Mike has seen first-hand the devastating effects of addiction on the public, his profession, and himself. Mike began his career as a helicopter pilot in the U.S. Navy. After eight years, he became a Corrections Officer, Washington DC Police Officer, and then FBI Agent. In 2010, Mike became an instructor at the FBI Academy. In 2013, he created a course titled “Leading At-Risk Employees” geared toward Police Executives to help them understand alcoholism, prescription drug abuse, PTSD, suicide, and domestic violence as it relates to policies and procedures for their agencies worldwide. In 2019, Mike retired from the FBI but his passion for helping others continued. In August 2022, he graduated with a Master’s in Addiction Counseling: Integrated Recovery for Co-Occurring Disorders from the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies. He currently works full-time as a Behavioral Health Therapist at a large nonprofit hospital. Mike combines personal and professional insight to have open, compassionate conversations about addiction, recovery, mental health, and healing. Joined by his wife Lillie, they discuss ways to break stigma and offer encouragement, support, and practical resources—reminding every listener that no one is alone, and that recovery is possible. For more information, visit https://vanmeterwellnesssolutions.com