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Amy is an Associate Professor and The Prudence F. and Peter J. Meehan Early Career Distinguished Scholar at the School of Social Work at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also the Co-director of the Tiny Homes Village, a demonstration project that seeks to expand the continuum of permanent and affordable housing options for people with mental illnesses. Dr. Blank Wilson is a national expert in the development and testing of interventions for people with mental illness. She uses her practice experience and research expertise to explore new ways to address the complex, interlocking problems of poverty, homelessness, substance use, and criminal legal system involvement facing many people with mental illness. Her research and scholarship include over 20 funded grants, 60 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and 90 conference presentations.

CO-HOST OF OJ RECEPTION

Representative Allen Buansi grew up in Orange County. He lives in Chapel Hill with his wife and their three children. He is a proud graduate of Dartmouth College (B.A.) and the University of North Carolina School of Law (J.D.). From 2017 to 2021, he worked at the UNC Center for Civil Rights and was the deputy director there, working in the areas of public education, environmental justice and land use law. He is currently a land use attorney. After being elected to the Chapel Hill Town Council in 2017, Governor Roy Cooper appointed him to the statewide Local Government Employees Retirement Board of Trustees, and there, he served from 2018 until 2021. He was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2022, and he represents District 56 (Orange County) in the North Carolina General Assembly.

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Gale Adcock is a family nurse practitioner and former chief health officer at global software company SAS. She served 7 years on the Cary Town Council, including 3 years as Cary Mayor Pro-tem, before her election to the House in 2014. During her fourth House term she was appointed to the position of deputy minority leader. Senator Adcock is now in her second term in the Senate, representing District 16 that includes Cary and Raleigh. She is a member of the Health, HHS Appropriations, State & Local Government, and Commerce & Insurance committees. Senator Adcock is the first nurse to serve in the NC Senate.

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Timothy Reeder, MD, MPH earned a Medical Degree and residency in Emergency Medicine from Ohio State University. He obtained an MPH the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1998, he joined the Brody School of Medicine at ECU where he is an Associate Professor and Executive Vice Chair in the Department of Emergency Medicine. He is past President of the North Carolina Medical Society. He provides clinical care at ECU Health Medical Center. He was elected to the NC House of Representatives in 2023, representing District 9 in Pitt County. He serves on the Committees for Appropriations, Commerce, Education-Universities, Families, Children and Aging Policy, and Health.

SPEAKER OJ RECEPTION

Kelly brings over 30 years of experience in providing and managing public services and supports for people with mental health and substance use issues, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and brain injury. In her current role as the Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services (DMH/DD/SUS), Kelly oversees the public community-based system for mental health, intellectual and other developmental disabilities, substance use, and traumatic brain injury in North Carolina. For the past 13 years, Kelly has served in multiple leadership roles within NC DHHS, including Assistant Director of Behavioral Health at NC Medicaid, Chief Operating Officer of NC Medicaid, and the Chief Quality and Population Health Officer at NC Medicaid. Kelly is proud to be a licensed clinical social worker and person with lived experience.

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Marcia Morey (NC House District 30-Durham) was appointedto the House in April 2017, and has since served three terms. Rep. Morey was a district court judge in Durham County from 1999 to 2010, and served as Chief District Court Judge from 2011 until 2017, before being appointed to the legislature. Rep. Morey is also a chair of the Juvenile Sentence Review Board and a member of Governor Cooper’s Task Force on Racial Equity in Criminal Justice (TREC). Representative Morey has been an outspoken advocate for Juvenile Justice. As the leading force behind Durham's Misdemeanor Diversion Program, she implemented rehabilitation and community resources for juveniles to address substance abuse and mental health disorders.

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Born and raised in North Carolina, Jacob is the peer consultant and trainer with the UNC Institute for Best Practices and a person in long term recovery. He has been working in local mental health services since 2008, starting in crisis services and then transitioning to peer support within ACT services. Beginning in 2010, he worked on high fidelity teams in Durham and Wake Counties for the next 14 years before joining the Institute for Best Practices. Jacob’s own recovery journey is robust, including serious mental illness, addiction, and multiple bouts of cancer. In 2015, he returned to school to finish his education, something that had been set aside in 2002 with the onset of his mental health challenges. In 2022 Jacob completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology and is currently working on a master’s in social work at UNC Chapel Hill. Jacob has experience utilizing a variety of wellness and recovery models, as well as supporting one of North Carolina’s first Hearing Voices Network groups. As a part of his work at the Institute for Best Practices, he now works to share these experiences with other peer specialists and with providers here in North Carolina and abroad. He serves as secretary on the board of directors for Threshold, an accredited clubhouse program in Durham, NC, and is very involved in his local recovery community. In his spare time, Jacob especially enjoys spending time with his partner and children (pets).

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Senator Jim Burgin is a longtime resident of Harnett County and current President and Owner of C & D Insurance. Senator Burgin also serves as Chairman of the Board to New Horizon Insurance Group, President of B.C. Property, Inc., a real estate development company, and partner in John Heister Automotive, which owns Chevrolet and Chrysler Dodge Jeep Dealerships. Senator Burgin and his wife, Ann, have been married 44 years and have three children and four grandchildren. He was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and attended The University of Knoxville. He is proud to serve Harnett, Lee and a portion of Sampson counties. Senator Burgin is currently serving his fourth term in the North Carolina Senate where he has served as a Chairman of Healthcare, Appropriations on Health and Human Services and the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services. Before his time as a North Carolina State Senator, he served two terms as Harnett County Commissioner. He is passionate about helping North Carolina make positive changes for those affected by mental health challenges. He has traveled with Secretary Kody Kinsley across the state to hold 14 Mental Health Town Halls.

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Senator Sydney Batch is a family law attorney, child welfare advocate, and social worker. Sydney received her undergraduate degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she remained for her Juris Doctorate and Master of Social Work. Following law school, Sydney entered private practice with her husband, J. Patrick Williams. She is the founding partner at the law firm, Batch, Poore & Williams, PC. Her practice primarily focuses on family law, child welfare law, and appellate work. She was elected to the NC House representing Southern Wake County in 2018 and was later appointed to fill a vacant seat in the NC Senate in 2021 and reelected in 2022 and 2024. She currently serves as Democratic Deputy Leader in the NC Senate. Senator Batch has continuously advocated for families and small businesses during her time in the legislature. She currently serves on the Appropriations on Health and Human Services, Commerce and Insurance, Finance, Health Care, Joint Legislative Committee on Health and Human Services, and Judiciary. As a legislator, Sydney believes that policy and evidence-based research should inform and guide the legislation passed in the North Carolina General Assembly. She has advocated for several common-sense reforms, including paid family leave, affordable childcare, and mental health access. She resides in Wake County with her husband and two sons.

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Mona Townes is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist, and Certified Clinical Supervisor with nearly two decades of experience improving the crisis continuum for individuals, families, and communities. She currently serves as the Mobile Crisis Director at Integrated Family Services, overseeing mobile crisis management services across 33 counties in Eastern North Carolina. With a wealth of expertise in Mobile Crisis Management, Mona excels in rebuilding and enhancing crisis services, fostering strong community partnerships, and improving service delivery on a regional scale. She has spearheaded innovative approaches to crisis response, such as implementing co-responder models, facilitating critical incident stress management, and expanding access to mental health resources in underserved communities. Her leadership has been pivotal in navigating challenges, maintaining compliance, and ensuring client-centered care. Beyond her leadership at Integrated Family Services, Mona is an active member of the National Association of Social Workers - North Carolina Chapter, the owner of MTownes Training & Consulting, and a lecturer in the School of Social Work at NC State University. She has provided clinical supervision to more than a dozen associate-licensed professionals and is certified by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing as a Mental Health First Aid Instructor, having trained nearly 1,000 individuals.

MODERATOR

Rose Hoban is a nurse who practiced in community-based settings for about a decade during the 1990s. During that time, she found a dearth of solid reporting on health care. Taking her interest in public policy, she enrolled at UC Berkeley’s journalism school, and while at Berkeley, she earned master’s degrees in both journalism and in public health policy. She moved to North Carolina in 2005 to be the health reporter for North Carolina Public Radio – WUNC, where she stayed for six-and-a-half years, covering health care, state health policy, science and research with a focus on public health. She left in 2011 to start North Carolina Health News after watching many of her professional peers leave or be laid off of their jobs, leaving NC with few people to cover this complicated and important topic. NC Health News has now become an essential source for information on the health care system in our state. Fourteen years and more than 4,100 stories later, Hoban (editor, legislative reporter and executive director) and her team have produced hard-hitting, factual, unbiased local reporting that has dug into every aspect of North Carolina's health care scene, from medical debt, to environmental health, to coverage of the legislature, to investigative stories about abuses at the state's psychiatric hospitals that have been referenced by members of Congress. Hoban’s work has been recognized both regionally and nationally with numerous awards, including broadcast’s highest award – the Columbia-DuPont –  a Gracie Award, an Edward R. Morrow award, and a Society for Professional Journalists Green Eyeshade award. NC Health News has been honored with more than a hundred state, regional and national awards. Reach her at editor at northcarolinahealthnews.org

EMCEE

Mike Woodard served in North Carolina State Senate from 2013-2025, representing District 22, which included Durham, Person, Granville, and Caswell counties during his tenure. Before joining the General Assembly, he served on the Durham City Council for seven years. Senator Woodard was the ranking member on the Transportation, Agriculture/Energy/Environment, and Health Care committees. Additionally, he served on the Appropriations, Finance, Rules, and Nominations committees. Senator Woodard was the founding co-chair of both the Arts Caucus and the Life Sciences Caucus, as well as an active member of the Agriculture-Rural Caucus. He is a Legislative Fellow of the North Carolina Institute of Medicine. In recognition of his work, Senator Woodard has been honored with “Legislator of the Year” awards by 17 different organizations, including the 2023 Paul Luebke Legislative Champion on Mental Health Award. In his professional life, Senator Woodard was a long-time administrator with Duke University and the Duke Health System. He also worked as an administrator and instructor at Durham Technical Community College. A tenth-generation North Carolinian and a native of Wilson, he graduated from Duke with degrees in economics, political science, and non-profit management. Senator Woodard has been active in community affairs for more than 30 years. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of South Arts, Durham Next, and the Duke Homestead State Historic Site. Senator Woodard served as State President of the North Carolina Jaycees and President of the Durham Jaycees. In addition, he has held leadership roles with St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, the Durham Arts Council, the Durham Rotary Club, the Dispute Settlement Center, the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, and Triangle United Way.

SPEAKER OJ RECEPTION

Ramona Denby-Brinson, Ph.D., began her appointment as the thirteenth dean of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work in August 2021. The first Black woman to serve in this role, Denby-Brinson is a proven leader in faculty development and mentorship. The Kuralt Distinguished Professor of Public Welfare Policy and Administration has assisted countless faculty in launching their research programs, developing research centers and institutes, and securing funding to advance impactful research during her 30-year academic career. Her scholarly interests include policy, programming and treatment issues relevant to children and families; child welfare; children’s mental health; and culturally specific service delivery. With a career-long dedication to improving the lives of Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) families, she is one of the nation’s leading scholars in kinship care. At Carolina, Denby-Brinson is leading the school to new heights in several critical university ranking metrics, including as the No. 2 public school of social work, the nation’s No. 4 overall school of social work, and a fourth place ranking in the National Science Foundation’s annual Higher Education Research and Development Survey. The School reported nearly $19 million in R&D expenditures in 2022, up more than $3 million from the School’s previous record. She has taken on numerous leadership roles, including serving as the president of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) from 2024-26. She led the charge to convene a statewide social work coalition which brings together representatives from nearly all 25 social work programs across North Carolina, primarily to address workforce challenges in the state. Recognized as one of the preeminent national experts in culturally adapted child welfare services, Denby-Brinson has continued to carry on her research. In June 2023, she received $1.7 million from The Duke Endowment for a study on kinship caregivers raising children with special needs. The five-year intervention aims to strengthen support for these caregivers. To date, Denby-Brinson has been awarded nearly $40 million in competitive grants, including federal funding to conduct research related to child and family well-being from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; Health Resources and Services Administration; and the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Mental Health. More detailed bio provided here.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Kody H. Kinsley is a nationally recognized public health leader, executive, and presidential appointee. Serving as North Carolina’s 18th Secretary of Health and Human Services under Governor Roy Cooper, he was unanimously confirmed by the North Carolina Senate. In 2023, Kinsley played a pivotal role in expanding Medicaid in the state, collaborating with the Republican-led General Assembly to extend health coverage. This effort resulted in over 600,000 North Carolinians enrolling within the first year—twice the anticipated pace. His leadership fortified the state’s healthcare system, reduced costs for families, and provided critical support to rural communities. Kinsley has been a driving force in reshaping behavioral health in North Carolina. Under his leadership, the state secured an unprecedented $835 million to enhance mental health care and substance use disorder treatment. By introducing systemic reforms, he expanded crisis intervention access, integrated technology for better coordination, and advanced mental health services in schools, primary care, and homes. His innovative initiatives tackled stigma head-on, delivering pioneering support for incarcerated individuals and children with complex needs, often in partnership with grassroots organizations. Committed to lowering healthcare costs and improving system effectiveness, Kinsley prioritized addressing non-medical drivers of health. In 2022, he successfully implemented the nation’s first Healthy Opportunities Pilots, providing housing, food, and other essential services to high-need Medicaid enrollees, resulting in improved health outcomes and significant cost reductions. In 2024, Kinsley led the creation of a groundbreaking medical debt relief program, eliminating $4 billion in debt for nearly 2 million North Carolinians. Remarkably, all 99 eligible hospitals in the state joined the initiative, which leveraged federal Medicaid funding to forgive debt and implement policies preventing future financial strain for families. A steadfast advocate for fairness, Kinsley has championed reforms addressing systemic health disparities. He led a nation-wide effort modernizing federal blood donation policies, enabling gay and bisexual men to donate for the first time in decades. During the mpox outbreak, he ensured  access to care for disproportionately affected communities while raising public awareness to combat stigma. His Medicaid expansion work prioritized rural communities, where access to care was most critical. Kinsley earned a Bachelor’s degree from Brevard College and a Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley. His distinguished career spans senior roles at the White House, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Appointed by President Barack Obama as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Management, he continued in the role under President Donald Trump. Kinsley is a fellow of the Aspen Institute’s Civil Society Fellowship and serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

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Renée earned her Bachelor of Arts, from Tufts University, and Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University concentrating in city development planning, and environmental planning. She also studied at Colgate-Rochester Divinity School in the Master of Arts program. Throughout her career Renée has focused on urban and rural community development, along with natural and cultural resource preservation and conservation. Her positions have included: inner-city neighborhood housing director, environmental impact assistant project manager, grant writer for a Black land loss pro-bono law firm, conservation council coordinator, forestry program director for underserved landowners, and government relations manager for a mentoring program. In 2011 Renée co-founded Spirit Freedom, a non-profit that seeks to tell the story of Orange County through the lens of people of color. The vision of this initiative is to build bridges of cross-cultural understanding through the arts. In 2012, Renée was elected to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners, re-elected in 2016, and in 2020. She served as Vice-Chair of the BOCC from 2018 to 2020, and Chair from 2020 to 2022. During her tenure, she supported community members in closing a landfill, paving an access road, building affordable housing, improving school facilities, preserving farms and agriculture, expanding broadband, providing tax relief, addressing climate change and elevating creative industries. Renée also represented Orange County on various local, regional and national boards. In 2020, Renée received the M.H. Jack Brock Outstanding County Commissioner Award from the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners. She also was recognized with service awards from the North Carolina Association of Black County Officials and the National Organization of Black County Officials. Renée is now a Member of the House of Representatives in the North Carolina General Assembly, elected in 2022 to represent District 50, which includes Orange and Caswell Counties. She serves on five committees: Appropriations; Appropriations-Information Technology; Education-Community Colleges; Local Government-Land Use, Planning and Development; and Regulatory Reform. In addition, Renée serves as a Board Member of the North Carolina Black Alliance, and is active in the North Carolina Democratic Party House Caucus, the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus, the Orange County Democratic Party, and the Democratic Women of Orange County.

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Marti Knisley has served as a local and state human services administrator and consultant for over five decades including serving as Director of Department of Mental Health in Ohio and the District of Columbia and Deputy Secretary of Mental Health in the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. She is presently the Independent Reviewer in the Olmstead Settlement Agreement between the State of North Carolina and the US Department of Justice. She was a Senior Consultant for the Technical Assistance Collaborative for 22 years retiring in 2017 assisting in the financing, governance and development of resources, housing and services and research of best practices for people with disabilities. She was the principal consultant for Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services supportive housing programs from 2006 to 2016, the principal services consultant to rebuilding southern Louisiana’s services system for people with disabilities following Hurricane Katrina from 2006 and until 2014 and more recently served on an Expert Panel to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development on a Study of Rental Housing Discrimination against Persons on the Basis of Mental Disabilities. She served as Expert Consultant to the New Jersey Department of Human Services from 2008 to 2017 assisting the state to successfully meet requirements in their Olmstead case. She has served as an Expert Consultant to the Council of State Governments (CG), the National Governors Association, the Substance Abuse, Mental Health and Services Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Administration of Community Living and has advised state and local agencies on the development of peer support services, supportive housing and supported employment, Medicaid financing and community policies for people with disabilities.

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Lisa began as the ESG Homeless Programs Coordinator in February of 2019. Her previously roles include serving as Program Director for a psychiatric rehabilitation facility, Program Director for a mental health center, Psychology Monitor for a State Mental Health Hospital, and Case Manager for a veteran’s rapid rehousing program. Lisa has a Master’s degree in General Psychology from Northern Arizona University and over 20 years of experience in the mental health, homeless, and social services fields. She has worked for state government and non-profit agencies with a primary focus on mental health, housing, employment, and general case management. She also has experience in Continuum of Care leadership, grant writing, chart auditing, and program management.

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Senator Steve Jarvis was recently elected to serve in his third term as a Senator in the North Carolina General Assembly. This is his eighth year serving in the General Assembly. He previously served two terms in the House of Representatives. Senator Jarvis has been appointed to serve on eight committees for the upcoming Long Session, which began on January 8th, 2025. The committees include: Co-Chair, Regulatory Reform, Member, Agriculture, Energy, and Environment, Member, Appropriations/Base Budget, Member, Commerce and Insurance, Member, State and Local Government, Member, Transportation, Member, Appropriations on General Government and Information Technology, Member, Joint Legislative Commission on Government Operations. Prior to serving his constituents in District 30, Senator Jarvis was a County Commissioner for six years. Additionally, Senator Jarvis has been a business owner in the residential and commercial construction industries since 1990.

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Michael Roberts is an Asheville native and a person in long term recovery. He has extensive experience in business development and is an active member of his local recovery community. Michael has a gift for connecting with others and is passionate about helping people find recovery and realize their potential. Outside of work, you can find Michael shopping for his favorite Jordans.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Secretary Sangvai is a family medicine physician and a professor at Duke University. He is also a member of the North Carolina Medical Board. Prior to his role with NCDHHS, he served as President of Duke Regional Hospital and President of the North Carolina Medical Society. His work has focused improving access, developing the healthcare workforce, and making care more efficient. Dr. Sangvai is the first Indian American cabinet member to serve under a North Carolina governor.

CO-HOST OF OJ RECEPTION

Valerie Arendt is a social worker and the Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers North Carolina. She leads the association’s efforts to advance the profession of social work in North Carolina by advocating for social work issues such as workforce development including the hiring of degreed social workers in the public and private sector, higher salary and reimbursement rates for social workers, and the advancement of social policy issues.

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Representative Campbell is a current member of NC House District 83 (Cabarrus and Rowan Counties). He has been practicing OB/GYN for over 25 years and was a trauma Surgeon in United States Army for 9 years with three combat deployments. He earned his B.S. in Public Health with Concentration in Health Policy and Administration/Minor in Chemistry with Honors from UNC-Chapel Hill. He also received his M.D. from UNC-Chapel Hill. He is the former Vice-Chairman of NC State Board of Community Colleges. His is a current Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Independence Fund which serves wounded veterans and their caregivers. He currently sits on the Board of Directors, UNC-Chapel Hill Alumni Association.