Our team

Courtney Gary-Allen

Executive Director

Courtney Gary-Allen is the Executive Director of the Maine Recovery Action Project and the Maine Recovery Access Project, sister organizations collectively known as ME-RAP. As Executive Director, she leads a holistic approach to recovery, combining community organizing, policy advocacy, and direct support services to amplify the voices of people with lived experience. At 16, she earned her GED while caring for a young child, later completing her undergraduate degree at the University of Maine at Augusta (2020), a Master’s at the Muskie School of Public Service (2025), and her first year of law school at Maine Law—all while saving lives, passing legislation, and caring for her own recovery process.

Courtney’s policy work in Maine has helped advance opioid settlement transparency, Good Samaritan protections, naloxone education in schools, and so much more. Additionally, she has shared Maine’s lessons globally, traveling to Brazil, Portugal, Colombia, Austria, and beyond to support and learn from sustainable recovery frameworks. Through her leadership, ME-RAP has grown into an internationally known network of community organizers capable of transforming policy and community responses to substance use. Courtney is currently serving her second term as an At-Large City Councilor in Augusta, Maine, where she lives with her husband, two sons and cats, their dog, Cosmo.

Tess Parks

Policy Director

Tess Parks (she/her) is the Policy Director of Maine Recovery Action Project, Maine Recovery Access Project’s sister organization, working on statewide grassroots organizing, legislative campaigns, and civic engagement initiatives. She moved to Portland, Maine in 2014 to begin her journey in long-term recovery from substance use disorder. 

Tess has worked in a variety of different fields, including behavioral health support, municipal economic development, and public education. Having a lifelong passion for social justice and advocacy, Tess completed her master's degree in Policy, Planning, and Management from the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service.

Jeanie Marquis

Volunteer Director

Jeanie Marquis is a dedicated advocate in the fight against substance use disorder, currently serving as the Volunteer Director for the Maine Recovery Access Project. With a passion for community service, she has been instrumental in creating and sustaining the Project Doorstep, which has successfully knocked on 10,000 doors in just two years, distributing more than 5,000 boxes of naloxone. Jeanie’s commitment to this cause is deeply personal; her son is in long-term recovery, fueling her drive to make a difference. In addition to her role with ME-RAP, Jeanie serves on the China Selectboard, where she works to improve her community and support local initiatives. 

Kate Reagan

Operation Director

Kate Reagan is a person in long-term recovery and a formerly incarcerated leader dedicated to building equitable systems of care in Maine. She brings extensive experience in nonprofit administration, grant writing, and community advocacy, grounded in the belief that lived experience is a powerful driver of systemic change. Kate’s professional path is shaped by resilience, compassion, and dedication to equity and liberation. Her leadership reflects ME-RAP’s values, centering lived experience, challenging inequity, and building pathways for recovery that honor dignity and self-determination.

jon Finnemore

Youth Organizing Director

A lifelong Mainer based in Washington County, Joe Finnemore serves as ME-RAP’s Youth Organizing Director and is deeply dedicated to strengthening his community through compassionate, evidence-based approaches to substance use. Before stepping into this statewide role, Joe worked as an OPTIONS liaison in Washington County and supported our Youth Caucus as their Youth Ally, where he helped young people lead a successful campaign to require all Maine high schools to offer naloxone training.

Since that law’s passage, Joe has supported youth organizers across Maine in creating and implementing one of the nation’s first youth-led naloxone trainings, designed entirely by and for young people. With extensive experience training individuals in naloxone use and expanding access to life-saving tools, Joe continues to champion harm reduction rooted in dignity, respect, and practical support.

Kay Woods

Penobscot County Youth Ally

Kay is a 38 year old substance affected youth and adult who serves her community through the lens of both personal and professional expertise. She identifies as a person in recovery who works in the system as well as exists inside of it with her children. She has worked for over 20 years with youth and families as a community mental health service provider and has been working with Maine Recovery Access Project as a youth ally & community organizer for two years. Kay is passionate about healing and recovery as a community responsibility and leads the development of those spaces in partnership in all of her roles. 

Josh Kingsbury

Center Organizer

Josh Kingsbury began his journey with the Center as a dedicated volunteer, playing a key role in the renovations of the Access Center. Over time, his commitment and leadership led him to take on new responsibilities, including managing the snack counter and supporting the daily operations that keep the Center thriving. 

As a young person in recovery and who has experienced unsheltered homelessness, Josh brings invaluable lived experience to his work. His perspective and empathy allow him to connect deeply with the community and provide support grounded in understanding. Josh is passionate about fostering a sense of belonging at the Center, and his dedication to community is a driving force behind everything he does.

Mike Lovaglio

Center Organizer

Mike Lovaglio’s journey with ME-RAP began as a dedicated volunteer, hosting the weekly Thursday Night Thunder recovery meeting at the Access Center. His steady commitment to recovery, compassion for others, and care for participants’ health and well-being quickly stood out. Within just a few months, his leadership and reliability led him to officially join the ME-RAP team as one of our Center Organizers.

Growing up in a family rooted in public service, Mike views his work at the Access Center as a way to give back to the community that helped shape his own recovery. Mike brings both professional experience from the private sector and hands-on involvement in grassroots advocacy at the local and state levels to his work with ME-RAP. Guided by empathy and purpose, Mike works every day to strengthen the recovery community and ensure that everyone who walks through the Access Center’s doors feels seen, supported, and valued. 

Courtney Meade

Organizing Coordinator

Courtney Meade (she/her) is a person in long-term recovery dedicated to building compassionate, accessible pathways of support that ensure every person seeking help is met with dignity, understanding, and real choices. Her lived experience grounds her belief that people closest to the issue should shape the solutions. Courtney brings experience in mental health and substance use support, community advocacy, and community engagement, along with experience in administrative and financial roles. After volunteering and interning with ME-RAP, she stepped into the role of Organizing Coordinator, where she supports people across Maine in staying connected, lifting their voices, and leading local change grounded in hope and healing.