ENROLLMENT TEAM
MAGGIE CAIN, LCMHCA
Director of Business Development
Maggie is a Katy, Texas native before moving to play collegiate tennis in Arkansas. There she found her first career and love for helping people. Her first job landed her in the nonprofit fundraising sector. For thirteen years she was blessed with getting to raise awareness and much-needed funds for children and families seeking support, hope, and love through programs for psychiatric, emotional, and behavioral health care in Arkansas. After earning her Masters in Mental Health and Clinical Counseling in 2016 from Southern Arkansas University, she became a Licensed Associate Counselor in Arkansas and recently (2018) transferred her license to North Carolina as a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate.
Additionally, for fourteen months beginning in December 2016, Maggie provided part-time counseling for Bradford Health Services IOP of Little Rock. Working with the clients and their families at Bradford Health Services. That experience, and her love of helping people, led her to a desire to stay in addiction treatment. Maggie found herself seeking through the clients’ strengths and desires for help to be a part of a team that feels the same passion for helping and ensures every client an opportunity to succeed.
Maggie’s biggest strength is that she finds daily happiness in helping others and helping families heal. Maggie lives in Mills River, with her husband and three very little children.
Doug Carter, CADC, WFR
Admissions Manager
Doug moved to Asheville from Maryland’s Eastern shore to pursue a career in wilderness and adventure therapy. His background encompasses restaurant management, agriculture, equine therapy, environmental literacy, and outdoor education. Before his work in enrollment, he served as a Recovery Guide and then Program Manager for Red Oak Recovery®. Doug is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Washington College with degrees in English and Art History; upon graduating, he was a finalist for the Sophie Kerr Prize, the nation’s largest literary award for undergraduate creative writing.
One of Doug’s passions is teaching others how to cultivate the resources necessary to evolve as individual members of a team. Discovering value in varying perspectives, as well as fostering effective communication skills, propels his mission to enhance client and employee culture in the Red Oak community. His continuing education as a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor has led him to incorporate self-inquiry, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and spiritual awareness in his professional and personal life.
At home, Doug finds himself fermenting food, tending to plants, reading, writing, and exploring the natural world. His belief in the connection of mental and physical health has inspired him to unify a practice of running, yoga, meditation, and high-intensity interval training. If not immersed in a hobby, Doug spends his time sitting by a fire under the stars with his partner.
Wesley Culpepper
Senior Admissions Counselor
Wesley Culpepper grew up in Columbus, GA where he enjoyed playing sports and spending time outdoors. In high school, he began to struggle with addiction and was sent to boarding school, where his substance use only escalated. After multiple attempts in college and bouncing around between treatment centers, he finally gained the willingness to accept help from others. In June 2017, Wesley moved to Asheville and began his journey to obtain long-term sobriety. Now, he is active in the recovery community and is living a fulfilling life helping others achieve sobriety.
Wesley has worked in several different roles within the treatment industry including direct care, case management, family communication, operations, and now enrollment. This experience helped him to develop a desire for working closely with families of loved ones in treatment, which led him to join the enrollment team at Red Oak Recovery®. Wesley has also recently completed the ARISE® 3.5-Day Comprehensive Care with Invitational Intervention® Workshop and will soon begin supervision to become a Certified ARISE® Interventionist.
Wesley is passionate about helping young people who are struggling and showing them that they can accomplish anything if they are willing to ask for help and accept it.
Wesley spends his free time enjoying all that Asheville has to offer. You can often find him running long distances, hiking, and camping with his wife Nancy, and their dog Etta. Wesley also enjoys mountain biking in Bent Creek and paddle boarding along the French Broad. Wesley and Nancy are also expecting a child in the spring and are looking forward to this new chapter in their life.
Kimber Ward
Admissions Counselor
Kimber is a western North Carolina native, she loves the outdoors, art, and has a passion for mental health. Kimber’s interest in mental health began as she saw many of her loved ones suffer from mental health and substance abuse throughout the years. Her background includes obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Art degree from Western Carolina University and working with community-based outpatient mental health services within the area. Kimber wishes to one day pursue her Master of Social Work so she can become a LCSW and be a therapist herself. In Kimber’s free time she likes to be with her pets Mylo and Cheddar, walk around in the woods, kayak, and create artwork!
Chris Taylor
Admissions Counselor
Chris grew up in Atlanta, GA where he enjoyed playing football and lacrosse throughout high school. Chris then attended Georgia College and Georgia State University and graduated in 2014 with a degree in Outdoor Education with a minor in Psychology. His plan was to work in wilderness therapy, but life took him in another direction, where he was a service manager for a pest control company in the greater Atlanta area.
Struggling with his own mental health issues and going through treatment, he wanted to find a way to give back to those that are struggling. This landed him in Asheville where he initially worked as a house manager for a local aftercare. Chris then began his journey with Red Oak as a recovery support specialist at The Willows at Red Oak Recovery shortly after. He also served as a team supervisor before joining the admissions team. While at The Willows he was able to lead groups on backpacking trips and experiential activities and share his love for the outdoors.
Outside of work, you can find Chris enjoying a round of disc golf, rock climbing, and spending some quality time with his partner and dog.
MARKETING TEAM
CAROL ROSE, MHDL
Collegiate and Community Outreach Specialist
Carol earned her Master’s in Counseling from UNC Charlotte. Her degree has taught her the importance of being a good listener and building a trusting relationship whether she is working with the individual asking for help, a family member, or a mental health professional. Carol believes that during a time of crisis, trust is paramount to find a good place to heal.
Carol was the founding coordinator for The Collegiate Recovery Program at UNC Charlotte, a program offering support to students in early recovery, it was there that she developed her own trusting relationships with her community in order to grow the program. Carol also brings personal experience with addiction within her own family, which she shares to offer hope to families in need. Her personal experience allows her to empathize and explain the journey a family will take not only while at Red Oak, but beyond. Helping families find continued support within their community is a big part of Carol’s job as a Collegiate and Clinical Outreach Specialist.
In her spare time, Carol enjoys watching old movies, spending time with her husband of nearly 40 years, Marty and being proud of her two grown daughters and seeing them thrive.
Sam Hayes
Outreach Coordinator
Sam grew up in Orange County, North Carolina where he loved being outside, playing sports, and spending time with family. He began to struggle with addiction in high school and it continued to escalate into his 20’s. After many attempts at treatment Sam found himself at a wilderness program in Asheville in 2018 where he learned coping skills and forged a connection with nature. Since finding recovery, Sam has found education to be therapeutic and vital to his well-being. He graduated from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College in 2021 with an Associate Degree and is now enrolled in Western Carolina’s Business Administration and Law program. Sam began working in the treatment industry as direct care staff and as a case manager. He has also been working towards attaining his CADC and is a Certified Peer Support Specialist. While working in recovery, Sam has found that working with families of those suffering from substance use disorder provides him with sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Sam enjoys spending his free time hanging out with friends, tending to his garden, exercising, and running around the yard with his dog Cricket.
Gracie Fender
Marketing Officer
Gracie was born and raised in Mills River, NC. She grew up in a family-owned restaurant which grew her passion got people and connections. After living in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a year where she started her career as a social media strategist and marketing manager, she decided to move back to her roots to searching the same passions and connections that she was raised on, which led her to Red Oak Recovery.
As Marketing officer, Gracie brings her love of marketing and creative skills to connect, inspire, and be a light in families and individuals who thirst for a new perspective and inspiration to make a change.
Gracie thrives on her morning coffee and puppy cuddles from her sweet dog Rosie. She loves hiking and spending quality time with her fiancé, Cole. She will also never say no to a good country concert or anything that involves chocolate!
ALUMNI
Jessica Matone
Alumni Coordinator
Jessica grew up in Charlotte facing mental health and addiction challenges at a young age. Upon her third year of college, she got the help that she needed and received treatment at The Willows. After finding solace in the healing Appalachian Mountains, she decided to stick around. She attended school at UNC Asheville and made new friends in recovery. About two years after graduating from the Willows, Jessica came back to work as a Recovery Support Specialist in 2021. She finds this to be a fulfilling and full circle experience.
Knowing that early recovery can be difficult, Jessica is passionate about helping build connections and community. She works with others in hopes that they can find the same peace that she has. In her free time, she loves going for drives on The Blue Ridge Parkway and visiting friends and family (including her two cats!). “
Operations Team
Lucy Taylor
Logistics Manager
Lucy grew up in the mountains of north Georgia where she developed a love for hiking, backpacking, and mountain biking. She moved to Asheville in her early twenties and fell in love with the mountains and culture. She worked for several years at a well-known wilderness therapy program for adolescents in Old Fort, NC. She continued to work in the mental health and substance use field for the next five years in Asheville, gaining experience and an understanding of addiction and mental health issues. She then became the Enrollment Coordinator of an outdoor adventure program in Asheville, learning invaluable skills for the logistics operations of an outdoor company. In 2017, her family moved to Arizona for three years and she was a middle school Geography and Psychology teacher.
She has primarily worked with teenagers and young adults and loves working in the mental health and substance use field. She has a love for adventure sports and activities, and enjoys all that The Willows has to offer including climbing, yoga, and horseback riding. She brings enthusiasm, compassion for others, and a strong work ethic to The Willows at Red Oak Recovery®. When not at work, you can find Lucy hiking, mountain biking, or hanging out with her husband and nine year old son.
Becky Barth, BA, WFR
Operations Assistant
Becky’s technical skills in adventure sports, the numerous years facilitating groups and program staff, and recently serving as a part-time Clinical Technician for The Willows at Red Oak Recovery® for four years will serve her well in her role as Operations Assistant. She is a team player, strong communicator, and enthusiastically joins in with any task at hand.
Making a difference in the lives of others has always been an underlying motivator for Becky. She strives to be a good listener, show respect for all, discover teachable moments, and encourage all around her to thrive and flourish. Whether supporting a client in a one-on-one setting, leading a group on a camping experience, or working behind the scenes she aims to do meaningful work.
Once an avid competitor in adventure endurance racing, mountain biking, and flatwater canoeing, she now is content to ride bikes, climb rocks, and paddle boats for fun. She proudly parents her two older teenagers, loves to cook and eat all vegetables, and sings a cappella with a small women’s ensemble.
TAMMY SADLER
Senior Administrative Specialist
Tammy has lived all over the US and is happy to now be calling Asheville her home. She believes working at The Willows at Red Oak Recovery® answers her desire to help people and make the world a better place. She brings her extensive administrative and marketing background, her enthusiasm and her compassion to the staff and clients of The Willows at Red Oak Recovery®. She looks forward to helping you when you visit the facility.
Tammy has two adults daughters and son-in-laws, a granddaughter and a sweet old cat. In her free time she likes to contra-dance, sing with a local a cappella chorus, listen to all the great live music in the area, and hike the beautiful NC mountains.
Administrative Team
Christopher Haug
Quality Assurance Officer
Christopher grew up in the Hudson Valley region of New York in a small town neighboring the Catskill Mountains and Hudson River. He received a bachelor’s degree in exercise science while minoring in psychology from the University of New York at Cortland. Christopher later moved to Asheville and began working at a holistic residential program for adults experiencing mental health challenges. While there, he enjoyed the relationship-based approach and opportunity to help others learn and grow and appreciates this same spirit at Red Oak Recovery® programs.
His prior work experience ranges from creating exercise programs for athletes, running professional kitchens, developing occupational health, and safety programs, to most recently serving as an operations director for a non-profit mental health organization. Christopher’s attention to detail and capacity to see the big picture are two important traits he brings to the Quality Assurance Officer role.
When Christopher is not working, he enjoys spending family time with his wife, Emily and their two young children, Rosalie and Zev. He loves working on home improvement projects, time in nature and finding the latest and greatest taco truck in town.
Christa Laws
Finance Coordinator
Christa is a Western North Carolina native. She has worked in healthcare for the last 15 years, starting as a Certified Nursing Assistant after high school, while attending AB Technical College in Asheville. Christa soon discovered her knack for detail and organization and pursued an administrative career. She has served a diverse population in roles over the years, where she has become well versed in billing and administrative functions.
Christa is thrilled to take on the role of Client Financial Services Coordinator as she has a deep-rooted aspiration to help families on their collective recovery journey. She feels privileged to help with any assistance she may be able to provide to make the process a smooth one.
Christa enjoys good coffee, spending time with her family and fur babies, kayaking, traveling, and exploring new places.
HUMAN RESOURCES TEAM
Justin Slack, SHRM-CP
Human Resources Manager
Justin Slack was born and raised in Florida and moved to North Carolina in 2010, drawn by the beauty of the mountains. After graduating from Florida State University, Justin served in various management roles prior to discovering his true passion for Human Resources. As a certified HR professional, Justin enjoys learning all about the many ways Human Resources can have a major impact on both the lives of the employees and those they serve. His desire is to continually provide and ensure a positive atmosphere and experience for the employees at Red Oak Recovery, so they can continue to provide the absolute best care for our clients.
Outside of work, Justin enjoys a number of volunteer activities, teaching and sharing the joy of music with both children and adults. Justin also enjoys traveling whenever possible to discover the beauty and uniqueness that other cultures and places have to share.
Katie Gallant, BS, SHRM-CP
Human Resources Coordinator
Katie has been working in a mental health direct care role since graduating from Appalachian State University where she studied Psychology and Addictions. She has a passion for helping people learn and grow. Katie grew up in the foothills of North Carolina and has always been drawn to the mountains.
After moving to Asheville for its beautiful landscape, Katie was drawn to Red Oak Recovery® and joined the team in a direct care role at The Willows at Red Oak Recovery®. She has had the pleasure of working alongside many departments and many amazing people. Katie has grown within the company and is committed to its purpose of helping clients honor themselves, unveil their self-worth, and pursue positive, lasting change. She now applies that same principle to staff as Human Resources Coordinator and is excited to be part of a growing and supportive work family.
When not at work, Katie spends as much time outside as possible. She loves swimming, hiking, and sitting by a fire with a good book.
Bob Cummings, MA, WEMT, CPS
Staff Training Manager
Bob has worked in the substance use treatment and substance use prevention field for over 35 years and is a Certified Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist, a Wilderness EMT, and holds a Master of Arts degree in Applied Orthodox Christian Studies from St. Sophia Orthodox Seminary in Somerset, NJ. In addition to working in treatment programs, he has worked street ministry with the homeless population, was a Social Worker with child protective services, and was the owner and lead teacher of a ShaoLin Kung Fu school in Asheville, achieving the level of ShaoLin Master Instructor.
As the Training Manager, Bob is responsible for making sure that all Red Oak Recovery staff are the best, most competent, and the most well trained in their fields, and that they are trained in the Red Oak Recovery system of treatment. His responsibilities include recruiting potential staff, screening them to find the best suited for the Red Oak Recovery family, and providing the utmost in onboarding and ongoing training.
Originally from San Diego, Bob grew up in East Tennessee and now lives in Waynesville, NC with his wife. They have three adult children between them and are enjoying the peace and quiet of an empty house. In his spare time, Bob is ordained clergy in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, still teaches and studies ShaoLin Kung Fu, is an ardent canoeist, backpacker, fly fisherman, and loves doing all those things with his wife in the mountains of Western Carolina.
