Prior to starting working here in December 2022, Craig was the State of Utah Prevention Director for the past 20 years, where he learned from the best consultants in the nation—JBS. During his prevention tenure, he was trained in multiple prevention programs, including Botvin LifeSkills; Strengthening Families Program 10–14; All Stars; and the evidence-based community organization model, Communities That Care. He also volunteered on a community prevention coalition for 10 years.
Before working for the State of Utah, Craig was a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and supervisor in a community mental health center. His passion is helping create and sustain the most effective and efficient prevention systems possible. It is not taking long for him to embrace the entire continuum of care concept and to share his prevention passion with therapy, recovery, and harm reduction. Having a family member with a serious mental illness, and now deep within the “usual” substance use disorder course, Craig is able to bring a lived experience to the perspectives shared during his work with JBS. Soon, he hopes to have a recovery story that his family member is willing to share.
Craig graduated from three universities: the now-named Utah Tech University, Weber State University, and University of Utah, where he received his MSW, with an emphasis on clinical services. He has kept in close relationship with researchers, scientists, and program developers, taking every opportunity he can to learn from them. He served on several policy and research committees; most recently he was a member of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Prevention National Advisory Council.
For fun, Craig and his wife love hiking, exploring, and walking their two dogs in the Mojave Desert, where they live. An avid cyclist, he spends hours each week on his mountain and road bikes and, on rest days, will ride his Harley through the nearby state and national parks. He was a member of the National Ski Patrol for 20 years.