Sharon Birnbaum, Corporate Director of Human Resources, earned her
Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Minnesota, her MBA
from St. Thomas University, and is certified as a Senior Human Resource Professional. Her career has focused in the not profit sector, with extensive prior experience at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, the Regional Kidney Disease Program, and Wilder Foundation prior to coming to Hazelden in 1999. Birnbaum has broad experience in all facets of human resource management.

James A. Blaha, Vice President Finance and Administration/Chief Financial Officer serves as Hazelden's principal financial strategist, as well as overseeing the organization's finance, support services, human resources and information technology areas. Before coming to Hazelden, he served as CFO of Walker Methodist, a senior healthcare, housing and assisted living organization for 13 years. Prior to his role with Walker Methodist, he worked in public accounting and management consulting. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from the University of St. Thomas. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Ann Bray is the General Counsel and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for Hazelden. Before attending law school, she was a Registered Nurse with 13 years of acute care experience. Bray graduated magna cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law in 1992 and was a published author as well as a member of Law Review. She will complete her MBA degree from the University of St. Thomas in the fall of 2010. Prior to joining Hazelden, Bray was the Associate General Counsel at Catholic Health Initiatives, a large national health care system. Prior to that, she was a partner in the litigation firm of Geraghty, O'Loughlin and Kenny.

John Driscoll has worked in the treatment field since 1991 and at Hazelden since 1999. He has been a counselor, manager, and director in Recovery Services and is now the Executive Director of Adult Services at Hazelden's Center City, MN facility. Prior to his employment at Hazelden, Driscoll started and directed a long term treatment program for women and their children in Chicago. Driscoll is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, has an undergraduate degree in psychology from Northern Michigan University, and attended the clinical psychology graduate program at Marquette University in Milwaukee where he completed all but his thesis for his MA in clinical psychology. In 2009 he earned an MBA from Hamline University.

Mark Mishek joined Hazelden as President and CEO in November of 2008. Prior to this he served as the former President of United Hospital and Senior Vice President of Allina Hospitals and Clinics, and previously served as executive vice president and general counsel for Law and Public Affairs at Allina. Mishek's career in health care spans 30 years. He has held positions with the Allina system since 1981, including Executive Vice President for Law & Public Affairs and General Counsel, and the Corporate Secretary for Allina Hospitals & Clinics.
Mishek graduated with a B.A. degree with high honors from University of Minnesota and a J.D. degree with honors from University of Minnesota Law School.

Nick Motu is Publisher and Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Hazelden. Motu is responsible for the overall management of one of the world's largest publishers of proven-effective addiction treatment, recovery, and prevention books, DVDs, and curricula to individual consumers, treatment programs, schools, hospitals, mental health agencies, correctional facilities, churches, and human resources programs. Prior to his 15-year tenure at Hazelden, Motu served in marketing and publishing management roles at St. Paul Companies and Northwestern Life. Motu earned his BA degree in Business/Journalism from the College of St. Thomas. He has received numerous awards of excellence for promotion, advertising and publications.

William C. Moyers, Vice President of Foundation Relations for Hazelden, brings a deep understanding and strong commitment to advocacy, philanthropy, and "carrying the message" about recovery to his role. Before first joining Hazelden in 1996, Moyers was an award-winning journalist for 15 years. He has worked at CNN, Newsday and various other newspapers around the country. In 1981, Moyers received his BA degree in journalism from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA. He is the author of the bestselling memoir, Broken, and a new journal and DVD set designed specifically for those in early recovery, A New Day, A New Life. He also writes for a nationally syndicated column on addiction-related issues for Creators Syndicate called Beyond Addiction.

Jana Olslund, Vice President of Development at Hazelden is a fundraising executive with expertise in nonprofit healthcare, education, and youth-oriented social service agencies. Olslund's educational background includes a juris doctorate from Creighton University Law School, with concentrations in dispute resolution and estate planning. She holds a bachelor of science degree in political science, with a minor in business administration, from North Dakota State University. She is a certified mediator and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, the American College of Healthcare Executives, and the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Marvin D. Seppala, MD, is Chief Medical Officer at Hazelden, and an adjunct Assistant Professor at the Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies. His responsibilities include overseeing all interdisciplinary clinical practices at Hazelden, maintaining and improving standards, and supporting growth strategies for Hazelden's residential and nonresidential addiction treatment programs. Dr. Seppala obtained his M.D. at Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minnesota, and served his residency in psychiatry and a fellowship in addiction at University of Minnesota Hospitals in Minneapolis. He is author of Clinician's Guide to the Twelve Step Principles, and Prescription Painkillers: History, Pharmacology and Treatment, and a co-author of When Painkillers Become Dangerous, and Pain-Free Living for Drug-Free People.

Mark Sheets is the Executive Director, Regional and Recovery Services at Hazelden. He leads all post-primary services in Chicago, New York, Florida, St. Paul, Renewal Center, The Lodge, and the MORE program in Center City and Springbrook. Sheets has worked at Hazelden for 27 years as a counselor, unit supervisor, manager and director of Clinical Services and executive director of the Adult Continuum in Center City. He received his bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota, is a graduate of Hazelden's Counselor Training Program and received his master's degree in human development from St. Mary's University. Sheets is the author of the Hazelden booklet, Quitting Meth.

Valerie Slaymaker, Ph.D., L.P. is Chief Academic Officer and Provost of Hazelden's Graduate School of Addiction Studies, an accredited institution of higher learning preparing addictions counselors. She also oversees the research activities of the Hazelden Foundation. Dr. Slaymaker holds doctorate and master's degrees in clinical psychology and is trained as a scientist-practitioner. Her scholarly and research interests include addictions treatment research, academic program evaluation, and the implementation of evidence-based practices into clinical and educational programming.

Jim Steinhagen is the Executive Director of the Hazelden Youth Continuum and the Center for Youth and Families in Plymouth, MN. He has over three decades of experience in the field of addiction treatment. Prior to joining Hazelden, he lived in Sweden for five years working as a consultant and providing expertise setting up Minnesota Model treatment programs focused on target populations of youth, individuals with criminal histories and mothers with children. Steinhagen spent most of his first 20 years in the field working addiction services at St. Mary's Hospital in Minneapolis. He has a bachelor's in psychology from Metropolitan State University and master's degree in health and human services administration from St. Mary's University.

Jan Vondrachek was named executive director of Hazelden's Newberg, OR facility (called Springbrook) in May, 2006. Prior to that, as a director of marketing, Vondrachek led marketing efforts in the Western region as well as nationally for Hazelden health care professional's program at Newberg. In her current role she speaks to business audiences about addiction in the workplace, and moderates conferences and workshops. Vondrachek holds a bachelor's degree in management of human resources and a master's degree in business administration from George Fox University and has taught marketing classes at a college level. Vondrachek has also completed coursework and clinical hours for alcohol and drug counseling in the state of Oregon.