David is one of VFOR’s co-founders and serves as VFOR’s Executive Director. A native of Waterbury and graduate of Harwood Union High School, David has been in recovery since 2007. In 2008, he began renting his own home to others in recovery, sparking a commitment that has shaped his life’s work. Recognizing the need for safe, structured, and peer-led recovery housing, he helped establish VFOR in 2013. Since then, he has played a central role in growing the organization to include 79 beds across the state by the end of 2025.
David has also been instrumental in statewide recovery initiatives. He was a founding board member of the Vermont Alliance for Recovery Residences (VTARR), which brought national certification standards to Vermont. David was also a founding board member of Step Into Action-VT, an organization that empowers Vermont community members to celebrate recovery from substance use. David served the State of Vermont as the Director of Housing Policy and Planning for the Agency of Human Services. He currently serves as Treasurer of the Recovery Partners of Vermont Board and was recently appointed to the Vermont Community Development Board, further strengthening VFOR’s voice within the housing and recovery sectors.
Through his work, David continues to be a passionate advocate for recovery and housing solutions that support individuals on their path to healing and independence.
“Being able to dedicate myself fully to VFOR’s mission is an incredible honor,” said Riegel. “Recovery is possible when people have a safe place to land, structure to grow, and a community to support them. I’m excited to build on what we’ve started and to help more Vermonters find lasting recovery.”
Andrew is a native of Bellows Falls, a VFOR co-founder, and VFOR’s Director of Operations. He is also a person in recovery since May 24, 2003. Andrew’s life has been shaped largely by his experience as an inmate with the Vermont Department of Corrections from 2005-2008. Andrew is the rare individual who was able to turn a period of incarceration into a truly positive, life-changing experience. While incarcerated, Andrew stayed sober, received an education, and through many months of soul-searching, determined that he would commit his life to providing people in recovery with safe and sober places to live. Since, his release in 2008, Andrew has done just that, managing sober houses throughout Northern Vermont. Andrew has received formal training in sober house operations, recovery coaching, Cognitive Self Change, and 16 Habits of Mind. His smiling face is seemingly omnipresent throughout the recovery community in Vermont and beyond, and his commitment to service is widely recognized and admired. VFOR is the manifestation of Andrew’s dreams, and he is excited to commit his life to developing a vibrant network of Recovery Homes.
Derrick has been in our finance department since the fall of 2018 when he came on as a self contracted bookkeeper. Since, he has worked his way to our full-time Director of Finance, managing all financial aspects of our organization. Derrick was born and raised in Burlington, VT and has an Associates Degree in Accounting from the Community College of Vermont. Derrick is also a person in recovery since February, 2014 and lived in a sober home for the first two years of his recovery. I guess you could say he has literally come full circle. He and his son live in Essex Junction, VT with their two cats and one dog.
Candace is the Director of Community Relations for VFOR. She has over 16 years of experience in leadership, finance, community outreach, strategic planning, marketing, and business development. She earned her B.A. from the College of Charleston where she majored in Corporate Communications and minored in Marketing. She is a Vermont native and returned in 2020 to purchase her father’s childhood home in Barre. During this time, Candace transitioned to working in the recovery field after witnessing first-hand the effects of addiction and mental health issues on family, friends, and the greater Vermont community. Candace and her husband Sid, son Iain, and two puppies Wally and Grady enjoy spending their summers on Lake Champlain at their camp in Colchester and exploring the mountains of central Vermont the rest of the year.
