New London ― A regional agency working to help those struggling with substance abuse issues on Tuesday dedicated two of its programs to a pair of individuals widely recognized for their commitment to recovery and second chances.

Roughly 200 guests crowded into a large tent off Coit Street for a ceremony hosted by the Southeastern Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Inc. (SCADD) that honored retired Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Lonnie Braxton and long-time SCADD nurse Carol “Mickey” Gordon.

“You represent the best of us,” SCADD CEO Stacy Lawton said, adding both Gordon and Braxton had the enviable but rare gift of looking beyond a person’s past mistakes and instead focusing on their potential and value.

In his introduction, state Rep. Anthony Nolan, D-New London, said Braxton, who handled juvenile court matters in New London for decades before his retirement in 2021, has continued to serve as a community role model and mentor celebrated for his compassion.

Gordon, an East Lyme resident, boasted a 26-year nursing career at SCADD that was marked by professionalism, empathy and an infectious sense of humor, Nolan said.

In honor of their work, SCADD re-dedicated its women’s transitional recovery program at 62 Coit St. to Gordon and its new men’s program at 40 Coit St., expected to open in the coming weeks, to Braxton.

The transitional programs are part of a larger suite of SCADD recovery offerings that include an intensive weeklong detox program and longer, in-patient options.

The transitional programs aim to reintegrate clients into the community through education, job and other services provided in a residential setting supplemented with clinical, therapeutic and other recovery support offerings.

Braxton said when he got the call about the dedication, he paused.

“As the words left the person’s mouth, I heard a whisper in my head from two people,” he said. “It was my parents’ voices telling me to ‘just say thanks.’ We’re told we aren’t our brothers’ keepers, but we are.”

Gordon said her nursing career began soon after she turned 40 and led to a job with SCADD.

“And that filled a big part of my life,” she said.

Lawton said Gordon’s spirit still “echoes in the hallways” of her former job, as does Braxton’s guiding ethos of offering a hand up to those in need.

The ceremony attracted a host of local and state officials, including state Sens. Martha Marx, D- New London and Cathy Osten, D-Sprague; state Rep. Kevin Ryan, D-Montville; New London Mayor Michael Passero and police Chief Brian Wright; and New London State’s Attorney Paul Narducci.

Nancy Navarretta, state commissioner for the Department of Mental Health and Addiction, praised SCADD for its nearly 60 years of service that insists “no one is left behind, no matter their circumstances.”

j.penney@theday.com