Sometimes life comes full circle in ways you never could have planned.
Six years ago, Dane wasn’t interviewing for a leadership position. He was simply hoping for a second chance.
After completing treatment in Mississippi, he and his roommate—a Louisville native—began talking about what life after treatment could look like and what they needed to make sobriety really work for them. The more his roommate described Louisville, the more Dane believed it might be the fresh start he desperately needed.
They decided to look for a residential program in the area. Then, together, they applied to the Beacon House. Both were accepted.
Along with one other person from their treatment facility, they rented a car and drove from Mississippi to Louisville, arriving in May of 2020.
That decision changed everything.
Today, we’re honored to announce that Dane has returned to the very place that helped him rebuild his life, this time as our official Executive Director of the Beacon House.
A Mission Motivated by Personal History
Dane spent approximately 15 years in active addiction.
It began with frequent marijuana and alcohol use when he started college at the University of San Diego. After his undergrad, he went to Golden Gate University and received a law degree. Like so many who struggle with this progressive disease, he continued to “function” for years– at least appearing so on the outside– but his desire for and dependence on drugs and alcohol worsened.
Even after all his academic achievements, Dane found himself homeless. He began using methamphetamine, heroin, and eventually fentanyl. He watched people lose their lives from substance abuse. He feels fortunate to have never overdosed.
Today, he has nearly seven years of sobriety.
But Dane is quick to point out that recovery wasn’t simply about quitting substances. It was about relearning how to live. He believes in the power of a social model residential program and since his own turning point, he has devoted his life to it.
Learning From the Inside Out
After some time as a resident, Dane was invited to step into a peer support role and then a Resident Manager at our organization.
Working alongside Russ Read during his years leading Beacon House, Dane witnessed firsthand how the Beacon House continually evaluated its program, not settling for what had always been done, but constantly asking how it could better serve the men who walked through its doors.
He also received specialized training in peer support such as active listening, conflict resolution, and other psycho-social recovery principles. These skills continue to shape his leadership.
Perhaps most importantly for his path today, he experienced the Beacon House from every perspective: resident, peer mentor, staff member, and now executive leader.
That journey gives him a unique understanding of both the challenges and the possibilities that exist within recovery housing.
Helping Raise the Standard Across Kentucky
When Dane left the Beacon House in 2023, it wasn’t because he was leaving the mission. He was expanding it.
The first National Alliance of Recovery Residences affiliate in Kentucky requested that a staff member of the Beacon House join their advisory board to speak into the programming and policy for recovery residences throughout the state. Dane stepped into that role and was secretary of the Kentucky Recovery Housing Network.
Over the next few years, he became one of Kentucky’s leading voices in recovery housing standards and certification.
He eventually became the Kentucky Recovery Housing Network’s Program Coordinator, where he helped grow Kentucky’s certified recovery residences from 51 homes to nearly 300. He also played an important role in developing the framework that became House Bill 248 in 2023 and House Bill 462 in 2024, making Kentucky the first state in the nation to require certification for recovery residences.
Most recently, Dane served as the first Executive Director of the newly formed Kentucky Alliance of Recovery Residences (KYARR), helping launch the organization while overseeing the certification of more than 100 recovery homes representing over 1,500 recovery beds statewide.
His work also included advising key municipalities such as Louisville, Lexington, and Covington on recovery housing policies that protect residents while ensuring high standards of care.
Throughout it all, one mission remained constant for Dane and aligns with our heart too: To provide greater access to quality recovery housing.
Why He Came Back
With opportunities to continue influencing recovery housing throughout Kentucky, and even nationally, many people have asked why Dane chose to shift his work to take on this role at the Beacon House. His answer came during a conversation with his wife.
Before interviewing, she asked him one simple question: “Where does your heart lie?”
The answer came easily. His heart never left the Beacon House.
“This was probably the only job I would have left my previous role for,” Dane shared.
The statewide work was deeply meaningful, and a nice motivator for his ambition, but he missed something. He missed the opportunity to know the men by name and watch lives change one relationship at a time.
Blending Heart with Data
Anyone who spends a few minutes with Dane quickly notices something. He loves data. He’s naturally wired toward strategy and measurable outcomes.
But for Dane, numbers are not the end goal. They’re simply a great way to understand how to effectively help people.
He’s excited to bring evidence-based practices, outcome tracking, and new recovery technologies to Beacon House while preserving the relational culture that has defined the organization since its founding in 1997. He is committed to utilizing recovery capital in the most meaningful way in our residential recovery program.
“This is something that the Beacon House has done really well since their inception without really knowing it.” Dane said.
They’ve stayed true to their roots and “it has always been about the men” inside these walls.
Dane is also committed to maintaining the social model of recovery that’s integral to our mission. This is the belief that healing happens not only through meetings and recovery plans, but through living life together.
At the Beacon House, the residential space itself becomes part of the recovery.
The shared meals. The conversations. The responsibilities of maintaining a home together. The encouragement after difficult days. The celebration of milestones.
Even the design of the facility reflects this philosophy, with inviting common spaces intentionally created to foster healthy relationships instead of isolation.
“Recovery replaces the negative connections built during active addiction with positive connections built in recovery,” Dane explains.
He believes in the structure and mission that exists here and he’s living proof that it works!
Looking Ahead
Today, Dane and his wife call Kentucky home, a future he never imagined while growing up in California.
When he’s not working, he enjoys yard work, remodeling projects around the house, spending time with their four dogs, and an occasional round of golf.
But more than anything, he’s excited to be back where his new life began. The Beacon House gave him more than sobriety. It gave him purpose. Now, as Executive Director, he’s honored to help more men discover the same.
We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Dane into this new role and look forward to the next chapter of the Beacon House. One built on the same unwavering commitment that has guided us for nearly three decades: lighting the way to sobriety and independence.
