Meet the Team

Laura Fry (she/they) is the Executive Director, overseeing the implementation of Live4Lali’s services and outreach team. In long-term recovery from mental health, substance use, and trauma, Laura brings a unique and informed lens. She also has a son in long-term recovery from an opioid use disorder. With more than two decades in the health field and a specialization in emergency medicine, Laura has been responding to overdoses and working with people impacted by addiction for years. Laura’s professional and personal experiences helped develop the comprehensive and compassionate approach Live4Lali embodies to serve people with substance use disorders and their loved ones.

Hayley Demus (she/her) is the Director of Operations at Live4Lali, where she oversees grant management, monitoring and compliance, and finance. She brings over a decade of experience in nonprofit program management, spanning international human rights work, immigrant services, and direct service working with folks experiencing homelessness and/or using substances. A passionate harm reductionist, Hayley previously helped develop a low-barrier Suboxone program in Washington State, supporting both implementation and evaluation. Her passion for advocacy and systems change also led her to work within the Chicago homelessness system, focusing on improving coordination and equity. Hayley identifies as a person with lived experience and in long-term recovery, and she leads with that perspective, centering the voices and needs of people who use drugs in all aspects of program development.

Alex Mathiesen (He/Him) is Live4Lali’s Director of Programs and oversees all programming efforts. He was a volunteer for Live4Lali before accepting a paid position. Alex also volunteers his time doing large scale harm reduction focused efforts at events across the country. Alex is in recovery from an opioid use disorder, and his experiences from the disease of addiction help give personal insight on the best ways to assist those with a substance use disorder or experiencing active use, their loved ones, and the community at large. When not working, Alex can be found with his daughter, friends, a guitar, exploring nature, and canoeing.

Ciceli D. McLin is a dedicated Human Resources professional and community advocate with a passion for supporting individuals from all walks of life. The oldest of three siblings, Ciceli grew up in Rockford, Illinois, and after spending over a decade in Alabama, returned to her hometown in 2023. She currently serves as a Human Resource Specialist at Live4Lali, where she has found a workplace she proudly calls her “village.”

Ciceli earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources from Strayer University, graduating Sigma Cum Laude, and went on to receive her Master of Business Administration with Honors. Her career reflects a commitment to organizational development, employee engagement, and building inclusive environments where every individual is seen, heard, respected, and valued.

Her professional philosophy is rooted in empathy and resilience: “No matter what walk of life you are on—there will be hills, bumps, rain, and sunshine. Despite all of this, every person deserves to be seen, heard, respected, and loved.” This belief fuels her work, particularly her efforts to provide support to individuals who are less fortunate or underserved.

Beyond her professional life, Ciceli’s world is filled with family, laughter, and creativity. She is engaged to Cornelius Barnett, with whom she shares a rekindled love story more than 20 years in the making. She is also “fur mom” to Major, a 3-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, and ReeRee, a 4-year-old French Bulldog. Known as the “fun auntie” to her many nieces and nephews, Ciceli is a trusted confidante who keeps their secrets safe.

Her personal interests are as vibrant as her professional career. Ciceli is a classically trained pianist and soprano singer who loves live jazz nights. She enjoys gardening, experimenting with international cuisines, and recreating her favorite dishes at home. A pool enthusiast who loves to swim only when she can see her feet, Ciceli admits she despises snow—mostly because she refuses to wear socks. (Her family and friends know better than to buy her any!)

Holidays and family gatherings are central to Ciceli’s life. Christmas is her favorite season, when she decorates, bakes, and shares homemade gifts of cookies, pies, and peanut brittle. Each summer, she helps host a legendary Fourth of July celebration, complete with bouncy houses for the kids, a sprawling spread of food, and music that fills the neighborhood.

Ciceli has truly found joy in her role at Live4Lali, where her office team greets her each morning with, “Honey, I’m home!” She jokes that they will have to wheel her down the street to the Coroner’s office someday, because she has no plans of leaving a job where she feels such peace, purpose, and belonging.

Danielle (she/her) has been involved with Live4Lali from the very beginning following the accidental overdose death of her brother, Alex ‘Lali’ Laliberte. She believes passion drives individuals and organizations to empower people, transform communities, and advocate effectively. Her career spans the spectrum of addiction, including youth prevention, supporting active users, assisting those in recovery, and helping their friends and family.

Danielle holds a BA in International Relations and an MBA. She is also a certified Overdose Education & Naloxone Distribution (OEND) trainer and SMART Recovery Facilitator. Outside of work, Danielle enjoys spending time with her pets, reading in a hammock, painting, and working in the woodshop with her husband.

Michelle joined the team in August 2018 to assist leadership and program management with all financial and bookkeeping needs. Michelle also works with the Liberty Prairie Foundation and is a member of the Warren Township Girl’s Softball organization’s board. She resides in Gurnee with her husband and their four children.

Jody Daitchman is the co-founder of Live4Lali, established with her family in early 2009 after the accidental overdose death of her son, Alex Laliberte, in December of 2008.

Six years ago, Jody started the “Angel Moms” group. The group began with a handful of moms and currently has over 200 beautiful moms who have all lost a child or in some cases, more than one child to a substance-related passing. Before Covid, they got together monthly for a gathering and hopes to get back to that soon. She also facilitates the grief group that meets twice a month.

In her spare time, Jody loves to read, travel, spend time with her family – including her amazing 18 month old grandson, Luke Alex, her dog Lacy and lifelong friends. Jody loves to meet new people, give back to the community, attend spiritual events and work out.

Luis (he/him) comes from Waukegan, IL, and is a person in long term recovery who battled substance use disorder, incarceration, gang involvement, and continues to live with health complications as a result of his substance use. He comes from a Hispanic heritage and is fluent in both Spanish and English. He has a passion for helping people who are struggling with substance use and finds fulfillment in service-based work. His prior experience includes outreach work with Cease Fire, a Chicago-based violence prevention program and at PADS working with individuals who are chronically homeless.  Luis enjoys spending time with his family and exercising in his free time.

Stefanie Gattone (she/her) is our McHenry County Program Manager here at Live4Lali. She has a passion for helping others, especially with things she has personal experience with. She got her Associate’s Degree majoring in Social Work from College of Lake County with plans to finish with her Master’s Degree. Her kids are getting older, so she is ready to start working towards her goals again- making a difference in her community and other’s lives. She has battled with Substance Use Disorder since she was young and now is a person in long term recovery with over a decade free from the use of drugs and alcohol. She has also lost many people she loved to overdoses. She is so excited and passionate about this work and is driven to help where she can. When she is not working, she is spending time with her family, hanging with friends, enjoying nature, or being active.

Octavine Horton is a dedicated advocate with over 10 years of experience in mental health and substance abuse services. Passionate about empowering individuals whose voices are often unheard, she has devoted her career to creating meaningful connections and fostering hope within the communities she serves.

Known for her compassionate approach, Octavine believes that every person has a unique purpose in life, and with faith and guidance, that purpose can be realized. She leads with love, integrity, and ambition, striving to inspire others to reach their full potential while ensuring that support, understanding, and advocacy are always available.

Through her work, Octavine continues to champion programs and initiatives that provide care, resources, and a platform for those navigating mental health and substance use challenges, emphasizing dignity, empowerment, and the transformative power of community support.

Anna Ippolito (She/her) is Live4Lali’s Program Manager for Cook County suburbs. She is a Certified Recovery Coach, Peer Recovery Support Specialist and currently finishing her Associates’ Degree for Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor. Anna has been working in the substance abuse disorder industry for over six years. Anna has volunteered for Live4Lali for several years and has accepted a paid position with Live4Lali. She has a passion for helping individuals with substance use disorders and brings with her vast knowledge and experience in the field. She lost her husband, Michael, in 2018 to a fentanyl heroin overdose and her brother, Joey, to substance use disorder in 2019.
She also is a Certified Reiki Practitioner and provides reiki sessions for those in emotional and physical distress. She is also an Ordained Minister (non-denominational) and loves officiating weddings. When not working, Anna can spend time with her family, pet family, and friends.

Camille Cleveland (she/her) is the Program Manager for the Northwest region of Live4Lali’s service area. Camille received a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Child Advocacy studies and a Masters in Public Health Administration and Policy. She is passionate about helping people and has focused a lot of her time professionally working in community health and infectious diseases. Camille loves healthy policy, focusing on health equity and improving health outcomes. She believes everyone deserves quality healthcare and access to it. Camille is an avid baker and crafter who loves spending time with her friends and family as much as she can.

Charlie is one of our McHenry County Outreach Coordinators and started working in the substance use/mental health field following his own recovery from substances. He is passionate about helping others. He is excited to be able to assist in many different ways including peer support, treatment navigation, advocacy and trying to give hope to those who may be struggling or just trying to make any positive change in their lives. Charlie also spends time volunteering with other non-profit organizations throughout McHenry County. While not working or doing volunteer work, he enjoys spending time with his family, animals, gardening, riding bikes and attending concerts.

Teagan Ferraresi (she/her) is the McHenry County Harm Reduction Educator. With personal experience with Substance Use Disorder, her desire to make a change locally brought her to Live4Lali. After volunteering for a year, she joined the team as a SMART Recovery Facilitator and Overdose Education & Naloxone Distribution (OEND) trainer. She’s a fierce believer in harm reduction and destigmatization through community education, and is passionate about helping others with anything from peer support to treatment navigation. When not working you can find her at home with a book or wandering the forest with her son.

Karen (she/her) is a  Outreach Coordinator for Lake County, and is a person in long-term recovery. Her greatest passion in life is to love each person she meets as they are, where they are, and for who they are inside. Karen values the respect and dignity of each individual and was deeply moved by Live4Lali’s approach to recovery, which prioritizes hope and healing over perfection and abstinence. Having her perspective changed by Live4Lali’s focus on harm reduction, she now recognizes its life-saving potential for those struggling with substance use. Karen is incredibly grateful to serve in her role and is dedicated to helping others find hope and healing in their journeys towards recovery.

Odalys Landa (she/her) serves as the Outreach Coordinator for McHenry County, diligently working in the fields of mental health and recovery since 2018. She has witnessed the transformative power of community in fostering positive change. Odalys is currently completing her Associate in Arts at McHenry Community College, with plans to pursue her studies in Gender and Women’s Studies at UIC in the future. Deeply compassionate towards those in need and marginalized groups, Odalys is fluent in both Spanish and English and is a proud recipient of DACA. When not dedicating her time to helping others, she enjoys indulging in reading and exploring her creative side through crafting.

Prior to being Cook County Outreach Coordinator, Carissa’s career path has always included working with people and building teams. She has been a professional corporate trainer, doing presentations and teaching, from individuals to large groups. With her own lived experience, and her brother’s death from an opiate overdose, she has a passion, and personal connection to Live 4 Lali’s mission of reducing stigma, promoting harm reduction, and the importance of offering compassionate support. She heard about Live4Lali from her mom, who began coming to Live4Lali’s angel mom group after her brother’s passing. Between her family’s involvement, and Carissa’s personal story with substances, she is a highly experienced, multifaceted member of Live4Lali’s amazing team.

Monica Andrade (they/them) is an Outreach Coordinator with the McHenry County team. As someone in recovery from IV drug use who personally benefited from harm reduction programs, they were instantly drawn to Live4Lali and their mission. The harm reductionists of Monica’s past made them feel cared for and valued in ways few others could, and it’s an extreme honor to be able to pay that forward.

Monica has always been passionate about helping others, having volunteered with various groups in the past. While their capacity to help took a backseat to their substance use for a time, they are grateful to be able to serve their community again. In 2023 they became a certified SMART Recovery facilitator, and that same year created a monthly, donation-based comedy show at their local sober bar as a way to provide and foster fun in recovery. They believe everyone deserves housing, healthcare, food, and laughter. Monica loves writing and performing, spending time with loved ones, and being in/learning about nature.

Justice is a nonjudgmental member of society who is eager to serve. Looking to give 120% at all times.

Rico was born and raised in Humboldt Park, Chicago. His journey has taken him through some of life’s hardest struggles-addiction, homelessness, incarceration, poverty, and surviving gun violence.
For many years, those challenges defined his path, but through recovery and the support of others, he was able to rebuild his life. His lived experience has taught him the power of resilience, community, and hope, and it’s what drives the work he does today.
Now, as an Outreach Coordinator, Rico dedicates himself to supporting individuals who are navigating the same obstacles he once faced. He brings a harm reduction approach to his work, meeting people where they are and offering compassion without judgment. He uses his story to connect with people in a real way, providing guidance and encouragement as they take steps toward recovery and stability. Every day, he strives to be an example that change is possible and to show that healing, growth, and empowerment can emerge even from the most difficult circumstances.

Lisa Blakley is an Outreach Coordinator at the Rockford, Illinois office. Lisa earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Services in 2019 and has 25+ years experience in the medical field, along with many years working in the insurance industry, working with juveniles as a juvenile detention officer, and working as a resident assistant at a drug and alcohol inpatient
treatment center. Her passion for working with those with mental illness and addictions stems from her own struggles with drugs, alcohol, and mental illness. She has successfully completed an inpatient treatment program and has been sober for over 5 years.
Lisa enjoys going to fairs, festivals, tubing, going to the casino, hanging out with friends and family as well as loving on her dog Rizzo.

Joe Bastien (he/him) is one of the Kane County outreach coordinators. He went back to school to pursue a career in the field of substance use and received his Bachelors of Health Science in community health with a foundation in substance abuse from Governors State University. Since graduating, Joe has worked in different aspects of substance use treatment, and has experience working inpatient, outpatient, and MAT. Joe wanted to find somewhere he could help people in the community and get a chance to actually use his, being an outreach coordinator with Live4Lali gives him that opportunity. Joe enjoys spending time with his family and loved ones, fishing when he has the chance, and going to music fests.

Ellie Werner (she/her) currently serves as a Kane County Outreach Coordinator, but has been volunteering with various organizations since 2016. From a young age she has been passionate about issues pertaining to social justice and human rights. Her belief in the power and importance of mental health and substance use treatment comes from lived experience. After taking some time to focus on her recovery, she is ready to complete her last semester of undergraduate studies with a major in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. Werner is also planning to become a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS). Most recently Ellie has done harm reduction work with organizations such as Ground Control and End Overdose. Ellie is actively working to inspire collective action and advocate for policy reform that makes communities safer and more equitable for all. In her free time, she enjoys spending time in nature, crafting, and reading a good book.

Keyana (she/her) is an Outreach Coordinator in Kane County. With a background in Education, Keyana brings her passion for teaching into her work in harm reduction and stigma awareness. Originally from Evanston, Illinois, she was inspired by her grandmother’s compassion and empathy. Keyana carries that legacy into every community she serves. Keyana believes that everyone faces challenges — and that with the right support, anyone can overcome them. Outside of work, she loves traveling and experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes.

Susana is currently pursuing her CADC (Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor) certification in addiction counseling while completing her Associate of Arts degree this fall. She is on track to graduate with her Bachelor’s in Social Work (BSW) in June 2026.

Coming from a big family where addiction was never openly discussed, Susana’s passion for advocacy began in 2021 when her father suffered a brain hemorrhage. Witnessing his silent struggle and eventual recovery inspired her to speak up for those who feel unheard. Today, her father has been sober for four years and has a second chance at life. A journey that strengthened Susana’s commitment to helping others find hope and healing.

As an Outreach Coordinator for DuPage County, Susana is dedicated to fostering community connections and believes that lasting change begins by coming together. One heart at a time. With her patience, compassion, and dedication to advocacy, she continues to pursue her calling of making a meaningful and lasting impact in the community.