15 Years of TPAS: Connection, Collaboration, and the Power of Community

In this special anniversary episode of The TPAS Drop, we celebrate 15 years of Treatment Professionals in Alumni Services (TPAS) and reflect on the values that shaped—and continue to sustain—the alumni services movement.Executive Director Gina Thorne is joined by Lori Obenauer and Leonard Bade, co-founders of TPAS, for an honest and heartfelt conversation about how TPAS began, why it took the shape it did, and what alumni professionals can learn from its evolution.What started as a few curious phone calls between alumni coordinators grew into a national community rooted in connection over hierarchy, conversation over instruction, and collaboration over competition. Influenced by thought leaders like Peter Block and Harrison Owen, TPAS intentionally chose an organic, bottom-up model—one that trusted the wisdom of the collective and invited shared ownership from everyone who showed up.The origin story of TPAS and the gaps it was created to fillWhy TPAS resisted a rigid strategy—and how that choice shaped its growthThe role of open space, shared leadership, and community-driven learningWhy alumni programs matter far beyond referrals and marketingHow alumni services support the critical window between discharge and long-term recoveryWhat Lori and Leonard hope TPAS will always protect as it continues to growThis episode is both a reflection and a reminder: recovery doesn’t end at discharge—it lives in community. And alumni professionals play a vital role in sustaining that connection.Whether you’re new to alumni services or have been doing this work for decades, this conversation honors the past while pointing toward what’s possible next.In this episode, you’ll hear: