As she approaches 93, Jeanne McAlister still comes to the office daily, attending board meetings and visiting with clients, driven by the same passion that led her to found the McAlister Institute, one of San Diego County’s largest drug and alcohol treatment providers.
After nearly 50 years at the helm, McAlister recently handed the nonprofit’s reins to her granddaughter, Marisa Varond. Together, they form a powerful team bridging generations, unique perspectives and leadership styles.
Varond joined the McAlister Institute in 2011 and steadily expanded her responsibilities, serving as program services coordinator, director of development and executive director before becoming CEO.
“She’s going to take this organization where it needs to go,” McAlister said. “She certainly does have skills I don’t have and I have the story to inspire others to want what I have.”
McAlister’s journey began not with a business plan, but with lived experience. A recovering alcoholic and addict, she has been sober for nearly 69 years.
“I couldn’t get sober for myself,” she said. “But I did for my daughter. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
That decision changed not only her life but the lives of tens of thousands who would later walk through the doors of the McAlister Institute.
In the very beginning, as the organization was getting off the ground, McAlister experienced a career-defining moment.
“I sat in a room and said, ‘We got a contract — who wants to be the boss?’ and no one raised their hand,” McAlister said. “And that’s how I became the boss.”
What began as a single program has grown into one of the county’s most impactful networks for substance abuse, mental health and recovery services. Today, the institute serves more than 19,000 people annually across 23 programs, providing everything from prevention to outpatient and residential treatment to sober living support.
The organization has led the way in several areas, becoming one of the first in the nation to allow women to live in treatment with their children and the first in San Diego County to allow dogs into residential recovery programs.
McAlister credits much of the organization’s success to her team.
“One of the things I’m most grateful for is the staff,” she said. “They make me and the McAlister Institute look very good.”
Starting with 15 employees, the nonprofit has expanded to more than 400 people and an active board of directors. The growth reflects not only the organization’s reach but also the changing industry landscape. McAlister has seen the stigma around addiction begin to shift, yet she is concerned about access to treatment.
“It used to be on-demand services,” she said. “Today, with intake screenings and wait times, we lose that window when someone is ready. I think that’s the biggest change.”
Another concern is the accessibility and danger of today’s drug supply.
“I’m convinced I could walk out of my office and buy drugs within a block,” she said.
Still, McAlister remains hopeful. She continues championing early intervention, affordable treatment and annual fundraisers such as the McAlister Institute’s Walk for Sobriety on Sept. 27 at Liberty Station.
“One year, I saw a woman with a sign that read, ‘359 days sober,’” she said. “Her little girl had a sign that said, ‘359 days of having my mom back.’”
McAlister recalled how her daughter once gave her a thank you card on her sober-versary to say: “Because of your sobriety, I’ve had a wonderful life and I can’t imagine life without you in it.”
“It still brings tears to my eyes,” McAlister said. “My grandchildren have never seen me slur my words, get drunk or do anything stupid. What a gift.”
That gift now comes full circle as one grandchild carries her legacy forward, guided by a personal understanding of addiction recovery’s intergenerational impact.
For more information about McAlister Institute, go to mcalisterinc.org.
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