Adrienne Allison - Director of Advocacy and Compliance

Adrienne joined Disability Rights NC (then Carolina Legal Assistance) in 2007. Before coming to Disability Rights NC, Adrienne clerked for the Honorable Linda M. McGee at the NC Court of Appeals and worked briefly in private practice. Before her appointment in 2011 as the Director of Advocacy and Compliance, Adrienne was the team leader for Disability Rights NC's Community Access Team, which works to ensure people with disabilities have equal rights in aspects of community life including employment, housing, voting, and accessing public places. Adrienne is a 2005 graduate of the UNC School of Law and lives in Durham with her husband and daughter.

Charlie Barnes - Chief Financial Officer

Charlie began working for Disability Rights NC when it became the State's Protection and Advocacy agency on July 1, 2007. As the Chief Financial Officer, he oversees the accounting and administrative functions of the agency. Charlie has over 25 years experience in nonprofit accounting, having worked 23 years with North Carolina Easter Seals and one year with the NC Partnership for Children (Smart Start) prior to joining Disability Rights NC. He received a Master's of Business Administration degree from Campbell University and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1982. When Charlie is not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, participating in church activities, reading or exercising. He has completed numerous marathons and ultra-marathons, including three 100-mile endurance runs.

Jennifer Bills - Lead Attorney

Jennifer grew up in Greensboro. She attended Haverford College in Pennsylvania and Northeastern University School of Law in Boston. Upon graduation, she clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Gene Carter in Portland, Maine. Before returning to the Triangle and joining Disability Rights NC in 2008, Jenn worked for several nonprofit organizations and two small Boston law firms practicing civil rights law. At Disability Rights NC, she leads the Home Team, which works to protect the rights of people with disabilities living in the community. Jenn is a mom, a spouse, and an artist, working primarily with clay, but this Spring you will find her attempting a new medium in her first oil painting class.

Karla Blackwell - Receptionist

Receptionist, Karla Blackwell, was born and raised in Raleigh, NC. She has several family members who are disabled ranging from hearing impaired, cerebral palsy, heart condition, sarcoidosis, and depression. She has studied Computer Science at St. Augustine's College, Medical Assistance at Wake Technical Community College, and now is proud to say she is a team member of Disability Rights NC. She has had the opportunity of learning and becoming proficient with alphabetic sign language. Over the years, she has obtained several customer service awards that represent her love of assisting the community. She devotes her spare time to various church functions, helping the homeless and less fortunate, and recently started visiting a nursing home to put a smile on faces by providing hair care services.

Diana Burch - Advocate

Diana worked for Disability Rights NC's predecessor organization, GACPD, for ten years as an Advocacy Specialist before she joined Disability Rights NC in July 2007. Before working as an advocate, she spent 24 years teaching exceptional children in North Carolina public schools. She received a bachelor's of science degree in Mental Retardation and a master's degree in Learning Disabilities from Appalachian State University. Diana is a writer and won first place from the Charlotte Writer's Club Children's Story Contest as well as two honorable mentions.

Rodney Crooms - Advocate

Rodney has been employed with Disability Rights North Carolina since 2009. He holds an undergraduate degree in criminal justice and a master's degree in counseling. He is a practicing behavioral health therapist specializing in the treatment of pre-adolescent and adolescent boys. Rodney has over 20 years of experience working in county and state governments in the areas of social services, child welfare and mental health. He spends most of his free time exercising and raising his young daughter.

Angie Downs - Advocate

Angie joined Disability Rights North Carolina as an advocate in December 2008. In the past she worked as a guardian ad litem, representing children in cases involving alleged abuse and/or neglect. While earning a bachelor's degree in Chemical Dependency Studies, she gained experience working with individuals with substance abuse disorders. She also spent three years working in residential facilities serving adults with mental illness. Angie is with the investigative unit at Disability Rights North Carolina.

Corye Dunn - Public Policy Analyst

Before joining Disability Rights NC in 2011, Corye practiced law in a small firm. Corye has served as a direct care provider to adults and children with developmental disabilities and has worked in nonprofits seeking to expand access to education and increase investment in low-wealth communities. Corye was born and raised in Durham where she now lives with her partner and a lovable hound dog. She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and NC Central University School of Law.

Elizabeth Edwards - Lead Attorney

Elizabeth is an attorney on the Community Access Team who uses her skills with a measuring tape and slope finder to work on accessibility and other access issues. She is from rural North Carolina and attended Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.

Kim Fakhoury - Paralegal

Kim has been a litigation paralegal for over 20 years. She has extensive experience practicing alongside attorneys in state and federal court. Specifically, her experience working on cases filed against nursing homes offers an insightful perspective for monitoring nursing home facilities and adult care homes. Kim has two children, two Scottish Terriers, and one guinea pig.

Dan Fox - Advocate

Dan Fox has worked as an Advocate for Disability Rights North Carolina for over three years. He holds a master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. For many years, Dan worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor serving individuals with mental illness. He also has worked as an advocate with the Client Assistance Program and as a personnel director of a regional state psychiatric hospital. Dan enjoys walking in his neighborhood every morning and watching classic movies.

Anthony Garcia-Copian - Intake Specialist

Anthony has been with Disability Rights NC for three years. He has always worked in one way or another helping people in all communities find resources through outreach and problem solving. He has family and friends with disabilities and believes that all people should be treated equally. The lack of equal treatment in our community prompted him to become an integral part of defending the rights of people with all disabilities. When not at Disability Rights NC, Anthony can be found at theatres across the Triangle as either an audience member or an award-winning playwright whose work has been performed in Miami, Atlanta and NC.

Lisa Grafstein - Lead Attorney

Lisa is team leader for the Community Access Team. She joined Disability Rights after 16 years in private practice where she focused primarily on employment litigation. When not at the office, Lisa enjoys spending her time with her son, Will, and working on ill-conceived home renovation projects.

Iris Green - Lead Attorney

Spearheading the charge in the fight for children's rights, Iris has over ten years experience advocating on behalf of kids. Iris began her legal career with Legal Aid of North Carolina/Advocates for Children Services in the summer of 2001. In 2005 she began working for the NC Protection and Advocacy system as a staff attorney in the fields of special education and assistive technology. Iris is the team leader for the Kids Team which addresses the needs of children with mental illness who reside in residential placements. When Iris is not working, she continues to advocate for children in her community through St. Paul A.M.E. Sunday School & Debutante Master Program, NAACP Youth Council, Girl Scout Troop #11086, and AKA Sorority, Inc. She also can be found cheering for her children, Joseph and Ilana, on the sidelines at soccer and basketball games.

Allyson Hilliard - Accounting Assistant

Allyson is a native North Carolinian. She joined Disability Rights North Carolina in July 2007 to assist CFO Charlie Barnes with the financial operations of the organization. On weekends, Allyson and her husband enjoy touring on their Gold Wing bike. They share their home with a dog and four mischievous cats.

Nancy Hitchcock - Intake Specialist

Nancy Hitchcock has worked as an Intake Specialist for Disability Rights NC since April 2008. She worked previously for the Division of Health and Human Services Developmental Evaluation Center Program and the Center for Universal Design on the campus of NC State University, where she responded to calls from people seeking information on accessible and inclusive design. She has degrees in Biology and Chemistry, Public Health Administration and Design. Nancy became interested in design for people with disabilities when her brother was born with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Mavis Jones - Office Manager

Mavis has worked with Disability Rights NC since it became the state's P&A in 2007. She previously worked with the Governor's Advocacy Council for Persons with Disabilities for 20 years. Mavis has an associate's degree in Business Administration. She has family members who have disabilities and enjoys working for an organization that upholds the rights of all people with disabilities.

Haydee Martinez - Administrative Assistant

Haydee has worked with Disability Rights NC for three years. She first worked as the receptionist (Director of First Impressions) and enjoyed taking those initial calls because she felt privileged that the caller sought our help regarding their rights. Before coming to Disability Rights NC, Haydee worked for Wake County Human Services as an interpreter for the Child Service Coordinators and for the nurses that did home visits. She has a sister who is severely MR, deaf, blind and mute and is comforted knowing that Disability Rights NC is here to help if her sister's rights are violated in any way.

Gabrielle Martino - Outreach Specialist

Gabrielle joined the Disability Rights NC team in November of 2010. She graduated from UNC Greensboro where she studied Human Development and Family Studies. Before coming to Disability Rights NC, Gabrielle worked with the Family Assistance Program at the Ronald McDonald House in Winston-Salem, attending support group meetings with families and helping create a series of educational materials to be used within the hospital. Gabrielle also serves as Secretary to the Doris Castle Myasthenia Gravis Support Group, a group that she co-founded with her mother, in honor of her grandmother who passed away from a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy. In her spare time, you can find Gabrielle spending time with her family, singing, listening to Jimmy Buffett music and supporting community events.

Morris McAdoo - Attorney

Morris received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from NC Central University in 2000 and his law degree from Widener University School of Law (formerly the Delaware Law School) in 2005. After graduation from law school, Morris served as an Assistant District Attorney in Forsyth County. He joined Carolina Legal Assistance, now Disability Rights NC, in July 2007. Morris represents clients involved in the elimination of barriers to community placements and services.

Kady McDonald - Intake Specialist

Kady has worked at Disability Rights NC since its inception in July 2007 as one of our intake specialists. She recently moved to our Asheville office. She enjoys hiking and gardening and just being out in nature.

Kirby Morrow - Advocate

Kirby began her advocacy career working with adolescents who had co-occurring disorders. After receiving her master's degree in Social Work, Kirby became the Lead Documenter on a research project titled "How Animals Improve the Quality of Life for Those in Long Term Living Facilities". At the same time, she worked with the Juvenile Court Division in Miami Dade County. Kirby considers her greatest achievement, to date, to be securing grant funding for the first permanent housing program for families, individuals and aging out foster care youth in Miami Dade County. Kirby served as the representative for the South Dade Housing and Services Coalition on the Miami Dade County Homeless Trust Board.

Karen Murphy - Advocate

Karen has worked with the NC P&A agency for 21 years. She joined the previous P&A agency the Governor's Advocacy Council for Persons with Disabilities (GACPD) on March 1, 1989. She has been with Disability Rights NC since its beginning. Karen is an Advocate with Disability Rights NC and also serves as the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Coordinator. Karen is on the Home Team and considers her most recent accomplishment to be identifying 6 young individuals who are living in institutions and working with various agencies to get them in the community. When not at work, Karen enjoys spending time with family and friends, long walks in the woods and sitting around a campfire.

Steve Noblitt - Advocate

Steve worked with the NC Division of Vocational Rehabilitation for 30 years, retiring as the Western Regional Director in 2005. He has most recently worked as a Disability Program Navigator with the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board. Steve enjoys traveling, particularly with a humanitarian purpose. He is Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Kory Wawanaca Childrens Home in Tacachia, Bolivia and is highly involved in a local program for the homeless in Asheville. He is married to Leigh, father of Josh and Geoff, father-in-law of Julie, grandfather of Lily Faye and Jack. Steve holds a master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Appalachian State University.

Susan Pollitt - Lead Attorney

Susan joined CLA in February 2005. Raised in Chapel Hill Susan attended Northeastern University School of Law (1984) and started her legal career with the Public Defender's office in Charlotte. She moved back to the Triangle area with her husband, Bill Rowe, in 1987 and worked for NCOSH and then N.C. Prisoner Legal Services (1989-2005). Since 2007, when Governor Easley designated CLA as our state's P&A, Susan has focused on protecting and advocating for people with disabilities in institutions. Susan enjoys time with her family, hiking with her dog and baking.

Lisa Rabon - Attorney

Lisa received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1992 and her law degree from the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University in 1997. After graduation from law school, Lisa was in private practice in Raleigh and Wilson for several years. She joined Carolina Legal Assistance, now Disability Rights North Carolina, in January 2003 as the staff attorney on the Special Education Juvenile Justice Project. Lisa represents clients involved in the juvenile justice system who have special education needs to ensure that their rights under state and federal law are protected.

Mercedes Restucha-Klem - Attorney

After studying Journalism & Mass Communication and Political Science at UNC Chapel Hill, Mercedes worked for two years as a political aide in NC's Second Congressional District, acting as a liaison between constituents and various federal agencies. Before joining Disability Rights NC in May 2011, Mercedes was a solo practitioner in criminal defense and immigration law. Mercedes is a graduate of NC Central University School of Law, where she served as an editor on the Law Review. Whether at the federal or local level, Mercedes has cultivated her passion for helping others by working with a variety of public sector organizations, including clerking for a federal immigration deportation judge in Chicago and working to enforce the Racial Justice Act in counties throughout North Carolina. Raised speaking Spanish, Mercedes has been a mentor through the NC Society of Hispanic Professionals since 2005. A native of Raleigh, Mercedes lives with her husband, Paul, and rescued pug, Buster. She enjoys her monthly book club, vacationing on tropical islands, and cupcakes.

John Rittelmeyer - Director of Litigation

John lives in Cary with his wife Jennifer. Prior to joining Disability Rights NC, John was in private practice in Raleigh for more than fifteen years, concentrating on consumer finance issues and disability insurance claims. For nearly ten years, John served on the Board of Directors for Carolina Legal Assistance, having been drawn to disability issues as the parent of a child with severe developmental disabilities. Outside of work, John can be found in his garden.

Ed Salerno - IT Administrator

Ed joined Disability Rights NC in August 2010. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and has 14 years of telecommunications and IT experience. Prior to moving to NC, Ed worked for defense contractors in southeastern Virginia and provided IT support for the NC General Assembly. Ed moved to Raleigh with his family in 2009.

Cas Shearin - Director of Investigations and Monitoring

Cas joined Disability Rights NC as an advocate in August 2007. After reporting for newspapers in Georgia and North Carolina for eight years, Cas pursued a career in advocacy. For 15 years, she worked as an investigator, consultant, administrator and legislative liaison for a Durham nonprofit law firm that specializes in defending people facing the death penalty. She is particularly passionate about people whose humanity and dignity is overlooked or discounted by others. She now directs Disability Rights NC's investigative unit, investigating serious allegations of abuse or neglect for people with disabilities.

Kathy Smith - Advocate

Kathy is an advocate in the western part of the state. Kathy has a combined total of twenty-six years working for the P & A. She worked for the Governor's Advocacy Council for Persons with Disabilities for 23 years prior to joining Disability Rights NC in July 2007. She is currently an investigator for the Investigations Team.

Vicki Smith - Executive Director

Vicki has been Disability Rights NC's Executive Director since December 2007. Vicki has a long history of working in the disability rights arena in part driven by her personal experience with disability. She started her career as an advocate when teaching special education in rural West Virginia. She later moved to Washington, DC where she served as Deputy Director of the National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems (now National Disability Rights Network) for ten years. She was primarily responsible for managing their technical assistance to the Protection and Advocacy System nationally. Vicki believes that people with disabilities have the right to live in a safe and inclusive environment. Disability Rights NC helps make that possible.

Holly Stiles - Attorney

Holly has worked for Disability Rights NC since May of 2009. She is an attorney on the Community Access Team and is located in the Asheville office. The Community Access Team works with clients who are facing challenges receiving the accommodations they need to participate in community life. Since joining Disability Rights NC, Holly has discovered that she is especially passionate about the challenges faced by people who are deaf and hard of hearing. After living in New York City for four years, Holly is happy to call North Carolina her home once again.

Andrew Strickland - Attorney

Andrew is a native North Carolinian. He obtained his bachelors degree from UNC-Greensboro in 2004 and graduated from UNC School of Law in 2007. Andrew started his career at a law firm in New York City and joined Disability Rights NC in May 2009 as one of its Staff Attorneys. Andrew focuses his work on preserving the right and ability of individuals with disabilities to remain in their communities. After work, Andrew can normally be found at a concert or state park somewhere in the Triangle.

Kristine Sullivan - Attorney

Kristine Sullivan joined Disability Rights NC as an attorney on the day the agency opened its doors in July 2007. Kristine represents children with disabilities, with a particular focus on seclusion and restraint issues in public schools. She has a background in Deaf Education and is conversant in American Sign Language.

Debbie Thome - Advocate

Debbie works on the Education Team representing children whose unmet special education needs place them at risk of drop-out or involvement in the justice system and on the Investigations Team as part of a new project monitoring community residences for people with developmental disabilities. She came to Disability Rights North Carolina via Carolina Legal Assistance, where she worked on the Special Education Juvenile Justice Project and, prior to that, on the Thomas S. class action. Debbie has a bachelors degree in Special Education from East Carolina University and has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 25 years, including six years as Executive Director of The Arc of Wake County. Since forming her first friendships with people with disabilities as a young volunteer with Raleigh's Parks & Recreation Department, she has served on many volunteer boards and committees, including the Human Rights Committee at Dorothea Dix Hospital, the first Client Rights Committee for Wake County Human Services and The Arc of NC's LIFEguardianship Council.

Christine Trottier - Lead Attorney

Christine has worked with Disability Rights NC, formerly Carolina Legal Assistance, for more than thirty years. She has extensive experience representing parents and their children in special education cases. She designed and developed The Special Education Juvenile Justice Project, which she staffs along with an advocate and attorney. This project is designed to reduce school drop-out and suspension among at-risk youth and juveniles with disabilities.

Elaine Whitford - Director of Development

Elaine joined Disability Rights NC in January 2010 as its first Director of Development. Elaine practiced law for 16 years and, during that time, she served on many nonprofit boards of directors including Interact, the NC Center for Voter Education and the Auditory Learning Center. In 2006, Elaine turned her years of experience as a volunteer into a new career in nonprofit development. When not working, you'll find Elaine waltzing around a ballroom dance floor as she keeps up her lifelong passion for dance. She received both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Janice Willmott - Chief Administrative Officer

Janice has worked with Disability Rights NC since before the transition of Carolina Legal Assistance to Disability Rights NC in 2007. She has over fourteen years with Disability Rights NC and many years prior to that working for private law firms. Janice is originally from Louisiana, but enjoys calling North Carolina home. She also enjoys spending her free time with family and friends in the NC mountains.