Prior to the launch of Alpha 180™, Bob Ferguson has served as founder and CEO of Jaywalker Lodge since 2004. Jaywalker Lodge is an extended care residential treatment and recovery community for men located in Carbondale, CO.  Before that, Bob served for over 10 years in senior management positions at a number of the leading treatment providers in the addiction & recovery field including: Jaywalker Lodge, Promises Treatment Centers, Crossroads Antigua, and the Hazelden Foundation.

In addition, Bob has served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) since 2011. He is currently beginning his second two-year term on the Executive Committee, serving as Secretary for the NAATP Board. Bob also serves as Chairman of the Board for A Way Out, an Aspen-based 501c3 providing crisis referrals and treatment scholarships for families and residents in Western Colorado.

Bob divides his time between Austin, TX and his home in Snowmass Village where he lives with his wife and two college-aged kids. When he’s not at Alpha 180, Bob stays busy as a grateful participant in his own recovery from addiction, which began – one day at a time – on Feb. 12, 1992.

Before relocating to Austin, Nico Doorn most recently served as an Outreach Coordinator for Cumberland Heights Treatment Center in Nashville, TN. Simultaneously, he was completing a graduate degree in Human Development Studies at Vanderbilt University where he served as the graduate assistant for Vanderbilt Recovery Support. During his involvement, this Collegiate Recovery Program grew in its reach and offerings receiving local and national attention.

Nico’s addiction treatment experience spans from young adult specific program formulation to ground-up recovery residence development and leadership. He spent the last 3 years serving on the board of the Tennessee Alliance of Recovery Residences, which furthers ethics, standards, and education within the sober living community.

Throughout these experiences, Nico has balanced his career with a full-time course load as a college student while fathering a now 11 year-old-son. A recipient of a collegiate recovery program, Nico began his higher education journey with only a ninth grade education. No longer a student, Nico enjoys spending his free time practicing yoga, trail running, bouldering and hanging out with his wife, son and dog.

Wes’s experience in recovery began in October 2005. After going to a treatment program, he got involved with a recovery community and began to rebuild his life. He acquired his Bachelor degree from Schreiner University in Kerrville. Wes enjoyed college and the inspirational environment it provided. He moved to Austin to attend Texas State University and graduated with his Master of Business Administration. He has worked in the addiction treatment field in both direct care and operations roles, and has a passion for helping individuals in recovery improve their lives. Wes lives in Austin with his wife Veronica. He enjoys reading, hiking, and building things.

Will received his Master’s Degree in Social Work from The University of Texas at San Antonio and his Bachelor’s Degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. Will has worked as Men’s Program Director at a reputable residential facility in Austin, TX for the last three years. Additionally, he has worked with at-risk adolescents within the San Antonio high school system

Will is devoted to assisting young adults on their journey toward sobriety and believes that everyone can recover from the disease of addiction. Will utilizes Existential Theory to help clients discover meaning and passion in their lives while also emphasizing the importance of fun in early recovery.

In his free time, Will enjoys traveling around the country to see his favorite band Phish, fly-fishing, and spending time outdoors.

Austin Herrmann moved to Austin in 2011. Following the completion of his undergraduate degree at St. Edward’s University, he began working in the aftercare/sober living setting as a Recovery Coach for recovering individuals transitioning out of inpatient treatment. Austin then transitioned into working in both the inpatient and outpatient treatment settings as a clinician, while working towards the LCDC licensure.

During this time, Austin discovered his passion for doing clinical work with individuals struggling with addictions and decided to return to school to pursue a clinical masters degree. He recently graduated with his Masters of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin. Austin entered long-term recovery himself in 2010, and his hobbies include hiking in the greenbelt with his dog, and watching movies and live music with his wife.

Before relocating to Austin, Connor Bowie attended Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) where he earned his Master of Social Work degree. Connor has worked in collegiate recovery and adolescent treatment for the past two years and has developed a passion for helping young people find recovery. He is passionate about helping young people realize that recovery isn’t a chore but a gift that they have been given. Connor believes in helping the clients find the upside of recovery through fostering a healthy community, holding them accountable, and showing them that recovery is truly a lot of fun.

Jessyca was born and raised in the sunshine state of Florida with two siblings. In 2013, she graduated from Saint Leo University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology then moved to Austin where she completed her Master of Arts in College Student Development at St. Edward’s University. 

After moving, she started out her career with LifeSteps Coalition by raising public awareness about substance use prevention through community events and education. While working in prevention, she experienced addiction even more within her own family and became truly inspired by youth recovery stories she had heard. As a result, this led her to seek out a new path with Teen and Family Services in which she supported youth and families who struggled with addiction. “The best part was being able to see their transformation and making a positive impact in their life.”

Jessyca is passionate about empowering college students not only in their recovery, but also in achieving their academic goals along the way. 

JC Shakespeare, LPC-S has worked for over a decade in schools, treatment centers, IOP programs and in private practice, delivering compassionate counseling through a trauma-informed lens. JC believes that the human emotional system holds the key to healing and recovery; learning to identify, connect with, and regulate emotions leads to resilience and clarity. Through modes of treatment like EMDR, somatic psychotherapy, and mindfulness JC helps clients unblock old emotional pain and enter into a more vibrant, connected sense of self. JC has lived in Austin for 25 years. He has three daughters, and enjoys writing, bad golf and good movies.