Speakers

We’re excited to welcome an outstanding group of speakers who will bring insight, energy, and inspiration to this year’s Summit.


Pictured: Keynote speaker from the 2025 NC Summit on Reducing Overdose, Stephen Murray, MPH, NRP

Keynote and Plenary Panel Speakers

Wednesday Keynote Speaker

Shoshana Walter

Author; Investigative Journalist, The Marshall Project

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Thursday Keynote and Plenary Panel Speaker

Kerwin Pittman

Founder & Executive Director, RREPS (Recidivism Reduction Educational Program Services)

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Thursday Plenary Panel Moderator

Anna Stein, JD, MPH

First Lady of North Carolina

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Thursday Plenary Panel Speaker

Lauren Garvie, CPSS, CADC

Western Region Coordinator, State Opioid Treatment Authority, NCDHHS, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services, SUD Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Section

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Thursday Plenary Panel Speaker

Henry "Tommy" Green, NCCPSS

Orange County FIT Program Manager; NC Community Health Worker, NC FIT (Formerly Incarcerated Transitions) 

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Thursday Plenary Panel Speaker

Ashley Wurth, MA

Justice Services Lead, NCDHHS, Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services

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Session Speakers

Anna Austin, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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Michael Baca-Atlas, MD, FASAM

Associate Professor, Family Medicine/Psychiatry, UNC School of Medicine

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Rebecca Badgett, JD

Teaching Assistant Professor, UNC

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Dalton Barrett, BS, CP-C

Opioid Settlement Program Director, Edgecombe County Emergency Services

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Alyssa Benziger, MPH, CHES

Manager of Health Programs, NCACC

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Gregory Berry, BS, AA, NCCPSS, CHRS, FPS-T, SBIRT, LEAD Practitioner

Statewide LEAD & Deflection Programs Director, North Carolina Harm Reduction Coalition

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Mollie Bolick, MSW, NCCPSS

Center Director, Homestead Recovery Center

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Ingrid Bou-Saada, MA, MPH

ACEs and Resilience Program Manager, NCDHHS Division of Public Health

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Fred Wells Brason II

President/CEO, Project Lazarus

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Elizabeth Brewington

Manager of Health Programs, NCACC

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Ainsley Bryce

Overdose Prevention Team Lead, Injury and Violence Prevention Branch, Division of Public Health, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

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Kristin Cain, PhD, LCMHCS, LCAS, CCS

Senior Operations Director — MOUD programs, Southlight Healthcare

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Cyndy Caravelis, PhD

Professor and CEO, CoResponse Collaborative

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Terica Carter

Executive Director/Founder, Hajee House Harm Reduction

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Xiggy Carter

Recovery Cafe Team Lead, Promise Resource Network

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Hillary Chen, MPH

Manager of Health Programs, NCACC

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Rachel Crouse, MA, MBA, LPA, LCAS, CCS

New Hanover Clinical Director, Coastal Horizons

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Andrea Des Marais, MPH

Senior Health Programs Manager, NCACC

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Reid Getty

Outreach Worker and Field Phlebotomist, North Carolina Harm Reduction

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Melissa Godwin, LCSW

Women’s Substance Use Disorders Program Manager, UNC Chapel Hill

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Pazia Harbin, BSW, NCCPSS, CADC-I

Western Regional Community Engagement Coordinator, NCHRC

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Sara Harrington, JD

Attorney, Disability Rights NC

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Chris Hatton

Retired Chief of Police, Sylva Police Department

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Chase Holleman, MSW 

State Opioid Response Project Director, NC DHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services 

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Kat Humphries Montoya, MPH

Senior Technical Advisor, Vital Strategies Overdose Prevention Program

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Amanda Isac, PharmD, MPH

Pharmacist, NCDHHS Division of Public Health

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Patrick Jeffs, PhD, LCMHC

Founder and CEO, The Resiliency Solution

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Karl Johnson, PhD

Assistant Professor, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

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Brooke Lane, MPH, CHES

Post Overdose Response Team Manager/Navigator, Carteret County Health Department

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Devin Lyall

Executive Director, Recovery Revolution

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Caitlin Mahoney, MD

Addiction Medicine Physician, NC DAC

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Michelle Mathis, Rev.

President, Redefining Recovery

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Leigh Mazur, LCSW

Assistant Director, Community Safety Department

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Dane Mullis, MSW, LCSWA, LCASA

Advocate, Disability Rights North Carolina

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Lisa Nesbitt, JD

Supervising Attorney, Disability Rights North Carolina

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Amy O’Regan, MPH

Naloxone Coordinator, NC DHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services

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Robyn Oster

Director of Policy, Partnership to End Addiction

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Ethan Oxendine

Program Coordinator/Tribal Liaison, NCDHHS, Division of Public Health, Injury and Violence Prevention Branch

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Kristen Powers

Executive Director, Benevolence Farm

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Mel Ramage, MSN, FNP-BC, CARN-AP, LCAS

Director, NC Perinatal SUD Network

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Sally Reeske

Program Coordinator, Injury and Violence Prevention Branch

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Pete Rubinas

Chief Executive Officer, SMART Recovery USA

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Jill Rushing, PhD

Senior Health Programs Manager and Evaluator, NCACC

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Delton Russell, CPSS

Program Development Strategist, McLeod Centers for Wellbeing

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David Ryan, MD, FASAM, FACOG

Medical Director of Perinatal Addiction, East Carolina University Health

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Nidhi Sachdeva, MPH

Director of Strategic Health and Opioid Initiatives, NCACC

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Meghan Shanahan, PhD, MPH

Associate Professor, UNC Chapel Hill

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Adams Sibley, PhD, MPH

Senior Research Scientist, UNC Chapel Hill

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Anna Stanley, LCMHCS, LCAS, CCS

State Opioid Treatment Authority, DMHDDSUS

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Katlynd Taylor, NCCPSS

LEAD Case Manager, MRJC / Homestead Recovery Center

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Amy Wade, MPA, PhD

Teaching Assistant Professor, UNC Chapel Hill

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Jeff Walker, NCCPSS/RCP

Director of Programs, Recovery Revolution

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Andrew Whitacre

Senior Officer, The Pew Charitable Trusts

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