VARRONLINE.ORG - Key Persons
Donnie Newton is a retired Deputy Sheriff with the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office, having served 37 years. Donnie worked through the ranks of the organization and retired as a Lieutenant
Colonel in March 2017. Donnie had many assignments over his career to include Deputy, Jail Security Commander, Jail Administrator, Director of Training, Inspector, Chief Deputy of Professional Standards and finally as Chief Deputy of Operations. He was a Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) instructor for the majority of his career.
Donnie began volunteering with the Helping Addicts Recover Progressively (HARP) program at the Chesterfield County Jail in the fall of 2021 ministering to the participants and just being a good listener to what was being said. In early 2022 the non-profit HARP RVA, Inc was established with Donnie being selected as the Boards first Chairman which he still serves.
In his spare time Donnie enjoys attending his Church, spending time at the Chesapeake Bay with his family and friends, playing golf, fishing, hunting and most importantly serving others.
Dorothy earned an MD from the University of Virginia and BA from the College of William and Mary. She is certified by and a fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American College of Cardiology. She was a co-founder and is the retired medical director of Blue Ridge First Step. She is a retired associate professor at the UVA School of Medicine, founder of Pantops Methadone Clinic, and past associate medical director of The Farley Institute. She is a master gardener, master naturalist, and tree steward. Dorothy has served on numerous community nonprofit boards and is the founder of Georgia's Friends, Inc.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the President of the Board
- Founder and Director of REAL LIFE
Dr. Sarah Scarbrough is the founder and director of REAL LIFE, a nonprofit focused on helping individuals overcome barriers to successful community integration post incarceration. Her vision was born out of her work in the Richmond City Justice Center where, prior to founding REAL LIFE, she worked for more than a decade. Her innovative approach and effective solutions has garnered international attention and her work at REAL LIFE continues to expand on that success.
Most recently, Sarah was named a "Hometown Hero" by Allen, Allen, Allen, & Allen and in 2018, she was one of the People of the Year honorees from the Richmond Times Dispatch. She was awarded the Edward Peoples Award for Social Justice from Virginia Commonwealth University, and was named one of the Top 40 under 40 in Richmond, VA. She received her Ph.D. and Master's from Virginia Commonwealth University and bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia. When not working, Sarah stays busy with her three young children and husband.
Job Titles:
- Professional Social Worker
Jimmy Christmas has been a professional Social Worker, since 1994, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) since 2002. Jimmy has been the Founder, CEO, and Clinical Director of "River City," a behavioral health organization that provides comprehensive DBHDS licensed programs and services.
Jimmy's current public service commitments include the Virginia Association of Recovery Residences (VARR), Virginia Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council, DBHDS/DMAS "Redesign" Initiative, VCU RamsIn Recovery, Virginia Association of Community-Based Providers, and the Ujima Legacy Fund.
Jimmy has been a person in long term Recovery since August 20, 1992, a runner, martial artist, and golfer for over 25 years; and is a big fan of Stephen King and Ann Rice novels. He loves traveling, music, food, and most all, Jimmy loves spending time with his family and friends.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Founder
Job Titles:
- Recovery Program Manager / Charlottesville, VA
Established in 2020, Loudoun Serenity House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located 40 miles from Washington, DC, in the town of Leesburg, Virginia, close to public transportation and within walking or biking distance to grocery and retail shops. We welcome all adults from any geographic location with at least 30 days sobriety - applicants need to have completed a treatment program or be currently enrolled in a program with a primary diagnosis of substance use disorder (SUD). We have two transitional recovery houses: our women's house can hold up to eight (8) residents and our men's house can hold up to seven (7) residents. Our vision is to create a controlled and supportive environment which provides newly-sober women and men the tools necessary to bolster and maintain their recovery while helping to repair those personal and professional relationships that were destroyed over the months, years and possibly decades in which addiction controlled their lives.
Job Titles:
- Founder & Executive Director of Loudoun Serenity House Is a Loudoun, Virginia
- Vice President of Axcend, Inc
Melissa Hinton, Founder & Executive Director of Loudoun Serenity House is a Loudoun, Virginia resident and a recovery advocate with past experience working in the addiction treatment field. Melissa has 33 years of personal recovery and is actively involved with women in the recovery community. In 2018, in partnership with Community Foundation of Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, Melissa spearheaded an initiative to open the first women's recovery house in Loudoun County. Loudoun Serenity House opened in the town of Leesburg, VA in October 2020 after the tragic loss of Melissa's younger sister Rachel in 2019 from her addiction.
In her professional life, Melissa is Vice President of Axcend, Inc in Fairfax, Virginia. Her career background is in technology leadership as a trusted advisor to the Federal Government with a technical expertise as a Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP) and a B.S. in Business Management. She has directed and led large project teams in the area of Enterprise Cloud Computing and Cyber Security.
Job Titles:
- Recovery Support Specialist at Radford University
Reed Yearwood is the Recovery Support Specialist at Radford University. He has lived experience with substance use and trauma and is dedicated to encouraging healing, wellness, and self-discovery from a holistic approach. Reed manages Holistic Addictions Recovery, an RCO developing recovery infrastructure in Virginia's New River Valley. In 2019, he opened the first recovery house in Montgomery County while simultaneously completing their drug court program. Reed learned of the Virginia Recovery Scholars sponsored by DBHDS and joined to support himself while pursuing a degree. Currently enrolled in the International Programme in Addiction Studies to complete a master's degree, he received a B.S. in Sociology with distinction from Radford University.