tarusa Stewart

Executive Director

Tarusa Stewart, a Certified Peers Specialists in Addiction Disease, Mental Health service, Forensic Peer Mentor and Certified Addiction Counselor.  Mrs. Stewart is a woman in long term recovery on a journey to support others in recovery by living her recovery out loud to empowering other recovery leaders in her community. She began working in the Behavioral Health…

Read More

David Whiters PhD, LCSW, MAC, MATS, NCPRSS

Private practice clinician, Recovery Works, LLC.

David is as a person with more than 36 years of long-term addiction recovery. He sustains his recovery by being active in a 12-step recovery program and by being active in his faith. David has an earned PhD in social work at the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in social work at the…

Read More

Jeremy Byard, CPSS, CSA, SES

Co-Founder/CEO, Louisville Recovery Community Connection (LRCC)

Byard is a passionate advocate devoted to ensuring all individuals with substance use disorders have access to high quality, evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery services and is a leader in the broader U.S. Recovery Movement. A veteran and small business owner, Byard came to the field of addiction treatment from the private sector and has…

Read More

Andre L. Johnson, MA

President & CEO of Detroit Recovery Project

Andre L. Johnson, a native Detroiter, is currently the President/CEO of the Detroit Recovery Project–a multi-service agency that provides a wide spectrum of support services to the city’s recovery community. Such services include: GED preparation; twelve-step support groups; housing assistance; job readiness and employment assistance; and HIV prevention, testing, and counseling services. In addition, the…

Read More

Mark J. Thomas, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School; Director, University of Minnesota’s Medical Discovery Team on Addiction

Dr. Mark Thomas, Ph.D. is a professor of neuroscience and Director of the University of Minnesota’s Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, a research team of 60 faculty funded by the state legislature to fuel cross-disciplinary collaborative research to discover new effective biology-based treatments for Substance Use Disorders. Dr. Thomas received his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from…

Read More

Bishop Mark C. McGuire, Sr.

Executive Director & CEO The CARES Justice Institute, Inc.

Mark C. McGuire, Sr. is a native Daytonian, and the CEO and Bishop of The Potter’s House- Dayton International Ministries. He is also currently a Staff Pastor and Youth Director of The Potter’s House International Ministries, of Jacksonville, Florida, where he is affectionately known as PMac (Pastor McGuire). He is a spiritual son of Bishop…

Read More

Marc L. Johnigan

Executive Director of Twin Cities Recovery Project (TCRP), Founder and Chief Officer

MARC L. JOHNIGAN established the Twin Cities Recovery Project, Inc. (TCRP) in 2016, and is the organization’s executive director. Currently in recovery from substance use and mental illness, Mr. Johnigan knows all too well the challenges and barriers of achieving and sustaining recovery and sobriety. The vision and inevitable creation of TCRP emanated from his…

Read More