Brett Hill is the House Coordinator for VFOR’s St. Johnsbury residence. He grew up in Vermont, currently lives in Lyndonville, and has two grown children. After finishing college, Brett worked for 22 years in telecommunications before deciding to switch his life focus to working in the recovery field. Along with Brett’s position with VFOR, he is a certified recovery coach at The Kingdom Recovery Center, where he works in the RCED (recovery coach in the emergency department) program. He also works with the Making Recovery Easier Outside In program, which not only brings an introduction to recovery into prisons, but also helps break down any barriers that people may have previously had in their prior attempts at living a sober life.
Colby Smith is the House Coordinator for VFOR’s St. Albans residence. Colby is a Vermont native who began his career after attending the New England Culinary Institute. He worked as a chef for 16 years before moving to Massachusetts to pursue his own recovery journey. Today, Colby is an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous and serves as a sponsor and recovery mentor, using his lived experience to support others seeking long-term recovery. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree with the goal of becoming a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor and is passionate about working with at-risk adolescents. Through his professional and personal experiences, Colby is committed to helping individuals build hope, resilience, and healthier futures.
Ray is VFOR’s House Coordinator in the Rutland men’s house. After getting into recovery in 2018, Ray worked with a recovery coach, which inspired him to become a recovery coach himself. He worked at Turning Point as a recovery coach for a couple years, after which he worked at Serenity House for about 8 months. Ray has been at the VFOR Rutland House since the fall of 2023.
Taylor is VFOR’s Essex House Coordinator for Men and Recovery Coach. Taylor brings a wealth of experience from both in and out of treatment and sober living residences, seeking to find his new professional path in the recovery community to help others find the joy of sobriety and independent living in the early stages of recovery.
Raised down the road in Williston, Taylor pursued a family tradition of Ski Racing in his younger years, first at Cochran’s, Stowe, then attending high school in Waitsfield at Green Mountain Valley School. He then skied for the University of Colorado while graduating in 2005 with degrees in both Economics and Sociology, which was followed by a move to Chicago for 17 years. While in Chicago, Taylor opened a Real Estate Brokerage in the Lakeview neighborhood and had two beautiful daughters, however the time was marred in 2015 when an unexpected, violent gang trauma occurred and Taylor’s alcohol addiction was acutely activated. Taylor spent 5 years in active addiction, attempting for lasting sobriety beginning in 2020. His recovery journey brought him back in his native Vermont in 2022, and he attained sustained recovery in March 2024. He now lives in Hinesburg and can be found outside of work on the mountains coaching the CVU Alpine Ski Team, or the mountain bike trails in the summer!
