The Global Recovery Initiatives (GRI) Foundation today announced that they are adding three new members to their board of directors: international rock icon Nikki Sixx, entertainment industry legend Allen Kovac, iHeart Media VP Alexandra Cameron and Fors Marsh Group's director of social good activities Matt Escoubas. Pam Cytron, CEO of Pando Systems and board chairman of the GRI Foundation, said: "We are thrilled to add these new board members who will bring their wisdom, expertise and networks to expand philanthropy for people in early recovery from substance use disorder — a nationwide problem that affects every sector of American life — from individuals and their families to the country's employers and communities.” About the new board members: Nikki Sixx is a founding member and the bassist of MÖTLEY CRÜE (over 100 million albums sold worldwide) as well as the author of three New York Times bestselling books, including his memoir "The Heroin Diaries", which will debut as a musical in 2020. He is 18 years sober and has been a dedicated recovery advocate, philanthropist and public speaker. He is a frequent media contributor to CNN, Fast Company, MSNBC, The Washington Post, The Guardian and Rolling Stone. He has also spoken to members of Congress for National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. Allen Kovac, a 40-year veteran of the entertainment industry, founded Better Noise Music (fka Eleven Seven Music Group), Tenth Street Entertainment and TDA Productions. He has promoted and developed a wide range of artists including Tom Petty, TALKING HEADS, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, DURAN DURAN, THE CRANBERRIES, MÖTLEY CRÜE and Meat Loaf. In 2006 Allen founded Better Noise Music to give artists an integrated worldwide marketing platform and direct distribution with iTunes, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube and Deezer. Better Noise has been named No. 1 Active Rock label by Mediabase two years in a row (2018/2019). In 2019, Allen was honored by Sir Richard Branson with the Innovator Award at the Association for Independent Music (AIM) Awards. Allen has produced a number of programs that focus on substance use disorder: he co-produced the highly successful Netflix biopic "The Dirt", based on the best-selling autobiography of the band MÖTLEY CRÜE. He also produced "Sno Babies", a gripping story about a 16-year-old heroin-addicted honor student that shows how one can begin recovery; it is scheduled for release in 2020. In addition, he is the producer of "The Heroin Diaries", based on the bestselling memoir of the same name by Nikki Sixx, which will run in 20 cities across the U.S. beginning in fall 2020. Matt Escoubas is director of special initiatives at Fors Marsh Group (FMG), where he oversees the research company's efforts focused on social good efforts. This includes expanding the B Corp movement by increasing awareness of and driving a greater number of companies to become B Corp certified. In addition, it includes working to reduce the stigma associated with opioid misuse prevention, treatment and recovery, and supporting singular community engagement projects championed by FMG employees through volunteer hours. Matt's experience spans a range of topics, including opioid misuse prevention, treatment and recovery, high blood pressure and stroke prevention, tobacco prevention and control and palliative care. His efforts have received multiple industry awards, including a PR News Platinum Award, Bronze Anvil Award, two National Health Information Awards, and two Thoth Awards. Fors Marsh Group is the leading provider of market research across industrial, public and consumer markets. The firm's clients include: The Center for Disease Control, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 23 & Me, the National Cancer Institute and Cotton USA. As a certified B Corporation, FMG uses business as a force for good, creating positive impact beyond its client portfolio, extending into the community through pro bono service to nonprofits aligned with FMG's corporate values. Alexandra Cameron is vice president strategic partnerships & government initiatives for iHeart Media. She is also the founder of the National Opioid Action Coalition which produced two events and multiple radio campaigns to break stigma around substance use disorder and has adopted GRI as their charitable partner for SUD issues. Prior to joining iHeart Media, Alexandra led Keek, Inc., a startup social video platform that was one of the first video platforms for Facebook Messenger. While there she was responsible for all business operations, sales and marketing and grew the number of registered users to 75 million. The Global Recovery Initiatives Foundation (GRI) is the first and only national community foundation dedicated to building philanthropy for organizations that deliver recovery support services to people with SUD. GRI funds the expansion of organizations that have demonstrated success in: * Deploying public, private and pop culture resources to strengthen the field of recovery * Engaging philanthropy leaders to invest in non-profit, recovery-focused programs and making grants in local communities throughout the U.S. * Reducing the stigma around SUDs and recovery For more information, visit globalrecoveryinitiatives.org.
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