John Shinholser is a long-time recovery advocate who has been widely recognized for his work in building and operating Recovery Community Organizations, or RCOs. He is co-founder of the McShin foundation, has served in numerous leadership capacities with the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance of Virginia and as a board member of Rubicon, one of Virginias most comprehensive treatment facilities.

He has been recognized for his work by the Virginia general assembly, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, the national nonprofit Faces and Voices of Recovery, and the Caron Foundation. He is also a United States Marine Corps member (ret.) and a person in long-term recovery.