David Magee

David Magee is an award-winning author, nationally recognized speaker, and changemaker in recovery and student and family well-being.

His story is one of hope and resilience—a family that lost its way, shattered by addiction, found recovery, and rebuilt life with deeper purpose and joy. Through honesty, grace, and connection, David and his family discovered that healing is possible even in the face of life’s greatest challenges, including the loss of his oldest son, William. Their shared journey through adversity to recovery and renewal fuels David’s mission to help students, families, and organizations find strength, meaning, and hope amid the nation’s mental health and substance misuse crisis.

At the University of Mississippi, David helped create The William Magee Center for AOD and Wellness Education, a pioneering model for prevention, recovery support, and well-being that’s inspiring other institutions. His bestselling memoir, Dear William: A Father’s Story of Addiction, Recovery, Love, and Loss—now being developed as a major motion picture—serves as a foundation for national work in opioid abatement and student, family, and community mental health recovery. His forthcoming book and movement, The Gift, expand on that vision—showing how the power of resilience and vulnerability can transform pain into purpose and reconnect us to family and what matters most.

David is also the founder and CEO of The Magee Foundation, which uses storytelling to break stigma and help solve the opioid and mental health crisis through education, innovation, and connection.

Today, he speaks to audiences nationwide—from schools and universities to healthcare systems, churches, and corporations—challenging and inspiring them to build lives and communities rooted in compassion, connection, and hope.

Previously, David was a daily newspaper publisher, a media company president, small business owner, a regular guest on CNBC, and once hosted a national cable TV and radio program (The David Magee Show).

He and his wife Kent, a yoga for addiction teacher, live in Oxford, Mississippi.