Joseph Turner, ESQ/ Co Founder

Joe Turner joined Howard Josepher at the beginning of Cycle 2 of ARRIVE  in 1988.  While working as at the Drug Education and Prevention Program for Phoenix House Foundation,  Joe began making coffee and video-taping classes.  Soon, he began training and a partnership in learning with Howie Josepher where the ARRIVE method of training and engagement became synonymous with  “Howie and Joe”.  As a team, they put into practice the foundations of peer-facilatated learning, small group (team) breakdowns, the hiring of graduates and populating the staff with graduates of ARRIVE.

In 1990, Joe and Howie incorporated Exponents as a not for profit corporation, and began solicitating funds for the continuation of the ARRIVE.  Joe Turner developed Exponents’ first outreach and education initiative – “The Speakers’ Bureau”.  When the start up funding from NIDA expired,  Joe, along with Howie, volunteered to work for months without compensation.   Although Joe left Exponents in 1994, he has remained involved with the agency through his active participation as a member of the Board of Directors. 

Joe was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and attended Long Island University.  He went on to graduate from Hofstra University School of Law and went on to practice law in the fields of criminal justice, civil rights and general practice.  He has worked for the National Conference of Black Lawyers, the Center for Constitutional Rights and Community Action for Legal Services.  But his real qualification for founding Exponents and affecting its clients in a real way has been from his own life-changing experience and recovery from addiction and alcoholism. 

A graduate of Phoenix House in 1984, Joe went on to work for the next 25 years in the fields of substance abuse treatment, HIV/AIDS prevention, community planning and development and organizational strategic planning.

Maria (Sam) Josepher, MPA, Co Founder

As Exponents infrastructure and program architect, Co-founder, Maria A. Josepher, MPA, (called Sam by many of her close associates) brought extensive hospital administration and corporate training and communications experience to the agency. 

As part of a dynamic founding team who value personal and spiritual development, she taught the art of meditation and contemplation to ex-offenders, those infected with HIV/AIDS and homeless populations. She was also one of the first to apply the corporate skills development model to social services in New York City as the co-author of the ARRIVE health literacy curriculum.

As Deputy Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer, she was responsible for reporting deadlines, forecasting funding opportunities and changes in priorities, analysis of data on emerging needs and populations, and the preparation of competitive grant proposals.  Her awarded efforts totaled over $35 million in competitive and grant renewals from federal, city, state, and private contracts.  Sam’s achievements included the direction of complex NYC and NY State collaborations, design and implementation of expanded services such as outpatient drug treatment, outreach, and health and wellness programs and more importantly setting high quality program, administrative and fiscal standards for 19 years.

She has a Bachelor of Science in Biology and received her Masters in Public Administration from the Executive Program, City University of New York, Baruch School of Public Affairs.