BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Doug Burgum and First Lady Kathryn Burgum are inviting the general public to join them for Recovery Reinvented, an event dedicated to eliminating the shame and stigma of the disease of addiction, on Oct. 5 in Ann Nicole Nelson Hall on the campus of Minot State University. The event will also be livestreamed.
The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required and is currently open for both in-person and online attendees.
This will be the first time the event is held in Minot, having previously been hosted in Bismarck three times, once in Fargo, once in Grand Forks and virtually in 2020. The daylong event will feature state and national addiction and recovery experts who will focus on reinventing recovery through the sharing of stories, creating recovery-friendly cultures in the workplace and community, and eliminating the stigma surrounding the disease of addiction.
The keynote speaker lineup includes:
- Dr. Lipi Roy, an internal medicine physician who is board-certified in addiction medicine. Roy is the founder of SITA MED, an addiction/health speaking company, as well as a sought-after international speaker, media personality and host of the YouTube series “Health, Humor and Harmony.”
- Dr. Stephen Loyd, chief medical officer for Cedar Recovery in Tennessee and the current chair of the Tennessee Opioid Abatement Council, appointed by current Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. Loyd has been in recovery from opioid and benzodiazepine addiction since July 8, 2004.
- Scott Davis, who served as executive director of the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission from 2009 to 2021, serving three governors and 23 tribal chairs. Davis is 17 years sober.
“As I enter 17 years of sobriety, day by day I am thankful to Creator for a beautiful life, I am also grateful and excited to share my story at this year’s Recovery Reinvented,” he said.
The speakers’ full bios can be found on Recovery Reinvented’s website.
On Recovery Reinvented’s social media, there will be opportunities to submit nominations for the Recovery Champion awards, which honor local individuals and groups making an impact in the field of addiction and recovery. In addition to nominations, there is the opportunity to share and submit stories of recovery. Addiction and recovery-related nonprofit organizations and service providers also are encouraged to join the Recovery Resources Expo, which will connect people to extensive addiction, recovery and mental health organizations and resources from across the state. Anyone interested in these opportunities to get involved can visit recoveryreinvented.com to learn more and sign up.
Registration is open on Eventbrite, with additional updates being shared on recoveryreinvented.com and by the Governor, First Lady, and Recovery Reinvented’s social media on Facebook @GovernorDougBurgum, @FirstLadyND and @RecoveryND and on Instagram and X @FirstLadyND and @Recovery_ND.