Who We Are
Our Story
and Our Mission
Our History
During the turbulent 1960s, a community in Norwalk, Connecticut, faced a growing drug problem among its teens.
Resources to help were non-existent. In 1970, the Norwalk Area Ministry, founded by Rev. Hank Yorden from First Congregational Church on the Green and funded by local Congregational churches, decided to become a drug and alcohol rehabilitation ministry with the name 'Pivot,' meaning a turning point.
Rev. Yorden, Rev. Joseph Clemmons, and the Board of Norwalk Area Ministries hired Alonzo Smalls as Pivot's first Executive Director. Rev. Smalls was a graduate of Teen Challenge in New York, a Christ-centered approach to addiction founded a decade earlier.
For the next 30 years, Rev. Smalls led Pivot Ministries, a life-changing, life-saving place that brings hope to men lost in the grip of addiction.
In the 1980s, Rev. Smalls moved Pivot to Bridgeport, and it operated in both cities until 2014 when the Norwalk location was sold.
Today Pivot brings hope and change through Jesus to men on a five-building campus on Bridgeport’s East Side.
Our Mission
We treat addiction as a spiritual problem and return men to their families, usefully whole.
We provide men with a faith-based, low cost, structured and active recovery program that fosters spiritual growth, personal discipline, life skills, and vocational discernment, so they can return to their community sober, employed, and motivated to serve.
Our Values
Faith
We believe in the healing power of Jesus Christ
Dignity
We respect the inherent value of every individual. We welcome students without judgement and treat everyone with compassion and respect
Integrity
We act honestly and ethically in all circumstances. We are transparent with all our stakeholders
Accessibility
We eliminate financial barriers to men needing long term drug and alcohol rehabilitation
Community
The Pivot brotherhood is central to the healing and wholeness of every student
Evidence-informed
We are committed to continually updating our approach to treatment, seeking out the most effective, evidence-based practices that respect our faith in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our Team
Rev. Richard Williams
Pastor & Executive Director
A native of Annapolis, MD, Richard graduated from the University of Maryland and worked as a special education teacher, and later as assistant to a probate judge in Washington DC before addiction took over his life. In 2008, he came to Pivot looking for a new life and found the grace that restores and a God who redeems.
Frank Concepcion
Program Director
A native New Yorker, Frank served in the Navy before moving to Connecticut in the 1990s. His own recovery inspired him to help others, including 18 years leading Operations at the Open Door Shelter in Norwalk, CT, and, since 2014, counseling recovering adults at Pivot, Connecticut Valley Hospital and Liberation Programs. He joined Pivot in his current role in 2025.
Mary Aly
Development Director
Mary brings heart and expertise to her role, a position she has held since 2019. She previously served as CFO of Childcare Learning Centers in Stamford and held leadership roles with Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care, Keep America Beautiful, and Housatonic Habitat for Humanity. A UCONN graduate and active Stephen Minister, Mary unites professional excellence with deep faith and service.
Claire England
Operations Director
A Londoner who has lived in Fairfield CT for the last 25 years, Claire came to know Pivot as an Outreach co-chair at Green 's Farms Church in Westport. Now she puts her 40 years of communications, HR and organizational development experience to work, helping Pivot grow and prepare for the future.
Colette Francis
Food Services Director
Colette brings 20 years of leadership experience in nutrition, food service, and hospitality across long-term care, hospital, and school settings. Trained in Nutrition/Dietetics, she ensures meals are nutritious and high quality for the men of Pivot.
Reuben Jones
Spiritual Development Coordinator
Reuben guides the spiritual life of students, staff, and alumni as they pursue recovery rooted in biblical faith. A 2022 Pivot graduate with leadership and customer service experience, Reuben helps individuals balance body, mind, and spirit to build sustainable sobriety.
Danny O'Shea
Operations Coordinator
Danny keeps the ministry running smoothly each day. A Long Island native and 2016 Pivot graduate, Danny brings leadership experience from law, finance, and retail to his role as a trusted mentor and role model.
Bryant Johnson
Case Manager
BJ is a 2023 Pivot graduate who draws on his own recovery and prior management experience to help men overcome barriers to employment. He supports them with legal challenges, oversees the Reentry House, and walks alongside alumni as they build strong foundations for long-term sobriety.
bryantj@pivotministries.org
Bryan DIxon
Medical Liaison
A former Marine, Bryan helps Pivot students catch up on their medical care, including liaising with SouthWest Community Health which runs a weekly clinic at Pivot, arranging referrals, and making sure they have needed medications.
Mark Ciacco
Intake Coordinator
The first person most students encounter at Pivot is Mark, through screening calls and intake interviews. A graduate of Teen Challenge and Pivot, Mark uses his customer service and sales background, as well as his lived experience, to make new students feel welcome.
Joshua Sargent
Vocational Services Coordinator
Born and raised in West Virginia, Joshua brings a diverse background including medical administration and retail customer service to his role at Pivot. He supports program graduates as they transition back into the workforce, guiding them through resume development, job search, and career readiness.
Our Board
Board President
Alex Horton
Green's Farms Church
Treasurer
Scott Phillips
Stanwich Church
Secretary
Kim Matthews
Board Members
Eben Breed
New Canaan Congregational Church
Claire England
Green’s Farms Church
Bruce Leavitt
Green’s Farms Church
Elizabeth Shelton
Noroton Presbyterian Church
Susan Tracy
Grace Church
Robert Vann
Stanwich Church