Communities for Recovery is lucky to have an amazing board, and we want our community to know them as well as we do! We’re going to kick off this process by introducing you to our Board Member Marsha Robinson. Marsha was kind enough to answer a few questions from us about herself, her involvement with CforR, and her passion for recovery.
- How did you learn about Communities for Recovery?- My first exposure was with Volunteers on the Creek in 2006 when I was invited to a social gathering at the home of Scott Thornton (CforR’s founder). There I met several people who were working with Scott and instrumental in the startup of Communities for Recovery. I was inspired by Scott and his passion for recovery.
“I love the basic concept behind what CforR does: people in recovery helping others to find and keep recovery”
- What made you want to join our Board of Directors? Over time, I have watched CforR continue to grow and provide services to the recovery community. While I have always maintained a relationship with the leadership, officially participating on the Board has been an honor and an additional way I can contribute my professional expertise and extensive contacts. I love the basic concept behind what CforR does: people in recovery helping others to find and keep recovery, and carrying the message of recovery to others.
- Can you share some information about your role with the Mac McLester Awards? After receiving the McLester Award in 2011, each year since I have either nominated or initiated nominations for others. I know many people who give tirelessly personally and professionally in the name of recovery, and I believe the McLester Awards are a wonderful way to recognize individual contributors. I volunteered to oversee the award program, and with the assistance of other McLester winners as a committee, we manage the nomination process, select the winners, and present the awards.
- What inspired you to start Sober Austin? As part of my first job in the recovery field, I learned all I could about the Austin recovery community organizations and people. I implemented community outreach programs, and was one of the first people locally in our industry to use mass email to promote our programs and events. In a relatively short period of time, I was able to connect with many people and witness the power of internet marketing. After 18 months, I was laid off and unsure if I would be able to continue professionally in the recovery field. My own personal connection to recovery and desire to carry the message, inspired me to take all the information I had acquired and launch SoberAustin.com. As a community service “no-profit” website, SoberAustin not only provides me with a way to give back to the community but has also anchored me professionally in Austin and Central Texas. In the past 10 years, my marketing career in addiction recovery has prospered, and I have been able to assist many organizations and individuals through my work and website.
Marsha Robinson is a Marketing Consultant specializing in Addiction Recovery based in Austin, Texas. An active contributor in the Austin recovery community since 2005, she has organized and implemented multiple community projects, educational programs, and events for the addiction recovery community to include Beauty Swap, Sober Santa, Gateway to Recovery, Addiction 101, Not My Child, and the Austin Addiction Symposium. She was on the start-up board for the Heart of Texas EAPA Chapter and is currently an active board member for three recovery non-profit organizations to include Communities for Recovery, Recovery People, and Westbank Holding, Inc. As a marketing professional, Marsha has done the initial start-up launch for six treatment facilities in the Austin area and worked with numerous organizations assisting with branding, restructuring and expansion. For the past 10 years, her community service website, SoberAustin.com, has provided the community with over 50 pages of addiction recovery resources for individuals seeking help, people already in recovery and professionals in the field. As the 2011 recipient of the Mac McLester Spirit of Recovery Award, Marsha is currently the chair for the McLester Award Committee and presents the awards at the annual CforR Give to Keep Fundraiser Luncheon.