05/21/2026
In Memory of Nell Hurley
Minnesota Recovery Connection honors the life and legacy of Nell Hurley, whose vision, leadership, and unwavering belief that recovery is possible helped bring our organization into being. As our founding Executive Director, Nell played a central role in establishing Minnesota’s first Recovery Community Organization—grounded in the belief that connection is the catalyst for healing and that people with lived experience are essential to supporting recovery.
From the very beginning, Nell championed a recovery-oriented approach that embraced multiple pathways of recovery and centered the voices of those most impacted. She helped build a community where peer recovery support is not only valued, but essential—where individuals are met with dignity, respect, and the opportunity to define their own recovery journey.
Through her leadership, Minnesota Recovery Connection became a place of belonging. Nell believed deeply in the power of the recovery community to lift one another up, and she worked tirelessly to create spaces where people could share their stories, find support, and rediscover hope. Her work helped ensure that people in recovery—and those seeking recovery—had a voice, a network, and a home within a supportive community.
Nell was a pioneer of peer recovery support in Minnesota, helping to expand recovery coaching and community-based services rooted in lived experience. Her approach was grounded not only in innovation, but in compassion—meeting people where they are and walking alongside them with humility and care. She reminded us that recovery is strengthened through connection and that every person deserves the chance to thrive.
Even beyond her formal role, Nell remained a guiding presence—offering mentorship, encouragement, and a steady belief in our mission and the people who carry it forward. Her influence continues to be felt in the strength of our recovery community and in the countless lives touched through connection and support.
We remember Nell Hurley with deep gratitude and affection. Her legacy lives on in every recovery meeting, every connection made, and every life strengthened through community. We are honored to carry her vision forward and to continue building a world where recovery is visible, celebrated, and possible for all.
