Charleston Recovery Center | Founder & Staff

Founder & Staff

Ronnie Byers

Founder, Charleston Recovery Center, Inc.
8/23/1946 – 12/21/2023

Ronnie Byers got sober in 2007.  He had built several successful businesses but couldn’t stay sober.  He went to rehab and was taught a program of action using the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.  He learned that in order to keep his sobriety and newfound beautiful life, he had to continue to pass the message along to other alcoholics and addicts.  Ronnie took this very seriously and began helping people immediately.  His desire to help others and maintain his sobriety began just by helping anyone in front of him.  He spread the 12-step message to everyone he encountered struggling with substance problems.

Ronnie had a passion for writing, golfing, people, musical theatre and traveling. He was a poet, songwriter, and philanthropist. He discovered his true passion when he began helping others learn a new way of life and founded the Charleston Recovery Center.  He taught thousands of people a new way of life through the 12-Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.  He shared his love for golf, musical theatre and traveling with residents who entered the inpatient program at Charleston Recovery Center.  There was never a dull moment as Ronnie taught others not only how to get sober but to have a meaningful, fun and happy life in sobriety.

What started as Ronnie helping people get sober and live sober, turned into what Charleston Recovery Center is today.  We continue to honor Ronnie’s legacy in continuing to help addicts and alcoholics in need.  We teach them how to work a thorough 12-step program and how to teach others that come in after them.  We also continue to share fun experiences with residents by taking them to shows and numerous outings to show them a sober meaningful life filled with purpose and joy.

Thomas Baldwin

Director

I was born and raised in Charleston, SC and graduated from the college of Charleston.  I knew in my early 20’s that I was different from other people.  I had little control over the amount I drank or did drugs and when I tried to stop or moderate I always got worse no matter the consequences.

I came from a very close family who cared for me, but they were baffled on how to help save my life.  I struggled for decades with substance abuse and other poor choices until finally I asked for help.  My family chose Charleston Recovery Center and I was taken here in early May of 2012.

I was given simple direction and a program of action taken straight from the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous.  I was shown a way of living from people who had experience in practicing a new way of life.  I was given the tools to have a drug-free life.  I learned not only how to stay sober, but more importantly how to teach others how to get sober.

I stayed an extra month after my 90-day commitment, then was hired as staff, and eventually became Director.  During this time I began to experience the benefits of sobriety.  I renewed my interest in painting and drawing; activities I had abandoned in active addiction.  Live music was another passion of mine (The Grateful Dead followed me around!) that I began to pursue again.

One of the promises of recovery is that we will know a new freedom and a new happiness.  That came true when I found the love of my life and got married.  My wife and I share similar interests and enjoy our home together with our three fur babies, Sirius, Midnight and Lestat; the luckiest black cats I ever met.  I’ve learned in recovery that life could be fun again and that has come true, better than I thought possible.  All I had to do was surrender.

Jett (Jennifer Pett)

Director

I was born into a wonderful family and raised in Holland, Michigan.  As a college graduate with a business degree and commendable career history, I never could have imagined I would be hooked on alcohol and opiates.  I struggled with alcoholism and addiction for many years.  In and out of various rehabs, I only managed to stay sober for a maximum of 6 days.  I was desperate and broken.  By the grace of God, and the support of people who never gave up on me, I landed at Charleston Recovery Center in April of 2019.

Upon entry to the Charleston Recovery Center, I began to recover. The people who were helping me were recovering alcoholics and addicts themselves. Not only had they once drank and used drugs like I did, they had the same emotional struggles I suffered from as well.  Upon realizing that these recovering addicts were just like me and they were getting better, I believed I could too.

At Charleston Recovery Center, I learned a new way of life.  Most importantly, I learned how to live sober and help other people recover.  I stayed an additional 3 months beyond my original 90-day commitment then another 6 months as a commenced resident before becoming staff and eventually became one of the Directors.  I am able to help people through this program and through the experiences I’ve had with my own recovery from alcohol and addiction.

Today my life is better than it ever has been.  I have formed incredible friendships with women in recovery.  I am truly happy.  I am able to be present as a daughter, sister and aunt. I owe my life to this program and I find incredible joy in continuing to help others find a solution.

Domenika Denissenko

Director of Administration

My name is Domenika Denissenko and I am 26 years old.  English is my second language—I immigrated to the United States with my parents from Almaty, Kazakhstan back in 2002.

My entire life, I had always blamed external things for my internal issues.  I always believed that my own manufactured misery was everyone else’s problem, and I took my unhappiness out on other people.  I did well in school and I came from a very loving and supportive family, however, addiction hit me hard and it hit me early.   I began experimenting with pills and cannabis when I was 14.  By the time I was in college, I was addicted to IV drugs. I slowly began to lose things that I held dear—my family, my college scholarships, my job, my internships, my house, my relationships with other people, and most importantly my sense of self.   My parents found CRC through a family friend, and they presented this treatment center to me as an opportunity.  I bucked at the option at first—Why wouldn’t I? I had overcome so many obstacles in my life so I thought surely, if I had truly wanted to, I would be able to overcome this on my own, too.

I tried it on my own for another year, and after a particularly traumatizing 1-week stay at the hospital, I had a moment of clarity, and I called my mother sobbing. I told her that I was desperate for something different and that I was willing to do whatever she told me to. She called the staff at Charleston Recovery Center and I was here within 24 hours.  I had never been to treatment before, and I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I felt alone, broken, and terrified—but not for long.  The women here understood me because they were just like me—they had gone through the wringer just like I had.  They took care of me.  They guided me through the steps of AA and they provided me with security, friendship, and a renewed sense of purpose.  Before long I felt at peace, I felt happy, and I felt like I belonged. I began to realize that I didn’t have to feel the way that I did all those years ever again.  Most of all, I began to have faith that there was something out there that was watching over me and was rooting for my success.

I was told that the best way to stay well was by carrying my message of hope to other people, so I listened and began to do that.  I was in inpatient treatment here for 8 months when I was offered a job, and I have been working here ever since.   The message has remained the same since I was a resident several years ago—that recovery is possible AND achievable, provided that the person is willing to follow some simple directions.  CRC taught me how to address my problems in a sustainable way, how to walk through my fears, how to live life on life’s terms, how to have fun in sobriety, and how to help other people become their best selves.  I would have never believed that I could live happy, joyous, and free when I first came here—I thought that I was destined to die an addict and that I was hopeless.  Charleston Recovery Center gave me hope, and I am still sober to this day thanks to the people here who believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself, and who guided me into a closer relationship with my higher power.

Gene Rowell

Program Director

My name is Gene Rowell. I was born, raised and educated in Charleston, SC. I was a teacher and a coach and drank socially for several years. At about the age of 30, I found myself not only drinking heavily but also using drugs. Thus, began my drinking and drugging career. Realizing the state of utter despair I found myself in, I exhausted every human resource available to overcome this deadly disease to no avail.

Finally in 2006, I took the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and remained sober 13 plus years. After several total hip replacements, I relapsed on pain pills. I knew the one place that I could trust and rely on to get sober and restore my relationship with God was the Charleston Recovery Center. I entered the program in May 2020 and have remained sober ever since. Presently, I am the Program Director at Charleston Recovery Center which affords me the opportunity and privilege to teach others how to get sober and more importantly stay sober.

Christina Cricks

Women's Director / Addiction Recovery Specialist

My name is Christina, and I was born into a military family, which meant moving frequently throughout my childhood. After my father retired here in South Carolina following Hurricane Hugo, I began to consider this area my home. Despite this, I struggled to feel like I truly fit in, and I turned to alcohol as a way to numb my fears of not being good enough. What began as a social escape eventually consumed my life, becoming an all-day activity, I could no longer control.

After over twenty years of battling alcoholism, I found a solution through the 12-step program at Charleston Recovery Center. Sobriety gave me a second chance at life, allowing me to return to college to pursue a degree in Human Services with a focus on drug and alcohol counseling. Through my recovery journey, I discovered a profound passion for helping others who face similar struggles. I plan to further my education and pursue my license in trauma and addiction counseling so that I can continue to support others on their paths to healing and recovery. I believe that everyone deserves the chance to recover and live a fulfilling life, and I am dedicated to helping others achieve that.

VAHALLA VOLUNDSSON

Development & Outreach Director

I was born in Tucson, Arizona and raised in Tucson and San Diego, California. For 35 years, I fought a long and painful battle with drug addiction and alcoholism. In 2024, seeking a fresh start, I came to South Carolina – hoping to outrun my past. But it was Charleston Recovery Center, where I arrived on June 2, 2024, that I finally found what I had been searching for: the truth about myself, and more importantly, a solution.

Through the program, I discovered not only the roots my addiction but also the tools to rebuild my life. Today, I serve as the Outreach Specialist for Charleston Recovery Center. I am able to use my story to extend a hand to those still struggling.

I studied Creative Writing at the University of Arizona and Business Administration at Eastern Arizona College; experiences that shaped my voice and vision. Today I am able to be present as a proud son and also a proud father. My family continues to motivate my journey of recovery and service.

My life has become a testament to the power of redemption, the strength of community, and the belief that it’s never too late to change.

Grant Spencer

Recovery / Outreach

I was born in San Antonio, Texas and raised in Mid-Michigan by very loving parents. After suffering a traumatic brain injury at a very young age, I began experimenting with drugs and alcohol. Before I knew what was happening, the disease of addiction had a stranglehold on my life. I did well academically, becoming a Duke Tip honor student, but was unable to control my behavior due to my drug use and emotional unmanageability. I was expelled five years in a row and this pattern of defiance carried on far into my adulthood.

I went to treatment centers three times during high-school, but never found any relief. I did well in college for a time but had to exit the program to go to treatment again. Finding no relief still, I began a series of different jobs, excelling at first and inevitably ruining each new opportunity as a result of my inability to control or regulate my drug use. I went to several treatment centers and psychiatrists in between desperately seeking an answer to my problem. Eventually I gave up on employment and spent several years falling into the abyss of fast money and legal consequences. The disease of addiction robbed me of my humanity and of all hope, and left me a shell of a man.

Upon coming to Charleston Recovery Center, I did not think anything could ever work for me. All my experience told me I was a hopeless case. However, I was so desperate for relief that I was willing to follow directions of strangers if that is what it took. Quickly, these strangers became my friends, and then my family. I met other people that were once as hopeless as I was, but had found a way out. I followed their example, and through taking the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as stated in the book, and subsequently helping others do the same, I have been given a life that is indescribably wonderful. I am finally free, and for that I am eternally grateful.

LANE CANADA

Recovery / Outreach

Lane serves as a Recovery and Outreach Member at Charleston Recovery Center, guiding individuals and families through the critical first steps of seeking help. His path to this role was paved through diverse careers in the Fire Department, Army Reserves, and as a Merchant Seaman—environments where professional success, masked a deeply personal battle with anxiety and the isolating grip of alcoholism.

For years, Lane navigated high-pressure fields while trapped in a cycle of substance use, eventually reaching a life-threatening crisis point where he faced the devastating reality that he could not stop on his own. It was a pivotal moment in the hospital, receiving a lifeline from the Charleston Recovery Center, that galvanized his commitment to a new way of living. From there he went on to commit 120 days, as a resident of the program.

Today, Lane transforms his lived experience into powerful advocacy. He connects profoundly with those battling shame and isolation, offering not just resources, but a testament to the fact that recovery is a sustainable reality. His mission is to ensure that every prospective resident and their family members receive compassionate guidance and tangible hope, demonstrating that a fulfilling life in recovery begins the moment they reach out for support.

MATT RAUCCI

Recovery / Outreach

I was born in Buffalo, NY into a large family with a wide age gap between my relatives and I. Being so much younger often left me feeling out of place and searching for where I truly fit in. At ten years old, I moved to Hilton Head, SC, a major transition that brought its own challenges.

Moving somewhere where I knew nobody, gave me an “opportunity” to find where I thought I fit in. That “opportunity” was drugs and alcohol. Over the course of the next 20 years my life and the lives of all those around me suffered drastically. My alcoholism/addiction progressed. As did the prospect of existing rather than living. The consequences were both short and long stints in jails/prison/hospitals and institutions. After coming to terms with my alcoholism/addiction I made the decision to ask for help and accept it.

Now, since adhering to a 12-Step Program of Recovery, I have recovered from a hopeless state of mind and body. My life has been transformed through the support, structure, and compassion of the Charleston Recovery Center. My time in recovery taught me the value of community, accountability, and faith through personal change.

Today, I am committed to living with gratitude and purpose. Working with others who are facing similar battles serves as a reminder that new beginnings are possible. I like to believe my journey stands as proof that recovery is not just about overcoming addiction, but discovering strength, hope, and a future filled with possibility.