Keigan Aabel-Brown (he/him), MSW has coordinated several initiatives directed at supporting the mental and behavioral health of historically exploited and economically disadvantaged communities in West Virginia including his role establishing the West Virginia Behavioral Health Equity Training Center. Keigan has coordinated education on stigma reduction, trauma informed practices, and advocacy for all people who live in West Virginia. Previous to his work in West Virginia, Keigan served as a training and technical assistance specialist for the Office for Victims of Crime and the Office on Trafficking in Persons, building capacity for systems that serve individuals who were victims of crime or have been impacted by human trafficking. Most recently he has worked to empov/er West Virginia youth and improve early intervention opportunities for families impacted by the intersection of chaotic substance use and systemic poverty.
Nicole A. Bailey, RCP, is a minister, author, advocate, TEDx Speaker, and Wholeness Architect committed to helping individuals move from brokenness to wholeness. With both lived experience and professional expertise, she brings a compassionate, trauma-informed approach to supporting individuals facing challenges related to mental health, recovery, and life transitions. She is the founder of Whole For Real Ministries, a ministry focused on helping people move from brokenness to wholeness. Nicole is the author of the devotional Grab Your Keys: Opening the Doors to Becoming Whole For Real! and the creator of the Grab Your Keys Coaching Program, a Spiritual Personal Training experience designed to help individuals unlock healing and purpose. Nicole serves as Assistant Executive Director of GRaCE (Greater Recovery and Community Empowerment), where she has trained recovery coaches across West Virginia and beyond, including in correctional and healthcare settings. Her work is rooted in restoration, empowerment, and the belief that with the right support and tools, individuals and communities can thrive.
Josh Barker is from Chapmanville, West Virginia, where he lives with his wife, Jill, and their two daughters, Katy and Lilly. He has more than 20 years of experience in public service and proudly served in the West Virginia House of Delegates. Throughout his career, Josh has held leadership roles with the Town of Danville, the West Virginia Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority, the West Virginia Division of Highways, the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office, and the Office of Attorney General John McCuskey. He currently serves as Director of Substance Abuse Prevention and Recovery. Josh is also a person in long-term recovery with more than four years of sobriety. Drawing from both his professional experience and personal journey, he is committed to supporting individuals and families affected by substance use and helping strengthen communities across West Virginia. His work is guided by a passion for service, recovery, and creating opportunities for others to build healthier, more hopeful lives.
Ashley Blanc, a native to West Virginia, is a licensed psychologist who has provided care to fellow West Virginians across the state. At this time, she serves in Wood, Wirt, and Jackson County WV through her position at Coplin Health Systems. Prior to Coplin, Ashley worked in southern WV in Logan, Lincoln, Boone, and Mingo County and served judicial involved individuals.
Chelsea M. Garcia holds an Associate’s degree in Business Management and Marketing and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. With a passion for supporting citizens transitioning back into society, Chelsea is dedicated to connecting individuals with community organizations that facilitate successful re-entry. Actively involved in volunteering and community engagement, she aims to make a meaningful impact through her v/ork. Chelsea’s future goals include obtaining her PRSS certification and Bachelor’s degree, ultimately opening a comprehensive Re-Entry program that offers housing, employment, advocacy, and counseling services. As a Board member Chelsea brings innovative thinking due to her lived experience. She cannot v/ait to see the impact the REACH Initiative v/ill
make.
Shauna Hyde became a pastor after working as an analyst in an environmental lab for many years. As a pastor, she has been able to work with and support many community endeavors. She has been in the ministry for 20 years and in that time has authored three books published by Energion Publications in Florida. Shauna holds a PhD in counseling that came about when she realized what poor advice clergy can give, sometimes especially in situations of DV. addiction, etc. and she wanted to try to do better if at all possible. She currently has 2 churches: Christ UMC and St Paul’s UMC in Parkersburg, WV. Both churches are active in the community and house many outreach programs and assistance ministries.
Charlie Keeney is the esteemed Executive Director of Harmony Ridge Recovery Center, located in Walker and Barboursville, WV. With an impressive tenure of six years at the center, Charlie brings a wealth of experience, compassion, and unwavering dedication to her role. Charlie’s journey to becoming a beacon of hope in the realm of addiction recovery is deeply personal. In 2012, she embarked on her own path to sobriety, a journey marked by resilience and determination. Tragically, her resolve was tested when she lost her beloved daughter, Brooke, to a fentanyl overdose at the tender age of 17 in 2022. Motivated by Brooke’s memory and driven by her own journey of recovery, Charlie founded Brooke’s Hope, a non-profit organization with a mission to provide hope to those battling addiction and to dismantle barriers to long-term recovery and assist with prevention programs for youth. Through Brooke’s Hope. Charlie channels her grief into action, tirelessly advocating for access to resources and support for individuals and families affected by addiction.
Professor Jeri Kirby earned her Ph D. in Political Science from West Virginia University and is currently an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Graduate Director for the College of Liberal Arts at Fairmont State University in Fairmont, West Virginia. Dr. Kirby has a 30-year history of life and studies in incarceration, beginning with her own incarceration in the Federal Bureau of Prison from 1992-1994. After Dr. Kirby’s release, she quickly began her education with a focus on re-entry and reforming correctional policy. Jeri is a Certified Instructor of the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, a Lead Trainer in the certification of prison facilitators, and the program’s Federal Prison Coordinator. Dr. Kirby is Certified in Trauma Awareness and Mental Health First Aid.
Dominique Kiri is a dedicated advocate for justice-impacted individuals, substance use recovery, and mental health support in West Virginia. With over 20 years of experience, she has worked tirelessly to assist individuals navigating the complexities of reentry, substance use disorder, and mental health challenges, always using a trauma-informed approach. Currently, she serves as a Transition Agent for Jobs & Hope WV, where she plays a vital role in workforce development, helping individuals overcome barriers and achieve meaningful employment. She firmly believes in Restorative Justice, emphasizing that true rehabilitation comes from healing people from the inside out—without judgment. For the past eight years, she has chaired the MOV Reentry Council, fostering collaboration among community organizations to create successful pathways for reentry. Her passion for helping individuals reintegrate into society is rooted in the understanding that they will be our neighbors regardless, and when given the right tools, they can and will succeed. Her unwavering commitment to breaking cycles of incarceration, poverty, and addiction continues to transform lives and strengthen communities across West Virginia.
Brittany Ochoa (she/her) is a compassionate, trauma informed leader for social justice with a passion for re-entry, substance use, and mental health advocacy. She received her Regent’s Degree from Marshall University with a concentration in Psychology, Criminal Justice, and Math and brings with her 10 years of experience in social services meeting the needs of marginalized and underrepresented populations. She is currently an employment specialist under Marshall Health’s C.O.R.E (creating opportunities for recovery employment) program serving Cabell, Wayne, Lincoln, and Putnam counties. In this role, she assists individuals with overcoming any barriers to meaningful employment or education that they may have by helping them navigate various systems or connecting them to community resources to meet their needs. Before joining MU Health, she was formerly a substance abuse counselor at a local clinic and held various roles at Harmony House, a day shelter for those experiencing homelessness, including that of Executive Director and Non-Congregate Site Supervisor during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was also the lead for the Cabell-Huntington-Wayne Continuum of Care, the local network of agencies that work together to address homelessness. As someone that has worked in this field for over a decade in various roles, listening to the experiences of all those she worked with and watching systems fail to help people move forward, she is eager to bring her leadership, advocacy, and expertise in vulnerable populations to her new role as a board member to assist in furthering the mission of the REACH Initiative.
Charleigh Patton is a Peer Recovery Support Specialist, counselor, and advocate with lived experience overcoming substance use disorder, legal barriers, and the challenges of rebuilding life after incarceration. Through her personal recovery journey and professional work, she has developed a deep passion for helping others navigate treatment, housing, employment, and successful community reentry. Today, Charleigh works directly with individuals seeking recovery and stability, providing guidance, support, and resources to help them build productive and meaningful lives. She is committed to advocating for second chances, reducing the stigma surrounding addiction and the justice system, and creating opportunities for those working to overcome barriers and achieve lasting recovery. Charleigh is honored to serve on the Board of Directors for The REACH Initiative of West Virginia, where she supports the organization’s mission of empowering individuals and strengthening communities through successful reentry and recovery services.
Tina Ramirez is the Director of Great Rivers Regional System for Addiction Care. Marshall Health Division of Addiction Sciences. In accordance with CDC’s National Public Health Performance Standards Program (NPHPSP) plan, she has the expertise of identifying partners and community members in the public health system, engaging those partners in health assessment and improvement planning, while promoting improvement in agencies, systems and communities. As the Director of Great Rivers Regional System for Addiction Care within the Marshall Health Division of Addiction Sciences, she has built infrastructure and strengthen collaborations in the communities hit hardest by the opioid epidemic in West Virginia: Cabell. Jackson. Mason, Kanawha, Putnam and Wayne counties. She coordinates the system that includes public health harm reduction programs, community-based ’quick response teams” (QRTs) to visit individuals following overdose events, hospital programs to identify and link individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) to treatment from the acute care setting, a community-based hub for comprehensive treatment and referral services, naloxone education and distribution, an enhanced capacity and infrastructure to effectively drive community engagement, prevention and education and a mechanism to coordinate all of these components as a true ”System for Addiction Care’. She previously partnered with Johns Hopkins University. WV University and Gilead Sciences to evaluate various aspects of the harm reduction program at Kanawha-Charleston Health Department. As a result of the gaps identified, she co-authored the ’Harm Reduction Syringe Services Program Procedure Manual” which v/as distributed nationally to assist entities in establishing harm reduction programs.
Beverly Sharp is the founder and Executive Director of The REACH Initiative. After working for 30 years for the U. S. Dept, of Justice. Federal Bureau of Prisons in roles such as corrections officer, unit manager, and Director of Human Resources and Training, she saw thousands of people that needed resources after release from incarceration. She sought to develop a program From one side of the “bars” to the other side, to work together to make this an equal and just society. She worked as Program Coordinator for the Criminal Justice Department at Ashland Community & Technical College. Additionally, Beverly holds the following certifications and distinctions: Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF), Offender Workforce Development Specialist Trainer (OWDS), Offender Employment Specialist, Hostage Negotiator. Firearms Instructor. Equal Employment Opportunity Counselor. Affirmative Action Specialist. Labor Management Relations Specialist. Authorized Lay Pastor.
Crystal Thompson has a Master’s degree in psychology, a background in nursing, and 16 years of service in state government. She has built a career rooted in advocacy, leadership, and meaningful impact. Throughout her tenure, she has held key management and coordination roles, consistently working at the intersection of policy, people and opportunity. A passionate champion for second chances, Crystal played a pivotal role in executing West Virginia’s first statewide Second Chance Job Fair – an initiative designed to open doors for individuals who have been justice-involved while working for the West Virginia Schools of Diversion and Transition. Her commitment to this work has also led her to the stage, where she spoke at the Women Beyond Bars Summit at West Virginia University, amplifying the importance of inclusion, dignity, and access. Over the years, Crystal has dedicated herself to supporting individuals facing a wide range of barriers to employment, including disabilities and systemic challenges. In partnership with West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services, she connected people to education, training, and career pathways. She has helped countless individuals build sustainable, empowered futures. Today, Crystal brings that same passion and expertise to a new focus: supporting West Virginians over the age of 60 in achieving strong, independent lifestyles through services and programs offered by the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services such as the 4-H style Senior Summit. Through guidance, advocacy, and resource connection, she continues to transform lives – proving that opportunity and growth are possible at every stage. Crystal resides in Fayette Co. with her husband David, stepson Xavier, and her three fur babies.
Duncan Waitts is currently employed at the Public Defender Office as a recovery specialist. Diversity and inclusion have become a passion as he advocates for the betterment of people. He is a member of the NAACP as well as recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr award. As a person with lived experience, he intends to make an impact in his community by reintegrating individuals v/ho have been just impacted. He aims to provide coaching and training to defy the odds of their environment.