Dr. Brent Boyett received his doctorate in dental medicine from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and his osteopathic medical degree from the University of Health Sciences in Kansas City Missouri. He completed his residency in Family Medicine through the University of Mississippi and currently holds a board certification in Family Medicine and two board certifications in Addiction Medicine.  He has been recognized as a Distinguished Fellow by the American Society of Addiction Medicine.  Dr. Boyett has served as the President of The Alabama Osteopathic Medical Association and the Alabama Society of Addiction Medicine and he currently sits on the national board for The American Society of Addiction Medicine.  He has served as the principal investigator for numerous clinical trials, working to develop of variety of pharmaceuticals and medical devices with a particular focus in the research of buprenorphine and buprenorphine delivery systems.  Dr. Boyett is the founder and former chief medical officer of Pathway Healthcare which focuses on the outpatient treatment of substance use disorders in 13 locations throughout 4 states.  Dr. Brent Boyett is now working with North Mississippi Medical Center Neuroscience Department, practicing Addiction Medicine, and He is dedicated to continued growth in the rapidly evolving medical environment of addiction medicine. Today, his primary focus is on addiction treatment and research, he remains on the cutting edge of technology and training.  Giving back to his profession, he is a proctor to medical students, an international speaker and educator in the field of addiction medicine and serves on the board of trustees for the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Wendi Hogue is the FREEDOM Project Director with the VitAL Initiative in the School of Social Work at The University of Alabama. VitAL is committed to improving the wellness of Alabama’s communities through training and education, service and implementation, research and evaluation, and community engagement. FREEDOM is a grant-funded program to reduce the number of opioid-related deaths in Alabama. Wendi holds her M.Ed. from The University of Montevallo in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a National Certified Counselor. She came to The University of Alabama after working in Community Mental Health for four years. She began at Brewer Porch Children’s Center as a Therapist moving to The Office of Disability Services as an Accommodation Specialist prior to coming on board with FREEDOM in 2019. She works part-time in her private practice, treating clients struggling with substance use disorder, anxiety, ADHD, depression, and trauma.  

Jessica Northcott, MSW, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Program Manager at the University of Pittsburgh, School of Pharmacy, Program Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU). Jessica provides technical assistance and implementation support to expand access and capacity of medications for opioid use disorders in healthcare and  SBIRT implementation in pharmacy settings. Previous to PERU, Jessica worked in substance use treatment focusing on pregnant and postpartum persons and the incarcerated population. Jessica earned a Master of Social Work from University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice.

Richard A. Tucker is a former Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).  Mr. Tucker received his Bachelor of Science degree in Urban Life from Georgia State University.  His extensive experience in law enforcement includes 10 years as a police officer; Mr. Tucker’s 25-year DEA career has included both domestic and international assignments.  He speaks fluent Thai. He has held a variety of management and enforcement positions including, investigations, intelligence and personal security. He has presented to national and international audiences on a wide variety of topics, including undercover operations, demand reduction, illicit abuse of prescription medicines and intelligence. Mr. Tucker has also instructed law enforcement professionals on issues involving conducting investigations of drug trafficking organizations. He is retired from his law enforcement career and engaged in consulting to the healthcare industry.  Mr. Tucker’s experience provides unique perspective on many issues, including property crime, organized crime, and trafficking and use of drugs at the local, regional, and international levels. This broad view also provides compelling insight on many legal and enforcement issues.

Damon West, M.S. Criminal Justice, is a college professor, internationally known keynote speaker and Wall Street Journal best-selling author of The Coffee Bean: A simple Lesson to Create Positive Change, which Forbes’ listed in the “Top Twenty Books You Need to Read to Crush 2020.”

His autobiography, The Change Agent: How a Former College QB Sentenced to Life in Prison Transformed His World, vividly tells how he transformed the pot of boiling water that is a Texas maximum-security prison into a pot of coffee. 

At 20 years old, he was a Division 1 starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, when he suffered a career ending injury. He turned to hard core drugs to cope with disappointments of life. After graduation, he worked in the United States Congress, was a national fundraiser on a U.S. Presidential campaign and eventually trained to be a stock-broker for United Bank of Switzerland (UBS). One day at UBS, he was introduced to methamphetamines; he became instantly hooked—and the lives of so many innocent people would forever be changed by the choices he made in order to feed his insatiable meth habit.

After a fateful discussion during his incarceration with a seasoned convict, Damon had a spiritual awakening. He learned that, like a coffee bean changing with the application of heat and pressure, he was capable of changing the environment around him. Armed with a program of recovery, a renewed faith, and a miraculous second chance at life, Damon emerged from over seven years of prison a changed man. His story of redemption, grit and determination continues to inspire audiences today.