Organized in partnership with Start With Hope, this interactive, hour-long virtual workshop will provide tangible advice to help employers raise awareness about SUDs, fight stigma, and create policies and support systems to assist employees struggling with or recovering from a substance use disorder.
The Health Action Alliance is a joint initiative of the Ad Council, the CDC Foundation and the de Beaumont Foundation—in partnership with Meteorite. Our free tools, training and events help employers, large and small, navigate evolving health challenges, improve the health of workers and engage with public health partners to build stronger, healthier communities.
As an Associate Director at Meteorite, the social impact firm that powers the Health Action Alliance, Sarah works with expert partners in infectious diseases, mental health and ergonomics to translate the latest science into best-in-class tools and resources to help employers take action on workplace health and safety. With over a decade of experience in public health, Sarah is passionate about applying data and behavior theory into practical solutions that improve health equity and well-being.
Sarah received her Masters of Public Health from the University of Florida, with a focus on social and behavioral science.
Prior to joining Meteorite, Sarah spent 10 years designing and implementing evidence-based programs in the higher education sector, spanning from 1:1 interventions and engaging workshops to campus-wide campaigns. Sarah founded and led a number of inter-departmental coalitions to unite violence prevention initiatives across campuses and spearheaded university health assessments. Her previous areas of impact have included crisis intervention & suicide prevention, sexual assault prevention, alcohol harm reduction, and gender equity.
Philip Rutherford is the strategy lead for substance use in the Strategy and Growth Office at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. In this role, he expands the organization’s impact in addressing the quality, effectiveness, accessibility and affordability of substance use programs and services for National Council members. He is also tasked with charting a course for progress, transformation and equity. 
Rutherford has managed strategy and operations for several recovery-focused organizations. He is a member of committees at the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration and other federal agencies. He serves on several nonprofit boards, including Serve Minnesota, the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers and the Police Treatment and Community Collaborative. Prior to the nonprofit world, he spent most of his career at Microsoft, Micron Electronics and the Taylor Corporation. Rutherford is an active member of the recovery community and has considerable experience in the areas of reentry and equity.
