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Council Members

The members of the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities are responsible for carrying out the provisions of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) and making sure that the Council is a member-driven, effective, efficient, and accountable organization. The Council approves NCCDD鈥檚 Five-Year State Plan and guides all initiatives and contracts of that plan.

Serving up to two four-year terms, the 40-member Council represents all regions of North Carolina. Membership is made up of 60% being people with intellectual or other developmental disabilities (I/DD) or family members, and the remaining 40% being representatives from state agencies, nonprofit, and professional organizations.聽

Council members are:

  • People with intellectual聽or other聽developmental disabilities (I/DD)
  • Parent/Family member/Guardian
  • Representatives of State agencies
  • State legislators
  • Representatives from Disability Rights NC and the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD)
  • Provider and Local Management Entities/Managed Care Organization representatives

Learn more about how the Council works:

Interested in becoming a Council Member? Learn how to apply to be a NCCDD Council Member

Current Council Members

Want to reach out to your local NCCDD Council Member? Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Dawn H. Allen

Public at Large

Stanly County

Senator Sydney Batch

Representative of the NC Senate

Wake County

Katherine Boeck

Person with I/DD

Edgecombe County

Rep. Terry Brown

Representative of the NC House of Representatives

Mecklenburg County

Keith B. Carney

Parent/guardian of a person with I/DD

Pender County

Carol Ann Conway

Parent of a person with I/DD residing in an institution

Orange County

Yvonne Copeland

Representative of DHHS Dept. of Women's and Children's Health

Alternate: Danielle Matula
Wake County

Rhonda Cox

Representative of non-profit group concerned with services to persons with I/DD

Alternate: Judith Kirkman
Buncombe County

Kelly Crosbie

DHHS-MH/DD/SAS

Alternate: Ginger Yarbrough
Wake County

Jonathan D'Angelo

Council Chair, Person with I/DD

Wake County

Sherif Elgindi, J.D.

Person with I/DD

Durham County

Debra Farrington

Secretary of the Dept. of Health and Human Services

Alternate: Deb Goda
Orange County

Myron Michelle Gavin

Parent/guardian of a person with I/DD

Craven County

Dr. Joshua Gettinger

Parent/guardian of a person with I/DD

Buncombe County

Tony Hall

Person with I/DD

Wake County

Rep. Zack Hawkins

Parent/guardian of a person with I/DD

Durham County

Brendon Hildreth

Person with I/DD

Craven County

Dr. Carol Ann Hudgens

Director, Exceptional Children Division Representative of the Department of Public Instruction

Alternate: Dreama McCoy
Wake County

Mary Mac Jenkins

Parent/guardian of a person with I/DD

Wake County

V. Kuser

Person with I/DD

Forsyth County

Aldea LaParr

Person with I/DD

Johnston County

Charlrean Mapson

Parent/guardian of a person with I/DD

New Hanover County

Virginia Knowlton Marcus

Executive Director, Disability Rights NC

Representative of the State Protection and Advocacy Agency
Wake County

Kay McMillan

Person with I/DD

Wake County

Tocarra E. Osborne

Parent

Bladen County

Karey Perez

Representative of the DHHS Division of Aging

Alternate: Sarah Smith
Wake County

Dr. Joseph Piven

University Center on Excellence (CIDD)

Alternative: Anna Ward
Orange County

Rebecca Putnam

Immediate relative/guardian of a person with I/DD

Buncombe County

Olivia Rose

Person with I/DD

Wayne County

Ryan Rotundo

Immediate relative/guardian of a person with I/DD

Buncombe County

Marjorie Serralles-Russell

Parent/guardian of a person with I/DD

Mecklenburg County

Bethany Dawn Smith

Individual with I/DD

Pitt County

Kathie Smith

Director, Employment and Independence for Persons with Disabilities

Alternate: Kenny Gibbs
Wake County

Donna Ann Spears

Person with I/DD

Onslow County

Dale Stephenson

Sibling of a person with I/DD

Wake County

Dr. Madhav Swaminathan

Parent/guardian of a person with I/DD

Durham County

Dr. Peggy Terhune

Local Non-Government Agency, CEO Monarch

Randolph County

Carla West

Representative of the DHHS Division of Social Services

Alternate: Amy Eaton
Johnston County

Representative of the Division of Health Benefits (DHHS)

Alternate: LaCosta Parker

Apply to Be a Council Member

The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities includes has 40 members who are appointed by the Governor. Sixty percent are required to be people with intellectual or other developmental disabilities (I/DD) or family members. Other members include state legislators, top state agency officials and representatives of Local Management Entities/Managed Care Organizations (LME/MCO) and service providers.

The Council meets quarterly and oversees both the provisions of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) and to assure the Council is a member-driven, effective, efficient organization. The Council works on behalf of over 185,000 people with I/DD living in NC. The work of the Council is directed to help communities become more inclusive of people with I/DD and their families.

How to Apply

Applications for Council membership are always welcome and members of the I/DD community, including family members, are encouraged to apply any time during the year.聽All applicants must complete and submit the application for endorsement and the application for board and commissions for consideration of endorsement to the Office of the Governor. forms below:

  • Application for Endorsement to the Governor for Appointment to the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities:聽
  • Application for Board and Commissions

Convi茅rtete en Miembro

NCCDD tiene 40 miembros nombrados por el gobernador, de los cuales el 60 por ciento deben ser personas con discapacidades intelectuales u otras discapacidades del desarrollo (I/DD) o familiares. Otros miembros incluyen legisladores estatales, altos funcionarios de agencias estatales y representantes de entidades de administraci贸n local / organizaciones de atenci贸n administrada (LME/MCO) y proveedores de servicios.

El Consejo se re煤ne trimestralmente y supervisa tanto las disposiciones de la Ley de Asistencia para Discapacidades del Desarrollo y la Declaraci贸n de Derechos (Ley DD) y para asegurar que el Consejo sea una organizaci贸n impulsada por los miembros, efectiva y eficiente. El NCCDD trabaja en nombre de m谩s de 185,000 personas con I/DD que viven en NC. El trabajo del Consejo est谩 dirigido a ayudar a las comunidades a ser m谩s inclusivas con las personas con I/DD y sus familias.

Las solicitudes para ser miembros del Consejo siempre son bienvenidas y se anima a los miembros de la comunidad de I/DD, incluidos los familiares, a solicitar en cualquier momento durante el a帽o.

Todos los solicitantes deben completar y presentar la solicitud de apoyo y la solicitud para la junta y comisiones para su consideraci贸n de aprobaci贸n a la oficina del gobernador. Acceda a los siguientes formularios: