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Sue Bright
Chief Executive Officer, New Directions for Women
Sue Bright is the CEO of New Directions for Women in Costa Mesa, CA with almost three decades of experience in the addiction treatment field. Prior to joining NDFW in 2018, she served as Vice President of Patient Services and Quality of Livengrin Foundation in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Sue specializes in intake, admissions, and clinical services, and is led by the principle that those who are seeking treatment services deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. She has tremendous experience developing relationships with private insurers, working collaboratively with staff to ensure growth and to develop Quality measures that track the success of services over time.
Tom Britton
President & Chief Executive Officer, Gateway Foundation
Tom Britton is the CEO at Gateway Foundation Centers in Illinois. Tom completed a doctorate in public health, a master’s degree in addiction treatment, and a master’s in marriage and family therapy. Tom has worked as a clinician in various settings and has expertise in addiction treatment, DBT, trauma therapies and eating disorder treatment. Tom acted as a CARF accreditation surveyor for eight years, empowering agencies throughout the country to strengthen their quality of care. He has taught extensive interdisciplinary training on a variety of topics throughout the country and maintains several licensures and certifications.
Robert Ferguson
Founder, Jaywalker Lodge
Bob Ferguson is the founder of Jaywalker Lodge and Alpha 180 and served for over 10 years in senior management and business development positions at three of the premier residential programs in the addiction treatment field. Bob serves on the Board of Directors for multiple organizations in the Roaring Fork River Valley and is Board Chair for NAATP. Above all, Bob is most grateful for his own recovery from addiction which began in February 1992 at a wonderful four-month residential treatment program - one that would later serve as the inspiration for Jaywalker Lodge.
James Geckler
Chief Executive Officer, Harmony Foundation
Jim Geckler is the CEO of Harmony Foundation in Estes Park, CO, and a native of Buffalo, NY who has served the recovery community in a professional capacity for almost 20 years. His experience in addiction treatment has touched all phases of the continuum of care, from establishing the first LGBT recovery residence in Minneapolis to leading families through the process of intervention as Chief Operating Officer of Addiction Intervention Resources, to multiple leadership roles at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. As CEO at the Harmony Foundation, Jim has focused on increasing Harmony’s capacity to meet the unique needs of people who struggle with substance use disorder.
Joel Johnson
Chief Executive Officer, TASC
TASC President and CEO Joel K. Johnson is an advocate for individuals and communities that are dealing with trauma, substance use disorders, mental health challenges, family disconnection, and social, racial, and economic injustice. Prior to becoming TASC’s top executive in March 2021, Joel served as executive vice president of Friend Health (FH), a federally qualified health center, and concurrently as president of Human Resources Development Institute (HRDI), a large, Chicago-based behavioral health service provider and subsidiary of FH. He served as HRDI’s chief administrative officer for two years before being promoted to president and CEO in 2011.
Joel was appointed in 2021 to the City of Chicago Board of Health, a nine-member body that advises the mayor on public health matters. He also was named to the Cook County Equity Fund Taskforce, which advises the county board president's administration on strategic investments to address historical disparities and disinvestment in Black and Latinx communities.
Carl Kester
President & Chief Executive Officer, Lakeside-Milam Recovery Centers
Carl Kester is the CEO of Lakeside-Milam Recovery Centers. With 13 locations and over 225 employees, Lakeside-Milam is the Pacific Northwest's largest continuum of care for addiction treatment. Carl has been with Lakeside-Milam since 1993, serving as President since 2000 and CEO since 2012. Carl is a past President of the Washington State Association of Addiction Providers and past Board Chair of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. Carl is on the Board of the Association of Washington Businesses and two charitable organizations. Prior to Lakeside-Milam, Carl graduated from the University of Washington and worked for the office of U.S. Congressman Rod Chandler.
Scott Munson
Executive Director, Sundown M Ranch
Scott Munson is the Executive Director of Sundown M Ranch in Yakima WA. Scott has over 36 years’ experience in substance use disorder services as both a clinician and an administrator. In addition to his work at Sundown, Scott serves on numerous local, state and national boards and commissions. He is a past Chair for the NAATP Board of Directors and is the current Chair of the NAATP Ethics Committee and is the immediate past president of the Washington State SUD providers association, The Addiction Treatment Programs of Washington State (AAP).
Robin Piper
Chief Executive Officer & Clinical Director, Turning Point of Tampa
Robin Piper has been the Chief Executive Officer and Clinical Director of Turning Point of Tampa for the past 25 years and prior was responsible for developing and implementing two nationally known programs for addiction and eating disorders. Robin received her Bachelor’s from The Ohio State University, a Master Degree in Administration from Springfield College and a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Capella University. Robin a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Master Certified Addiction Professional in Florida is also a National Certified Counselor, as well as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. She has served on an Addiction Advisory Board for The Joint Commission and has been featured in the Tampa Bay Medical News and is a contributing author for the first textbook on Food Addiction, Processed Food Addiction.
Jaime Vinck
Chief Executive Officer, Recovery Ways
Jamie Vinck is the CEO of Recovery Ways, and was previously CEO of the Sierra Tucson Group, where she introduced groundbreaking outcomes measurement and recovery programs that earned Sierra Tucson top recognition within and outside of the industry. She was named one of Arizona’s Most Influential Women by AZ Business Magazine. Jaime is often sought to speak on marijuana and addiction treatment at the Parliamentary Committee Meeting at the House of Commons in London. Jaime serves on the Board of Directors of NAATP and was appointed to the Collaborative Advancement of Recovery Excellence (C.A.R.E.) Advisory Board.
