People on the Move: RICARES Appoints Dr. Garcia as Executive Director
GoLocalProv Business Team
People on the Move: RICARES Appoints Dr. Garcia as Executive Director
Dr. Garcia currently serves as Associate Dean of the College for Junior/Senior Studies and Recovery/Substance-Free Initiatives at Brown University, where she has championed recovery support and substance-free programming for college students, faculty, and staff. She has been deeply involved with RICARES as the former President of the Board of Directors and brings a comprehensive understanding of the organization's mission to advance addiction recovery through advocacy, community engagement, and service.
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"I am honored to step into this role at such a critical time for our recovery community," said Dr. Garcia. "My vision for RICARES is to continue to build bridges between people in recovery and all of the stakeholders in RI who support people with substance use disorder, to invest in the growth and development of the recovery workforce, and to ensure every Rhode Islander seeking recovery has access to what they need: treatment, care, a community, recovery coaching, safe housing, and an opportunity to create a meaningful life."
In addition to her work at Brown University and RICARES, Dr. Garcia serves as Senior Co-chair of the Board of Directors of the Association for Recovery in Higher Education and is an appointed member of the Rhode Island Governor's Council on Behavioral Health. Her multifaceted approach to recovery advocacy integrates evidence-based practices with creative practice, community building with policy work.
Dr. Garcia holds a BFA in Sculpture from Rhode Island School of Design, an MA in Contemporary Art from Sotheby's Institute of Art, an MFA in Visual Arts from Purchase College (State University of New York), and both an MA and a PhD in American Studies from William & Mary.
"It has been the honor of my career to lead RICARES, and I can think of no one better to carry this work forward than Lindsay. Her deep roots in Rhode Island's recovery community, combined with her leadership experience and passion for advocacy, make her the ideal person for this moment. The future of RICARES is in excellent hands," said Sandy Valentine, LCSW, retiring RICARES Executive Director.
“The Board of Directors conducted an extensive search for an Executive Director who will lead RICARES in the future. While we received many qualified candidates, it was clear that Dr. Garcia has the knowledge, expertise, and passion to carry out the RICARES mission and promote the voice of recovery across the state. The Board is extremely grateful for the service of Sandy Valentine, through whose leadership, RICARES has become a strong and vibrant organization. We wish her the best in retirement and have full confidence that RICARES will continue to flourish under the leadership of Dr. Garcia,” said Rebecca Boss, RICARES Board President.
Under Dr. Garcia's leadership, RICARES will continue its work to organize and mobilize recovery voices, eliminate addiction stigma and discrimination, foster community-based recovery capital, promote diversity and inclusion in recovery, and support the development of peer-based recovery services throughout Rhode Island.
Dr. Garcia will begin her role as Executive Director on January 7th.