Family
Support Network at the Carolina Institute
Staff
Directory |
Irene Nathan Zipper, MSW, PhD
Director
Family
Support Network
Carolina
Institute for Developmental Disabilities
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB#
7340
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7340
919-966-6395
fax 919-966-2916
Email
Irene
Nathan Zipper is Director of the Family Support Network at the Carolina
Institute for Developmental Disabilities. She is also Secretary of Parent-to-Parent
USA, Clinical Professor in the School of Social Work, and a fellow with
the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
She
is involved in teaching, training, and research in the area of family
support, with a particular focus on families whose children are at risk
or have disabilities, and on the integration of services. She has worked
with children and families in a variety of settings, including Head
Start, public schools, public and private mental health agencies, and
residential treatment settings.
Dick Clark, MBA, MSIS
IT Manager
Family Support Network
Carolina
Institute for Developmental Disabilities
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB#
7340
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7340
919-966-0335
fax 919-966-2916
Email
Dick provides the full range of IT functions for the state office including
database and web server management, application programming, and network
and staff technology support. Dick has worked for FSN since 2006 and
has an MBA from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and an MSIS from UNC
- Chapel Hill.
Joann Haggerty, MSPH, MSW
Research & Evaluation
Coordinator
Family
Support Network
Carolina
Institute for Developmental Disabilities
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB#
7340
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7340
919-966-2841
fax 919-966-2916
Email
Joann
serves as Research and Evaluation Coordinator coordinating research
efforts, developing evaluation methods and providing analysis of process
and outcomes of Family Support Network projects. Joann has a Masters
in Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from UNC and a Masters
in Social Work from the University of Maryland. Her prior professional
activities include providing research and data analysis as well as clinical
social work and family therapy. In her most recent position, Joann served
as Research and Data Director at the North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute
developing and promoting web and print resource materials on indicators
of well-being for North Carolina children. She has also been a clinical
social worker with children and adolescents with special needs and their
families at UNC Hospital in the Hemophilia and Infectious Disease Clinics,
at Umstead State Hospital and at Prospect Hill Community Health Clinic.
Joann has two daughters and one granddaughter. She has enjoyed being
with Family Support Network since September 2005.
Barbara Leach
Family Support Specialist
OneStop for Strengthening Families Project
Family Support Network
Carolina
Institute for Developmental Disabilities
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB#
7340
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7340
919-966-0396
fax 919-966-2916
Email
Barbara
is the Coordinator of the OneStop
for Strengthening Families
Project.
She has over 15 years of experience advocating for children with serious
emotional/behavioral disorders and/or mental illnesses and their families.
She has made numerous presentations at state and national conferences
on working with families as partners and family perspective. She has
conducted workshops for families and service providers across the state
on family-centered practice. Barbara serves on numerous boards and committees
that promote systems change. She is the parent of a daughter who experienced
serious emotional challenges as a child.
Karen Le Clair
Family Support Specialist
Supporting
Families Project
Family
Support Network
Carolina
Institute for Developmental Disabilities
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB#
7340
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7340
919-966-0330
fax 919-966-2916
Email
Karen administers and coordinates the Supporting Families
Project for Family Support Network. She has a BFA in Fine Arts from
John F. Kennedy University in California. Karen is the creator of the
"Bears for the Kids" program at the Cleft
Palate Foundation. She has been with Family Support since August
1996.
Tamara Norris, MSSW, MPA
Information & Referral
Coordinator
Family
Support Network
Carolina
Institute for Developmental Disabilities
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB#
7340
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7340
919-966-0328
800-852-0042
fax 919-966-2916
Email
Tamara Norris
is the Information and Referral Coordinator for Family Support Network,
overseeing the Central Directory of
Resources and other activities relating to the informational needs
of families and service providers. Tamara has been in Chapel Hill since
1992, working in family and children's services program development
and administration with The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
School of Social Work and local not-for-profit agencies. In these roles
she contributed to statewide child welfare reform efforts through her
work with the “Families for Kids” initiative, and to the development
of services for Latino families and children in Orange County. Tamara
has Master of Science of Social Work and Master of Public Administration
degrees from Columbia University. She joined Family Support Network
in September 2005.
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Roxann
Colwell
Family Support Network of Western NC
Contact
Information
Roxann
serves as the Director of the Family Support Network of Western
North Carolina and the Family Resource Center at Mission Children's
Hospital. She has been an active parent participant in the field
of developmental disabilities for over 20 years. She is a trained
community mediator, has worked as the Executive Director for
The Arc of Buncombe Co. and as a consultant to the Developmental
Disabilities Section of DHHS. Roxann has a Bachelors of Science
in Zoology from the University of Florida and a Masters in Social
Work from UNC-Chapel Hill. She is the mother of two adult children
and her young adult daughter has Down Syndrome. She has been
with FSN/WNC since it's inception in 1996.
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Carol
Cranford
Family Support Network of Southern Piedmont
Contact
Information
Carol
serves as Program Coordinator of Family Support Network of Southern
Piedmont. She and her husband Ron are parents of two adult children
and her son has Angelman Syndrome, a genetic disorder. Carol
has completed training through the NC Family Resource Coalition
and is certified in Family Support. She has worked as program
coordinator of FSN-SP for a total of 5 years.
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Brenda
Dunford
Family Support Network of Northeastern NC
Contact
Information
Brenda
is the local program coordinator for Camden, Currituck, Chowan,
Perquimans, Pasquotank, Gates, and Hertford counties. Brenda
has eighteen years experience teaching expectional children
and is the mother of a child with special needs. She serves
as Professional Co-Chair of the Elizabeth City RICC. Brenda
conducts support groups for families of children with special
needs and provides parents with information dealing with specific
needs. She has
been with FSN-NE since it's inception in 2004.
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Sheryl
Ewing
Family Support Network of Southeastern NC, Inc.
Contant
Information
Sheryl
has been Executive Director with FSN Southeastern since 1999
and has over 25 years experience directing non-profit organizations
working with adults and children with special needs. Sheryl
holds a BFA from Bowling Green State University, graduate hours
in special education and public administration from Ohio State
University and Ohio University. She has earned a certificate
in Non-Profit Management from Duke University and completed
certification in School Mental Health. In 2000, she completed
training as a Mediator for North Carolina Early Intervention.
She began her career in developmental disabilities as a full
time tutor in Learning Disabilities and Behavioral Disorders.
Sheryl and her husband Mark have five children between them
(now all adults) and have fostered eight children. Sheryl had
a NICU experience with her first born child.
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Chris
Gentry
Family Support Network of Greater Forsyth
(formerly
Parents Together)
Contact Information
Chris
serves as the Director of Family Support Network of Greater
Forsyth. Chris has over 20 years experience serving families
of young children with a focus on quality early childhood experiences
and environments. She has worked in public and private school
settings, as well as with NC's Smart Start Initiative providing
technical assistance and training to child care providers and
parents. Her educational background includes a Bachelor degree
in Social Work from UNC-Greensboro, training in Pastoral Care
and Hospital Chaplaincy from Wake Forest University Baptist
Medical Center, and she recently completed the Duke University
Certificate Program for non-profit management. Chris has worked
as program coordinator of FSN-GF since 2004.
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Andi
Ives
Family Support Network of Central Carolina
(formerly FSN of Greater Greensboro)
Contact
Information
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Jill
Martin
Family Support Network of the Foothills
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Nancy
Micca
Family Support Network of Central Carolina
(formerly FSN of Greater Greensboro)
Contact
Information
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Sandra
Ringelstein
Family Support Network of Mecklenburg County
Contact
Information
Sandra
serves as the Director of the Family Support Network of Mecklenburg
County, Inc. Sandra is the parent of a young child
with special needs and has actively advocated for her child
since his birth. Since 2002, Sandra has been supporting families
of children with special needs through parent-to-parent support,
online communities and support groups. In June 2007 she
received the 2007 Citizen Volunteer Award from the North Carolina
Council of Community Programs. Sandra was recognized for
her volunteer work to improve services for North Carolinians
with mental health, developmental disability and substance abuse
needs. She has been with the Mecklenburg County program since
2006.
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Steve
Sumerel, Chair
Lynette
Aytch
Lynn Blanchard
Dina Castro
Marian Earls
Duncan
Munn
Ron
Cranford
Missy Lohr
Gretchen
McCoy
Greg Olley
David
Sloop
Kate Veness-Meehan
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