L eBryan Sperling met people at their worst as a law enforcement professional. He forged that into a skill when he joined STAND, Inc. and allowed understanding to guide him with these souls. Sperling fights stigma and maintains that it’s crucial to heal what makes the addict use. Sperling desires to make an impact by supporting his clients who want to turn their lives around and change their old M.O. He says he struggled with life as a young man, the result of one of his parents, Charles Sperling of STAND, Inc., being an addict. However, it’s not a handicap; it qualifies him to see past the stigma of addiction in his career now. Sperling knows that if the addict truly wants sobriety, STAND, Inc. receives them and helps them. He also serves the family that has longed for their loved one while they were in the throes of addiction. With the title of Chief Operating Officer, Sperling provides support for all of the STAND, Inc. programs. When he’s not helping recovering men re-acclimate to society, he aids in financial service for clients who need assistance, including those facing criminal charges. His own project is facilitating STAND, Inc.’s family violence intervention program. LeBryan Sperling loves and respects his dad and tells his own story as it relates to his dad. He only saw him in passing or heard stories of his dad when he was young. He met the elder Sperling when he was staying in a halfway house when the younger Sperling was six and saw himself, not an addict. “I didn’t see any of those things society saw,” he says, “I just saw my Dad, and he looked like me.” Sperling’s mother raised him, and she and his FIGHTING THE DISEASE Not the Person
grandfather provided support during his early teen years. However, in early high school, he ran with the wrong crowd for a little while and got mixed up in a few skirmishes. He almost wound up on the wrong side of the law but straightened himself out. His mother kept him in church, where he developed a solid spiritual foundation that he relies on today. College at Furman University wasn’t far away, where he played collegiate sports. He furthered his education with law school and joined law enforcement. Finally, he joined STAND, Inc., where he is now. Sperling says STAND, Inc.’s mission is vital because people are hurting. A doctor will give you an x-ray if your arm’s hurting to see where the trouble lies.
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