Board of Directors

Amy is an "affected other" and recovery ally who believes strongly that supporting recovery is a community responsibility. Along with serving as an active member on the Board of Directors, Amy currently chairs the marketing and development committee, and co-facilitates the BARN's monthly Addiction in The Family meeting. Amy works as the Marketing and Communications Coordinator for Haley Ward, and lives in Bangor with her daughter, Maddy and her dog, Bella.

Jim has been serving the BARN for over 5 years. Jim is a recovery ally and the owner and director of Higher Ground Services. Jim gets to serve the community through BARN, Health Equity Alliance, and supporting missions like Church of Safe Injection.

Krystal is a woman, mother, and partner in long term recovery. She has a passion for advocacy and community recovery. Krystal credits Bangor Area Recovery Network for saving her life through unconditional understanding, radical acceptance of all pathways, and community connection. She serves on the Board of Directors to give back to those who gave her life.

Patricia was born in Massachusetts. She worked in management for a social agency in New York, Connecticut, California, and Maine. She met her husband in Maine and they were blessed with two beautiful children. She has been involved in the recovery community for 34 years. Patricia served on the Governor's Substance Use Disorder Council and has been involved with BARN since its inception.

Mike is a person in long term recovery. He is a regional supervisor at a local mental health agency that has a term of peers and case managers who do homeless outreach. He loves the outdoors, traveling, cooking, people, and giving back to the community. His spiritual aim in this life is "love the way a puppy loves it's boy so that I may do all I do every day with love."

Dr. Noah Nesin has been a family doctor in Maine since 1986 and currently serves as Innovation Advisor at Penobscot Community Health Care. During his tenure as Chief Medical Officer he worked to expand access to treatment for use disorders and to address the stigma associated with addiction both in the
medical profession and in the community at large. Dr. Nesin was a co-founder of Maine Quality Counts' Maine Chronic Pain Collaborative, is Chair of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's National Integration Academy Council, is a member of Maine's Opioid Clinical Advisory Group and Maine's Governor has appointed him chair of the Maine Prescription Drug Affordability Board and also appointed him as a member of Maine's Board of Licensure in Medicine. Dr. Nesin is the immediate Past-President of the Maine Public Health Association.

Elizabeth Ashe is a member of the Bangor Police Department who currently serves as the Community Resource Officer. With a community-policing centered philosophy driving her pursuits, Elizabeth assumes many roles not typically associated with the work of a patrol officer such as working with caseworkers to house the homeless and connecting person suffering from SUD to recovery resources. Elizabeth views serving on the board of the BARN as another avenue for supporting all people in the community.

Raised by her single mother, and daughter of an immigrant father, Laura was born in California but moved to Maine in 2010. Longtime retail and food service worker, she ran for Bangor City Council in 2017 and won. In 2020 she won election to the Maine House of Representatives. She is currently in her second term and is House Chair of the Veteran and Legal Affairs Committee. Over the years she has volunteered for many organizations, but she now serves on several boards, including the Eastern Area Agency for Aging, Together Place, Downtown Bangor Partnership and more recently the Bangor Area Recovery Network. She is new to her sobriety and is working to give the same supports she was fortunate to have in her life to thrive. She is married to a nice guy from The County and has a dog and 2 cats.