OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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Charmon Talley, NCAC, SAP

Charmon Talley is an Atlanta native and co-founder of The Sobriety Resource.  She has been serving those struggling with substance use disorder and mental health issues for over 20 years.

After entering recovery herself, Charmon completed her psych internship at St. Albans Hospital in Radford, VA and was certified as a Substance Abuse Counselor through the Commonwealth of VA in 2001.  

Charmon returned to Atlanta in 2002 where she received her CAC credential with GACA. She went on to become Nationally Certified through NAADAC with a NCAC and SAP credential in 2005. She has assisted thousands of individuals and families who have been devastated by addiction.  

Charmon is currently the Executive Director of The Sobriety Resource and works as an advocate throughout the State of Georgia.

"I believe no one desiring recovery should ever be denied access to services or support at any time, ever."

Brett Bagley, CAC

Brett Bagley is the director of Purple Active Recovery for men, which he cofounded with his father in 2003. He is a certified addiction counselor and a person in long-term recovery. He is also an amazing father, husband, and athlete. 

Brett discovered his passion for helping other recovering persons at age 18 working at a residential treatment program. He went on to work at a number of programs including two of Atlanta’s prominent mental health hospitals. 

Brett believes in sobriety as a way of life and has spent his entire adulthood studying the art and science of recovery. He has witnessed its magic and power work in thousands of lives over the course of his lifetime. 

Brett's passion focuses on creating healthy environments for persons to become attracted to a recovery lifestyle. Through fitness, activity, sober fellowship and education, he has seen a person's resistance to long-term recovery and 12-step fellowship dissipate, making way for an unimaginable life of meaning, purpose, and service.

Douglas N. Brush, B.S., CAC II

Doug Brush began his career in 1977 as a therapeutic recreation specialist on the Alcohol and Drug Dependency Unit at Ridgeview Institute in Smyrna, Georgia. In 1978, he began working part-time for Metro Atlanta Recovery Residences (MARR) as a residential manager and was hired full-time in 1981.  

Over the past 40 years Doug has served MARR as Director of Residential Services, Director of MARR South, Director of The Women's Recovery Program, Director of Public Relations, CEO, and Director of The Men's Recovery Program. Doug retired from MARR in January of 2020.  

Doug is a Certified Addiction Counselor II in the State of Georgia through the Georgia Addiction Counselors Association (GACA). His extensive experience includes serving as Chairman of the GACA Ethics Committee. In 2019 Doug received the Addiction Counselor Emeritus Award for his years of service to GACA and the recovery community.  He also served as Chairperson on the Standards Committee and past President for the Georgia Association of Recovery Residences (GARR).   

Julie Hansen, Ph.D.  

Julie’s initial career was in Archaeology, and she spent 20 years teaching in that department at Boston University.  She retired and moved to Atlanta in 2006. 

In 2007, Julie began working at Metro Atlanta Recovery Residences (MARR) as an administrative assistant and intake coordinator at the Men’s Center. That same year, she developed an outcomes database and eventually became the outcomes manager for MARR which included creating a substantial database for the organization spanning over 13 years.  

Julie also served as Secretary for the Georgia Association of Recovery Residences (GARR) for over 10 years. Her extensive experience was invaluable to helping the organization track and measure statewide outcomes for its vast network of treatment and recovery providers.

In 2021 she was hired as the database administrator for The Sobriety Resource and appointed as Secretary on the Board of Directors in February 2022. 

Honorable Marsha Lake, State Court Judge

Judge Lake is one of 12 judges serving on the Cobb County State court.  She presides over misdemeanor criminal cases of all sizes.

Judge Lake was elected to the State Court Bench in August 2012 and took office January 1, 2013.  She previously served as an Assistant Solicitor General for the Cobb County Solicitor General's office from 1997 to 1998 and as an Assistant District Attorney for the Cobb County District Attorney's office from 1998 to 2000. Judge Lake opened her own private law practice in Marietta, Georgia in 2000.  

After prosecuting and defending criminal cases, Judge Lake was motivated to run for election for the State Court because of the court's focus on criminal misdemeanor cases and the opportunity to make a positive impact on people's lives. She believes treating each other with kindness and respect, while holding one another accountable, is the key to ensuring a highly productive community.

Her educational achievements include earning a Law School degree from John Marshall Law School (1994) where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, and an undergraduate degree from Trinity University (1992).  

Judge Lake is passionate about giving back and co-founded SMART, a counseling program for teens with active criminal cases in State Court. She is involved in many organizations in the community including Cobb Chamber of Congress, Georgia Bar Association, and the Cobb Bar Association.

Scott Smith 

A native of the small seaport town of Pascagoula, MS, Scott moved to Atlanta in 1979 on a two-year work assignment with his employer, Southern Company. When the original assignment ended, he stayed in Atlanta and continued his career with Southern Company. 

The bulk of Scott’s career (25 years) was spent with Southern Company and its subsidiaries as a Governmental Affairs professional. He was based in Washington, DC and later worked in California, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Nevada, and Alaska on behalf of the company's energy production interests. 

In 2007, he began a career in the nonprofit sector as a fundraiser. Over the last 17 years, Scott has raised funds for Hands On Atlanta, Action Ministries and MARR Addiction Treatment Centers, as well as other worthy, individual service-based nonprofits. His personal interests include Native American art, guitars, hunting, recovery and being of service.

When asked recently why he serves with The Sobriety Resource, Scott replied, “I was drawn to The Sobriety Resource and their mission of helping those in need find recovery. Over the years, I have seen, firsthand, so many people who sought recovery in a safe and nurturing environment but lacked the financial means to do so. The Sobriety Resource provides that assistance and makes access to recovery possible to all.”

Scott currently resides in Sandy Springs with his wife Ann of 38 years. 

Nikeisha Whatley-León, MA, LPC 

Nikeisha is a Clinical Psychotherapist, and holds a Specialty Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology from Geogia School of Professional Psychology. She also received a Bachelor of Psychology from Clark Atlanta University. 

Nikeisha has over 18 years of experience treating children, families and adult populations. This experience has allowed her to treat patients in various settings ranging from schools, courts, outpatient and inpatient clinical settings. Nikeisha’s clinical experience naturally led her in the direction of program development and leadership. 

Nikeisha is currently Director of Behavioral Health Services for Northside Hospital. She has been with Northside Hospital for 15 years and serves as the subject matter expert for behavioral health systemwide. Nikeisha has participated in panel discussions, workshops, and lectures and has been interviewed by numerous media outlets. 

Nikeisha’ s focus over the past few years has been implementing a Psych-Oncology Service line for Northside Hospital’s Cancer Institute and the affiliated practices statewide. Nikeisha has participated as guest faculty and guest presenter for Yale/APOS Distress Screening Implementation Program. She has been instrumental in implementing distress screening and psychosocial services in 40 oncology sites throughout the state of Georgia by way of Northside Hospital Cancer Institute. 

Although her passion has always been delivering direct care, she loves being able to make a difference on a larger scale. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband, her son” Cruz”, family and friends. Nikeisha is known for her visionary work and often described as having an infectious compassion for the behavioral health field. 

Yvette Williams

Yvette Williams is an Associate Broker in Real Estate and has been helping people buy and sell homes for over 30 years. 

From 2015-2017, Yvette was a Cobb County CASA worker where she advocated for children in the DFCS system. In 2017, after losing a son to fentanyl poisoning, Yvette began a non-profit organization providing NARCAN to local law enforcement agencies.

Yvette is a mother of four children. Two of her children suffer/suffered with addiction and she struggled with how to help them find the right care. Yvette had spent 15 years “in the maze” as she refers to it and is passionate about helping people navigate through the process of identifying the right services for recovery.

Yvette brings passion and experience to The Sobriety Resource team. She says, “Addiction destroys the whole family, not just the individual. I believe we can provide hope and save lives.”