Seated (left to right): Daniel Kaelin, Editorial Assistant; Helen O'Reilly, Assistant Editor; Patrick Hughes, Sales & Marketing Manager
Standing (left to right): Nancy Schenck, Executive Editor; Dan Mager, Staff Writer; Valerie Killeen, Editorial Assistant
Staff Bios
Executive Editor
Nancy A. Schenck has over twenty-one years of publishing experience. She spent ten years in New York working at Random House in the Trade Sales division, and then as a copywriter and Manager of Creative Services in the Children's Publishing division. She moved to Los Angeles in 1998 and was editor of a magazine for a nonprofit organization. Nancy has worked for Central Recovery Press since June 2005. "As a person in long-term recovery, I can think of no better job than to work in a field for which I have so much passion while helping to educate others about the devastation of the disease of addiction and the hope recovery offers. It is truly a dream job!"
Prior to following her passion for publishing and the written word, Nancy worked as a nurse for thirteen years in her hometown of New Orleans, LA and spent eight years working in pediatric emergency units. She has a BS in Literature Studies and Creative Writing from State University of New York/Empire State College.
Nancy is mother to one son and grandmother to one granddaughter. She and her partner, Tony, are the proud "parents" of Sophie, a lab mix they rescued in 2006. Her first book, Tails of Recovery: Addicts and the Pets That Love Them (Central Recovery Press, 2009) was written as part of the grieving process for her beloved dog, Happy, that she lost in a tragic event over forty years ago.
Sales and Marketing Manager
Patrick Hughes studied film production at Wright State in Dayton, Ohio before landing his first gig in publishing as a volunteer in a San Francisco bookstore in the fall of 1988. In 1993, he founded the North American wing of AK Press, a publisher and distributor of underground media. In 1995, Patrick left to go sell "Mind Candy for the Masses" for publishing legend Ron Turner at Last Gasp of San Francisco. Since then, he has been the publisher of Axcess magazine; a contributing columnist for The San Francisco Bay Guardian; staff writer for R.U. Sirius' Gettingit.com; an assistant to Warren Hinckle and his dog Melman; a blogger for UtterSpeculation.com; the Sales and Marketing Director at Greenery Press; the Special Sales Manager for SCB Distributors; founding marketing manager for Alternet Books, and a globe-trotting independent publishing and media consultant.
Despite his paralyzing obsession with SF Giants baseball, Patrick is known to appear in the occasional film or organizing another bleeding-edge spoken word event. He recently relocated to Las Vegas after twenty-five years of living in a creaky old Victorian house in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco that he shared with his partner Karyn, along with Kianu, their college-bound mad scientist, and Bacon, the bionic Chihuahua.
Assistant Editor
Helen O'Reilly is a writer and editor in recovery living in Las Vegas, Nevada. In addition to her work as Assistant Editor, Helen has authored more than seventeen titles, including the bestselling A Poem a Day, for Scholastic Professional Books and numerous other works for such publishers as Scholastic, Mondo, Concordia, Publications International, and Peter Pauper Press. She has worked and written for publications such as Newsday and the New York Daily News, Home Office Computing, Instructor Magazine, and Teaching Pre-K8. She is the author of The Secret of Willow Ridge: Gabe's Dad Finds Recovery (Central Recovery Press, February 2010) and The Soul Workout: Getting and Staying Spiritually Fit (Central Recovery Press, May 2010)
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, she spent most of her life in New York City and has lived in the desert for thirteen years. She loves life in Las Vegas, which is always interesting, and quite different from either of her previous home cities. "Recovery in Las Vegas is strong," she says. "It has to beLas Vegas doesn't want anybody to stop doing anything, ever!"
Helen is the mother of four sons and the grandmother of five boys and girls, and, when not enjoying her family and friends, spends her time cooking, baking, reading, writing, and attending twelve-step recovery meetings. "Working for Central Recovery Press gives me the opportunity to use my talents to carry the message of recovery to others who suffer and to join in offering hope to those who need it so desperately."
Helen has worked for Central Recovery Press since December 2008.
Staff Writer
Dan Mager, MSW, has been a psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and clinical director over the course of more than twenty years. He has worked in a wide range of behavioral health and substance abuse treatment settings, including community-based outpatient services, residential treatment centers, and hospital-based programs.
Dan holds a BA with Honors in Psychology from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a Masters degree in Social Work from the Hunter College of the City University of New York, School of Social Work. He is also a Certified Diplomate in Clinical Hypnotherapy.
Dan's writing combines his extensive professional background with his personal addiction and chronic pain recovery experience. His writing approach, as well as to his life experiences, is solution-focused and holistic, emphasizing mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual balance. His most important accomplishments and greatest joys are his two daughters.
He has worked for Central Recovery Press since November 2008.
Editorial Assistant
Valerie Killeen grew up in Vista, CA and moved to Las Vegas, NV thirteen years ago. She holds a BS degree in Biological Sciences from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she also studied professional writing. During that time, Valerie developed an interest in becoming an editor, which eventually led her to Central Recovery Press where she has worked since November 2007.
In her spare time, she volunteers as a board member of Southern Nevada Pug Rescue, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the rescue and placement of pugs in need. She and her husband, Will, have two pugs, Frankie and Annie, and two cats, Maude and Kamikaze, and are also foster pet parents.
Editorial Assistant
Daniel Kaelin is a native of Bellevue, Kentucky and followed in the footsteps of many in his family when he enlisted in the Navy following his graduation from high school. He retired from the Navy after twenty-plus years of service. Daniel earned a BA in General Studies from Columbia College of Missouri and an AAS with Honors in Paralegal Studies from the College of Southern Nevada.
Daniel's military background includes work in administration, pay and personnel support, supply and equipment management, public relations, and military justice. He has earned a variety of military awards in addition to awards for academic excellence.
Daniel's exceptional eye for detail and relentless researching skills makes him an invaluable addition to the CRP team. He is an avid reader and conspiracy theorist and has lived in Las Vegas for five years.
Daniel has worked for Central Recovery Press since May 2008.
Senior Editorial Advisor
Claudia Black, Ph.D. joined Central Recovery Press in August 2009. For more info, click here.
