Hope Coalition Board Members

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Robin Reed moved to Hendersonville around 1999. She ran her own photography business and started a grass-roots organization called Bares It ALL for Breast Cancer to raise money to help local women with expenses while going through breast cancer treatment. She is also Henderson County's first Athena Award recipient. She graduated from Radford University in Virginia where she studied Journalism with concentrated studies in Public Relations and Advertising. 

Robin's life changed in 2011 when she got sober and started the journey of recovery, for which she is eternally grateful. She has two sons - Morgan, who is 27 and recently married, and Austin, who is 23. Her hobbies include working with power tools, working in her yard, hanging with her dog Finnegan and anything that includes her boys! 

John is a native of New Orleans and moved to Henderson County in 2003. Since 1991, John has been in recovery from alcohol addiction. He has worked as a consultant to Geoffrey Weiss and Associates as a recruiter for healthcare IT positions and continues to do so on a limited basis. He is active locally in multiple social justice causes and serves on the advisory board for the Grow our own Teachers of Color, a Henderson County Education Foundation program.

John believes that his experience of addiction and recovery is an asset when assisting those challenged by substance misuse. He personally knows that through the power of family, friends, and the fellowship of AA he has continued to remain sober. He is committed to sharing his knowledge to be a positive force in prevention and to helping anyone impacted by the disease.

Sarah Beth Gallenberger grew up in the Hendersonville area and was a former high school Latin student of Hope Coalition's Director. She has several years of experience working with and being on the board of a nonprofit, a puppy rescue based out of Fort Collins, Colorado. She started working with Hope Coalition in June of 2021 and currently runs several MARA (Medication Assisted Recovery Anonymous) meetings at Hope Coalition each week.

Sarah Beth has one son, Gabe, who is 2 years old and the absolute light of her life. 

She is currently a Patient Advocate for MAT (Medication Assisted Treatment) and is in training to be a CMA (Certified Methadone Advocate) with NAMA-R (National Association of Medication Assisted Recovery). She is working on her certification to be a Peer Support Specialist and is also a member of the CAG (Citizen's Advisory Group) of the Hendersonville Police Department. 

Sarah Beth has had over a decade of lived experience with substance use disorder and comes to Hope Coalition with 3 years of recovery to date. She wishes to share her experience and story with anyone that may still be struggling, or with people that are also in long term recovery. She understands firsthand how overwhelming and debilitating addiction can be, but strongly believes that recovery is possible for anyone if they have the right tools and receive the right support. 

Courtney Stepp Lowery's involvement with the coalition began in 2017 when she shared her own story of substance misuse and subsequent recovery, as well as her experiences of trauma and healing, during the Week of Hope in Henderson County Public Schools. Courtney represents the coalition as a community member in recovery. She has lived experience of the destruction of addiction in her own life, and also knows the powerful healing that is possible through recovery. Her story and involvement with Hope Coalition underscores the value of investing in prevention and the recovery of our community. Her story tells us that there is hope for those who suffer. She is passionate about the cause of substance misuse prevention and recovery, and she brings this passion to her involvement with the coalition board. 

Courtney is a native of Henderson County and a banker by trade. She is a Vice President of First Bank as a Commercial Portfolio Manager. She brings her 10 years of banking expertise to her role as treasurer on the Hope Coalition of Henderson County Board. Courtney holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Psychology from Appalachian State University. She resides in Flat Rock with her husband, Sean, and 11 year old son, Tyler. Outside of finding ways to be of service through her personal recovery journey, she can generally be found out running, hiking, biking and seeking all manner of adventure in our beautiful Western North Carolina and beyond! 

Dr. Kevin Marino has over 20 years of experience in mental health, substance misuse, social work, and leadership in public and private agencies. He most recently served as the Social Work Program Administrator in Henderson County, North Carolina. He oversees a robust service delivery system that includes the traumatic arenas of child and adult protection. 

Kevin has served on several state boards and local government boards and is well recognized by his peers and colleagues for innovations in systems work across the state. He is serving on the Hope Coalition Board to do his part to ensure that our community is safe and healthy for the next generations to come.

Deb Pittillo has been working as a Nurse Practitioner for 20 years and as an RN 18 years prior. She is committed to helping patients achieve their maximum level of health. She has an understanding heart for those who struggle with substance use disorders and is committed to helping them on their path to recovery. Deb is grateful to join hands with Hope Coalition to make Henderson County stronger by closing gaps to services that will ultimately help promote success and a life worth living. 

Jessie Ramirez is a native of California and moved to Hendersonville over 22 years ago. She is a married mom of four beautiful children, whom she homeschools. She worked as a medical assistant for two years and is currently a full-time nanny and owner of H&J Ramirez Roofing. Her heart is to help those who struggle with substance misuse, especially with diverse populations. Her desire is to support people in recovery and help them reintegrate into the community.  

Kate Weber is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in the state of North Carolina and Illinois.  She received her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Roosevelt University in Chicago Illinois in 2013.  Kate worked as a Lead Therapist and Supervisor at Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare for 8 years before moving back to her hometown of Hendersonville.  During her time at Trilogy, Kate worked one on one with individuals struggling with co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.  

Recently, Kate has started a private practice in Hendersonville where she works with individuals and couples struggling with past traumas, mental health and/or substance misuse.  Being part of Hope Coalition, Kate is excited to spend time working with others on ways to enhance preventative services and recovery tools to provide to the community.  

 Elana was born and raised in Indianapolis, IN eventually meeting her husband, Jonathan and making a permanent move to Henderson County in 2010. They have two children, Audrey and Finley. When she is not selling real estate you can find her running, lifting weights, hiking, and reading. Elana Flanigan is currently a full-time licensed NC Realtor® but has previously worked for two non-profits, The Cleveland Bar Association and the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Richmond. She knows very well the importance of a non-profit’s volunteer force. Having family members who have suffered the majority of their lives with alcohol and prescription pill addiction she has seen the pain that can occur first-hand by all of those battling addiction and the people who love them. After losing her mom, who was a functional alcoholic for all of Elana’s childhood and most of her adult life, Elana quit drinking alcohol in 2021 and has never looked back. She has a passion for seeing people living their best life substance free therefore she was very excited when asked to join the Hope Coalition Board of Directors.

Amy Lynn Holt moved to Henderson County 26 years ago and is married and has 4 children and 2 granddaughters. She was a member of the Henderson County Board of Education for 12 years; where she was the Chair and the Vice-Chair. She is a member of the United Way Board of Directors. She has worked with non-profits in the area for over 15 years and our non-profits in our community are her passion. She is the Major Gifts Officer at Champion Comfort Experts and was a business owner for 18 years. She and her husband were awarded the Business Philanthropic Award in 2016 and in 2022 they were awarded the Henderson County Humanitarian of the Year Award by Safelight.  

Cheyenne Mathews is a local Henderson County resident who attended North Henderson High School and earned her bachelor's at Western Carolina University. Her interest stems from a childhood surrounded by addiction. In her own words:  I was born with Severe Bilateral Club Feet, a condition that means my feet were rolled inward. This set the groundwork for my work ethic, compassion, and resilience. After following my sister around, I decided that I wanted to be a collegiate athlete. I first attended Mississippi College, where I was a part of the National Championship softball team. After that first year, I made the trip back to WNC to be closer to family. My sophomore year brought me to a walk-on spot with the Catamount Softball team where I finished my athletic career. After college, I went on to HomeTrust Bank where I worked my way up to a top Sales and Service Associate for the bank. From there, I went on to become a Mortgage Specialist with Equity Resources. Those first two jobs taught me about the importance of truly taking care of people and why that should be how I conduct any business in life.

In my spare time, I love to play slow pitch softball, workout, or watch a movie with my pup and boyfriend