Staff

JJ has over 20 years in the field of addiction working face-to-face with clients ranging in socio-economic status from homeless to professionals. He has expertise in working with clients that range from adolescent to seniors and from stages of early abuse too late stage chemically dependent.

Robert has been in the field of Addiction for thirteen years. He studied under Dr. Diane Sherman, PHD and received his Certification of Addiction Counseling in 2013. He is a 10-year Naval Veteran, originally from New Jersey, and settled in Atlanta upon his Naval discharge. Robert is also pursuing a degree in Psychology with a concentration in addiction counseling and in his Senior year.

Emilie McDonald is from New Jersey however she was raised in Georgia.  She attended Valdosta State University after high school and transferred to Kennesaw State University where she graduated cum laude with a BBA. Emilie began working in the recovery industry four years ago as a residential technician doing night checks and weekends. She then progressed to the clinical side doing drug screens and clinical documentation. Today - Emilie is a Certified Addiction Counselor and the Director of Operations.

Brandi Milton is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner.  After completing her undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and minor in Chemistry, she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Winston Salem State University followed by a Masters in Nursing from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. 

Michael Whatley is a level II Certified Addiction Counselor (CACII) with more than 10 years of experience serving adolescents, young adults, and adults. He is a team player that thrives on helping individuals accomplish their vision and mission and is enthusiastic about assisting them in meeting their true potential. Change is important to Michael, and he is constantly seeking opportunities for growth. He is from Auburn, Alabama and passionate about music, movies, and college football.  

Phillip has spent the past 7 years committed to making a difference in the recovery community.  He received his bachelor’s degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and is CADC-II certified.  Phillip combines both life experience and education to help clients with substance use disorders to face and overcome life’s challenges.  Phillip is intensely committed to, and passionate about, helping others achieve a healthy, balanced, productive, and a happier life in recovery.

Tracey Messer is nationally, and Georgia State certified as an addiction professional as well as an anger management specialist. She has been working in the field for ten years. Tracey received her training with Dr. Diane Sherman of ACTS Consulting, Inc. Tracey shows her passion as assisting men and women who struggle with addiction and helps to put their lives back together.

Terri Barry has an associate in secretarial science and is in long term recovery. She graduated from the women’s extension in January of 2020. The extension admired her strength, spirit, and commitment so much that they offered her position as support staff.  With continued growth and passion for recovery she is now employed at Tangu as Director of women’s housing.  Terri’s dreams and goals is to obtain her Addiction Counselor Certification.

Trey is a graduate of the University of West Georgia and has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Trey is in long-term recovery. He recently transitioned from house manager at the Extension to Director of Housing at Tangu. In his spare time, he leads a dedicated recovery program running both NA and AA meetings. He has completed the 12 steps for AA and is working on the NA steps.

Chris has been employed within the recovery field for over six years. He previously held roles for a sober living facility, advancing from assistant resident manager to certified recovery coach to business operations manager.  He began his career focusing on business process reengineering solutions and software implementation projects, ultimately managing information technology support teams. He received his Bachelor of Arts from The University of Georgia.

Shayne has been working in the field of addiction for four years. His passion for helping others led him to become a recovery specialist, where he developed a better understanding of treatment modalities and how to best respond to the needs of clients. Shayne then transitioned into marketing and found that his competitive nature and desire to evoke positive change were assets to this role. Shayne is committed to bringing his experience and drive to Tangu and plans to continually make a positive impact. Shayne is originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan and in his spare time enjoys playing hockey and spending time with his family.

Joyce is a graduate of Georgia State University with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and serves as Tangu’s women’s housing coordinator. She is also an alum of the women’s extension. Currently, Joyce is studying under Dr. Gary Byrd at High Impact Training & Counsel to receive her Certified Addiction Counselor Level II and Certified Anger Management Specialist accreditations. Joyce has a passion to help men and women who struggle with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health issues.