Executive Director at BWROC | Non-Profit and Addiction Recovery Expert | Community Leader & Advocate
With a deep passion for enhancing the recovery landscape, I am committed to creating sustainable solutions for those affected by addiction. As Executive Director of Blue Water Recovery & Outreach Center (BWROC) since 2018, I lead the organization which includes securing funding and expanding community support. My advocacy extends across the State, serving as Vice Chair of the Michigan Opioid Advisory Commission and President of the Michigan Association of Recovery Community Organizations (MARCO). I co-authored Michigan’s first recovery support services bill, which was updated in 2020, further strengthening the state’s recovery systems of care.
Before joining BWROC, I spent a decade at Freedom One Financial Group, Michigan’s largest independent 401(k) provider, where I managed financial services. My career is rooted in a dedication to supporting individuals in or seeking recovery, and I continue to advise nonprofits on recovery initiatives. I hold a BA in Business from Western Michigan University.
Tara Moreno-Wallen, M.A., ADS, is the founder & executive director of the recovery community organization Serenity House Communities in the heart of Flint, Michigan with a satellite program in Lapeer, Michigan. She also holds a master’s degree in composition and rhetoric from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor’s in Telecommunications from Michigan State University. She is a certified Usui Reiki master teacher, developer of Recovery Reiki®, and a certified Acudetox Specialist. Tara is also the CEO of Green Tara Holistics, LLC, an organization that houses her training & co-owner of New Earth Recovery Housing, LLC. Tara has worked with thousands of people to facilitate healing their healing process as it pertains to addiction, codependency, and trauma.
In addition to her healing work, she is experienced in non-profit board development and recruitment, strategic planning, and budget crafting and implementation. She has worked on projects for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) & Faces & Voices of Recovery. Tara sits on the Genesee Health System SUD Advisory Council and serves as MARCO’s secretary.
Allison Herrst, LLMSW, CPRC, CPRM is the Executive Director of Recovery Action Network of Michigan (RANMI) and a person in long-term recovery. She began her work in peer services in 2018 as a Peer Recovery Coach at Growth Works and later served as the Peer Support Supervisor before pursuing her Master of Social Work at Wayne State University. During her graduate studies, Allison focused on macro social work, substance use and mental health policy, and earned a Graduate Certificate in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Studies.
With deep roots in Canton, Michigan, Allison is passionate about serving the community that shaped her. She is an active member of the local recovery community, an avid runner who credits movement as an important part of her recovery, and a dedicated wife, mom, and dog mom. Allison’s work is driven by the belief that recovery communities thrive when lived experience, connection, and advocacy come together to create real systems change.
Hunter Taylor is the Executive Director of Lifeboat Addiction Recovery Services, a Recovery Community Organization in Lansing, Michigan. Hunter serves on several non-profit boards in his community including: Endeavor House Ministries, Recovery Worx, and Michigan Association of Recovery Community Organizations. His faith and over seven years of recovery have instilled a deep internal desire to make recovery support services more accessible, and designed around the individual seeking help.
Brenda Maks, President / Founder Live Rite Recovery Corp Brenda Maks, ABA, BBA, CPRM(Certified Peer Recovery Mentor), CPI Instructor, Paralegal, Peer Recovery Coach Facilitator, Licensed Realtor and Entrepreneur. She is a person that has been in long term recovery for over 25 years while mentoring women in recovery. In 2012, Before founding Live Rite Structured Recovery Corp in 2016, Brenda established Live Rite Recovery Homes, for men and women in recovery, in Macomb County. Since then, her business has grown along with her outreach into the community of people seeking recovery and education.
Corey Winfield is the Founder and Executive Director of 217 Recovery, a Traverse City–based Recovery Community Organization dedicated to transportation, peer support, and community engagement. Since launching 217 Recovery in 2019, Corey has built one of Northern Michigan’s most innovative peer-led programs, including 217 Recovery Rides, the 217 Recovery Center, and multiple storytelling initiatives that uplift the voices of people in recovery. Drawing on his own lived experience and a 20-year media background, Corey works to remove barriers to treatment, strengthen rural recovery supports, and promote dignity, hope, and long-term wellness.
Nick is a passionate advocate for recovery and personal growth. His journey through addiction and into sobriety gave him a deep understanding of the challenges many face when trying to rebuild their lives. Nick’s leadership is grounded in empathy, honesty, and the belief that lasting change starts with genuine connection. Known for his down-to-earth nature and unwavering commitment to other’s, he helps create an environment where people feel seen, supported, and inspired to become the best versions of themselves.
Bryan is a native of Metro Detroit; after moving to Germany for graduate school, he spent over thirty years living there as a composer, sound engineer, producer, sound artist, keyboard player, and educator. He was Karlheinz Stockhausen’s personal sound projection assistant for ten years and completed hundreds of concerts, installations, and sound projects at major venues and festivals all over the world, including the Stuttgart Opera, Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall London, Cologne Philharmonic Hall, Suntory Hall Tokyo, KKL Lucerne, Cité de la Musique Paris, Warsaw Autumn, and Milan Cathedral among many others. Bryan began his recovery journey after returning to Detroit, and is grateful that he can give back by supporting music and creative professionals in their struggles to maintain sobriety amid the challenges of touring. Bryan is looking forward to developing programs that bring the life-changing power of music-making and active listening to a broader community in Metro Detroit, providing access to the deep interpersonal connections and potential for personal development that musical activities offer.
Ricardo Bowden, MA, CPC, CADC, CPRM, CPRC, RCPF, is the Executive Director of Peer 360 Recovery Alliance based in Saginaw. He is passionate about his wife Anita, spending time with his son and other family, as well as exercising on a regular basis.
Established in 2015, Peer 360 has developed into an impactful recovery support organization serving a wide range of communities including partnerships with several Tribal Nations.