Tonya Wheeler

Tonya is a founding board member of Advocates for Recovery Colorado and has been the Executive Director of the organization since 2009. She is a Certified Peer & Family Specialist and Certified Addictions Counselor – Level III in Colorado.
Tonya has been in long-term recovery since 1990, and her passion for helping others has remained evident in her work in recovery, advocacy and treatment. She works diligently in her community to share the message that recovery is a positive, attainable goal and she is an example that recovery does happen!

Tonya is a sought-after trainer and speaker across the United States, and is the primary trainer for Advocates for Recovery Colorado.  She has completed and now trains others in topics including Recovery Oriented Systems of Care, Science of Addiction & Recovery, Peer Recovery Coaching, and Our Stories Have Power – Recovery Community Messaging. She has shared her personal recovery story with many audiences and media across Colorado and the nation.

Tonya recently received the Vernon Johnson Award for Individual Recovery Advocate, presented by Faces and Voices of Recovery. She was a past Board Member for Faces & Voices of Recovery in 2007-2014.