DRNC’s Board of Directors is a diverse group of individuals who are passionate about the rights of people with disabilities. All or most of our board members are disabled or have a family member with a disability. The DRNC Board of Directors seeks to reflect the ethnic, racial, geographic, socioeconomic and disability diversity of North Carolina.
Selection of board members is based on current diversity and skills needed, as well as knowledge, connection and commitment to advancing the human and legal rights of people with disabilities.
Board Portal
The Disability Rights North Carolina portal offers Board Members access to meeting materials, agenda items, Zoom links, and important documents such as policy manuals, annual targets, audits, and information about the P&A system.
DRNC Board Members
Cherene is the CEO of Promise Resource Network, a national and international recovery consultant. She has also served on the board of the College for Behavioral Health Leadership, MindFreedom International and Pathways to Resilience.…
Woody Connette has practiced law for more than 40 years, representing clients who have suffered catastrophic personal injuries, loss of family members by wrongful death, and long-term disability benefit claims. He also has a long histo…
Jamie Dean is a Senior Corporate Counsel on Microsoft’s Accessibility Regulations Team, supporting attorneys, engineers, policy experts, and leaders striving to make some of the world’s most popular products accessible to all. His pe…
Jonathan Ellis joined DRNC’s board in December 2022. He resides in Murfreesboro, North Carolina and works as an independent Scentsy Consultant. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with emphasis in Public Relations from St.…
Rick Glazier joined the DRNC board in December 2022. He is the former Executive Director of the NC Justice Center. Previously, he had been elected seven times to the North Carolina House of Representatives from Cumberland County. Rick…
Candace Harke joined the DRNC board in June 2021. In Janaury 2023 accepted the position of associate general counsel at UNC Wilmington. Prior to that she served as managing attorney for the Pembroke Office of Legal Aid of North Carolina whe…
Evan joined our board in March of 2019 and has also been a pro bono attorney volunteer for DRNC. He opened his own law practice in 2014 and resides in Beaufort County. Evan graduated with a B.A. in Economics from the College of William & Mar…
Bailey Pittenger, Phd is a high school English instructor at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. Bailey holds a BA and MA in English from Wake Forest University, an MFA in creative writing from the Universi…
Ed Rizzuto joined the DRNC Board of Directors in February, 2020. He initially became involved with DRNC in 2017 as a pro bono attorney, providing assistance to clients seeking to pursue discrimination claims with the EEOC. He obtained his…