BILL WIGMORE is Chief Executive Officer of Austin Recovery, the largest chemical dependency treatment center in Central Texas. He began working in the addiction field through volunteer work he was doing as a member of the Jesuit order in Detroit where he was studying for the priesthood. It was then that he identified his own alcoholism and has had uninterrupted sobriety since 1972.
Bill joined the Episcopal Church several years ago and sponsors a weekly Communion Service in Austin called “The Fellowship of the Prodigal” at his treatment center. It is attended by about 150 people in recovery. He was ordained a deacon in the Episcopal Church on June 24, 2006, and expects to be ordained a priest on January 26, 2007 with a special ministry directed toward those recovering from alcohol and drug addiction.
We learned recently that Bill has been selected to be the recipient of the 2008 “Irene and Wheelock Whitney Award” which is presented annually by the Johnson Institute to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in promoting the understanding of the combined power of faith and science in addiction prevention and recovery. Congratulations, Bill, and thanks for your good work!

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