Gold Key Recipients
2024 Recipients of Gold Key Awards
Mona Lisa McEachin, BestSelf
Mona Lisa McEachin has dedicated over seven years of service to BestSelf. In that time, she has wordked as a Peer Specialists with the Recovery Connections SUD mobile team, Lead Peer Mentor of the WNY Peer Workforce Development Center, and currently as Assis-tant Program Director (APD) for BestSelf’s Recovery Community & the WNY Peer Workforce Development Center. During her tenure on the Recovery Connections mobile team, she collaborated with Buffalo Opioid Court Judge Hannah and Judge Hennighan on pioneering initiatives for the Buffalo community. In addition to her pre-sent leadership role as APD, Mona Lisa actively provides peer services across vari-ous programs, including Lighthouse Women's Residence, Harambee House, and the Crisis Team. She is a valued member of the Black Mental Health Response team and played a crucial role in providing essential peer services to the Jefferson Avenue community following the Tops Market tragedy. Mona Lisa possesses a profound pas-sion for REI (Racial Equity and Inclusion) work and has actively engaged in shaping initiatives to promote equity and inclusion within the BestSelf organization. Drawing from twenty years of personal experience with addiction, Mona Lisa has embarked on a professional career in peer work while earning her CRPA, CRPA-F and NYCPS peer certifications. Her journey is driven by a deep sense of purpose, rooted in shar-ing her "lived and living" experiences with others, empowering them to embrace their potential and live their best lives.
Beth Anzalone, WNY United Against Drug & Alcohol Abuse
WNY United Executive Director, Beth Anzalone, has been an integral member of the SUD prevention community in western New York for over thirty years. She started her prevention career in Iowa where she learned the value of building partnerships and using positive strategies like social skill building, leadership training, and resiliency enhancement. Fortunately for the field and the region, she brought this knowledge to WNY United in 1992 where she began implementing a “partner first” mentality, reaching out to schools and beginning the framework of comprehensive service delivery that the agency still uses today. Throughout her career, Beth has been an active collaborator, serving on multiple committees, work groups, and coalitions including ASAP, the WNY CDC, Px21, the Western Region WRARC, and the Frontier Safe Schools coalition. Among her career achievements are developing partnerships in dozens of Buffalo Public Schools and numerous suburban districts, overseeing the development and delivery of prevention programs to hundreds of thousands of students, helping to develop the 5th grade Building Skills model program, and creating and implementing a summer program for over twenty years in high-risk locations. Perhaps most importantly, she has taught dozens of prevention professionals the importance of “becoming the fabric” of the schools and communities they serve.
Emma Fabian, Evergreen Health
Whenever anyone has a question about harm reduction in WNY, the first name that comes to mind is Emma Fabian of Evergreen Health. Emma is always willing to share her knowledge and expertise, making services along the entire continuum of SUD better. She has a unique ability to effortlessly build strong partnerships with community organizations, healthcare providers, and government agencies. These partnerships foster a sense of shared responsibility that drives positive change. Her collaborative spirit has positively impacted countless individuals throughout Western New York. Emma always seeks to create compassionate and inclusive environments for the people we all support. Not only is Emma very dedicated, she is also highly inspirational. Working with her inspires others to match her passion for our work, and countless collaborations with her have yielded impressive results.
Marlon Thornton, Northpointe Council
With over twenty years of dedicated service in the field of sub-stance use treatment, Marlon Thornton, Northpointe Council Vice President of Residential Services, has profoundly impact-ed countless lives through his unwavering commitment and expertise. Throughout his career at Northpointe Council’s First Step Center, he has demonstrated an exceptional ability to connect with individuals coping with substance use issues. That ability to connect has led to improved outcomes for the countless people Marlon has helped over the course of his career in the treatment of SUD in western New York.
Christopher Weber, Spectrum Health & Human Services
Chris Weber, a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate, is a valued member of the MAT Enhancement Team at Spectrum Health and Human Services. The MAT team provides linkage services while conducting community outreach and education around harm re-duction and overdose prevention. In the past year, the team has trained more than 700 individuals in the community in overdose reversal and linked 200 people to MAT treatment services. Chris has played a crucial role in his team’s success. Engaging and approachable, it easy for him to connect with individuals, often succeeding with those who initially decline services. He often flexes his time to outreach to people during non-work hours to ensure the best care is provided and also does outreach to individuals that are scheduled for intake but need support and linkage prior to their initial session. In addition, Chris has taken an active role in representing Spectrum and the MAT team through media and community events, as well as conferences and other forums for learning and discussion where he shares his professional and lived experience. Through his dedication, leadership, and advocacy, Chris has be-come an integral part of Spectrum’s harm reduction initiatives.
Jeremy Hitt, Horizon Health Services
Jeremy Hitt is the Director of Detox and Stabilization Services at Horizon Village. He has worked in the field of substance use for the past twenty years at various levels of care across western New York. He currently oversees operations and clinical services at Terrace House in Buffalo, one of the area’s largest community-based detox and stabilization centers. After many years of advo-cacy for funding, Terrace House will soon undergo a multi-million-dollar renovation project to make the space more patient centered and trauma informed. Jeremy has dedicated much of his career to working with some of the most high-risk patients and models to his staff passion, dedication, and empa-thy towards our most-marginalized. Engaging with the community has been a part of his journey. Jeremy has assisted as a liaison for multiple Drug Courts along with serv-ing as a consultant and committee member for many Family Support Centers and Substance Abuse Prevention Coalitions for local school districts.
Sharon Yager, Evergreen Health
Sharon Yager of Evergreen Health has over twenty years of expe-rience providing care to those in need in the WNY community, ranging from emergency care to inpatient and outpatient substance use and mental health treatment. Additionally, Sharon provides transgender care to individuals in need of assessments, medica-tions, and letters of support for gender affirming surgery. She has also regularly volunteered her time making lunches for those in need and food and clothing bags for those who are unhoused. Sharon has demon-strated an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of individuals struggling with substance use disorders. Her innovative approaches to MAT, mental health, and harm reduction services not only emphasize the importance of accessibility but also prioritize the dignity and autonomy of clients. reduction initiatives.
William Penman, Allegany Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
Bill Penman has been an exceptional leader for the Allegany Council for over twenty-two years. He has expanded ACASA as an agency, building ACASA’s Residential facility Trapping Brook House, starting a new Clinic, and expanding services to include MAT. Bill has worked tirelessly to keep improving services to the Allegany County Jail and Allegany Community as a whole. He has actively supported prevention projects like the AHSSUM Camp, Eckerd Drug Quiz Show, Bob Weigand Memorial 5k Move-a-Thon, and “Call to Action” for Wellsville Central School. He has regularly informed town and county legislators on important issues like social host law and marijuana legalization. In addition, Bill has served as Treasurer of the WNYCDC Board of Directors and, more recently, for the Value Net-work IPA Advisory Board. He is well known for his knowledge, experience, and unwavering dedication to making sure the voice of the rural community is heard. His practical point of view and common sense approaches have benefited numerous local and regional collaborative groups over his many years in service to the SUD field.
