Staff

Angie Buggert has been a participant with Recovery Beyond since 2015, joining just as the program was finding its way to Tacoma, WA. Since joining she has had the honor of standing on the summit of some of the greatest mountains, staring out at some of the greatest views the PNW has to offer, including Mount Rainier, Mount Hood, and Mount Adams. Although her journey in recovery since 2015 has been filled with some low valleys and high peaks, she is thrilled to report she just recently celebrated 2 years of recovered living in December 2022!

She recently completed the Washington State exam and became certified as a Peer Support Specialist. She has always had a special place in her heart and soul for Recovery Beyond and the impact that the volunteers, members, participants, and leaders have left was instrumental in her decision to join the Peer Advisory Board and become a Peer Lead. She would like to carry the torch and encourage and lift up others on this exciting new adventurous life experience!

She currently resides in Pierce County with her 6 month old daughter, Everly Rose, who is following in her mom’s footsteps and has two hikes under her baby belt.

Elisa manages the Activities, Events, and Programs for Recovery Beyond. She is our boots on the ground, interacting with and managing Participants, Peer Leads, and activities. She comes with a background in District Management, Program Management, and Recovery Coaching with a Bachelor’s in Business Communications.

Before joining Recovery Beyond, Elisa was a District Manager for 2 years for Healthcare Services Group specializing in Environmental Services, and a Program Manager for DDA Residents in Pierce County before that.

Her inspiration comes from when she started as a Recovery Coach in 2018. At this time, Elisa was one of the first twelve Recovery Coaches to be introduced to Washington. She helped run her program in Pierce County with a focus on helping the youth in the community that struggled with substance use.

Elisa began wanting to help others at a very young age. She was very eager to help youth because that connected with her own life story. Being able to give back to the youth in her community was very uplifting for her as she felt she did not have that resource when she was young as many others didn’t as well.

Using her own life experiences, Elisa worked with and supported many of the youth in Pierce County to work toward sobriety, graduating high school, finding housing, getting jobs, finding their meaning of being in recovery, and learning how to change and correct the future they believed they were given. Elisa also was a youth advocate for youth being released from juvenile detention centers as well as a seat at the table for the Tacoma Gang Project.

Elisa has a passion for creating safe environments to encourage positivity. She likes to use unique tactics to incorporate fun and excitement into events and activities that heal and strengthen the inner child in us as well as encourage, validate, and motivate the person we are now.

Living in Snoqualmie, WA, Elisa has many hobbies, some of which are hiking, rock climbing, many different sports, colorguard, and running around while making funny faces with her daughter.

Jess Villarreal leads Recovery Beyond’s marketing and communications operations. She is a copywriter with a 5-year background in non-profit coordination and management.

In her previous role with Recovery Beyond, Jess acted as the Senior Program Manager and was responsible for the creation and daily oversight of the Climb Team, expansion events, and personnel. Before joining Recovery Beyond, Jess spearheaded after-school programming and community engagement efforts, as well as created accessibility frameworks to address barriers to the outdoors. 

As an avid rock climber, biker, and someone who enjoys a good walk, Jess has found solace and inspiration in physical activities. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia and currently resides in Seattle, WA.

Mark Adams has a passion for living true wholeness in health and life. He has spent nearly 20 years creating and leading programs, experiences, and communities that teach and guide people toward living better, healthier lives in a more natural, joyful, and holistic way. His driving question for folks is, “Can you live it?”

A college athlete and personal trainer back in the day, “Dr. Mark” earned his doctorate degree in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University and has always focused on whole health living instead of clinical treatment. Mark also earned a master’s degree in Exercise & Sport Science from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and an undergraduate degree from Harvard University.

Most notably, Mark co-founded ONVO, a boutique whole body health and wellness community in the Bellevue-Seattle area that attracted thousands of clients during its decade existence. During that time he was invited to speak at companies such as Starbucks, Microsoft, and Google.

Raised in Indiana, Mark has lived in the Pacific Northwest for more than two decades. He and his three boys live in Issaquah, WA and have a love for hiking, camping, and outdoor adventures with their 125 pound dog, Bullet. In 2020, Mark and his boys founded a family non-profit called FAITH FUELED that brings together physical and spiritual health.

Megan C. Wright, LCAC, LMHCA, TTS is personally in long-term recovery and understands the significance of healthy alternatives to substance use, community engagement, and life-long support.

Megan has been professionally involved in the behavioral health field for over 12 years, with extensive experience in non-profit administration, program development and implementation, grant management, and leveraging community resources.  She has worked in the clinical and administrative levels of residential, outpatient, community mental health, and corrections environments.

She is an active participant of regional and national coalitions, advocating for education and stigma reduction, as well as shaping policy related to substance use disorder treatment and resources.

Quite active in her personal life, Megan enjoys caving, obstacle-course running, boxing, and weight-lifting in her spare time.  Megan is also a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer.