Stephen Clement— As the co-founder of Rockland Recovery Homes, my passion to see this succeed is driving this forward. I experienced my son’s relapse multiple times due to the fact he did not have a safe supportive environment to share with friends in recovery. He would leave rehab programs or prison and go back on the street with “friends” that were still using drugs. I have studied many articles about recovery homes over the past year. Our operation, standards, ethics and policies have been based on those of other successful organizations and the National Affiliation of Recovery Residences. Our goal is to improve the success rate of recovery.
Matthew Clement, CFP is President of Emerald Retirement Planning Group, Inc., a financial advisory firm in Rockland County. He has more than fourteen years of experience in the areas of financial planning and retirement planning. He holds degrees in business and financial planning from Fordham University and was named in 2006 as one of Rockland County’s “Forty Under 40” community leaders. Matthew is a dedicated husband and father, grew up in Stony Point, NY and lives in Tomkins Cove, NY with his wife Gail and son Andrew. He became involved with Rockland Recovery Homes because his brother Paul, who had developed a passion for beginning this organization, passed away in March 2018 from a drug overdose. In Paul’s absence, Matthew and his family endeavor to carry forward that legacy.
Marci-Kurtz – with over 40years experience working in the health care field Marci’s background includes adult home administration, health care consulting, medical equipment and closed door pharmacy marketing and reimbursement, retail management, home health care management and most recently in her position as Executive Director of Helen Hayes Hospital Foundation she has been responsible for donor development and fund raising for this nonprofit.. Her family and friends have been touched by drug abuse and she wants to be part of the effort to ensure a safe and supportive environment for people in recovery. Marci holds an M.P.A. in Health and Hospital Administration from Long Island University.
Brion Hayman — President of Gateway Building Services
Mara Medicino is a Certified Alcohol &Substance abuse counselor with a specialty in Gambling Disorder. She is also a Substance Abuse Professional for Clarkstown, NY, and is a board member of the New York Counsel on Problem Gambling. Mara holds a Life Coach Certificate toward helping folks with life stressors and motivating them toward a life that brings them happiness.
Mara has been working for Lexington Center for Recovery for the last 10 years. She is a counselor ,helping men and women who struggle with substance abuse .She also runs the gambling program in Rockland County, including helping gamblers, and their family members, toward education , prevention ,and understanding how gambling can negatively affect their lives, and the lives of their families.
Mara is compassionate and caring and enjoys spending time with family and friends. She has been married for almost 30 years to her high school sweetheart, has 2 beautiful daughters who just completed college & grad school.
Catherine Kennedy
Cathy is a Certified Addiction Recovery Coach as well as a Family Recovery Coach. She is the Recovery Support Director for Hope Not Handcuffs-NY. Cathy also facilitates a Family & Friend Addictions support group (Stronger Together) via Zoom. Past experience includes being President and Director of Fundraising on the Board of Directors for the ABDA. Cathy and her husband are residents of Rockland County where she has been a CCD teacher at St. Paul’s/St. Ann’s.
Board Advisors:
Kathleen Katt-Bennie is Prevention/Recovery Service Coordinator at Rockland Council on Alcoholism & Other Drug Dependence, Inc. She has NYS OASAS CASAC-T and CRPA certification. As Prevention/Recovery Service Coordinator, I am committed to educating, supporting and advocating for anyone experiencing negative consequences because of substance use. Through prevention education, we can reduce the incidence of substance use disorders. le I believe that appropriate information and resources has a profound positive impact on the trajectory of addiction. Removing barriers and reducing the stigma surrounding addiction through advocacy has been my greatest reward. As a woman in long-term Recovery I personally have experienced the effects of stigma and lack of support services.
I know firsthand that supportive housing is critical to achieving long-term recovery. I have advocated on the local, state level for supportive housing in Rockland County.
Ruth Bowles spent many years as Executive Director of the Rockland Council on Alcoholism and other Drug Dependence, Inc. Ruth has a Bachelor of Science Degree from State University of NY and is a NYS Credentialed Prevention Professional (CPP-G) with a specialty in problem gambling. Ruth is a NYS Certified Addiction Recovery Coach (CARC).
Ruth has more than twenty years’ experience in the field of substance use disorders. She has trained on all issues of addiction both locally and statewide. She was appointed by the Commissioner of NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) to serve on the Community Advisory Board for both Blaisdell and Richard C. Ward Addiction Treatment Centers. Ruth is a member of the steering committee of Rockland County Family Treatment Court. Ruth is the President of the Board of Directors of Open Arms. Open Arms is a men’s and women’s halfway house in Haverstraw NY. Ruth is the President of Council on Addictions of NYS. She is a member of Friends of Recovery/Rockland.
Ruth was awarded the Woman of the Year award for her development of a substance abuse prevention coalition in the Highland Falls community. She received the Orange County Prevention Professional of the Year Award in 2005. In 2008, the Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Council of Orange County awarded Ruth their Annual Service Award. Ruth received the NYS Problem Gambling Prevention Professional of the Year Award from the Commissioner of NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services in 2013.
Prior to her work in the field of addiction, Ruth had a 20 year career in the banking industry. Ruth is a long-time community volunteer. Most importantly, Ruthie has been a woman in long-term recovery since 1988.