Ryan’s Journey:

Ryan started his journey into recovery on March 7th, 2008, after battling active addiction for over a decade. The cycle of chronically relapsing seemed to continue forever until Ryan’s PO intervened and mandated him to treatment in Nashua, NH, at Keystone Hall.

With zero hope of success, he found himself in a long-term, high-accountability program in Dover, NH. Here he fully surrendered to the recovery process and had a deep and healing spiritual experience.

Since then, Ryan has married his high school sweetheart, Lori, and together they are raising their amazing son, Liam. Here are some key milestones in Ryan’s career:

• In 2010, Ryan helped start and grow one of the largest addiction treatment providers in the Northeast.
• In 2014, he created a 70-bed men’s extended care program in Portland, Maine.
• In 2015, he opened Live Free Structured Sober Living in Manchester, NH.
• In 2016, he built New England Recovery and Wellness, which he sold in 2018.
• From 2019 to 2020, Ryan served as the Executive Director at the facility that sold.
• In November 2020, he built Live Free Recovery Services into a full continuum of care, providing detox, residential, PHP, IOP, and sober living, with over 150 treatment and sober living beds throughout the state.

My focus has always been long-term treatment because it works, and it will always remain the priority.

Nominator’s Letter:

I met Ryan in 2016.  He graciously accepted me as a resident in his recovery house in Manchester, NH.  There, the magic was happening.  Men were recovering.  At that home, Ryan created an environment of authenticity and accountability that I had never seen, and I completely bought in.  I was broken.  I always remember Ryan would ask, “How are you?”.  I would respond in a common dismissive fashion, “I’m good.”  He would accurately respond, “No, you’re not.”  In that simple way, our walls came down and we were able to become vulnerable and accept the help around us.   To this day, Ryan remains a role model for me as a man, both personally and professionally. He continues to fight the good fight and contribute to the needs of our State in so many capacities, both quietly and loudly.  I continue to benefit from his leadership, as do the residents of New Hampshire.

-Jonathan