Welcome to our community. We’re glad you’re here.
Our journey began with the simple desire to make a positive impact. Through the support of our dedicated team and community members, we strive towards our mission every day.
Our Team
Founder and Executive Director
Megan Ragan, LCSW, is the Executive Director of the Southern Illinois Resource and Advocacy Center. With over a decade of experience in southern Illinois child and family serving systems, Megan has a robust background in leadership, grant management, and program development. She has led numerous state and federal grant initiatives through successful implementation and evaluation, and she is passionate about using these skills to bring more resources and support to the community. Megan is a dynamic presenter, known for engaging workshops on a variety of topics including substance use, mental health, trauma, and neurodiversity. She is committed to enhancing services and support in her community through compassionate engagement.
Megan Ragan, LCSW
Executive Assistant
Courtney Hish is a lifelong Southern Illinois resident with significant experience in business administration and bookkeeping. When Courtney is not working, she can be found coaching softball, leading the area Girl Scout Service Unit, leading the Happy Hawks Parent Group, or spending time with her family.
Courtney Hish
Director of Community Health Services
Scott’s bio
Scott Fletcher, MPH, CHES
Business Manager
Originally from Southern Illinois, Elizabeth brings a deep commitment to integrity, transparency, and organizational excellence to her role at SIRAC. With a background in Accounting and Professional Services, she has a focus on strengthening the Organization’s infrastructure and supporting mission-driven teams. Elizabeth integrates financial oversight with impact-focused operations, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to equity, sustainability, and systemic change. Her role strengthens internal systems and streamlines workflows to support mission- driven initiatives to help advance SIRAC’s mission. She believes that strong community ties are the foundation of lasting impact—and she remains committed to making a positive difference in her home communities, even while living elsewhere. Outside of work, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her husband and twin boys, volunteering at her children’s school, reading, traveling, and exploring new cuisines.
Elizabeth Duffy
Director of Recovery Support Services
Mike brings deep lived experience—a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, BS in Psychology, and an MSW focused on leadership and social change. He’s been instrumental in strengthening peer-based supports across Southern Illinois and beyond.
He is a founding board member and former executive director of Take Action Today, a nonprofit launched in 2020 that provides peer-based recovery services across Southern Illinois. Mike also currently serves as the executive director of the National Peer Recovery Alliance, where he focuses on empowering people in recovery through advocacy, education, and national peer leadership.
Micheal Tyson, CPRS, MSW
Director of Child & Family Programs
Claire Hughes is a licensed clinical social worker and public health professional with over a decade of experience supporting families and communities in Southern Illinois. She co-founded The Little Resource Center and serves as Director of Family Programming at the Southern Illinois Resource and Advocacy Center (SIRAC), where she leads family- and youth-focused mental health, prevention, and resilience programming.
Her work centers on healing through connection, integrating Community Health Workers, peer support professionals, and doulas into culturally grounded models of care. Claire is a doctoral candidate in Population Health at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where her research focuses on peer and community health workforces and trust-building in public health systems.
Claire Hughes MSW, LSW, CHW
Outreach & Communications Coordinator
Angela Colby-Jackson is a dedicated team member at the Southern Illinois Resource & Advocacy Center. Guided by her love for Jesus and a deep belief in the dignity and potential of every person, Angela is passionate about empowering individuals and families across Southern Illinois. Her work is grounded in empathy and shaped by a values-driven mindset that prioritizes integrity, sustainability, and meaningful, long-term impact.
Angela is known for her innovative spirit and thoughtful approach to community work. She believes in honoring time-tested principles of service while also embracing creative, forward-thinking solutions that meet people where they are. Through collaboration, education, and advocacy, she strives to create spaces where individuals feel seen, supported, and equipped to thrive.
Beyond her professional role, Angela is a devoted wife and mother to two beautiful children. Family is at the center of her life and fuels her commitment to building a healthier, more compassionate community for future generations.
Whether in her work or personal life, Angela leads with heart and purpose, consistently working to strengthen connections, uplift others, and contribute to a community rooted in care, understanding, and hope.
Angela Colby-Jackson, CHW
Doula, Child & Family Programs
Chastity Mays is co-administrator for The Little Resource Center Carbondale and has held formal doula certification for 6 years. At SIRAC, Chastity serves perinatal families experiencing adversity and challenging circumstances. She has been working in family service and peer-support spaces for over 15 years. She has served clients in Southern Illinois, the Missouri Bootheel area, and Paducah, Kentucky. She stands with and advocates for families who are underrepresented and, in many cases, simply not heard at all. Among the many committees and councils, she is a part of. Chastity sits on the boards of the Carbondale Public Library and the Birth Equity committee for the Southern Illinois Healthcare Labor and Delivery Unit at Carbondale Memorial Hospital in Carbondale, IL. Chastity is routinely involved in state and regional political efforts around Black Maternal Health and frequently presents her expertise and experience in public forums, conferences, and through legislative testimony. Chastity believes that representation and cultural awareness is vital to changing the exorbitant black maternal mortality rates. She also sits on the Promoting Vaginal Birth Committee with Southern Illinois Healthcare. When she is not furthering her education or supporting families, Chastity enjoys spending time with her three children, two of whom are now in college, so she loves to travel to go visit them. She also enjoys reading, hiking, crocheting, and the theatre.
Chasity Mayes, M.S.Ed., CD(DONA)
Peer Support Specialist, Child & Family Programs
Annmarie Murray serves as a Peer Support Worker at the Southern Illinois Resource & Advocacy Center, where she brings authenticity, compassion, and unwavering integrity to her work with individuals and families. With over three years in recovery from methamphetamine use, Annmarie draws from lived experience to support others who are navigating some of life’s most difficult challenges. Her journey has shaped a deep sense of empathy and a steadfast commitment to meeting people with dignity, understanding, and hope.
Annmarie is the mother of five children, and her personal experiences with addiction, loss, and involvement in the child welfare system have profoundly influenced her path. After losing custody of four of her children during active addiction and experiencing incarceration, she reached a pivotal turning point when she became pregnant with her youngest son. Following his birth on May 11, 2022, and with the grace and support of the court, Annmarie committed herself fully to recovery and to building a stable, healthy future for her family.
Today, Annmarie is a single mother with full custody of her son and is proudly employed full-time at SIRAC. She approaches her role with kindness, humility, and a strong ethical foundation, offering encouragement and support to those who may feel unseen or unheard. Her work is fueled by the hope of one day being reunited with her other children and by a desire to model resilience, accountability, and personal growth.
Annmarie is living proof that recovery is possible. She believes deeply in second chances and extends grace to others while emphasizing the importance of personal responsibility and perseverance. Through her work, she strives to help others recognize their own worth, reclaim their lives, and believe in the possibility of lasting change.
Annmarie Murray, CHW
Peer Support Specialist, Child & Family Programs
Life has thrown plenty of hurdles my way and there were plenty of times I thought I would not make it. I am a native to southern Illinois and a proud parent in recovery. Having grown up in the region, I know firsthand the struggles of our rural communities. I pride myself on supporting the underdogs, the ones left behind, and the ones that have been labeled in a negative way. My mission is to bring light and love to those that society looks over by empowering those I serve to live their best lives and to take back their own individual power. I am a fierce advocate, having extensive experience in navigating the DCFS system, domestic violence and victim rights, criminal justice system, Illinois Secretary of State system, and more. Substance use was part of my life for 25 years. I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Having found my sobriety in April of 2022, it is now my turn to make a lasting impact and I am so happy to be here!
Erin Rochford, CHW
Project Coordinator, Recovery Corps
I have lived in Gallatin County my whole life. I enjoy working with the community and helping those in need. I like to spend time at the lake in my spare time. I am self motivated and push myself to reach the goals that I wish to achieve.
Alisha Moore, CHW
Recovery Navigator, Recovery Corps
Paige is a recovery Navigator who has been in recovery for nearly 5 years. Driven by resilience and lived experience she strives to bring a new way of reaching those seeking recovery. She empowers others in recovery with compassion, honesty and real-world support. As a mother and former 12 step sponsor her passion is to help others see their worth and strengths and help guide them through the challenges of early recovery, and believes that no one is ever too far gone to change their life.
Paige Riley
Community Health Worker, TCAP
Garret has recently joined SIRAC. He previously served as a harm reduction specialist and project coordinator at The Community Action Program, where he also contributed to the management of research projects. While Garret has resided in various locations, Southern Illinois remains his cherished home. He possesses a profound commitment to his community.
Garret Rowden, CHW
Community Health Worker, TCAP
William Nicholson serves as a Community Health Worker and Harm Reduction Specialist with SIRAC.
With over six years of experience in his previous roles with the Community Action Program, he has served as Lead Case Manager, and Executive Assistant. His community work is enriched by more than 21 years of lived experience and several years in recovery.
Will is dedicated to providing one-on-one support, syringe exchange services, naloxone distribution, outreach to vulnerable populations, and client advocacy. He employs a compassionate, nonjudgmental approach, grounded in the belief of meeting people where they are to support positive change at the client’s pace.
He is actively involved in community governance, serving on several boards and holding the position of Co-Chair for the Illinois statewide planning board for the HIV committee. Outside of his professional life, Will considers his role as an uncle his best job and enjoys spending time with his two terrier dogs, Roxxy and Rilley.