Biography

Nigel Wrangham, CADC II CPS Trainer

Nigel Wrangham has been a leader and innovator in the teaching, training, and substance abuse prevention fields since 1990. Following a career as a preschool teacher and drug rehabilitation counselor, Nigel became active in prevention in 1995 as the statewide manager of Drug Education for Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, providing assistance to faith communities throughout the state as they set up and implemented prevention and intervention programs. Nigel also began training counselors in Oregon's "Entry Level Counselor Credentialing Program," teaching courses in client record management, alcohol history, and addiction pharmacology. He presented workshops for youth and adults in many areas of Oregon, and was a panel speaker at the North American Alcohol Policy Conference in Toronto, Ontario, in 1996. As the first Project Director for the Oregon Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking (OCRUD), Nigel wrote and received a $950,000.00 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 1996.

OCRUD brought together agencies, businesses, law enforcement, and youth in a statewide coalition to change societal norms about underage alcohol use in Oregon. As Project Director, Nigel spearheaded efforts to recruit youth into leadership positions, planning and coordinating three youth summits with a total attendance of over 600 youth from all regions of Oregon.

In 1999 Nigel began his career as an independent consultant and trainer. Working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving's Youth In Action project, he created and delivered trainings to youth advocacy groups in over a dozen states. Nigel became known for a dynamic, interactive style and for incorporating new and exciting team-building activities into his training workshops. In 2000, he was chosen to be one of three lead trainers at MADD's National Youth Summit to Prevent Underage Drinking in Washington, D.C. Nigel's work with MADD led him to serve as interim National Coordinator for the Youth In Action project in 2001, and he continues to consult, train, and develop curriculum for the organization today.

Nigel has presented nationally on many topics, including community-based prevention, rave and club drugs, adolescent sexuality, media literacy, media advocacy, and youth leadership, among others. Recently, he has become involved in assisting students at the University of Oregon in writing and producing research-based prevention commercials for televised broadcast. He is a professionally trained Community Mediator, and has facilitated many workplace retreats and strategic planning seminars throughout Oregon and in the state of Hawaii.

Nigel currently teaches at Portland Community College and the University of Oregon in their Addiction Counselor programs, and develops and delivers workshops and seminars across the country for the National Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and many grassroots organizations. He has recently been specializing in helping communities and students develop and implement social marketing campaigns to promote healthy behaviors. Nigel's knowledge, adaptability, and engaging teaching style have consistently earned him outstanding evaluations from youth and adults alike.