BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Although he is now retired, professionally, George keeps busy with a variety of activities. He enjoys RV travel, golf, hiking and fishing.

After completing a master’s degree in social work and a Ph.D. in Social Work and Developmental Psychology, also at the University of Michigan, she became a professor at the University at Albany, State University New York, where she remained for 28 years. There she taught graduate social work students and conducted research on domestic violence, child abuse, sibling sexual abuse, the impact of incarceration on families, and related topics. Toward the end of her tenure there, her focus shifted to studying factors affecting relapse in women trying to recover from drug and alcohol abuse.

After falling in love with the desert in Scottsdale and Phoenix, AZ, she took a faculty position at Arizona State University, where she stayed until she retired.

After retiring, she pivoted to writing fiction. Her short fiction has been published in literary magazines such as The Normal School, Broadkill Review, Foliate Oak, Down in the Dirt, Across the Margin, and Blue Lake Review. Now she lives with her husband, dog and too many cats in Scottsdale, AZ and writes fiction and hikes to her heart’s content in the beautiful Sonoran Desert.

Mr. Mattaino serves his community on both local and state levels.  He has served as NCADD (AZ Women Recovery Center) Board Member since May 2018.  He currently has the honor of serving as Board Secretary. 

Regardless of where he serves, he demonstrates leadership, professionalism and dedication.  Often, due to his passion for service and actively jumping in to provide a helping hand, Mr. Mattaino has been elevated to positions of Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson for local recovery programs.  He also serves as a Mentor for others who are struggling with addiction, grief or incarceration. 

Personally, he remains committed to self-improvement and understands the importance of self-care.  His favorite hobbies include Golf and NASCAR.  Professionally, Mr. Mattaino has extensive experience in Construction and Property Management.  He continues to explore career opportunities in both residential and commercial.

She is grateful for being on the Board of Arizona Womens Recovery Center, and for the opportunity to be of any assistance to an organization doing excellent work for their community.

Ms. Brown has served her community in various ways for more than 2 decades. Including working in Title I schools as an elementary school teacher. After law school, she became a “Legal advocate” at Community Legal Services. There she helped clients who were victims of domestic abuse leave their abusive situations by way of divorce and/or resolving child custody disputes through the Arizona Court system. Today, she is a Traditional Instructor at Grand Canyon University teaching in both the Government and Justice Studies departments.

She is also a licensed foster parent through the state of Arizona. She and her family regularly participate in volunteer service opportunities in the foster care community.

Dr. Safyers’ goal is to create interventions that strengthen resiliency among infants, young children, and their families. As a social work practitioner, Dr. Safyer is especially interested in using play-based therapies to explore the internal world of the child.