Q&A with Our Chair, Jamie Niven

Jamie Niven has served as a member of Partnership to End Addiction’s board since 2013. In 2018 he assumed the position of Chair, lending a deep sense of business acumen and nonprofit board service to the evolving organization.

Why is now such a critical time for leadership on substance addiction?

There is an urgent need for leadership as the addiction crisis worsens and public health awareness increases in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. With more than 20 million people affected by the disease of addiction, and close to 400 people dying each day, it is understandable that many feel hopeless. It is vital for people to understand that hope and solutions are within our reach and can be achieved.

How is this organization providing leadership?

We are here to offer hope and solutions. Partnership to End Addiction is the only national nonprofit committed to supporting the entire family and leveraging personal experiences to enact systemic change. We possess the expertise and credibility to solve this crisis, and we have the tools to make an impact through partnership with others. Our new website is one of the educational platforms we use to share critical information with families and our partners.

What partnerships are you pursuing?

I am focused on growing and strengthening our strategic partnerships in the health care and philanthropic sectors. Working to save lives and ending the addiction crisis require buy-in and commitment from many stakeholders. Particularly important is building deeper levels of support within the philanthropic community to encourage investment that drives future transformation.

Where do you see the organization in three years?

Because of the actions we are taking today, we will be a leading force in an energized movement to end addiction as we know it. We will have vastly expanded the number of families empowered, contributed to meaningful health care and policy breakthroughs, and taken steps to ensure everyone in the country is informed about the nature of this disease and its devastating impact. Our organizational health will be stronger for the work we are doing to establish a growing, diverse group of dedicated leaders on our board and professional staff.

Who is your personal role model or mentor?

A special honor of my life was being invited by Laurance Rockefeller to serve on the Board of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Laurance was a great businessman and an even greater philanthropist to conservation and other important causes. I learned from Laurance that the most successful non-profits are supported by diverse boards consisting not only of those who contribute financially, but also those who lend passion and skill to the mission at hand. I find myself thinking of Laurance’s words often as I reflect on our dedicated group of board members.