Craig Pickos was born walking distance from the shores of Lake Michigan in Kenosha, WI. He later moved to Central Florida where he attended high school and graduated from what is now called Polk State College. During that time, his professional waterskiing career ended early due to an undiagnosed substance use disorder. The condition continued to worsen till he discovered recovery in June of 1997. 

He now lives a healthy and peaceful life on the same lake in Florida that he grew up on as a boy. His life’s mission is to ensure that anyone impacted by drug use that is needing and wanting recovery, will receive compassionate and loving support. For this reason, he helped found the recovery community organization, Polk for Recovery.

Andrea Anderson has been in recovery since 2008. She is firmly planted in her faith and her recovery. She has a deep passion for helping others discover a way out of addiction and to a new life in recovery. She truly believes this is her calling in life. Andrea brings years of experience and resources needed for our community and has the goal to be “the best that she can be” in her work as a valued team member for Polk for Recovery.

Tina Brown grew up in McPherson, KS.  She enjoyed working in the hospitality industry while she earned her BS in Business. After graduating from college, she moved to her native state of Florida and continued in that field for several more years.  As she continued to work many late evenings, she became active in the night life which led her down the road to her addiction.

This destructive lifestyle continued for years until she found recovery in 2018.  Due to the varied resources that Polk County has to offer in the recovery field, she is living proof that “We Do Recover.”  She is now living a rewarding life spreading her message of hope.  Because of her compassion for others and helping them find their own recovery, she has teamed up with the recovery community organization, Polk for Recovery.

Barbara was born in Peoria, Illinois and lived there until her mid-teenage years. Her father was able to retire at the age of 49 and moved the family to Florida. During her childhood in Peoria, her dad was able to maintain his job but drank a lot, every day! She vividly remembers seeing him 2 months after he went into treatment, and he was sober for the first time in many years. Although he passed in 2016, he never drank again and was a mentor through Alcoholics Anonymous for many years to others who needed someone to help them maintain their sobriety.

Gary Graham grew up in Washington DC. He joined the United States Marine Corps at the age of seventeen to fulfill his dream of serving our great country. Upon completion of his service, he found himself beginning to drink heavily and eventually in the middle of his own addiction with multiple substances. Gary was introduced to a 12-step program in the late 80’s, however it was not until 1994, when he entered a yearlong program based in Orlando, FL that he would learn how to apply the steps and the principles of recovery. Gary is now a person in long term recovery enjoying the many gifts a life in recovery has to offer. Gary shares his experience, strength and hope daily working as a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist and is both committed and passionate about working with the recovery community organization, Polk for Recovery. 

Jessica was born and raised in Winter Haven, FL. Her struggle with alcohol and drugs began in her teen years and continued into her early 30s. While she achieved some successes including earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Health Administration and creating her own company caring for the elderly and disabled, she was dying from depression, disconnection, and the disease of addiction.

In late 2020, she asked for help from a long-time friend who was in a 12-step recovery program, and that has saved her life. She now works full-time at a local media and marketing company and spends the majority of her free time focused on her recovery and helping others in the recovery community.

LisaAnn was born in Western NewYork and enjoyed growing up in a big Italian family. She adores all things nature and has a passion for cultural/ethnical diversity. LisaAnn considers herself a woman in long-term recovery, rooted in grace. She continues healing from a mental health diagnosis of panic/anxiety disorder and celebrates recovery from a drug/alcohol addiction since 2014. Through therapeutic settings, an anonymous 12-step fellowship and the Celebrate Recovery Ministry she continues growing & healing. Her purpose is serving God and helping others. She is pursuing a college education in psychology- with focus on co-occurring disorders and is also studying as a minister in training for ordination. LisaAnn accepted the opportunity to become a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist and enjoyed serving at a large non-profit organization here in Polk County for several years. To continue on the journey of recovery LisaAnn has teamed up with the RCO-Polk for Recovery to further the message of HOPE, bring tangible resources and give what was freely given to her. 

Yeleida has over 15 years of experience working to help those recovering from a dependency on drugs and alcohol. She has a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from the Pontifical Catholic University in Puerto Rico; is currently working to become a Certified Addiction Professional, certified by the Florida Bar; spent 10 years working in prisons in Puerto Rico, specifically with inmates with drug and alcohol dependency; has 5 years’ experience working in Problem Solving Courts; and is also currently working for a private office providing therapy for those recovering from substance dependencies, as well as providing therapy to families and children for abuse, family reunification, adjusting to new environments, treating sexual abuse cases, and other traumas.

Janice is a native Floridian but her childhood years, as part of a military family, were spent residing in various parts of the US, Okinawa and the Philippines. Her family finally settled in Louisiana where she attended high school and college. In 1983 she returned to Florida and began her working career in the finance industry, eventually moving to Polk County where she married and raised her family. Janice began a journey involving alcohol dependency early in life and while she attempted many times to seek sobriety through the help of mental health counselors and treatment centers, she was finally granted the gift of sobriety over twenty-three years ago through the help of a 12-Step Program. In addition to her new position at Polk For Recovery, Janice also works for a local small business handling all aspects of its daily operations as well as donating part of her time as an active Board Member of a local non-profit known as Winter Haven Fellowship, Inc. Janice hopes to continue giving back to the community by exploring new ways she can be of service.