An accomplished speaker and presenter, he has gained recognition as a strong leader in the recovery community; in 2006 the Johnson Institute recognized his efforts with an America Honors Recovery award. In 2008, Faces and Voices of Recovery honored CCAR with the first Joel Hernandez Voice of the Recovery Community Award as the outstanding recovery community organization in the country. In 2009, the Hartford Business Journal named him the Non-profit Executive of the Year.
Currently, he is spearheading CCAR’s effort to build a statewide network of recovery community centers that feature innovative peer recovery support services like telephone recovery support, All-Recovery groups and Recovery Works! employment services.
Phil has been instrumental in the development of CCAR’s highly-acclaimed videos "Putting a Face on Recovery!", “The Healing Power of Recovery” and “Legacy of Hope: Recovery Elders Video Project”.
He served as CCAR’s point man for the first seven “Recovery Walks!", annual walks held for those in support of recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction. He has designed and facilitated several trainings including the "Recovery Perspective - Beyond the Treatment Episode" and "The Language of Recovery".
Phil has willingly shared his experience and expertise with other Recovery Community Organizations. In recovery since December 28, 1987, he is the author of Hooked on Recovery, a blog that has informed the general public about his personal recovery process. Phil believes that being public about his own recovery from alcohol and cocaine addiction helps ease the discrimination surrounding addiction and recovery. He strives to “soften the community” to recovery.
A University of Connecticut graduate, he has prior experience as a community counselor in a detox/residential treatment setting and in the field of prevention. He is married and has five children. He coaches youth soccer and his favorite hobbies are surf fishing, golf and movies.