Laura Wells

Executive Director

Laura is originally from NC and returned here in 2020 after 20 years of living and working for multiple nonprofits in Atlanta GA. She has experience in working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) from early intervention all the way through adulthood. Her background as a clinical social worker provided her with a wealth of experience in assessment, evaluation, case management and counseling with families of children with IDD. She has non-profit start-up experience as well as over 10 years of non-profit program development and management.

Laura got a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Duke and Master’s in Social Work from UNC-CH. She and her husband live in Chapel Hill and have 2 children as well as a houseful of pets.

Deja Barber

Self-Advocate Coordinator

Deja is a self-advocate who lives in Raleigh and is currently finishing her master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling at NC State. She works with HOPE NC to ensure the voices of people with lived experience are at the center of all of the work that we do. She is also working with another collective impact initiative and peer mentorship program in the Triangle.

Collin Flake

Community Facilitator

Collin has lived in the North Street Community for two and a half years now, first at the Friendship House and now at the Isaac House. He is a graduate of Duke Divinity School, with a passion for creating community among all residents. He previously worked for First in Families supporting families and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He also has experience as a Direct Support Professional. Collin was hired by HOPE NC to be the North Street Community Facilitator as part of a one-year pilot project to evaluate the impact of this role. He is excited to serve North Street in this new role and to promote the flourishing of residents with and without disabilities who live in the community. 

Kevin Davis Giff

Collective Impact Project Director

Kevin holds a Masters of City and Regional Planning from UNC Chapel Hill and worked for Habitat for Humanity of Orange for the past 5 years. HOPE NC has partnered with PiAP (Partners in Aging Program) and the Health Sciences Community Practice Lab at UNC-CH to fund Kevin's position assisting with the collective impact work. He is responsible for coordinating all of the partners across the region who are committed to the social change needed to create inclusive housing.

Naima Pettigrew

Development and Communications Manager

Naima is a journalist turned grant writer and development professional, bringing over a decade's worth of experience to Hope NC. Her work has been published by media outlets such as ABC, NBC, CNN, and Chopra Global. 

Naima launched her career in Washington, DC, where she earned her degree in journalism and economics from Howard University. After working for nearly a decade in the nation's capital, naima returned to her hometown in the San Francisco Bay Area. There, she transitioned into working with non-profit organizations, including a production company that collaborates with PBS.

During the pandemic, Naima relocated to Durham, NC, where she currently resides and continues to support various non-profit organizations in development and communications capacities. Outside of her professional pursuits, Naima finds joy in writing her novel, experimenting with new recipes, staying active with workouts and yoga, and cherishing moments with her toddler.

Excited about her role at Hope NC, Naima eagerly anticipates contributing to the organization's growth and vision as it moves forward into the future.

President: Orah Raia

Co-founder

Orah has over 35 years experience in the area of special education, specifically concerning the inclusion of students with disabilities in schools and communities. She has a Master’s Degree in Special Education. She began her advocacy career working for the NJ Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN). She worked collaboratively with many school districts in New Jersey and with the New Jersey State Department of Education and the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities on several state initiative projects. In addition she has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in the area of inclusion and conducted numerous workshops, both locally and nationally. She has served on several nonprofit Board of Directors and is a member of the Wake County Consumer and Family Advisory Committee. Her son Brian, who has developmental disabilities, was one of the first students included in general education classrooms, with supports, in New Jersey. He is the driving force in her passion to provide inclusive opportunities for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities in their communities.

Vice-President: Colin Mellor

North Carolina Department of Transportation Environmental Policy Unit

Colin began his career at NCDOT in 1994. Since then he has worked both as a public servant and in private industry as a geologist and a geophysicist, gradually changing paths through environmental coordination and permitting roles to NEPA/SEPA (National/State Environmental Policy Act) analysis and environmental policy. Currently with NCDOT’s Environmental Policy Unit he oversees project environmental planning and compliance for the eastern half of the state and is one of NCDOT’s technical leads on Governor Coopers climate change-focused Executive Order 80. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Geology from the University of Wollongong, Australia, and a Master’s degree in Geology from UNC Chapel Hill. He is a North Carolina Licensed Geologist.

Colin resides in rural Orange County with his wife Kim and his two children Henry and Anna. He is actively involved as a coach and a Board member with the Mebane Youth Soccer Association.

Treasurer: Randy McNeill

Randy was a CPA licensed in NC from 1987 to 2023, and retired at the end of 2021 after 7 years as VP-Finance for Habitat for Humanity of Orange County NC. Prior to Habitat, he worked for 25 years at Hanesbrands and RJR Nabisco in Winston-Salem, in various roles of increasing responsibility in accounting and financial planning and analysis. Randy is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and upon graduation he worked for Ernst & Young in Raleigh.

Randy and his wife live in Graham, and love to take driving vacations across the state and beyond. They have two daughters and three grandchildren; their daughters are both educators, one in the Alamance Burlington School System and one at NC State as an assistant professor teaching courses in special education as well as elementary education. Randy enjoys playing golf, hiking, gardening, and spreadsheets.

Secretary: Ginny Dropkin

Co-founder

Ginny has been actively involved in the developmental disabilities arena since her son was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, at age 4 (he's now 40).  She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the UNC-Chapel Hill. Ginny served on the Board of Directors at Frankie Lemmon School. She's been a member of the Arc and the Autism Society. Her advocacy is now focused on joining efforts with others to find solutions to the critical question of what happens to these young adults when their parents and caregivers are no longer alive or able to offer support and care. She was a Board Member of Autism Community Initiative, an effort to create supported housing. Her experience with ACI eventually led directly to her current efforts with HOPE, which she co-founded. She continues collaborating with other parents and looking for solutions.

Alisa Ginyard

Outreach Coordinator, Reality Ministries

Alisa Ginyard is currently the Outreach Coordinator at Reality Ministries, an inclusive community of belonging and support where adults with and without disabilities make friends and grow together in finding their own gifts and talents and share them with one another. In her work she supports parents and caregivers of people with disabilities and is the welcoming presence for people wanting to become a part of the programs. Alisa is also part of the Executive Strategic Leadership Team at Reality. 

Alisa connection to the world of disability support came from raising a son with Autism and volunteering at Reality Ministries when she saw the love and care that they had for her son and so many others there. Her son David is 31-years-old and has a passion for animation.  After spending time at Reality for a couple of years, she was asked if she would consider becoming a permanent part of the staff in 2017.  She is currently working towards building connections to do international disability support work in South Africa after recent travel there. 

She is a grandmother who lives with her family, which includes her husband Tony, in the North Street Neighborhood in Durham. She is part of an advocacy team working on continued growth and development of that community.

She has lived in four countries outside of the United States including, Norway, Taiwan and Kenya besides Belgium and has worked in and traveled to many countries besides those while working for the U.S. Department of State for 12 years.  She was also a U.S. Delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva in 2012.

Barrett Joyner

Former President, SAS North America

Barrett Joyner spent the prior 8 years raising funds for a non profit shelter for homeless men and women addicted to drugs and alcohol. Previously, he spent 25 years in high technology developing and implementing marketing and sales strategies for: Mi-Co, software company focusing on hand writing recognition and mobile data capture activities with the Mi-Forms form design platform, FullSeven, email marketing software, SciQuest, software focusing on strategic procurement for academic, healthcare and research-centric organizations and 16 years at SAS Institute, the world's largest independent software vendor serving as Software Sales Director, VP of Sales and Marketing and President of SAS North America. Barrett graduated from UNC, did graduate work at NC State, and has worked at RTI (Research Triangle Institute).

Barrett has previously served on the Board of Directors of the Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the MS Society and is a strong supporter of the nonprofit, Rebuilding the Triangle.

Barrett loves calling the Triangle area home having lived in Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Raleigh. Barrett now lives in Cary with his wife Stephenie.

Grant Pearson

Self-Advocate

Grant moved to North Carolina from Richmond, VA in 1999 and graduated from C.E. Jordan High School in 2004. He currently participates in weekly activities at Reality Ministries where he enjoys socializing with friends. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, visiting Duke Gardens in the spring and summer, and doing yard work at home.

Paul Fogleman

Attorney and Partner at Womble Bond Dickinson

Paul Fogleman is a partner in the firm's Capital Markets group, which represents banks, non-traditional lenders, and borrowers in a variety of finance transactions, including term and revolving facilities, construction facilities, asset-based lending, and receivables financing.

Paul has extensive experience representing borrowers and real estate owners in many aspects of real estate transactions, including real estate secured financings, acquisitions and sales, developments, leases, title review, and due diligence analysis. He regularly serves as North Carolina counsel in the issuance of local counsel real estate and enforceability opinions.

Within the community, and aside from his involvement with Hope NC, Paul is active on the board of the Poe Center for Health Education. He also regularly handles residential closings and general corporate matters on a pro bono basis for Habitat for Humanity of Wake County.

Paul is a graduate of North Carolina State University and the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Ginger Espino

Clinician in Social Work

Ginger Espino, MSW is a seasoned clinician with 30 years unique experience in Micro and Macro Social Work. She received a Masters of Social Work from the University of SC and a BA in Psychology from Wake Forest University.  She has been a passionate and dedicated advocate for children and families, working in the field of child abuse prevention for most of her career.  Most recently she led SAFEchild's Growing Resilience Movement, a collective impact effort to prevent and alleviate the impact of childhood trauma.  She is a persuasive and engaging speaker, trainer and writer and is dedicated to helping caregivers access support and resources to strengthen their family in all phases of life.  She is thrilled to be a part of HOPE NC to help HOPE succeed in their vision for inclusive communities.

Ginger and husband Byron are the parents of Patrick ( 26), Natalie (22) and golden retriever Bodie.  Patrick was diagnosed with autism at age 2, and since that time Ginger has been a strong advocate for individuals with autism and their caregivers receiving the services necessary to navigate this world.  The Espino family enjoys trips to the mountains, walking the trails, tennis and music. 

Holly Riddle

Assistant Director in the NCDHHS’ Office of the Senior Advisor on the ADA

Holly Riddle leads Olmstead Plan Development for the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) as an Assistant Director in the NCDHHS’ Office of the Senior Advisor on the ADA.  Over her four decades in government, she has served, in addition, as policy advisor to the NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services; executive director of the NC Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD); general counsel to the former NCDHHS Division of Youth Services; and a staff member of Wright School and the Whitaker Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility.  Ms. Riddle holds bachelor’s in English and master’s degree in Special Education from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center.  She is a former member of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law; a member of the National Advisory Board for the College of Direct Support; a member of the boards of the NC Guardianship Association and Housing Options for People with Exceptionalities (HOPE NC); a graduate of Leadership North Carolina; former chair of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities’ (AAIDD) Legal Process and Advocacy Committee; and Fellow of the AAIDD.  In 2013, the NCCDD created an award in her name, recognizing excellence in professional leadership in the field of developmental disability.

Alex Nickodem

Broker/Realtor with Terra Nova Global Properties

Alex lives in Chapel Hill with his wife, a professor at UNC, and their son. He has been practicing real estate in the Triangle since early 2018. In 2022, he joined Terra Nova Global Properties in Chapel Hill. His practice areas include residential sales, new construction, and he has extensive experience with first time homebuyers. As a former fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity, he is passionate about making people’s home dreams become a reality. 

His greatest joys in life are found in time with his family, whether that be splashing in Morgan Creek, exploring the NC Botanical Gardens, or chasing his son around the lawn at Weaver Street Market. He loves exploring the natural beauty to be found in the Triangle, from Eno River State Park to the Hillsborough Riverwalk to Coker Arboretum.

Collin Flake

Community Facilitator, North Street, Durham, NC

Collin grew up in small-town Georgia, where he gained an appreciation for the outdoors and for knowing his neighbors. He holds bachelors degrees in Philosophy and Theology as well as a certificate in community development from Wheaton College, and he is a recent graduate of Duke Divinity School. He has worked with and learned from non-profit organizations that center disability, homelessness, and peacebuilding. He is also a candidate for ordination in the Anglican Church in North America. Collin has lived in the North Street Neighborhood in Durham for two and a half years, and he is deeply grateful to his friends and neighbors there both with and without disabilities for shaping his idea of the good life and flourishing community. In his free time, Collin can usually be found reading a good book, hiking in the woods, or playing a new board game with friends.

Dotty Foley

Co-founder (Not on the Board of Directors)

As one of HOPE’s three co-founders, Dotty has been a passionate advocate for the rights of people with I/DD in the state of NC for the past 12 years. Dotty worked tirelessly to create, not only a non-profit organization with the goal of developing affordable, inclusive housing, but also to further a statewide discussion and movement to address the need for more community-based housing options. HOPE NC would not exist without Dotty’s hard work. Sadly, while progress is being made every day by HOPE and others working in the inclusive housing space, the change will not happen in time for Dotty and her son, Dylan, to benefit; hence Dotty made the difficult decision to move out of state. She will be greatly missed by many and all of us here at HOPE. Dotty’s spirit will remain with HOPE in this work. 

Kelly Friedlander

Kelly Friedlander is the Owner & Principal Consultant of Community Bridges Consulting Group. Kelly consults primarily on stakeholder engagement, advocacy, and developing innovative solutions to meet systems changes. Kelly also oversees the business development and outreach at Community Bridges. Kelly has 15+ years of progressive responsibility in advocacy, policy analysis, and program development/administration.

Prior to co-founding Community Bridges, Kelly was the founder and principal of Catalyst Consulting, where she worked on stakeholder engagement and policy analysis projects for clients such as the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services, RHA Howell, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, and Anthem Healthcare. Prior to this role, Kelly served as the Director of Systems Change Management at the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities where she oversaw the strategic planning and program implementation of $1.5 million of Council-funded initiatives annually.

Kelly holds a Master’s of Social Work, a Master’s of Public Administration, and a Bachelor’s of Social Work. In addition, she is a graduate from the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities Leadership Institute.

Ann Turnbull, PhD

Distinguished Professor Emerita,  Department of Special Education

Ann Turnbull has been a professor, researcher, and advocate for individuals with disabilities and their families for almost five decades at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and University of Kansas. She has authored 37 books and over 300 articles and chapters. Ann and her husband, Rud, were selected by the National Historic Preservation Trust on Developmental Disabilities as two of 36 individuals who “changed the course of history for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the 20th Century.” She served as President of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disability and has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from four national disability organizations. Ann is quick to say that her “best professor” was her son, Jay (1967-2009), who experienced multiple disabilities and had what she describes as an “enviable life” through inclusive community supports.

Tracey Hawkins

Tracey Hawkins is a native of North Carolina - originally from Morehead City, NC and proudly holds degrees from both UNC-Chapel Hill and North Carolina Central University. Tracey values service, community connection, and advocating for the needs of the autistic community. Managing her beloved family, the transition to mothering two children with autism while balancing full-time work commitments has become a centralized focus in Tracey’s life. She most recently was appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to serve as a member of the Commission on Children with Special Health Care Needs. The commission monitors and evaluates the availability and provision of health services to children with disabilities in North Carolina and monitors and evaluates services provided under the Health Insurance Program for Children.

Tracey is the CEO & Founder of Thriving on the Spectrum; a tech startup company that develops interactive and digital supports tailored to address the unique needs of the neurodiverse community. Inspired by her middle son, James Preston, she created the Thrive App. The Thrive App offers a comprehensive and multifaceted approach to leveraging technology to aid in the development of emotion-regulating behaviors and strategies for individuals and their main supporters. To learn more about Thriving on the Spectrum, please visit www.thrivingonthespectrum.org.

Tracey and her husband, Zack, along with their boys proudly reside in Durham, NC House District 31!

Roger L. Perry

Mr. Perry is the President of East West Partners. A few of East West Partners’ more well-known projects include Downing Creek, Meadowmont and East 54 in Chapel Hill, Falls River in Raleigh,  Cary Park in Cary, Riverbend, Fairway Row and Davis Lake in Charlotte and Adams Farm in Greensboro.

 Mr. Perry is a member of the UNC-Chapel Hill Foundation Board of Directors, UNC-Chapel Hill Real Estate Company, UNC Institute for Arts & Humanities Advisory Board, and the Institute for Defense and Business Board of Directors. He also is Co-Chair of the UNC Development Campaign Committee, serves on the Executive Committee of the Center for Real Estate at Kenan-Flagler Business School and is a member of the Messer Construction Board of Directors.

Mr. Perry is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The Executive Program at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He lives in Chapel Hill with his wife, Linda.

Pam Shipman

Expert Consultant in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Shipman’s career of more than 40 years is characterized by extensive engagement with people that have disabilities and chronic health conditions; people that are disadvantaged by poverty and other social determinants. Her success is based on a deep knowledge of the healthcare system at large, as well as strong communication skills, political sensitivity, and the ability to develop enduring partnerships with people served, public officials, community organizations, elected representatives, and other stakeholders.

Pamela Shipman continues her work on behalf of people with disabilities by consulting with several organizations. She also volunteers with the Olmstead Workgroup and with the DSP Workgroup, an organization consisting of parents and others interested in working toward better wages for Direct Support Workers serving people with disabilities.

Shipman served as the Executive Vice President at Monarch of NC from 2016 – 2021. Monarch, a non-profit organization providing services for people with mental health and intellectual/developmental disabilities in 50 North Carolina counties. Her role involved working on special projects, including serving as Monarch’s lobbyist in the General Assembly. Prior to her employment with Monarch, Shipman was the CEO of Cardinal Innovations Healthcare Solutions from 2011 until 2015 and served as COO from 2001 through 2011. 

Ruth E. Thomson

Ruth Thomson works at Alliance Health as a Family Partner Coordinator. Prior to that she was the Resource & Referral Specialist for the Chapel Hill TEACCH Center. She holds a Master’s degree in Health Services Administration with a focus on policy and planning.

In 2008 Ruth was a Legislative Research Associate working specifically on the reauthorization of the Protection and Advocacy Act for Mentally Il Individuals in Washington DC. Ruth moved to Chapel Hill in 1992 where she worked for UNC-CH in the Division of Student Affairs in the Departments of Housing and Residential Life and the FPG Student Union.

Ruth attained her certifications in Early Childhood Education for both teaching and administration which she used to create and run the Chapel Hill Kehillah preschool from 2004 - 2007. At TEACCH Ruth enjoyed being involved in many aspects of TEACCH services from providing support and resources for families, assisting clinicians with choosing referrals best suited for their clients’ needs and being a contributor to TEACCH committees working on strategic planning. When not working Ruth loves spending time with her three children, playing with her 2 rescue dogs, traveling, and baking.