Board of Directors
BOARD OF DIRECTORS ~ A VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
At Sisters of Sobriety, we believe in second chances, strong foundations, and setting women up for long-term success in recovery and in life. Our work is rooted in compassion, accountability, and the belief that when women are given the right support, they can rebuild their lives with purpose and independence.
We are currently seeking dedicated, passionate individuals to serve on our Board of Directors. This is more than a volunteer role—it is an opportunity to be part of something life-changing.
This role is ideal for individuals who:
• Are passionate about recovery and helping others rebuild their lives
• Believe in servant leadership and giving back
• Can commit to regular board meetings and active participation
• Want to make a lasting impact in their community
By serving on the Board of Directors, you become part of a mission that is transforming lives every day. Together, we are not just helping women get sober—we are helping them build independent, meaningful futures.
If you feel called to serve, we invite you to apply and be part of the continued growth and impact of Sisters of Sobriety.
Our Board of Directors represents more than 140 years of combined sobriety, bringing wisdom, lived experience, and leadership to guide the mission of Sisters of Sobriety.
Angie Kazemier
Co-Founder / Executive Director / Treasurer / Scholarship Committee
When I was 4 years clean and sober in 2008, I had a dream of helping women in recovery and to give back what was so freely given to me. My husband Rick and I were taken to this house and I immediately saw my disease looking straight back at me. This house was a replica of what I had been for 30 years—beat down with no ambition, self-loathing, and no self-esteem. I didn’t want to live. I was going to die an alcoholic/addict, and I accepted the truth in my despair. I was incomprehensibly demoralized. A stranger at that time stood before me and showed me that there was hope. This person taught me unconditional acceptance and love like I had never known. I surrendered my will on September 27, 2004 and was blessed with a pathway to recovery through my higher power and the tables of NA & AA. This began to feed my want to live, and my life hasn’t been the same since. Just as the stranger stood before me, I stood before this home and saw hope and the potential of something grand, as a couple had described it. Recovery for this home was born that day. My dream is now a goal for women that enter through SOS doors to feel the serenity and calmness of a life they thought never existed. I now can share with women a new peace and a new happiness, as I do now with my spirituality, my husband Rick, my children, and my recovery family. I invite you to visit and share your experience, strength, and hope with SOS residents or to support a sister of sobriety.
Rick Kazemier
Co-Founder / President / Scholarship Committee
Richard (Rick) Kazemier was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1957 and is a first-generation American. His parents immigrated with their families after WWII. The oldest of six children, he attended West Side Christian and Calvin Christian High School. He entered the construction industry as a laborer in 1978 in San Diego, California, working his way through the Carpenters’ Union apprenticeship program to receive his journeyman’s card. In 1983 he entered his first treatment for drug addiction and alcoholism in Phoenix, Arizona. Three years later, he was back in treatment after a serious relapse. He returned to Grand Rapids in 1988 clean and sober for 18 months. In 1990 he experienced what he was told was a career-ending injury and enrolled at GRCC in the youth services program. He began working at Glenbeigh Recovery Center in Grand Rapids, and for the next nine years worked for Care Unit of Grand Rapids, North Ottawa Community Hospital Adolescent Treatment Center in Grand Haven, and Reality Counseling Services in Grand Rapids. In 1999 Rick experienced another relapse after 14 years of sobriety that lasted nine years, during which he returned to construction doing bridge work. He remarried in 1999 to his current wife Angela, and they have built a life together. In 2008 Rick entered Brighton Hospital for opiate addiction and went on to celebrate long-term recovery. He retired from the union in 2013. Angela had a dream, and that dream became a reality in 2015 with the birth of Sisters of Sobriety—and retirement ended. Rick’s experience working in the field of substance abuse and his personal experience with recovery and relapse were all necessary to prepare him for the mission at Sisters of Sobriety.
Nicolas J. Finley
Trustee/Interum Treasurer
Bio coming soon.
Erica Straight
Secretary
Erica resides with her family and fur babies in Gaylord, MI. She is an SOS alumna and remains forever grateful to SOS for giving her the tools she needed to live a happy and sober life. Before successfully completing the SOS program, Erica stayed at SOS as a house manager. Being able to be a part of helping other women find recovery fed her soul, and it was at SOS where she found purpose and meaning in her own life. When Erica returned home, she carried on with her purpose of helping others find a recovery path that works for them by becoming a certified peer recovery coach. Currently, she is a volunteer peer recovery coach through NMSAS and is working toward becoming a certified alcohol and drug counselor.
Dr. Melissa Wallager
Trustee / Scholarship Committee / Educational Recovery Success Coach
At a very young age, her grandma gave her the nickname “the people watcher” because of how intently she observed others—a career in psychology fits just right. Dr. Wallager’s family and animals are the brightest source of light in her life. She loves all types of music, and you may catch her singing from time to time. One focus for her in life is reaching self-actualization under her terms and personal expectations. She believes that a life of peace and serenity makes a person richer than any dollar amount. She lives each day influencing honesty, integrity, confidentiality, and treating others with dignity and respect. With an intense level of honor, Dr. Wallager strives to make a positive impact on all the lives of the people she encounters while on this beautiful planet and insists on accomplishing as much as possible in life. She holds an Associate of Science in medical assisting, a Bachelor of Science in health services administration, a Master of Science in industrial and organizational psychology, and a Doctor of Philosophy in developmental psychology focusing on the entire lifespan. Additionally, she is a state-certified medical assistant, recovery coach, and alcohol and drug counselor in the state of Michigan. Her career interests include teaching psychology and researching human behavior, addiction, substance use disorder, and mental health. She is always asking: Why do we do what we do, and why are we who we are?
Diana Farrington
Trustee / Scholarship Committee
Diana Farrington has experience in both the private and public sectors. During most of her career, she climbed the ranks in the back-office portion of the mortgage industry, culminating in the roles of underwriter, auditor, and quality control specialist. She also joined her husband in starting a recruiting company that focused on the professions of finance, accounting, IT, and engineering, where she handled recruiting by day and bookkeeping by night. In addition to industry experience, Ms. Farrington served as a State Representative for six years, serving on multiple committees and acting as Chair of Financial Services for the Michigan House of Representatives during her tenure. She was term-limited at the end of 2022 and now operates Farrington Bookkeeping, an outsourced bookkeeping firm. Ms. Farrington has been married to her husband Jeff for many years, and they share two adult sons, a daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.
Melanie Jackson (Molly)
Trustee
Melanie "Molly" Jackson received her BA from Calvin College in 1984 and later obtained her MSW degree from Michigan State University in 1990. She gained her initial substance abuse credentialing in 1983 and her ACSW in 1992. She has had the privilege of working in the field of substance abuse for over 30 years, providing therapy in outpatient, intensive outpatient (IOP), and residential settings for both adults and adolescents. During that time, she was also called upon to develop a family program for adult and adolescent residential clients. She has provided therapy for dual-diagnosis clients within a mental health setting and eventually became the clinical supervisor overseeing outpatient treatment for probation and parole clients under MDOC contracts, as well as the entire methadone program. Later, she became the clinical supervisor for all programs within the Ingham County Jail, including substance abuse, mental health, and suicide prevention services. Along her journey, she has supervised staff and programs and updated policy and procedure manuals. She has worked closely with CARF, JCAHO, and other accrediting agencies and has consistently received excellent scores on audits. On a more personal note, she has been in recovery for over 49 years.
Trustee
Heather Perez
My journey into recovery began during a time when I was desperately trying to put together just 24 hours of sobriety. I attended AA and NA meetings wherever I could find them, many of which were held in jails and institutions. My life had become a cycle of addiction, incarceration, and relapse. Each time I was released, I hoped things would be different, but I didn’t yet have the tools or support to break free from the grip of addiction. During those difficult years, I often prayed for a way out of the despair I was living in. In 2019, I reached a turning point and admitted myself into a psychiatric unit in Jackson, Michigan. I knew I could not continue living the way I had been. I told the staff that this time I was not leaving until they helped me find somewhere else to go — somewhere that could truly help me change my life. They referred me to Meridian Rehabilitation in Waterford, Michigan. While I was there, I remembered the many times in the past when I had searched for sober living, hoping to find a safe place to begin again. At Meridian, they directed me to a three-ring binder filled with sober living resources. As I flipped through the pages, I came across a flyer for Sisters of Sobriety. Reading about the program immediately gave me a sense of hope. The level of support, accountability, and community offered to the women in the program stood out to me in a way nothing else had before. After speaking with Angie and learning more about the program, I knew this was where I needed to be. I was accepted into Sisters of Sobriety and made the move that would ultimately change the course of my life. When I arrived at the house, I felt something I had not experienced in a very long time — peace. I was surrounded by women who understood what it meant to fight for recovery, and I found the support, accountability, and sisterhood I needed to begin rebuilding my life. Today, I am deeply grateful to serve on the Sisters of Sobriety Board of Directors, where I have the opportunity to give back to a program that played such an important role in my own recovery journey. It is an honor to support a mission that helps women rebuild their lives and discover the same hope and transformation that was given to me.
Trustee
Bernadette Hopkins
I’m someone in long-term recovery (5 years and counting), and that journey has truly shaped who I am today. It’s given me resilience, self-awareness, and a deep sense of empathy for others walking a similar path.
I’m passionate about creating supportive, judgment-free spaces where people feel seen, heard, and encouraged to break stigma and inspire hope.
I’m especially drawn to work that supports women in recovery and helps remove barriers to long-term success—whether that’s through education, outreach, or community support.
At the end of the day, being grounded in both personal experience and professional commitment, I’m driven to give back, foster hope, and contribute to lasting, positive change.