Young People in Recovery (YPR) have officially announced the appointment of Ann Herbst as their new Executive Director, effective immediately. Ann has been with YPR since 2014 and previously served as YPR’s Director of Development, VP of Institutional Advancement, and Interim CEO. In her time at YPR, Ann took the company to new heights as their chief fundraising officer, growing their budget eightfold from $350,000 when she started in 2014, to $2.9 million in 2021.

Ann brings plentiful experience to her new position as she has an extensive background of prominent titles. In her work prior to YPR, she served as a director of distinguished events for the American Cancer Society in New York City overseeing a $1 million portfolio of events. Additionally, she was the major gift officer for the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, an educational nonprofit in Princeton, NJ. She is also a former children’s health editor at McCall’s magazine, and is the author of a non-fiction book, “Willie: Raising and Loving a Child with Attention Deficit Disorder.” 

“Ann is an absolute delight to work with and her new appointment is much deserved. We are excited to see where she takes Young People in Recovery. Her extensive background and success prove how great of a leader she is,” says California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP) President and CEO, Pete Nielsen.

Young People in Recovery is a national nonprofit that provides non-clinical, peer recovery support services to youth and young adults (defined as under age 30) in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD) or who are seeking recovery from SUD.  YPR aims to improve access to resources such as housing, education and employment that sustain long-term recovery.

Ann is sure to continue to do great things as she steps into this new role. She will continue to work closely and collaboratively with YPR’s staff and board to improve business and program operations. We wish her the best luck on her new appointment!

Kristina Padilla MA, LAADC, ICAADC, CGS
Vice President of Education & Strategic Development at California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals

Kristina Padilla is a leader with the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals (CCAPP), where she serves as the Vice President of Education and Strategic Development overseeing CCAPP’s Education Department. Additionally, she travels throughout California and the nation bringing addiction focused businesses together to promote the profession, increase access to services and improve the quality of AOD service provision through education, business development, and investment in quality programming.  Ms. Padilla has a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice Administration and a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology. Ms. Padilla is a Licensed Advanced Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LAADC), and an International Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (ICAADC).