Mark Mishek has all the right credentials to lead Hazelden as president and CEO. He has extensive health care law experience; he was chief legal counsel for Allina Health System for 21 years; and for the past five years, he was president of United Hospital in St. Paul and senior vice president of Allina Hospitals & Clinics. But perhaps the most intriguing asset he brings to the job is that he's a gratefully recovering alcoholic.

Mishek began his new position on Nov. 3, and don't be surprised if you hear him mix a few Big Book statements with talk of Hazelden's operating revenues and expenses. "Half measures availed us nothing," he might say while inspiring the Hazelden faithful. He is open about his recovery.

'Hazelden gave us our dad back'
"What attracted me to Hazelden, by far, were its mission and my personal connection to Hazelden," says the 57-year-old Mishek, the seventh president in Hazelden's 59-year history. "My dad went through treatment at Hazelden in 1971--and I know he wouldn't mind my saying that. We were a family with 11 kids, and we were at great risk for losing our dad. But Hazelden gave us our dad back. My dad died sober in 1978, and his recovery is something we still cherish, something we celebrate to this day. Hazelden put our family back together, and I'm forever grateful for that."

In addition, one of Mishek's children began recovery at Hazelden's Center for Youth and Families. "We got our child back at Hazelden," says Mishek. "If eight years ago you would have told me that this child would have earned a master's degree from a major university, I'd be shocked. The job Hazelden did with our family was remarkable. The staff at Center for Youth and Families was super in making it our child's sobriety, not ours."

Throw in the fact that Hazelden has been instrumental in Mark Mishek's recovery, and you have a walking billboard for Hazelden. Mishek says Hazelden has played a key role in sustaining and building on his recovery. He did his Fourth and Fifth Step work at Hazelden and has found a lifeline of recovery through Hazelden literature, including the Step pamphlets and several meditation books.

Mishek was a heavy user from age 19-21--"alcohol, cocaine and other drugs," he says. He fell in love with his wife to be, Joan, while at the University of Minnesota, and she "helped me clean up my act." His use decreased, but he continued to drink every day and drank to excess on the weekends. As time went on, he admits he wasn't dealing with the spiritual dimension of his life. "I wasn't dealing with life on life's terms," he says.

'I had to surrender'
Mishek was successful in law school and throughout his career, but he continued to use and he sought refuge in drugs. He found pills convenient and became addicted to painkillers in the early 1990s. He was a person always needing to be in charge, he says. "I was always directing, and never being directed." Finally, in February 1995, he was at wit's end, he says. "I had no way to deal with people or conflict," he says. "I had to surrender.

"While I was using, I didn't know the word fear," says Mishek. "But as I look back, it was all about fear and feelings of inadequacy, a fear of failure. I was very isolated. I was successful in business, but hollow inside. Everything about me was very compartmentalized."

The Twelve Step program brought honesty, openness and willingness to his life. "I started feeling good--I was healthy," he says. "I discovered a spiritual life. I gained an understanding of a personal relationship with God, with my Higher Power--a relationship based on acceptance and humility. That discovery changed everything. It has made life enjoyable, a real adventure."

That Mishek understands and lives recovery is a big plus, says William Cope Moyers, executive director of the Hazelden Center for Public Advocacy. "Mark's business acumen and his leadership in health care are vital to meeting the challenges and opportunities facing Hazelden," Moyers says. "But it is his grounding in his personal experiences with addiction and recovery--as a son, a father and a man who's 'been there and done that' himself--that resonates and reflects the essence of Hazelden's mission to help people. Mark was with us when staff and board members went to Washington, D.C., in September to push for the passage of the parity legislation, and members of Congress were impressed both by his professional expertise and his personal story. He put a face and a voice to the issues around treatment."

'Listen and learn'
Mishek says some of that Twelve Step philosophy, such as openness and honesty, will certainly apply to his new job. "Hazelden is an organization with a very rich legacy and well-defined culture," he says. "It has a professional and caring staff. It would be presumptuous of me to come in with an agenda. I plan to listen and learn during my first 90 days. I want to listen to the organization and its people and understand our current strategic direction. Then we can begin work on a strategic plan for 2009 and beyond."

Mishek says it's a difficult time in the world of treatment and recovery. "Health care is under siege in terms of cost and access, and it's important that Hazelden respond," he says. "Hazelden needs to ensure access to its services to as many people as possible and reach out to people worldwide with its broad continuum of services and products.

"My job at United Hospital was wonderful," says Mishek. "But Hazelden presents a new challenge, and it provides a deep personal connection for me. With its reputation as a leader, Hazelden has a great opportunity to spread the message that addiction is a treatable disease, just like cancer, diabetes and depression; treatment works; and recovery pays dividends to all in society."

--by Marty Duda

Mark Mishek at a glance

Professional background

• 2003-2008 President of United Hospital and Senior Vice President of Allina Hospitals & Clinics
• 2001-2003 Executive Vice President for Law & Public Affairs and General Counsel, Allina Hospitals & Clinics
• 1994-2001 Senior Vice President for Law & Public Affairs and General Counsel, Allina Health System
• 1983-1993 Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, HealthSpan and Health One Corporation (predecessor of Allina)
• 1981-1983 Director of Legal Services at Metropolitan Medical Center
• 1977-1981 Associate Attorney, Felhaber, Larson, Fenlon & Vogt, P.A.
• Summer 1985 Bush Foundation Fellow, Cornell University Executive Development Program

Education

• 1977 J.D. with honors, University of Minnesota Law School
• 1974 B.A in English, with high honors, University of Minnesota

Professional Activities/Board Member

• St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce (Chair, 2008)
• Capital City Partnership
• ClearWay Minnesota
• Portico Healthnet (2001-2007)
• Minnesota Hospital Association Program Planning Committee (2006-2008)

Personal

• Background: Born in St. Paul and raised in Merriam Park area of St. Paul and White Bear Lake, Minn. Graduated high school from St. Thomas Academy.
• Family: Married 35 years to wife Joan, with four adult children (Justine, Emily, Chris and Mary) and two grandchildren.
• Hobbies: Playing with his grandchildren, running, and sailing.

Published November 2008