Meet the 2025 Pittsburgh Recovery Award Winners
In 2025, we issued the annual call for nominations for three recovery award categories:
Recovery Advocate: An individual who has worked to change policy or public opinion about addiction and recovery
Recovery Caregiver: An individual who provides outstanding direct care to people with addiction/people seeking recovery (e.g., recovery supports, counselors, case managers, medical professionals, first responders, and more)
Recovery Pathway Supporter: An individual who has worked to broaden the range of recovery pathways available in the greater Pittsburgh area (e.g., someone who has worked to promote MAT, harm reduction, alternative peer support groups, etc.)
Here are the 2025 winners.
RECOVERY ADVOCATE: Malory Spring
Malory Spring is the Executive Director of Live 4 Tomorrow Today, a nonprofit that provides direct support to people and families affected by substance use, mental health, overdose, and suicide. Her nomination for this award said that “Malory Spring doesn’t just talk about change, she lives it.” She has helped reduce stigma and create recovery-inclusive spaces.
One of her most innovative contributions is her nonprofit’s funeral assistance program, which helps families cover a portion of memorial or funeral expenses for loved ones lost to overdose, sending a powerful message that these lives matter. She also organizes the annual “Burn Out the Stigma” car show, a major event that brings together people in recovery, families, advocates, and community members in a joyful and accessible way to help break down the walls of stigma.
RECOVERY CAREGIVER: Elexa Becton
Elexa Becton (Lex) is a social worker who has provided skillful and caring support for people with substance use disorders at numerous human services organizations in Pittsburgh, including her current role at Prevention Point Pittsburgh. She draws on her personal history to build trusting relationships with clients who may be hesitant to engage with support services due to past negative experiences.
Aaron Arnold, Executive Director of Prevention Point Pittsburgh, said that “On a daily basis Lex is not someone who just promotes harm reduction, she actively works against stigma and lets everyone around her know they are loved and deserve good things in their lives”. In her current role, Lex helps hundreds of clients with services including accessing low-barrier buprenorphine, obtaining identification, and submitting benefit applications.
RECOVERY PATHWAY SUPPORTER: Samantha Hartle
Samantha Hartle is a registered nurse and a person with lived experience with opioid use disorder. Her nomination for this award said she “embodies what it means to turn lived experience into leadership”. After facing multiple barriers, she became a nurse to dismantle the very stigma, neglect, and mistreatment she once faced. As a nurse navigator at UPMC Magee-Womens Pregnancy & Women’s Recovery Center, she was instrumental in developing and expanding programs that provide trauma-informed, harm-reduction-based, and person-centered care.
Samantha’s advocacy extends beyond the clinic, as she is also a key figure in the Rural Communities C.A.R.E. initiative, which works to prevent Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome in counties surrounding Pittsburgh. Her bravery in these spaces is palpable, as she uses her voice to champion person-centered solutions.
