Barbara “Dena” Geraghty

Honored by Susan Bennett, Kay Holloway, Kathy Adams, Donna Caruso, Christin Collins, Kathy Hoffay, Alice Brunner, Kathy Galloway, Pat Geraghty, the Geraghty Family, Anne Rose, Gail Markham, Patricia Bell, Melissa Simontis, Gay Thompson, Margaret Depew, Nancy Humphrey, Eleanore Kleist, Amy Sanford, and Cora Molloy

Barbara “Dena” Geraghty is a loving mother, wife, friend, confidant, and grandmother. “Binky” as she is known to her grandchildren, has dedicated her career to helping others recover from addiction. She was born and raised in Jacksonville, where she married her high school sweetheart, Patrick, in 1961. Dena and Patrick moved to Fort Myers in 1968. While raising her four children, Dena earned her registered nursing degree from Edison Community College in 1985.

In 1991, Dena began her career treating addiction when she opened Auricular Therapy, Inc., a smoking cessation clinic. Over the years, Dena has fulfilled her passion for treating addiction by serving as the Coordinator of the Lee County Family Dependency and Juvenile Drug Court, an instructor for the National Drug Court, a long-standing member of the Florida Lawyers Assistance Board of Directors, and a member and Vice-President of the SWFL Addiction Services Board of Directors. Dena is also a certified Chemical Dependency Nurse, a certified Addiction Prevention Professional, a NADA certified Detoxification Expert, and a certified Auricular Therapist. In 2008, Dena was bestowed the honor of serving as the only Florida Delegate for the Recovery Project sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.

Currently, Dena serves on the Board of Directors of the SWFL chapter of PACE Center for Girls, Inc. and the Edison-Ford Winter Estates Board of Trustees. She has successfully chaired the PACE Grande Dame Tea for several years, for which she received the 2009 Image Award from the SWFL Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association. Additionally, Dena was selected as a citizen member of the News-Press Editorial Board in 2009.

Dena’s passion for people and unselfish service has defined her life, and her children and grandchildren have been shaped by her example. She truly is an Angel to many!