ALLISON HUDSON, Founder & President

Allison Hudson was born and raised in Albemarle, NC. After graduating from Albemarle High School she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from The College of Charleston. Allison lived in Boston and San Francisco before moving back to Charlotte, NC to be closer to her family. After losing her brother, Will Hudson, to a drug overdose in 2012, she entered a 28-day treatment facility for alcohol addiction and has been sober since June 11, 2012. Allison started a blog, It’s a Lush Life, in 2013 as an amends to her brother where she shares her experience and hope about addiction, grief, and life in recovery. Allison became a feature blogger for Huffington Post in 2013 and is a free-lance writer for a number of other publications. Allison is the Founder of Will’s Place and has dedicated her life to helping others who still suffer from alcohol and drug addiction in hopes they find recovery. 

DARLENE HUDSON, Vice President 

Darlene Hudson graduated from University of NC-Greensboro with a Bachelor of Arts in Education and returned to Albemarle where she married her husband of 43 years, Roger, and they raised four children, Matthew, Allison, Will & Suzanne. Darlene lost her youngest son, Will, to a drug overdose in 2012, and has supported her oldest daughter, Allison, in recovery since 2012. Darlene is an active member of West Albemarle Baptist Church where she serves on different ministry committees. Darlene, with husband Roger, own Hudson Pool Distributors in Stanly County and enjoy spending time with her six grandsons. 

JIM SENTER, TREASURER 

Jim Senter is an Albemarle native. After graduating from Albemarle High School, Jim attended and graduated from The Citadel with a Bachelor of Arts in English. He continued his education at UNC Chapel Hill where he graduated with a law degree. After graduation Jim returned to Albemarle and has been practicing law in Stanly County for the past 10 years. Jim serves on the board for Stanly Community College Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation. Jim lives in Albemarle where he attends First Lutheran Church with his wife Mary and children, Stella and Jay.

LINDA EDQUIST, SECRETARY

Linda Edquist and her husband, Peter, lived in Charlotte before moving to Stanly County in 1980. They have loved living in Misenheimer where they raised their seven children: Jhoda, Gabriel, Micah, Peter Joseph, Ann Marie, John Paul and Anthony. They now have six grandchildren that are all thriving, and Linda’s hope is that this county will continue to foster growth and security for all children. She is a member at Annunciation Catholic Church. As a woman in recovery, she has a profound respect for the efforts of Will’s Place and other avenues that support rehabilitation.

DANIEL FURR

Daniel Furr was born and raised in Albemarle. After graduating from West Stanly High School, he got his Bachelor of Arts from Pfeiffer University in Student Ministry. He was in student ministry for nine years before starting River Church in Oakboro, NC where he serves as the pastor. Daniel and his wife Emily live in Albemarle with their two children, Silas and Salem.

MARK LASSITER, SR., DDS

Dr. Mark Lassiter is the father of seven children and a dentist in recovery from narcotic addiction. His sobriety date is March 3, 2003. He is originally from Atlanta but has been in Stanly County since 1989. Dr. Lassiter attended Pfeiffer College where he received a B.S. in Biology and UNC Chapel Hill School of Dentistry where he was awarded a D.D.S. degree. He is currently a practicing dentist at Norwood Dental Care in Norwood. His interests in recovery lie in assisting to remove barriers to care, especially societal stigma and shame. Dr. Lassiter has the intention of contributing to the improvement of the health of Stanly County residents through Will's Place in addition to his profession. 

JOANNE GETTLEMAN

Joanne was born and raised in the Poughkeepsie in the Hudson Valley, New York State and obtained her Bachelor of Education from State University College of New York at Buffalo. She received her Masters of Education/Early Intervention from Wheelock College in Boston, MA and has held positions in administration and teaching in various private schools/agencies for disabled children. Joanne home educated daughter from Kindergarten through High School and into college. Joanne has served on the board of directors for The Harvest Center of Charlotte and Charlotte Piedmont Community College. She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband, David Gettleman. Together they have three children; Aaron (wife Melissa), Sam and Ana.

ERIK KERR

TIERA MCDONALD

Ms. McDonald oversees the Transitional Housing Program at Homes of Hope Stanly with a focus on permanent housing solutions for the homeless families. Additionally, Ms. McDonald also provides case management for guests at the Community Inn.  She holds a B.A. in Psychology from UNCC, as well as numerous certifications and a wealth of experience from her work at Monarch.