Our Team
Team
Sara Brang, MA, LADC
Founder & Board President
Sara is the visionary founder of Revive Recovery and a seasoned professional in the recovery field with over 18 years in personal recovery and extensive clinical and leadership experience. She holds dual master’s degrees in Psychology and Co-Occurring Disorders and is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC).
Sara is also the director of CSTL Services, a recovery residence organization supporting 100+ housing beds, and has helped thousands of people in recovery. Her experience in program development, recovery housing, and peer support leadership grounds Revive’s mission in both lived experience and clinical credibility.
Ryan Theissen
Executive Director
After spending over 20 years in and out of active addiction, Ryan finally found a better way to live and has been in long-term sobriety since 2017. Recovery has not only given him his life back, but it has also given him a purpose: helping others find their way through the same struggles he once faced.
Kären Theissen
Board of Directors Secretary/Treasurer
Kären brings strong nonprofit, business, bookkeeping, and operational experience to the Revive Recovery Board of Directors.
Her background in office management and information services, paired with a personal motivation to support recovery journeys, brings financial stewardship and organizational stability to Revive Recovery.
Brandi Jeter
Board Member
Brandi Jeter brings nearly three years of experience in the recovery community to her role on the Revive Board of Directors. As a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS-R), she offers both professional expertise and lived experience to support individuals on their recovery journey.
With a background in peer recovery work, along with leadership and administrative experience, Brandi combines strong organizational skills with a deep passion for helping others rebuild their lives after hardship. She has been in recovery for four years and continues to work her own recovery program, giving her a unique perspective and strong commitment to the mission of Revive.
Brandi is dedicated to giving back to the community that supported her, and she shares Revive’s vision of growth, healing, and hope for all.
Kevin Langton
Board Member
Kevin Langton is the treatment director for SUD services at Inspire Services, with clinics in Montgomery, Saint Peter, and New Ulm. He has a BS in Alcohol and Drug Studies (licensed LADC), and a BA and MFA in Creative Writing.
He has enjoyed careers in adult education, in recovery advocacy as an executive director of one of the first Recovery Community Organizations in Minnesota to pioneer the recovery movement, and in substance abuse treatment.
His passions with treatment are strong with family education/recovery, diversionary programs like treatment court, co-occurring treatment, and involving narrative in recovery to show how our stories give us power and help a make sense of the world.
Kevin is an active member of the recovery community. He also enjoys writing, trail running, photography, and travel.
Jennifer Donaldson
Board Member
Jennifer brings 17 years of long-term recovery and a deep, personal commitment to the recovery community to her role on the Board of Directors. Her lived experience fuels her passion for helping individuals and families find hope, stability, and lasting change.
She is the Owner of EmPower Treatment Center, where she leads with compassion and a results-driven approach to providing high-quality substance use and mental health services. With a professional background in marketing, sales, management, and business development, Jenn is dedicated to reducing barriers to care and building systems that truly work.
Jenn believes recovery is possible for everyone and is committed to strengthening recovery communities through collaboration, accountability, and service.
Dar Swanson
Board Member
Dar holds a degree in Business/marketing. She brings a strong background in business, marketing, and executive leadership, along with more than a decade of dedicated service in the substance use and mental health recovery field.
After many years in corporate management and leadership roles, Dar discovered her true passion: supporting individuals and families impacted by substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health challenges.
Since 2013, Dar has worked in the chemical health field through the Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge, holding a variety of roles including Recovery Coach, member of the Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge Leadership Team, and Client Care Manager. Her work has consistently focused on building effective systems of care and strengthening recovery outcomes.
Dar later helped launch and lead a new company within Teen Challenge — Minnesota’s Prevention and Recovery Alliance, where she oversaw county contracts and service delivery models including Peer Recovery Specialist Reciprocal. Under her leadership, teams of Peer Recovery Specialists provided services across multiple counties – including Hennepin, Wright, Scott, and Dakota Counties – supporting clients involved in Project Child, Child Protection and Drug Court programs. Through these efforts, the Minnesota Prevention and Recovery Alliance served a wide range of individuals navigating recovery alongside legal and family system involvement. Dar has served as a court-appointed child/family supervisor.
Dar Swanson’s work in the Hennepin Project Child has been featured on several new stations in the Twin Cities area.
In 2025, Dar accepted a position as Director of an IRTS (Intensive Residential Treatment Services) mental health and chemical health co-occurring residential inpatient treatment facility. Within this role she is also involved with Task Unlimited, supporting case management, supported employment, and housing opportunities for individuals with mental health and chemical health diagnoses.
Dar is a certified facilitator of the CCAR (Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery) educational training for Peer Recovery Specialists and holds a forensic endorsement through the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy, equipping her to work effectively with individuals involved in the legal system.
Actively engaged throughout the Twin Cities and the greater metro recovery community, Dar brings a wealth of resources, professional relationships, and practical experience to her role. She is honored to serve as a board member of Revive Recovery, where she contributes a strong standard of excellence, integrity, leadership, and hope to the recovery community.
Victoria Lopez
Board Advisor
Reentry, Recovery & Employment Coordinator
Victoria Lopez is a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist and has also completed her CPRS Forensic Endorsement training. She is continuing education for her psychology degree. She works for Direct Recovery Support and Revive Recovery where she supports individuals who have been impacted by substance use; as well as, working with individuals facing the transition of re-entry.
Victoria advocates and is a part of the CRC board through the U of M for justice-impacted individuals. Victoria’s experience being released through the Minnesota Healthy Start Act gives her a unique perspective on how to better support parents and families in our state.
She hopes to continue to use both her lived and professional experience to continue making positive change in Minnesota and beyond.
Sarah Erickson
Board Advisor
Recovery Services Supervisor
With a background in mental health and addiction services dating back to 2014, Sarah has worked extensively with individuals experiencing severe and chronic mental illness and substance use challenges. She completed an 80-hour training at CLC in Brainerd and spent four years on the Northern Pines Mental Health ACT team, where she facilitated groups including Healthy Living, MICD, Women’s Group, and Nutrition Group.
Sarah later worked in Mobile Crisis, conducting risk assessments in hospitals, homes, and schools. After a temporary shift to COVID-19 investigation work, she returned to the field in 2023, completing training as a recovery coach and collaborating with Ryan Theissen to support individuals navigating addiction and recovery.
In her role as CPRS Supervisor, Sarah brings deep experience, integrity, and a unique perspective to her leadership, fostering trust, resilience, and ethical practice in an ever-evolving recovery landscape.
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REVIVE RECOVERY is a grassroots 501(c)3 organization, and all monetary donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Tax Identification Number: 99-1940518.