The Mission of Will’s Place
The mission of Will's Place is to reduce the barriers that prevent people from achieving long term sustainable sobriety by combating stigma, providing treatment options, education and awareness programs and advocate for individuals and families who lives have been impacted by addiction.
Wills Place vision is one where Stanly County has a culture that supports addiction recovery for not only individuals but families as well, one where addiction treatment is readily available to all that need it, one where those in addiction recovery are valued members of our community and are treated as such, one where residents of Stanly County in addiction recovery have opportunities to achieve their fullest educational, occupational and civic potential and one where recovery is a celebrated reality.
(Left to right) Matt, Suzanne, Will, Allison
Our Brother, Will…
Will was born on June 10, 1982 in Albemarle, NC to Roger and Darlene Hudson. The third of four children, Will was a smart, sweet and likable kid who loved the game of baseball, playing from the time he was 6 years old until he graduated from Albemarle High School. After Will earned his BA in Business from College of Charleston in 2004, he returned to Albemarle to work for the family's company, Hudson Pool Distributors.
Will's substance use history from beginning to end was 10 years short. He started drinking in college and became dependent on alcohol. He was also on prescription medications to help him deal with anxiety, sleeping problems, and ADD. When he started misusing those medications, he ended up misusing other prescription opiate medications. On April 22, 2012 Will accidentally overdosed on fentanyl and died.
Will was a kind soul with an empathetic heart. One of his college friends said it perfectly..."To say Will would give you the shirt off his back would be cliche and a tad inaccurate, because Will would give you his shirt, jacket, hat and all the money he had in his wallet if you needed it. He didn't look for thanks or recognition for his kindness, he didn't need it--all he needed to know was that he just helped a friend in need. That was enough."
BOARD MEMBERS
2022-2023
ALLISON HUDSON, Founder & President
Allison Hudson was born and raised in Albemarle, NC. After graduating from Albemarle High School she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from The College of Charleston. Allison lived in Boston and San Francisco before moving back to Charlotte, NC to be closer to her family. After losing her brother, Will Hudson, to a drug overdose in 2012, she entered a 28-day treatment facility for alcohol addiction and has been sober since June 11, 2012. Allison started a blog, “It’s a Lush Life”, in 2013 as an amends to her brother where she shares her experience and hope about addiction, grief, and life in recovery. Allison became a feature blogger for Huffington Post in 2013 and is a free-lance writer for a number of other publications. Allison is the Founder of Will’s Place and has dedicated her life to helping others who still suffer from alcohol and drug addiction in hopes they find recovery.
DARLENE HUDSON, Vice President
Darlene Hudson graduated from University of NC-Greensboro with a Bachelor of Arts in Education and returned to Albemarle where she married her husband of 49 years, Roger, and they raised four children, Matthew, Allison, Will & Suzanne. Darlene lost her youngest son, Will, to a drug overdose in 2012, and has supported her oldest daughter, Allison, in recovery since 2012. Darlene is an active member of West Albemarle Baptist Church where she serves on different ministry committees. Darlene, with husband Roger, own Hudson Pool Distributors in Stanly County and enjoy spending time with her 9 grandchildren.
JIM SENTER, Treasurer
Jim Senter is an Albemarle native. After graduating from Albemarle High School, Jim attended and graduated from The Citadel with a Bachelor of Arts in English. He continued his education at UNC Chapel Hill where he graduated with a law degree. After graduation Jim returned to Albemarle and has been practicing law in Stanly County for the past 10 years. Jim serves on the board for Stanly Community College Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and the Albemarle Downtown Development Corporation. Jim lives in Albemarle where he attends First Lutheran Church with his wife, Mary, and children, Stella and Jay.
LINDA EDQUIST, Secretary
Linda Edquist and her husband, Peter, lived in Charlotte before moving to Stanly County in 1980. They have loved living in Misenheimer where they raised their seven children: Jhoda, Gabriel, Micah, Peter Joseph, Ann Marie, John Paul, and Anthony. They now have seven grandchildren that are all thriving, and Linda’s hope is that this county will continue to foster growth and security for all children. She is a member at Annunciation Catholich Church. As a woman in recovery, she has a profound respect for the efforts of Will’s Place and other avenues that support rehabilitation.
LEXAN FOREMAN
Lexan was born and raised in Stanly County (Norwood). After graduating from South Stanly High School she partnered with her sister Tatiana Garmon to manage Luna + Everest, a boutique salon downtown Albemarle. She has 3 nieces and 1 nephew with whom she spends a great deal of time. She also is an advocate for the organization Save the Children and supports them in ending child poverty in America. Lexan became a supporter and advocate for Will’s Place after her cousin, Will Hudson, died of an overdose in 2012. Addiction and recovery is so important to her and she dreams of reducing the stigma and shame surrounding addiction in her community.
MARK LASSITER, SR., DDS
Dr. Mark Lassiter is the father of seven children and a dentist in recovery from narcotic addiction. His sobriety date is March 3, 2003. He is originally from Atlanta but has been in Stanly County since 1989. Dr. Lassiter attended Pheiffer College where he received a B.S. in Biology and UNC Chapel Hill School of Dentistry where he was awarded a D.D.S degree. He held a practice in Norwood for several years before moving to be closer to family. His interests in recovery lie in assisting to remove barriers to care, especially societal stigma and shame. Dr. Lassiter has the intention of contributing to the improvement of the health of Stanly County residents through Will’s Place in addition to his profession.
HEATHER TUCKER
Bio
JOANNE GETTLEMAN
Joanne was born and raised in the Poughkeepsie in the Hudson Valley, New York State and obtained her Bachelor of Education from State University College of New York at Buffalo. She received her Masters of Education/Early Intervention from Wheelock College in Boston, MA and has held positions in administration and teaching in various private schools/agencies for disabled children. Joanne home educated her daughter from Kindergarten through High School and into college. Joanne has served on the board of directors for The Harvest Center of Charlotte and Charlotte Piedmont Community College. She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband, David Gettleman. Together they have three children; Aaron (wife Melissa), Sam, and Ana.
ERIK KERR
Erik is the proud father of 4 boys and has been married to his college crush, Anitra for over 30 years. He loves adventure, the outdoors and alpine climbing. He is the Founder and CEO of LifeTraq, a patent-pending technology designed to improve outcomes and give hope to those who struggle with addiction and mental health challenges, including those in and out of state corrections programs. He designed the first-ever IRB approved study, in partnership with Oura Health, to use wearable technology data to predict early signs of addiction relapse. Erik first met Allison Hudson when he interviewed her for his global summit: The Global Healing Addiction Summit. The virtual summit was attended by over 20,000 globally with leading experts in nutrition, the brain, trauma and more. This was the first of its kind summit designed specifically to give answers and find solutions for family members and loved ones of those who suffer from addiction. He is on the communications leadership team of The Grand National Stigma Challenge. Erik has a deep and enduring belief that nobody is without hope and that data and technology can help in significant ways to support and heal those who suffer, are marginalized or without hope.
TIERA MCDONALD
Ms. McDonald oversees the Transitional Housing Program at Homes of Hope Stanly County with a focus on permanent housing solutions for the homeless families. Additionally, Ms. McDonald also provides case management for guests at the Community Inn. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from UNCC, as well as numerous certifications and a wealth of experience from her work at Monarch.