The Team Behind The Gold Standard

Alec Hackney is the owner of Gold Standard Recovery. After four trips to prison and a decade lost to active addiction, he built the kind of support he wished he'd had. Raised in Denver, Alec spent years chasing street life before learning that real belonging comes from within. Today he's a husband, father, business owner, and recovery advocate who helps others find their own path forward. Hear more of his story on “The Devine Salerno Podcast” - available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeartRadio and all other podcast platforms.

Jesus Ojeda serves as Executive Director, guiding people through reentry and addiction recovery. He faced legal trouble starting at age 11 and battled addiction through his teens into adulthood, a path that led to prison and a halfway house. Facing sobriety meant facing his past honestly. He stopped seeing his time in confinement as punishment and started seeing it as a chance to redirect his life. Since his release, Jesus has built real stability and now dedicates himself to walking alongside others into their next chapter.

Makayla Houston-Chambers is a program executive with over five years serving people impacted by the justice system and reentry. At Gold Standard, she works as Administrator, Facilitator, Coach, and Qualified Behavioral Health Assistant, supporting clients through behavioral health services, life skills, and relapse prevention. Before joining Gold Standard, she managed Department of Corrections programs, helping justice-involved individuals build workforce and education skills for reentry. A devoted wife and mother, Makayla says: "Doors have opened and closed for me at different times, and I didn't get here without someone taking a chance on me. I strive to do the same for others."

Justin Edwards knows firsthand that no matter how far down the path of addiction and incarceration you go, a complete turnaround is possible. After spending years navigating the justice system, compounding personal loss, and battling severe active addiction, Justin reached a turning point during an 18-year sentence in the Colorado Department of Corrections. He chose to utilize that time to rebuild his life from the ground up, earning college degrees and pioneering peer recovery work while behind bars.

His dedication led to an early release in 2024 to the Arapahoe County Residential Center (ACRC). Today, Justin has successfully completed parole and serves as a vital resource within the ACRC facility, offering authentic, judgment-free guidance to individuals walking the same path he once did.

A testament to the power of discipline and faith, Justin is a Recovery Coach and the Director of Business Development for Gold Standard Recovery, as well as the co-owner of Empower Reentry. He utilizes his unique blend of sharp business acumen and lived experience to show others that recovery isn't just about stopping a behavior—it’s about building a thriving, successful life.

Deziree Fisher doesn't remember much about her first eleven years, but she knows they weren't easy. As a Native American woman, she carries a history of both strength and pain, and has spent her life working to overcome generational struggles. She sold drugs to survive while fighting to get her children back, and she's not proud of every choice she made. Watching her own son battle addiction taught her the weight of that path firsthand. Today, Deziree channels her story into helping people who feel forgotten, because she knows what it means to be overlooked and still find her way home.