Meet the team
Marisa cornell, Edd
MRJC Executive Director
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Marisa joined the staff of MRJC in 2008 and now serves as the Executive Director, as well as Program Director for the 24th Judicial Recovery Treatment Courts, Watauga Recovery Treatment Court Coordinator, and all purpose mediator. She has a Master's Degree in Counseling (Expressive Arts Therapy), a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, and an extensive history of advocacy around restorative processes, community- building, peaceful conflict resolution, and experiential learning.
mollie bolick, msw
Homestead Recovery Center Director
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Mollie is a woman in recovery, formerly incarcerated person and Watauga County Native. She has spent all of her professional career working at the intersection of peer led recovery and justice system work first serving as the Case Manager for the Recovery on the Inside Program beginning in 2018 and then as the Program Coordinator for Watauga LEAD and Recovery on the inside from 2020-2022 before starting her new role as Center Director for Homestead Recovery in 2023. Mollie began her recovery journey as a person who needed to leave Watauga County in order to access basic recovery services and returned to Appalachia in 2013 committed to bring some of the support she had experienced back to the High Country. Mollie holds B.S and M.S degrees in Social Work from Appalachian State University and received the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce 4 Under 40 Award for Non-Profit Business Professional in 2021 and the Beaver College of Health Sciences Emerging Leader Award in 2023. Mollie continues to experience the gifts of recovery living in the Western end of the county with her husband and their six children.
Mackenzie laney, msw
Community & Programs Specialist
Project Director for MRJC ARC INSPIRE Initiatives
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Mackenzie came to Boone from Charlotte in 2014 to study history at Appalachian State University. Studying histories of social justice, a part-time job in the school system, and an introductory social work course eventually led her to pursue a Masters of Social Work. She holds a B.S degree in Applied and Public History with a minor in Africana Studies and a M.S. degree in Social Work with a concentration in Communities and Organizations, both from ASU. She completed her second year MSW field experience as an intern at MRJC in 2019-2020 and has since worked in both juvenile and adult services here. Mackenzie now serves as a Community & Program Specialist and ARC Project Director for MRJC and loves the macro social work she has the opportunity to practice! She lives in Foscoe with her dog Murphy, volunteers as a Guardian ad Litem for Wilkes County, and is continuously learning about and working on her recovery allyship.
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dale hudler, lcswa, nccpss
LEAD Clinical Case Manager
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Dale joined MRJC in 2021 and serves as the Clinical Case Manager for the Watauga LEAD Program. Dale received his Master of Social Work from Wayne State University and is a North Carolina Certified Peer Support Specialist. After entering recovery in Detroit, Michigan in 1985 Dale returned to the mountains and his family in 1992 and has been a resident of Ashe country since .
Pam Greer, NCCPSS
Recovery on the Inside Peer Support Specialist
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Pam Greer is a Boone native who has a calling to help and support others in their recovery wherever that may be. She is very passionate about helping others and wants to help each individual be the best person possible. She has been down her own path of addiction and wants to help others experience the joy that recovery can bring to the life of someone broken. She is excited and proud to be part of the Homestead team and looks forward to being a link in the chain, a piece to the puzzle that helps paint a beautiful picture. She has a wonderful husband and a beautiful daughter who support her recovery journey.
Melissa Monday, BS, NCCPSS
Recovery Court Advocate
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Originally from Gaston County, Melissa moved to Western North Carolina in the summer of 2021 to pursue a Bachelor in Criminal Justice from Western Carolina University and now proudly calls the mountains home. After years of building her own recovery, Melissa decided she wanted to help others break the cycle of addiction and justice system involvement. During the course of school Melissa began working in the mental health and substance use field . Melissa now happily serves as our Recovery Court Advocate for the 24th Judicial District by using her personal and professional experience to help others heal and find belonging.
Crystal Trivette, NCCPSS
Watauga LEAD Peer Support Specialist
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Born and raised in Ashe County, Crystal has been on a recovery journey for many years. She is a formally incarcerated person who used the support of loved ones and community to break the cycle of addiction. She loves to hike and be in nature, she used yoga and meditation to stay focused and grounded. Crystal says she is excited to be part of the Homestead Recovery team and use her lived experience to advocate and help people with their own journey to recovery and wellness.
Katlynd Taylor, NCCPSS
Peer Services Coordinator
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Katlynd began working with Homestead in 2023 as a Peer Support Specialist and now serves as the Peer Service Coordinator. Katlynd is the first team member to come full circle, beginning her recovery journey as a client of our programs and going on to become an employee. Katlynd says she is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Homestead and is very excited to use her experience, strength, and hope to make a difference in her community.
Geof Gatti
Recovery Housing Coordinator
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Creating a revamped life-path for himself, Geof moved to Boone just prior to the change of the
new year, 2024. Born and raised in Louisville, KY, he left his job of multiple years with an
International law firm to focus on his passion for connectedness..., working with and helping
others. Having had a multitude of turbulent life experiences from early upbringing and through
his own personal struggles with addiction, Geof is well versed in the complexities of behavioral
and mental welfare. He arrived at Homestead with excitement and fervor as the new Recovery Housing Coordinator, proud to be part of a community that exemplifies working as a team to create a cohesive and stable environment that nurtures the recovery process of others.
A musician of 33 years and an instructor to young students, Geof, also studies and enjoys the
psychology of mental health and how addiction ties into it. Songwriting, mindfulness and being
present in nature are just a few of his practices day to day, with a common goal of obtaining
semblance and a sense of well being.
Geof looks forward to establishing hope, a renewed sense of faith and opportunity for those in need, helping to facilitate growth and improvement in their lives.
“If you want to see a miracle, BE the miracle for someone else!”
HEather smith
Reentry Peer Support​
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Heather Arnold is a native of Watauga County. Heather received her Associate in Science from Caldwell Community College. After working most of her career in healthcare she is excited to join the team at Homestead Recovery Center. As a formerly incarcerated person she has found meaning and purpose in helping others find their potential while navigating their reentry back into the community. Heather believes her journey in her own recovery has equipped her with the knowledge and lived experience needed to support others along their recovery and navigate the many complexities faced when coming home.
Ken Connelly
Volunteer Recovery & Transportation Ally
Co-Coordinator of Recovery Housing Project
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Ken began volunteering with MRJC in 2022. He is a retired software developer who moved to Boone from West Virginia in 2014. For the past 14 years, Ken has volunteered through local jail and prison ministry and completed Recovery Coaching Academy in 2022.
Bob baker
Volunteer Recovery & Transportation Ally
Co-Coordinator of Recovery Housing Project
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Bob began volunteering at Homestead in the Summer of 2023. A native of the Mississippi Delta, he moved to Boone in 2020 from Charlotte, where he was an attorney with Moore & Van Allen. He shares that in the time that he has volunteered at Homestead, he has become a huge admirer of the Homestead staff and the mission of the organization.
Sarah Bell
Social Work Intern
Sarah is an Advanced Standing Master's of Social Work student at App State interning with the Peer Service Program. She completed her undergraduate degree in Fall of 2022 with a Bachelors in Social Work and a Minor in Sociology, with a Concentration in Criminology, Deviance, and Law.
Ella Reynolds
Sociology Intern
Ella is a senior at Appalachian State University in the Sociology Department interning with the Recovery on the Inside Program. She is currently studying Sociology with a concentration in Criminology with a deviance in Criminal Law and a minor in Criminal Justice. After she graduates in May of 2024 she hopes to move to Washington D.C and pursue a career in Criminal Justice reform policy, specifically working with rehabilitation programs.
Molly Gartner
Criminal Justice Intern
Molly is a senior Criminal Justice student at Appalachian State University interning with the Peer Service Program. She will graduate with department and university honors in May of 2024 and plans to begin working towards her paralegal licensure through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall.
Maddie Bonnes
Criminal Justice Intern
Maddie is a Senior Criminal Justice student at Appalachian State University in the Government & Justice Studies department with a Minor in Hospitality & Tourism Management. Maddie interns with the Peer Service Program and will graduate in May 2024 and continue her career in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Lex stout
Social Work Intern
Lex is a senior social work major at Appalachian State University interning with the Watauga LEAD Program. Lex is on track to graduate in May 2024. After graduation, Lex plans to remain at App to pursue a Master’s degree in Social Work with a concentration in community and organizational practice.
kaytlynn Carter
Social Work Intern
Kaytlynn is a senior Social Work major and Sociology minor at Appalachian State University. interning with our Executive Team and Recovery Court Advocacy. Kaytlynn is on track to graduate in May of 2024. After graduation, Kaytlynn will pursue a Master's degree in Social Work in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Chris bouchard
Social Work Intern
Chris is a senior social work major with a minor in Spanish and is going to continue his education within the graduate program for social work. Following graduation he hopes to start working as a counselor and eventually obtain his LCSW. Chris is currently interning with the Watauga LEAD Program.