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.