Council Composition
The council is comprised of nine members, all with varying backgrounds and levels of experience. Each member provides a unique perspective, combining professional knowledge with personal lived experiences related to recovery homes. Below are biographies for each of the officers including details on the years of experience in the field.
Michelle Siwek
Experience: 14 Years
MIchelle Siwek has been working in the recovery community for over 14 years after finding her own recovery on March 27, 2007. Michelle is the owner of Scottsdale Recovery Center, a joint commission accredited behavioral health organization focused on substance use and co-occurring disorders. Michelle has been on the Board of NotMYkid, a non-profit focused on adolescent prevention education and early intervention programs since 2018 and is very passionate about helping her community overcome the afflictions of addiction. Originally from Idaho, Michelle made her way to Arizona State University and having thawed out from the Idaho winters, fell in love with the warmth of Arizona and never left. Michelle graduated from ASU in accounting in 1995 and worked as a senior manager at Arthur Andersen for many years.
In 2010, Michelle opened her first sober living home in Scottsdale, arising out of a need to provide structure in a safe and sober environment for individuals in early recovery. Michelle served on the Board of the Arizona Recovery Housing Association from 2010 until 2018, is actively involved in the Art of Recovery and works one-on-one with women in the recovery community. Michelle, with her lived experience and expertise in well run sober living homes, was instrumental in working with Senator Barto and Senator Brophy Mcgee in passing the first sober living legislation in Arizona. Michelle works tirelessly educating and connecting individuals struggling with substance use disorders to resources that will create a pathway to recovery. Michelle is a firm believer in paying it forward so that all who have a sincere desire can reconnect, rebuild, and recover from addiction.
Tom Fay
Experience: 13 Years
Tom Fay is the Founder and CEO of Gambit Recovery, a National Sober Living Company. Tom has over 13 years of leading industry expertise in the Sober Living/Behavioral Health community. He has opened and operated recovery residences in over 6 states. He is as passionate as he is effective in helping those afflicted with substance issues transition back into a healthy, fulfilling life.
After struggling with his own addiction issues and overcoming a serious suicide attempt, Tom finally got sober in 2010. Since then, he has taken his personal experience and foresight to create a life dedicated to helping others afflicted with drug and alcohol issues.
With his extensive knowledge and insight, Tom has been sought after to develop housing components for numerous treatment facilities and played a vital role in launching and enhancing various sober housing initiatives.
He currently holds the esteemed position of Chair on the board for the Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities in Chandler, AZ, and has previously served as a board member for the Arizona Recovery Housing Association (AZRHA). Collaborating closely with city councils throughout several states, Tom has actively contributed to the development of city ordinances for Recovery Housing, ensuring that operators adhere to specific criteria and a code of ethics, ultimately benefiting both the communities and the residents they serve.
Jeremy Bloom
Experience: 10 Years
Jeremy Bloom’s decade-long experience in the healthcare industry has been marked by his remarkable leadership and expertise in organizational management, regulatory guidelines, and care delivery. With his strong relationships with local and national stakeholders, Jeremy has played a critical role in the development of several healthcare programs, including inpatient facilities, outpatient facilities, recovery homes, patient-centered medical homes, and psychiatric crisis centers. He is a passionate advocate for healthcare innovation and data-driven systems that measure outcomes and costs, with an unwavering commitment to improving the delivery of healthcare services. Jeremy studied health care administration and finance at Grand Canyon University and holds a Medical Practice Executive certificate through the Medical Group Management Association.
Stephanie Womble
Experience: 3 Years
Stephanie Womble leverages her experience in hospitality and the real estate industry as the director of Starts With Love Foundation; a recovery home seeking to provide safe and clean housing for men and women in recovery while also empowering them towards self-sufficiency. She also serves as a member of the board of directors for the Arizona Recovery Home Association.
Damien Browning
Experience: 9 Years
Damien Browning co-founded Steps to Recovery Homes in 2013. He currently holds the position of Chief Executive Officer for the 501c(3) Organization. He has built the non-profit from the ground up. Eleven years later, the organization now has their own building, a men’s facility, a women’s facility, a transitional house, a job development program, a resale store, and an outpatient treatment center.
Damien has an Associate’s Degree in Computer Systems and is currently working towards his Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology Management. Damien has won many awards during his school process, including the All-Arizona Academic Team Scholarship in 2013 and the Yavapai Colleges’ Vice President’s Award for Academic Excellence in 2013.
He is very connected in his community and is an advocate for recovery, reentry and improving programs and housing to maximize the success rate for obtaining long-term recovery. He consistently advocates for raising community awareness about the benefits that recovery from addiction and co-occurring disorders can bring to our communities. He is a member of MATFORCE, where he currently sits on the steering committee and serves as a Reentry and Community Coach. He started the organization to raise the bar in recovery housing and continues to go above and beyond to hold to that value. Damien has quality experience in the non-profit world, writing and managing grants, and opening programs.
John David
Experience: 4 Years
John David has over 10 years of experience in housing and executive administrative duties. He brings a depth of knowledge about the housing industry within Arizona. John has worked directly with community partners such as Community Bridges Inc., among others to keep track of over 550 people and their housing status. John also is a member of the Arizona Recovery Home Association and serves as an executive committee member since 2020.
Joseph Landin
Experience: 12 Years
Joseph Landin is the CEO of Sanctuary Recovery Centers, one of the premier treatment programs in Arizona, serving clients recovering from opioid and other substance and behavioral disorders with a full continuum of care. Under Landin’s leadership since 2013, the peer-run program has been recognized for reducing relapse and increasing productive rehabilitation and has grown from a single sober living home to 104 beds for both residential treatment programs and transitional living homes. The program was used as a model by the City of Phoenix for their sober living city ordinance in 2017, and was later scaled statewide for use by AZDHS.
Landin also is CEO of Helping Hand Auto Care, an organization that trains and employs justice-involved individuals and those in recovery. He has been going to the Florence Prison on a weekly basis since 2018 to offer hope and guidance to inmates approaching release. Landin’s commitment to serving this community is evident, through building coalitions with other treatment programs and government organizations, and he has been honored to serve on the board of directors for Parents of Addicted Loved Ones (PAL).
Wade Muhlhauser
Experience: 6 Years
Wade Muhlhauser is the founder and owner of Plugged In Recovery. He is committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for individuals in recovery. For the last 2 years, he has served as president of the Arizona Recovery Home Association where he uses his business experience and passion to support the organization’s mission to drive positive change for those in recovery.
Mario Torrez
Experience: 5 Years
Mario Torrez was previously a Phoenix firefighter that left the city two years ago to fully transition to working in the recovery home space. Currently, he operates 14 houses with 155 beds. All homes are MAT welcoming and Mario is well versed in implementing compliance components and building home infrastructure. He also celebrates 5 years sober and is passionate about providing people in recovery with a sense of community.
