MENTOR AND MENTEE

New operations director expands Lifeline C suite, with help from board member

In less than a decade, Billie Preston has gone from a Lifeline client in recovery to the new director of operations and a certified drug and alcohol counselor.

The rapid ascent is a result of Billie’s own hard work, with help from a friend, specifically, her mentor, board member Bonnie Schrock.

“Having a mentor like Bonnie has been instrumental in my growth and in helping me achieve my current position,” Billie said. “She has consistently poured into me at the moments I needed it most, pushing me to reach my full potential.”

Billie entered Lifeline in 2016, a high school dropout with 15 years of addiction. Two years after getting sober at Lifeline, she became the office administrator and then program coordinator, before being promoted to women’s campus director in February 2020, just before the COVID pandemic.

Since then, Billie passed the exam in December 2023 to become a certified drug and alcohol counselor, and in November 2024 was promoted to Lifeline’s director of operations. Her list of new duties is extensive, ranging from overseeing programs and compliance to managing operations.

“Working in this field for several years has helped me develop the leadership, clinical knowledge and operational skills to support both our staff and clients effectively,” Billie said.

Billie and Bonnie met at least monthly for more than a year, while Billie was taking night classes, gaining her counseling certification and adding work responsibilities.

Bonnie, herself a retired executive from Baptist Health Paducah and now executive director of the National Quilt Museum, found Billie to be highly-motivated and goal-oriented. “Billie is not afraid,” Bonnie said. “She has walked through hardships most of us will never know, and it has built in her a resilience and can-do confidence that she is exactly where she is meant to be.”

As the mentor, Bonnie told Billie that executives need people to walk alongside them as they lead others. “Even the most successful need the support of a trusted friend or guide,” Bonnie said. “I certainly have mine, who have developed me, told me the hard truth sometimes and made me a better leader along the way.” She now offers the same to Billie. “Bonnie is more than just a mentor,” Billie said. “She is a friend, a role model, and a key part of my journey,” Billie is putting her personal and professional experience to work for the success of Lifeline. “Lifeline’s growth is about deepening the relationships we have with our clients, staff and the broader community while staying true to our (recovery) mission,” she said. “I can help by bringing my leadership experience and operational insight to the table. By ensuring we have the right systems in place to support growth, we can scale up our impact without compromising the quality of care.”

Along the way, she never forgets her beginning. “I know what it feels like to struggle,” Billie said, “and to rebuild a life with purpose. That experience allows me to connect with the people we serve on a much deeper level – offering not just guidance, but also true empathy and hope.”