Kimmy comes from a family of fighters and continues their legacy by being a fierce warrior for her community. After years of recovery, she is springboarding her personal experience into being a dedicated Peer Service Specialist. She is also a new Child Survivors non-profit board member focusing on domestic abuse. And that's not to mention her expertise in recovery coaching, mental health first aid, peer support counseling, trauma-informed care, housing, and more. 

Deja Artis (she/her) was born in Seattle and raised throughout South Seattle before spending a decade in Texas. She returned to Washington in 2023 with a renewed focus on personal growth and a commitment to helping others. Proudly African American and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Deja’s lived experience with recovery, mental health challenges, and overcoming personal adversity has shaped her dedication to helping others navigate similar struggles. Now thriving in over three years of sobriety, Deja uses her experiences to connect with others and offer hope to those facing their challenges.

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Since joining RNP as a Program Assistant in November 2023, Deja has earned her Certified Peer Counselor and Recovery Coach certifications. She continues to grow her skills in harm reduction, housing support, mental health, and reentry services. 

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Outside of her work, Deja values family, art/music, and creating safe spaces where people feel heard and supported. Her goal is to ensure that no one feels alone in their journey, and she approaches every interaction with empathy, understanding, and a commitment to positive change.

Michael was born in North Carolina, then, with the advent of a blended family, moved to Washington State in 1966. Son of a bush pilot, the family made a move to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1974, where Michael's father worked as a chief pilot of an airline flying pipeline construction workers between Anchorage and Valdez. Michael learned to fly from his father before saying goodbye to the family as they moved back to Washington. After spending several more years in Alaska, Michael made the move back to Washington in 1986. After working various corporate jobs for a number of years and overcoming personal challenges, Michael found peer recovery. Assisting others as they find their definition of recovery and navigating barriers is how he continues to make amends. Recently married, Michael enjoys traveling with his husband and tending to their two cats, Mia and Reilly.

Clorissa Lewis-Newell is a dedicated professional with over 20 years of experience supporting individuals impacted by incarceration, substance use, and poverty in the Western Washington area. Drawing from her own lived experience, she brings authenticity, compassion, and deep community insight to her work. Clorissa has served in leadership roles across organizations like Freedom Project and Oxford House, where she provided case management, housing referrals, and post-release support while building strong partnerships with public agencies and community-based programs. In addition to her extensive reentry work, Clorissa holds a certificate in professional community intervention and earned her Certified Peer Counselor credential in August 2024. She is passionate about empowering individuals to rebuild their lives and navigate complex systems through care, connection, and advocacy. Clorissa has been clean and sober since 9/1/2017 and is an active member of her recovery community. Clorissa loves softball, exercise, the ocean, and spending time with family and friends.

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Sean grew up on the Mississippi coast. At the age of 12, he was introduced to marijuana and alcohol. After serving time for possession of marijuana in the Mississippi Department of Corrections and failing at drug court, Sean would move to New Orleans and become a street artist and local fixture among the Decatur and Frenchman street communities. He began traveling and selling art at music festivals throughout 38 states. The best way to describe this lifestyle choice is a professional couch surfer with a heavy dependence on alcohol.

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In 2014, Sean's momma would pass away unexpectedly. Soon after, Sean would turn to heroin and methamphetamine as a form of relief, all the while avoiding grieving properly and falling further into homelessness. Running from his problems led him to travel as far as he could from home to avoid the words "I'm sorry for your loss." 

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He wound up in Seattle, WA, where he was instantly swept up into a world of homelessness and petty crime. To supply his drug habit, he turned to more serious crimes and got in trouble with the law. On October 24th, 2021, Sean was in a life-changing motorcycle wreck that shattered his spine. Told he would never walk again, his luck turned for the worse, and he was sent to prison again. This time, he used this "time-out" as a means to get clean and sober. Having turned his life around, he got certified as a peer counselor and has set out to show that if he can do it, anyone can.

Ryan Pacchiano brings a powerful combination of business acumen, lived experience, and social service expertise to his work. Before entering the world of social work, Ryan spent over a decade as a successful pet product manufacturer with a clientele that included A-list celebrities and a chain of retail stores. His company gained worldwide distribution, earned him a nomination for the Seattle Mayor’s Small Business Award, and recognition by Seattle Magazine as one of “13 Up-and-Coming Most Influential People in Seattle.”

After his own struggle with addiction, Ryan found a new path forward after completing treatment at Sundown M Ranch in 2018, then intensive outpatient at Seattle Counseling, and building a lasting recovery community through years of volunteer work at Peer Seattle. His professional journey in social services began working for King County Jail Health Services, supporting individuals from their first days in custody, and continuing to work with them after release and during reentry into the community. He later joined the Recovery Navigator Program, where he now responds to active police calls and helps individuals access treatment, housing, and other life-saving resources with dignity and respect.

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Nikki is dedicated to inspiring hope and supporting others on their recovery journeys. With over five years of experience as an outreach worker, she has helped individuals stabilize their lives and access the necessary resources to move forward. As a Team Manager with the Recovery Navigator Program, Nikki brings compassion, leadership, and lived experience to her role.

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As a Certified Peer Counselor (CPC) and Recovery Coach, Nikki is committed to walking alongside individuals at all stages of their recovery, offering support, understanding, and motivation. She believes that peer support starts with an open mind and a deep respect for the fact that everyone’s path is unique. Nikki is a woman in long-term recovery and uses her experience to connect with and empower others to believe recovery is possible.

Devin Moore, a Vashon Island native, spent seven years living on the streets of Seattle, battling addiction and surviving through daily crime to sustain a meth and heroin habit. On January 15, 2021, Devin was incarcerated—a turning point that led to treatment, recovery housing at Oxford House, and a new path forward. Volunteering at Peer Seattle introduced Devin to the power of peer support, eventually earning a Certified Peer Counselor credential and joining Peer Kent in July 2022 to support participants in Renton Court. Today, Devin works with the Recovery Navigator Program, using lived experience to build trust with justice-involved individuals and advocate for systemic change across King County. Devin also finds joy in exploring diverse cuisines, watching anime, hitting the gym, and cheering on Seattle sports teams.

Ron’s life journey has taken him to many wonderful places, allowing him an intimate view of the hearts and lives of individuals from many backgrounds and experiences. Despite the numerous and easily identifiable surface-level differences in each person’s worldview, Ron has had the joy of discovering the same light of love in the heart of every human he’s encountered. In his experience of war, Ron was immersed in the heartbreaking level of suffering humans can inflict on one another. In his experience of trauma and addiction, Ron was confronted with the unfathomable level of suffering a person can inflict on themselves. 

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Despite it all, Ron has seen that the light of love always remains. Though it may be faint and flickering, its existence in the heart of every soul who finds themselves in that familiar darkness offers us all hope. Ron knows that the love and light of a fellow human, shown compassionately, bright and steady, has the power to reignite the will to live in their fellow man, no matter how consuming the darkness may appear. For this reason, Ron is fiercely passionate about peer support and the profound role it will play in healing our broken yet still beautiful world, as well as the hearts of every incredible individual we have the honor of sharing it with.

Leman Allen (he/him) is an Outreach Navigator with RNP, where he provides peer support and outreach services for individuals seeking their own recovery path in King County. He became a Certified Peer Counselor in December 2024 and joined RNP on August 20 of that same year.

Leman celebrates over two years of sobriety, a milestone that fuels his commitment to helping others find stability and recovery. His lived experience allows him to connect with participants through empathy and understanding, always meeting people where they are and helping them build a foundation for success.

Outside of work, Leman enjoys hiking, camping, and playing sports with his 11-year-old son.

Salina was born in Peoria, Illinois in 1986 and moved to Washington State at a young age, as her parents sought a safer environment after living in Chicago for several decades. Over the years, she also lived in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, and in Gotha, Germany. 

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After losing her father and struggling with addiction for a decade, Salina made a life-changing decision to seek recovery—relocating to Lacey, entering detox at Sea Mar Tacoma, and securing housing at an Oxford House, where she stayed for three years. Salina became deeply involved in the Oxford House community, serving in several leadership roles including State Services Representative, Chapter Chair, Co-Chair, and Fundraiser in Pierce County. She has provided critical guidance and support to others in recovery, and also partnered with Pierce County Alliance to assist individuals transitioning from drug court, facilitating community service and mentorship. Salina also holds a Certified Peer Counselor (CPC) credential and remains committed to being a voice for those in recovery, advocating for compassion, safety, and understanding. A woman in long-term recovery from substance use, Salina is driven by empathy and a passion for equality, with over 10 years of lived experience in homelessness, substance use, and mental health challenges.

Now fully rooted in Washington, Salina has spent over 15 years in the restaurant industry, working under two Iron Chefs. She enjoys standup comedy, thrifting, and cooking at home in her free time.

Nick Hayes grew up in Tacoma, Washington. Raised by a single mother who battled with both substances and mental health challenges, Nick learned early on what instability, survival, and strength looked like. Those experiences shaped him deeply, along with his own struggles, and there planted the seeds of empathy that now guide his work with others walking similar paths.

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Nick is proud to graduate from Felony Drug Court and has been clean and sober for over four years. But his journey to recovery wasn’t easy. Like many, he had to learn how to rebuild from the ground up—how to face pain, take accountability, and choose healing day by day. His transformation didn’t happen overnight, but it was real, and it continues. He turned his life around not just for himself, but so he could be a light for others who feel like they’re stuck in the dark.

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Nick doesn’t come to this work as an outsider—he comes as someone who gets it. He knows what it feels like to be counted out and the power of being seen. His story is proof that recovery is real and that people can reclaim their lives with support. His mission is simple: meet people where they’re at, walk alongside them without judgment, and remind them they’re never alone in the fight.

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Jodi Niess is a native Washingtonian and has never lived anywhere else, even after travelling all over Europe. She loves history and learning about new cultures. Jodi has lived experience in mental health and addiction, which led her to a downward spiral of serving time in jail and becoming homeless. Jodi has been in recovery since 2016 and has been a Certified Peer Coach with the Washington State Health Authority since 2022.

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Her life motto is "Don't judge anyone unless you have walked in their shoes."

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