Meet the Board - Andy Pierce

Andy Pierce is the treasurer of the board at Recovery Café Longmont – he’s a very down-to-earth, Boulder kind of guy who loves sports, biking, and his family, and brings years of experience and knowledge from the financial sector to our board of directors at RCL. Get to know Andy a little better in this interview.

At RCL, people are met with compassion first. They sit with us and are given a space where they’re listened to.

L: So Andy, how long have you been on the board?

AP: Coming up on two years.

L: Where are you from?

AP: I was born in Cincinnati, but moved to Boulder when I was five. I’ve been in the area ever since.

L: What’s your professional background?

AP: Banking, starting with regulation, then I went into lending and risk control.

L: How did you get connected to the Café?

AP: Lawson asked if I’d be interested in checking it out. He was open to me getting involved in some capacity, and the board ended up being the right fit.

L: What drew you to say yes to joining the board?

AP: There’s such a unique way we go about things here. From the community aspect to the genuine nature of the people involved, it just felt good to be a part of – and that experience was so consistent through each interaction.

L: How would you describe the role of a board member to someone who’s never served on a board before?

AP: The board is a sounding mechanism for Jen as the ED. We help her when she needs it or asks for it, and act as a second set of eyes.

L: How has RCL impacted you?

AP: I feel the sense of community; no matter where we are, we all have a need for that. It’s rewarding to be in this group of people.

L: What part of our mission speaks to you the most?

AP: Being available to everybody and anybody who has needs. It’s so inclusive.

L: What makes Recovery Café Longmont unique?

AP: I think being a community allows things that other organizations don’t have. There are experts on so many topics, but they haven’t necessarily earned the ability to “speak into someone else’s life”, whereas here, people are met with compassion first. They sit with us and are given a space where they’re listened to before we approach them with information to be learned. We reach people that way.

L: What are your hopes for the org in the next few years/what kind of impact do you hope we make?

AP: I hope we see the goals for our space at 801 Main come to fruition and that we’re able to fill that space.

L: What is your favorite Café event you’ve attended?

AP: It may be recency bias, but the Volunteer Appreciation Brunch had great energy – it truly felt like a celebration, which kind of carried into the protest on Main St. that followed. It was a good day.

L: What are some of your hobbies?

AP: Biking, whether it’s mountain biking or road biking, is what I do most. I have a motorcycle too, which is fun. I also enjoy playing basketball, wiffleball, and pickleball – and spending time with my two grandkids.

L: What is the best book you’ve read recently?

AP: I just read the Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald) – it’s between that and Go Set a Watchman (Harper Lee).

L: Are you more of a movie or TV show person?

AP: I definitely used to be a movie person, but now, it’s more television. The transition from 20-minute sitcoms to longer series, you get a lot more depth, backstory, and side characters than movies; but, I do still enjoy a good movie.

L: What’s your favorite food?

AP: So many things – but Italian is up there.

L: What’s something you never leave the house without?

AP: Lip balm. Living in Colorado, I’ve been sunburned so many times that my lips are perpetually dry. There’s nothing like an event with free lip balm – I’ll always grab that.

L: And finally – what is your perfect day?

AP: Starts with coffee, then biking. Preferably in Moab or Sedona.