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Benjamin R. Nordstrom, M.D., Ph.D. Named New Executive Director of Responsibility.org

Erin Hildreth, Director of Communications
[email protected]
(202) 674-3071

 

ARLINGTON, VAThe Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org) announced today that its board of directors has appointed Benjamin R. Nordstrom, M.D., Ph.D., as its new Executive Director. Dr. Nordstrom, a Board-Certified addiction psychiatrist and former President and CEO of Phoenix House, will take the leading role of the organization effective April 16, 2019. Dr. Nordstrom succeeds Ralph Blackman who is retiring after 22 years of service. 

Dr. Nordstrom’s hands-on experience in treating addiction qualifies him to see the true need for prevention and education,” said Lisa Graham Keegan, Chairperson of Responsibility.org’s National Advisory Board. “His expertise and dedication will add another layer to our strong foundation of prevention programming.” 

Embarking on a new strategic plan, Responsibility.org is repositioned with a stronger vision and missions. Dr. Nordstrom will lead the organization in its missions to eliminate underage drinking, to eliminate drunk driving and work with others to end all impaired driving, and to empower adults to make responsible alcohol choices as part of a balanced lifestyle.  

“It is an exciting time to be joining the Responsibility.org team as its leader,” said Dr. Nordstrom. “Their impact over the past 27 years is impressive, and I look forward to growing and expanding upon their work.  I am honored to continue to contribute to the declines of both drunk driving and underage drinking in my new role, and with a strong foundation already in place, I am sure I will hit the ground running.”  

Prior to joining Responsibility.org, Dr. Nordstrom was the President and CEO of Phoenix House, a leading nonprofit treatment provider for individuals, families, and communities challenged by substance abuse disorders and related mental health conditions. In addition, he worked as a faculty member at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. In these positions, he taught psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, and criminology at the undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate levels. Dr. Nordstrom also served on the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s expert consensus panel on the use of medications in the treatment of opioid use disorders, and as a consultant to the State of Vermont, where he co-facilitated learning collaboratives designed to improve medication-assisted treatment. He also served on the steering committees for drug courts and mental health courts and is the past President of the Board of Directors for the New Hampshire Professionals Health Program. Dr. Nordstrom also served in the Middle East as a psychiatrist in the United States Army Reserve. 

Dr. Nordstrom earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth and a Master of Arts and PhD in Criminology from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his training in psychiatry and addiction psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. Dr. Nordstrom married his high school sweetheart, Sarah, and has two daughters.

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About Responsibility.org 

The Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility (Responsibility.org) is a national not-for-profit that aims to eliminate drunk driving and work with others to end all impaired driving, eliminate underage drinking, and empowers adults to make a lifetime of responsible alcohol choices as part of a balanced lifestyle. Responsibility.org is funded by the following distillers: Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Beam Suntory Inc.; Brown-Forman; Constellation Brands, Inc.; DIAGEO; Edrington, Mast-Jägermeister US, Inc.; and Pernod Ricard USA. For over 27 years, Responsibility.org has transformed countless lives through programs that bring individuals, families and communities together to inspire a lifetime of responsible alcohol choices. To learn more, please visit Responsibility.org. 

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