In her position as Executive Director of the Governor's Council on Substance Use Disorder, Celina Levy is actively engaged in statewide efforts to raise awareness and educate communities about substance use disorders and overdose prevention. Through the Governor's Council and its Alliance to Prevent Substance Use Disorder, and its strategic partnerships, she is committed to embracing strategies that focus on mental health, harm reduction, and trauma informed approaches, as well as combating the stigma associated with both substance use and mental health disorders. Having formerly been the Executive Director of the Governor's Council on Mental Health Stigma, Ms. Levy remains wholly dedicated to combating stigma and is grateful to be a collaborative partner in New Jersey's prevention efforts.

Rebecca Alfaro is the Deputy Executive Director of the New Jersey Governor's Council on Substance Use Disorder and is responsible for overseeing the Council’s systemic planning and coordination efforts.  She has spent over 25 years of her career working in the field of substance misuse prevention with the Municipal Alliances, beginning as a Program Analyst in Ocean County and holding various leadership positions at GCSUD.  Her expertise has led to facilitating workshops and presentations on community needs assessments, organizational capacity building, and evaluation within communities throughout NJ and the United States.

Ms. Alfaro earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Monmouth University with a concentration in International and Community Development, which has given her the opportunity to take part in needs assessments, research, and evaluation in communities throughout the United States and internationally. Her undergraduate studies were at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Ms. Alfaro has had the pleasure of teaching as an adjunct professor at Ocean County College, Monmouth University and Rutgers University. Her passion lies in community building with a focus on social justice and health equity.

Sara Thode has been the GCSUD Director of Prevention and Planning since 2019. Earlier in her career, she was the County Alliance Coordinator, the Alcohol & Drug Use Director and the Mental Health Administrator in Union County where she supervised the Union County Alliance Program across those roles. A graduate of Boston University with a degree in Human Services, she has worked to strengthen protective factors and diminish risk factors throughout her career in substance misuse prevention, substance use disorder and mental health treatment and providing services for underserved and unhoused people. Sara is especially grateful to work with the wonderful members of the GCSUD Alliance Unit staff who provide technical assistance to the County and Municipal Alliance Programs.

Viktoria Kremper started her career with the state of New Jersey as an Accountant for the Department of Labor in 2015 and joined the Governor’s Council on Substance Use Disorder in 2016. Ms. Kremper acts as the fiscal manager and provides fiscal oversight and accountability for all the grants offered by the Council. With her expertise, she is able to provide technical assistance and necessary trainings on fiscal matters to all grantees, assisting them to focus on providing quality prevention programming in their communities.

Ms. Kremper finished her undergraduate education in Greece at the Technological Educational Institute of Crete where she graduated with a Bachelor in Business Administration. She later earned her Master in Accounting from the University of Akron in Ohio.

Kimberly Rodriguez is a State Alliance Coordinator who provides technical assistance on substance use disorder prevention strategies. With over 15 years of experience, she is committed to helping individuals and communities overcome the challenges of addiction through evidence-based practices, compassionate care, and comprehensive support.

Kimberly has expertise in youth counseling and works closely with at-risk youth to create prevention strategies and tailored treatment plans. Kimberly is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Clinician and holds a degree in Forensic Psychology. Passionate about promoting recovery and reducing stigma, Kimberly actively participates in community outreach programs and training workshops

Kristin McCarthy began working as a State Alliance Coordinator for the Governor’s Council on Substance Use Disorder in 2019. She started her career in harm reduction and substance use disorder counseling before switching gears to substance use prevention.

Kristin earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Rutgers University. She then went on to obtain her LCSW working in private practice counseling, where she found great joy connecting with others. Kristin enjoys learning and is always taking opportunities to attend webinars, conferences, and other educational events to remain current and relevant in the field.

Katelyn Assenheimer has been a member of the GCSUD staff for over 20 years. She began her career as part of the clerical staff and is currently the assistant for both the Executive and Deputy Director. She is also a liaison to the Council members and coordinates each monthly GCSUD meeting.

Tamira McCord brings her extensive administrative background to the team. She has over 20 years of knowledge and experience and has worked in both private and public sectors.   In her role with GCSUD, she provides administrative support to the office and management. Tamira also works closely with County staff, Municipal Alliances, and Council Members to assist in the office mission to raise awareness and educate the public about substance use disorder. She is honored to be a part of the team and GCSUD’s mission.