Board of Directors and Regional Representatives

Kristen Harper, M.Ed., is a nationally recognized leader in behavioral health, nonprofit management, and financial development, with almost 20 years of experience driving policy reform and funding initiatives that advance prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support services.

Kristen’s leadership in the recovery field began in 2008 when she founded the Center for Addiction Recovery at Georgia Southern University. She later served as the Collegiate Recovery Replication Coordinator at Texas Tech University’s Center for Students in Addiction Recovery (2011–2013), helping to expand collegiate recovery nationwide. From 2013 to 2016, she led the Association of Recovery Schools (ARS) as Executive Director, followed by her role as Director of Grants for a private, family foundation, Transforming Youth Recovery (TYR) from 2016 – 2019.

Most recently, Kristen helped shape national policy at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), serving as subject matter expert and Special Assistant to the Director in the newly established Office of Recovery. In this role, she championed the inclusion of individuals with lived experience in leadership, while providing subject matter expertise on recovery-oriented policies. Additionally, she served on the National Advisory Council (NAC) for SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment from 2016 to 2021 and is a current member of Georgetown University’s Addiction Recovery Policy Collaborative.

Beyond her professional impact, Kristen finds her greatest joy in being a devoted mother and wife, balancing her commitment to family with her passion for strengthening recovery support across the country through her company, Whole Health Recovery Solutions.

Email: kharperred@gmail.com