Chris Pedersen & Special Secretary Emily Keller on Overdose, Substance Use, and Recovery
In Episode 10 of The Real Story, host Michael Silberman sits down with Chris Pedersen of Evolve Life Centers to hear his journey from a promising childhood and athletic career through addiction and ultimately into recovery. Chris opens up about the experiences and choices that shaped his addiction, the stigma surrounding substance use, and how recovery gave him the opportunity to build a new life.
The episode also features Maryland Special Secretary of Overdose Response Emily Keller, who shares the deeply personal story behind her work. After losing her childhood best friend Ashley to an overdose, Emily turned her grief into a commitment to helping others affected by substance use. From serving on Hagerstown's City Council and as mayor to leading Maryland's Office of Overdose Response, she discusses her efforts to expand access to treatment, reduce stigma, support recovery, and coordinate overdose-response efforts throughout the state.
Two very different stories ultimately lead to the same message: recovery is possible, help is available, and there is always a reason to hold on to hope.
About This Episode
Chris grew up in a loving home with supportive parents, strong values, and a promising future. A talented athlete who received Division I football opportunities, Chris never fit the stereotype many people associate with addiction. He shares how his early experiences with alcohol and drugs eventually developed into addiction, the thought patterns and choices that shaped his journey, and how entering recovery helped him understand addiction in a different way.
Chris also discusses the importance of breaking the stigma surrounding addiction and discovering that recovery can offer a new life filled with experiences, relationships, and possibilities. His story serves as a reminder that addiction can affect people from all backgrounds—and that sobriety can provide an opportunity to start again.
The episode then turns to Emily Keller, Maryland's Special Secretary of Overdose Response. Emily shares how losing her childhood best friend, Ashley, to an overdose became a defining moment in her life. After entering public service and eventually serving as mayor of Hagerstown, Emily continued advocating for substance use awareness, prevention, treatment, and recovery before taking on her current statewide role.
Emily discusses the work of Maryland's Office of Overdose Response, the importance of reducing stigma, expanding access to treatment, supporting people in recovery, and bringing communities together to address substance use. She also shares the progress Maryland has seen in reducing overdose deaths and her vision of making Maryland a more recovery-friendly state.
While Chris's story is one of personal recovery and Emily's is one of turning loss into advocacy, both conversations ultimately share the same message: recovery is possible, help is available, and there is always a reason to hold on to hope.
Guest Speaker: Chris Pedersen
Title: Executive Vice President | Evolve Life Centers
Chris Pedersen is a person in recovery and a leader at Evolve Life Centers, where he works to help others find their own path to recovery.
Raised in Cecil County, Maryland, Chris grew up in a loving and supportive family and was a talented athlete with opportunities to play Division I football. Despite having what appeared to be a promising future, Chris began using alcohol and drugs as a teenager, eventually developing an addiction that changed the direction of his life.
Through his own journey into recovery, Chris gained a deeper understanding of addiction and the importance of breaking the stigma surrounding substance use. His experiences also showed him that addiction is a disease rather than a moral failing, and that recovery can provide an opportunity to build a new life.
Today, Chris uses his personal experience to help others understand that addiction does not define a person or determine their future. Through his work at Evolve Life Centers and his willingness to share his story, he hopes to show others that recovery is possible and that a fulfilling life can exist beyond addiction.
Guest Speaker: Emily Keller
Title: Special Secretary | Maryland Office of Overdose Response
Emily Keller leads the Maryland Office of Overdose Response and works to coordinate statewide efforts addressing substance use and overdose.
Emily’s commitment to this work is deeply personal. After losing her childhood best friend, Ashley, to an overdose, Emily became determined to help change the way people affected by substance use are treated and understood. That experience shaped her belief that people struggling with substance use deserve compassion, support, and access to meaningful help.
Her work in public service has included serving on the Hagerstown City Council and becoming the first woman to serve as mayor of Hagerstown. During her time in local government, Emily made addressing substance use and reducing stigma a central part of her work, including helping launch Washington Goes Purple, a community initiative focused on awareness, prevention, recovery, and hope.
Today, Emily works to coordinate Maryland’s response to the overdose crisis across state agencies and local jurisdictions, with a focus on treatment, prevention, public safety, harm reduction, and recovery. Through her personal experience and public service, she continues to advocate for people and families affected by substance use and to share a message that asking for help is courageous, recovery is possible, and there is always reason to hold on to hope.
Watch the Full Episode
Memorable Moments from the Episode
“Addiction is a disease, not a moral deficiency.”
— Chris Pedersen
“It’s okay not to be okay.”