About Mr. Nasta
Luke J. Nasta, is Camelot’s President and Chief Executive Officer since 1976, he has extensive experience in the non-profit substance abuse rehabilitation arena.
Born and raised in Staten Island, New York, Nasta endured a turbulent adolescence. A dropout at 15, he became addicted to heroin.
His turning point came when he was 25 and entered Exodus House, a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment facility in Harlem. He remained for 2 ½ years in a therapeutically intensive campaign to gain control over his personal war against drug dependence. The experience would later serve as the foundation for his professional convictions and achievements.
Luke created and established the only Staten Island residential chemical dependency treatment programs, and has received approval for three additional residential programs, two for women with children. Luke was requested to lead the Amethyst House program by their board of directors. He has also founded and developed multi-site prevention/intervention projects.
Luke holds a Bachelor of Science degree in community and human services at Empire State University Manhattan and made the dean’s list in earning a Master of Science degree in public administration at Metropolitan College of Manhattan. Luke is a Fellow of the Rockefeller Institute on Government, for which he coauthored a research study.
In 2001, and 2006 he received the New York State Office of Addiction Support And Services Commissioners Award for years of Outstanding Service.
Luke is the author of many chemical dependency related articles which are published regularly in the Staten Island Advance.