RFW Institute Team

Cathie Hartnett

Hartnett serves as the Executive Director of Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation (GRI). GRI ran one of the first and largest recovery high schools, launched Young People in Recovery, organized two national Recovery Research Summits that informed the White House National Drug Control Strategy and assisted AmeriCorps with the launch of Recovery Corp.

Hartnett, and the GRI Board of Directors, established the National Recovery Friendly Workplace Institute to engage employers, content experts, and state leaders to implement Recovery Friendly Workplaces.

Eliza Zarka

Eliza serves as the Program Director of Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation, where she leads the National Recovery Friendly Workplace Institute as one of the initiatives housed under GRI. She works with other states to help encourage, guide, and inform establishing a Recovery Friendly Workplace model. Eliza also leads efforts in nationally-certifying employers as Recovery Friendly Workplaces.

Eliza brings her expertise on the Recovery Friendly movement from her previous role as the Addiction & Behavioral Health Coordinator for the New Hampshire Governor’s Office. Eliza worked on issues relating to Substance Use Disorder across the continuum, including prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery, and the intersection of mental health.

During her time at the NH Governor’s Office, Eliza worked on a number of projects, including the NH Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative, which has grown to over 350 participating businesses. Eliza saw how successful it was in New Hampshire, and after the release of the federal toolkit, Eliza wanted to take a lead role in moving the needle in this ever-important RFW movement being a part in bringing the model to other states.

Eliza’s overall goal, professionally and personally, is to help people be well, get well, and stay well.

John Aguirre

John Aguirre is the Accounting Manager for Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation and has been supporting the organization in that role since 2018. He brings over forty years of financial knowledge and managerial experience from his work with other non-profit organizations, financial institutions, and private organizations in positions ranging from Controller to consulting, Interim, and permanent Chief Financial Officer.