Board of Directors/Executive Director

Jennifer Hancock, Chair
The Executive Director of Mental Health Association in Wilson County, Jennifer has long been an advocate for those with mental illness, developmental disabilities and addictions and has worked for system change both here and in Colorado. She is secretary of the Wilson County Substance Abuse Coalition, a member of the Beacon Center Community Collaborative and sits on numerous other boards dealing with human and societal needs

Carol Scholar, Weaverville, NC – Vice-Chair
Carol is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, certified as a Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse (ANNC), and a Licensed Professional Counselor in North Carolina. She is pursuing a Psy.D. Degree at the Graduate Theological Foundation and is enrolled in studies with the Victor Frankl Institute of Logotherapy. She is on the advisory board of Western Alliance, Asheville’s Center for Independence, and has family members affected by mental illness.

Lane Reid, Asheville, NC – Treasurer
Owner of Image 420 Screen printing, Lane was a mental health advocate for a provider agency in Massachusetts in the early 1980s, involved in the de-institutionalization process there, and has family members diagnosed with a mental illness. As founder of a successful small business, Lane brings a solid set of business skills to North Carolina Mental Hope.

Jeff McLoud, Kinston, NC – Secretary
With a degree in computer science and mathematics. Jeff first entered the state’s mental health system in 1985 with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Jeff is one of the state’s best known and respected consumer advocates and has served with many groups: the Lenoir County MH/DD/SA Board of Directors; the Governor’s Advocacy Council for Person’s with Disabilities; and, the NC Statewide Independent Living Council. He has chaired the NC Mental Health Planning Councii; is president of the NC Mental Health Consumer’s Organization Board; serves as secretary of Disability Rights North Carolina’s board and is vice-chair of it’s PAIMI Advisory Council. He has served on various committees of the NC Department of Health and Human Services and worked with the National Institute of Mental Health as a Public Grant Reviewer and with SAMHSA.

Tracey Turner, Alexander, NC
Working successfully in the Chicago advertising industry, including self-employment as a communications writer for such companies as Procter & Gamble and Delta Airlines, Tracey saw that success dissolve from the effects of mental illness. It was only five years ago that she was properly diagnosed with bipolar and anxiety disorders. From her therapy evolved The Emotion Project (theemotionproject.org) in which she seeks to destigmatize mental illness by showing that emotions are the common demoniator of everyone. She has presented to the state NAMI NC conference and the National Crisis Intervention Team Conference, among others.

Nicholas Stratas, MD, DLFAPA, Raleigh NC
A distinguished psychiatrist, Nicholas is trained in a variety of psychiatric specialties, and has worked in both the public and private sector, including appointments from Duke and the University of North Carolina. He is the founder, co-founder, developer of public, private and free community programs and state programs n mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse. A past president of the NC Medical Board and NC Psychiatric Association, he is the author of over 100 professional publications. Nicholas has family members diagnosed with a mental illness.

Nancy Carey, Burnsville, NC

Nancy Carey from Burnsville in Yancey County in far west North Carolina has been an active advocate for decades. She is a past PAIMI Chair, has served as an officer of the Mental Health Association in Yancey, as well as MHA-NC and NAMI Western Carolina. She has also served on the boards of Western Highlands Network LME and its predecessor, Blue Ridge Area Authority. Nancy also chaired Western’s Human Rights Committee, is current president of the Burnsville Lions Club, and has served in numerous other capacities for many other organizations, as well as facilitating Legislative and other forums on mental health issues. She is a recipient of the North Carolina Governor’s Volunteer Award.

Martha Brock, Raleigh, NC

Martha Brock has been a long-time self-advocate and systems advocate, and has been employed at UNC-Chapel Hill, NAMI NC, the Governor’s Advocacy Council for Persons with Disabilities, and Disability Rights NC.  Before moving to Raleigh, she was a Commercial Insurance Agent and Broker in Charlotte. She has served on several state and local boards and commissions, including the State Rehabilitation Council and the PAIMI Advisory Council, which she chaired. Martha now lives in Raleigh with her two cats, Bugsy and Black Magic.  She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and a rabid Gamecock fan. Martha is a consumer/survivor who describes herself as a “dreamer.”  Her favorite quotation is attributed to Senator Robert Kennedy:  “Some men see things as they are and say, ‘Why?’  I dream of things that never were and say ’Why not?’” Dreaming frequently becomes more difficult when one has a diagnosis and has to fight demons at times, so she concentrates her efforts on reducing and removing stigma and its resulting discrimination.

David Cornwell, Asheville, NC

David Cornwell founded North Carolina Mental Hope after a 7-year search for the correct diagnosis of bipolar disorder for a family member.  A commentary he subsequently published in the Asheville Citizen-Times made him realize the power words could have in advocacy efforts. With a background as a newspaper and magazine writer and editor, he saw not only the need for better communications between advocates, but better communications between advocates and legislators, policy-makers and the public. He is an advocate for pervasive inclusion of individuals with mental health diagnoses and family members at all levels of state policy and decision making and uses his background as a journalist to work for transparency and truth in government. He has sat on a number of state and local boards and committees involved with mental health issues. He currently serves as chair of Disability Rights North Carolina’s PAIMI (Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness) Advisory Committee and on the board of DRNC.