Maine Recovery Council Members

The membership of the Maine Recovery Council is established by the Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) between the Attorney General and certain litigating Subdivisions in Maine, as amended on June 13, 2022, and state law, 5 M.R.S.A. § 203-C.  The MOU charges the Council members to direct the disbursement of recovery funds for recovery purposes on a statewide basis for the uses allowed by the MOU (see exhibits 1 and 2 of the MOU). 

The MOU provides for eleven (11) Council members, as follows:

  • The Litigating Subdivisions shall appoint at least four (4) members;
  • The Governor shall appoint two (2) members;
  • The Speaker of the House or his designee;
  • The President of the Senate or his designee;
  • The Attorney General shall appoint three (3) public members from among the following:
    • Individuals or family members impacted by the Opioid Crisis;
    • Individuals with substance use disorder and recovery community experience; and
    • Public health experts in treatment or prevention.

State law, 5 M.R.S.A. § 203-C, provides for four (4) additional voting members as follows:

  • One member who is a medical professional with direct experience providing medication-assisted treatment, appointed by the President of the Senate;
  • One member representing reentry services for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals and their families, appointed by the President of the Senate;
  • One member representing a nonprofit community-based provider of mental health treatment, appointed by the Speaker of the House; and
  • One member representing the harm reduction community, appointed by the Speaker of the House.

Recovery Council Members

Litigating Subdivisions Appointees

  • Liz Blackwell-Moore, MPH; Public Health Director, Cumberland County
  • Todd Brackett, Sheriff, Lincoln County
  • Betsy Fitzgerald, County Manager (retired), Washington County
  • Maggie McLoughlin, Director of Health and Human Services for the City of Portland

Governor Appointees

  • Debra Poulin, LCSW, CCS , Director of Clinical Services for Maine Office of Behavioral Health
  • Benjamin Mann, Deputy Commissioner for Finance, Maine Department of Health and Human Services

Speaker of the House Appointees

  • Rep. Holly Stover, Maine State Representative – District 48
  • Joseph Everett, President & CEO, The Opportunity Alliance
  • Chasity Tuell, Northern Maine Director of Harm Reduction Services

President of the Senate Appointees

  • Amber Pulcifur, Addiction Medicine Counselor
  • Melissa Hackett, Maine Children's Alliance
  • Bruce Noddin, Executive Director/Founder, Maine Prisoner Re-Entry Network

Attorney General Appointees

  • Dr. Paul Vinsel, Physician practicing addiction medicine, Tri-County Mental Health Services
  • Pat Kimball, Hermon
  • Tess Parks, Policy Organizer, Maine Recovery Advocacy Project

Executive Committee

  • Pat Kimball, Chair 
  • Chasity Tuell, Vice Chairperson
  • Ben Mann, Treasurer
  • Betsy Fitzgerald, Secretary
  • Bruce Noddin, At Large
  • Paul Vinsel, At Large
    Joe Everett, At Large

Governance Committee

  • Paul Vinsel. Chairperson
  • Pat Kimball
  • Tess Parks
  • Betsy Fitzgerald
  • Joe Everett
  • Maggie Mcloughlin

Finance Committee

  • Ben Mann, Chairperson
  • Tess Parks
  • Paul Vinsel
  • Todd Brackett
  • Pat Kimball

Program/Grants/Needs/Planning/Collaboration Committee

  • Joe Everett, Chairperson
  • Amber Pulcifur
  • Chasity Tuell
  • Liz Blackwell-Moore
  • Melissa Hackett
  • Bruce Noddin
  • Todd Brackett
  • Pat Kimball

An ad hoc working group (MS Word) provides recommendations to the Council for long-term prevention funding.