Travis Bornstein

A Stark County resident on his 9th term as President of Teamsters Local No. 24 in Akron, Ohio. Known for his honesty and integrity, Travis has been highly respected by both sides of the table for more than 27 years. As one of the founders of Hope United, created in honor of his only son, Tyler, Travis is committed to helping to bring a solution during the worst drug epidemic in U.S. history. He is a sought after speaker on addiction and recovery who has been featured in Forbes and Bloomberg. His testimony at the Ohio Statehouse was instrumental in establishing Ohio's first Good Samaritan 911 Law. He has also had meetings with members of Congress, both in the House and the Senate, advocating for reforms in healthcare laws for treating those with the disease of addiction and is leading the charge to hold big Pharma accountable for its part in the opioid crisis.  Travis is a member of the national advisory committee STOP (Surgical Taskforce Organized to Prevent) Opioid Abuse, dedicated to reducing unnecessary exposure to opioids in the surgical setting. Travis is a current member of the Advisory Committee for the Summit County Drug Court, Turning Point Program. Travis is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, is married to Shelly Bornstein and has two daughters, Tana and Taylor.

Karen May

Karen is currently working as the Manager of Marketing Programs at HBD Industries. She worked for 9 years in global marketing communications at The Timken Company and has more than 30 years’ experience in public relations and marketing communications. She has served on various area non-profit boards and now focuses most of her free time helping Hope United with media relations and fund raising. A graduate of The University of Akron with a bachelor’s degree in business and organizational communication, Karen is also a graduate of Leadership Akron Class XVIII and served as Junior Leadership Akron co-chair.

craig ressler

A Stark County resident, Craig is a 2008 graduate of the South East Institute of Biblical Studies in Knoxville, TN. After graduation, Craig was the pulpit minister at the Oakhill Church of Christ in Covington, GA from 2009-2017. In December 2017, Craig and his family moved to Ohio to work with the Hartville Church of Christ where he has been the minister since January of 2018. As a minister, Craig loves people, and therefore, he's a strong advocate of Hope United's cause to help and support those in recovery. Craig and his wife Amanda have four boys, Eli, Owen, Isaac and Aden. 

jeff dafler

Jeff is Vice President – Economic Development & Public Policy at the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce. He is also President of the Downtown Canton Land Bank, a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing Canton’s urban core, and leads the Canton Innovation District for the city.  He serves on the Canton and Jackson Township Community Improvement Corporation boards and the City of Canton Tax Incentive Review Council. Jeff began his career working in international political and economic affairs as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. Jeff previously held leadership roles in communication and public policy at NCR Corporation and The Timken Company. Jeff holds a bachelor’s degrees in international studies and French from Miami University and a master’s degree in communication from the University of Dayton.  He serves as adjunct faculty in Communication at Walsh University. He is author of the book Psobriety: A Journey of Recovery Through the Psalms.

debby kirkpatrick

A Medina County resident, Debby studied Graphic Design at The University of Akron and then served in The United States Air Force. She spent 35 years as a General Manager, managing Retail Businesses in Summit, Medina, and Stark Counties. After the death of her daughter, Megan, to a drug overdose in 2016, Debby left her retail career to become an Administrative Assistant, Intake Specialist at a Recovery Outreach Center. She is passionate about advocating for those suffering from substance use disorder and making a difference in their lives. She is a Member and Leader of Hope United’s Grief support group, The Well. Debby attends training and seminars to increase her knowledge of substance use disorder. She is passionate about supporting Hope United and those they serve in our community.

Rev. Reba McCray

Reba is a woman in long term recovery, pastor of the Community of Christ Church in Akron and the Executive Director of ARC Recovery Services. Reba is the President of the Ohio Recovery Housing Association and is a part of the Summit County Re-entry Coalition.

Reba began working in the recovery field and helping others struggling with addiction and substance use disorder in 2013 with the Oriana House and ARC Recovery Services.

She has personally struggled with addiction and spent 6 years on medication assisted treatment, and then found success in recovery through ARC Recovery Services -recovery housing and the Community of Christ Church.

Reba is the mother of 5 adult children and has lost a son to overdose. She is a grandmother to 15 children and has recently been promoted to Great Grandmother in March of 2022!

Dean Poling

Dean is a small business owner in Stark County where he resides with his wife Rachel. He works in the electrical industry, specializing in Generac Generators and Clean Energy Solutions. Tyler - Travis and Shelly’s son - was Dean’s best friend. Dean also struggled with a substance use disorder and is now living a life of recovery. His battle with addiction and Tyler's death inspired a passion for helping those who are still sick and suffering. He has served on various non-profit boards since 2016, aimed at bringing hope and freedom to other suffering from addiction. He is a follower of Jesus and also serves on the Board of Deacons at his church. He enjoys golfing in his spare time, exploring the Caribbean with his wife, and spending time at home with his German shepherds. As an executive board member for Hope United, he hopes to build a brighter future for our community.

Todd Rossiter

A Summit County resident, Todd is a former iron worker and member of Iron Workers Local 17. He loved his work in the steel industry until he endured a near-fatal accident in 2016 while doing contract maintenance in a steel mill. Todd has fought hard to physically recover from a 40 foot fall that led to 6 weeks in the ICU, more than 23 surgeries, and many months of physical rehab. Todd is also a person in long-term recovery, and has been a speaker at many events and rallies through the years, offering hope to others and inspiring many who are seeking their own recovery.

Judge Susan Baker Ross

Judge Susan Baker Ross graduated from the University of Akron with a Bachelor’s Degree in Management with a minor in English in 1988. She completed law school at the University of Akron School of Law in May 1991 and was admitted to the practice of law in the State of Ohio in November 1991.

In November 2018, she was elected to a six-year term on the Court of Common Pleas beginning May 17, 2019. In addition to maintaining her assigned case docket and serving as Presiding Judge for the Court, Judge Baker Ross presides over the Summit County Valor Court, providing justice-involved veterans access to programs, treatment, and interaction with mentors in a collaborative initiative to enhance chances of success.

Judge Baker Ross has received several honors, including the Freedom House for Women 2022 Leadership Award, Limitless Ambition 2020 Ladies of Legacy Award, and Outstanding Committee Chair Award 2019-2020 from the Akron Bar Association for her dedication as Co-Chair of the Lawyers Assistance Committee for over ten years, 2019 Celebration of Life Awardee with the Final Farewell Project, and 2019 Ohio Associations of Magistrates Award.

Judge Baker Ross is grateful to be in long-term recovery since July 19, 1989. Having lived through some difficult circumstances in her lifetime, she is seeing how her experience, strength, and hope can benefit others.

Logan Broyles

Logan is a 2023 graduate of Oberlin College with a degree in Economics. He earned an academic scholarship to Oberlin and spent his first three years of college as a student-athlete on the Yeomen Football Team. Logan’s other interests include lifting, reading and pursuing his personal trainer and nutrition coach certification. He is creating an Austrian Economics course for Learn Arena, a competitive online learning platform.

Logan has been passionate about the mission of Hope United since its inception. Losing his cousin Tyler to the disease of addiction significantly impacted his life. It inspired him to do more to help others affected by addiction.

Michele Bornstein

Shelly Bornstein, a Stark County resident, is the co-founder and Executive Director of Hope United – Tyler's Redemption Place. She earned her associate degree in radiology from the University of Akron. Shelly also became certified as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist and has 28 years of experience working in the healthcare field as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist at Aultman Hospital. In recent years, she obtained her Certificate as a Chemical Dependency Counseling Assistant. Shelly is a graduate of Gorski-Cenaps Relapse Prevention Training and has completed both the CCAR (Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery) and OMHAS Certified Peer Recovery Supporter Training and is certified as an Ohio Certified Peer Supporter. Shelly is the co-founder and co-leader of The Well Grief Support Group for Hope United.

Along with a few volunteer leaders, Shelly began a support group for families with a loved one struggling with SUD called Loving With Grace. She is a current member of the Advisory Committee for the Summit County Drug Court, Turning Point Program. She has attended CRAFT (Community Reinforcement and Family Training) Training, Botvin Life Skills, and Mental Health First Aid, as well as many other trainings, conferences, and seminars on addiction, mental health, trauma, grief, and the opioid epidemic. She was a member of the Summit County Addiction Leadership Council with United Way while it was in existence, is a member of the Prevention Action Alliance - G.A.P. Advisory Council and is a member of both the Summit and Stark County Addiction Task Forces. Shelly also became certified in Compassionate Bereavement Care through the Center for Loss and Trauma in partnership with the MISS Foundation and the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Family Trust. She has volunteered her time through the years at Haven of Rest, Rahab Ministries, Deliverance House, The Chapel, and numerous mission trips to Romania, Mozambique, Kenya, and India. Shelly has a heart for serving and especially for making a difference with those struggling with addiction and their families and helping the community understand addiction as a disease. Her healthcare background, faith, volunteer work, missions work, and continual learning have provided Shelly with the tools necessary to run a Recovery Community Organization.

Laura Broyles

A Summit County resident, Laura earned her BS in Education from The University of Akron. She formerly worked as a Senior Sales Representative at Verizon Wireless for seven years and as an event planner/business owner of Tiaras and Treasures, Inc. for 15 years.  Laura works as the Director of Education and Outreach for Hope United. She has attended countless conferences, seminars, and trainings to continue her education in addiction, mental health and suicide, including Mental Health First Aid and the Botvin Life Skills for Middle School and High School.  Laura is a past member of Drug Free Stark County, she has recently completed the 8-hour training to be certified as a PAX Community Tools Educator, and she is certified as an Ohio Certified Prevention Specialist.

BRIAN BOYD

MAGGIE WALKER

Maggie, a Summit County native now residing in Portage County, earned an associate degree in medical billing and insurance coding from Herzing University in 2009. She worked as a Medical Biller and Coder at Matrix Health Care Management Solutions in North Canton and then at American Medical Response in Akron. She returned to school to earn her associate degree in cyber security and computer forensics from Stark State College in 2018.

She then personally struggled with addiction and faced many of the challenges that come with that, including CPS involvement, incarceration, and being moved through the court systems. These issues led to treatment for her substance use disorder. They ended with her successful completion of treatment at IBH Addiction Recovery.

Maggie is currently the Intake Coordinator at Tyler’s Redemption Place and is working to earn her CPRS to work as a Certified Peer Recovery Supporter at the RCO. She enjoys helping all who come through the doors of the RCO by sharing her experience and offering the hope that recovery is possible. Maggie has been a big part of creating the programming at Tyler’s Redemption Place. She has been a fantastic addition to the team since she began working at the RCO in September of 2023.

Maggie is the mother of 5 amazing boys who have and will continue to benefit from her life in recovery, as will the world around her.