Ben has resided in El Paso, Texas since 1963, and has been in recovery since May, 1987. He began at the Recovery Alliance, first as a volunteer, then a dedicated board member, and finally in May, 2002, the chief executive of the organization! His extensive background in advertising, marketing, and business planning has been an asset to the organization, and he has striven to ensure the development and delivery of peer-based recovery support services. Currently the Alliance is accepting self pay individuals. Under Ben’s leadership, the Alliance has been recognized for excellence by Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) for developing a recovery community center that is a model for recovery community organizations. He was honored at the White House in 2011 for this work, as a Champion of Change. Ben is active in his recovery fellowship and his church.

Mario is another native El Pasoan. "Alcohol and drugs took me to places in my life that I never thought I would go." Mario found recovery June 26th, 2009 and is also a graduate of Casa Vida de Salud. Hope is what brought Mario to Recovery Alliance. Mario has 2 children, and is able to be a part of their lives through recovery. Mario works tirelessly with the homeless Veteran's at Casa Vida de Salud. Mario loves to say, "In order to be found, you must admit that you are lost," and he personifies this with his work with the VA and the homeless community.