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Our Team

NCSU Staff, NCSU Health Team, NCSU Board, and Advisory Circle

Louise Vincent

Executive Director

Louise is the Executive Director of NC Survivors Union and is a human rights activist and educator whose work and expertise in drug user health, and social justice have driven the expansion and acceptance of harm reduction. She holds a Masters in Public Health from University of North Carolina Greensboro and was the inaugural recipient of the Any Positive Change award established in honor of Dan Bigg at the 2018 National Harm Reduction Coalition conference. Louise’s passion and expertise have created opportunities for systems change and movement building locally, nationally, and internationally.

Don Alan Jackson

SSP Director

Don is the Syringe Service Program Director and has a degree in graphic design. He leads NCSU’s onsite drug checking and testing program working to ensure a safer supply for our community. He oversees the day to day operations of the exchange, from direct services to training and coordinating volunteers and health team members. Don is the life of NCSU. His extensive knowledge as a drug user human rights activist and artistic talent play a central part in who NCSU is as a community led organization.

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Ryann Koval

Director of Health Services

Ryann Koval is the Health Services Director at NC Survivors Union, having joined the organization in 2021 as a volunteer at the Health Hub. Since then, she has played a pivotal role in various programs, including Direct Services, the Buprenorphine Program, Grants, Reporting, Narco Feminism, the National and NC Survivors Unions, and the Liberate Methadone Coalition. Ryann holds a BA in Art Education (K-12) and an MS in Counseling and Art Therapy. She is also a licensed counselor (LCMHCA), with additional certifications as a Clinical Military Counselor (CMCC) and a Community Health Worker (CHW).
 
Driven by her belief in harm reduction, Ryann values its focus on autonomy and its approach of meeting individuals where they are. She finds fulfillment in working within a field that understands functional disabilities and has found tremendous support within the NCSU community. Her journey in this role has offered her new perspectives, continually deepening her understanding beyond the traditional counseling and mental health fields.

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Caty Simon

Director of Narrative Development

Caty Simon is the Director of Narrative Development and sex worker liaison at the National Survivors Union (NSU), where she has been active for over 20 years. She is also the founding co-organizer and Development Director of Whose Corner Is It Anyway, a harm reduction group in Western Massachusetts for low-income and street-based sex workers. In her role as Narrative Development Director at NC Survivors Union, she leads the Narcofeminism Storyshare project, aimed at reducing stigma around drug users. 

Caty has extensive experience as a research consultant, working with organizations such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration and UMass Chan Medical School. Currently, she is a research assistant at the Yale Program in Addiction Medicine. In 2023, she received the Alfred R. Lindesmith Award for Achievement in the Field of Scholarship at the International Drug Policy Reform Conference. Driven by a commitment to harm reduction, Caty values autonomy and seeks to meet individuals where they are in their journeys, continually deepening her understanding of the connections between drug policy and social justice.

 

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Sara Knotts

Director of Operations

Sara Knotts is a dedicated nonbinary leader with over a decade of experience in nonprofit management, finance, IT, and grant administration, particularly within under-resourced harm reduction organizations. As Director of Operations at NC Survivors Union, Sara applies harm reduction principles to guide their management approach and ensure the organization runs smoothly.
 
Throughout their career, Sara has developed successful grant proposals that have secured millions of dollars in funding, while managing essential administrative and financial functions. Their work has involved close collaboration with harm reduction organizations, healthcare administrators, public health experts, and policymakers, helping to foster relationships that enhance sustainability and improve health outcomes.
 
Sara holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from East Carolina University and remains committed to nonprofit service, continuing to prioritize the needs of their community through their work. From coordinating complex grant administration processes to supporting vital research efforts, Sara brings invaluable hands-on experience to their role at NC Survivors Union.

 

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Maggie O'Daniel

Health Hub Supervisor

Maggie O'Daniel is the Health Hub Supervisor at NC Survivors Union, joining the team in August 2023 after volunteering on Overdose Awareness Day. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and brings a diverse background in both education and healthcare. Maggie is a passionate advocate for people from all walks of life and is deeply committed to the principles of harm reduction. She appreciates how accessible harm reduction is through NCSU and values the organization’s inclusive approach, welcoming individuals as they are.

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Emily Hammell

Chief of Staff

Emily Hammell is the Chief of Staff at NC Survivors Union, having joined the organization in December 2023. With a bachelor’s degree in History and a master’s in Museum Studies, Emily brings a wealth of experience and dedication to their role. 


For Emily, harm reduction has been life-changing, giving them a second family that helped them discover and love their authentic self. Through this community, they’ve learned to set healthy boundaries and feel deeply supported by unconditional love. Their connection with this family is celebrated through matching tattoos, unforgettable trips, and shared dreams of retiring on a homestead. “I wouldn’t be alive today without them,” Emily says, reflecting on the profound impact of harm reduction in their life.

Health Team Members

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Andrea Ritchie

Senior Health Hub Team Member

Andrea Ritchie serves as a Senior Health Hub Team Member and Community Health Worker at NC Survivors Union, where she has been a key team member for over a year. She has contributed to a wide array of programs, including Saturday Groups, Direct Services, the Buprenorphine Program, Bloodborne Pathogens, and Peer-Led Grief Groups. Andrea holds national certification from the American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians (ASPT) and has earned her Community Health Worker (CHW) and CPR certifications, with CHW training sponsored by NCSU.

Andrea’s dedication to harm reduction stems from her belief in its life-saving potential and its capacity to create non-judgmental spaces where people can find help and build connections. Having walked the path of recovery herself, Andrea is committed to empowering others to believe that they, too, can recover and lead fulfilling lives.

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Terry Dillon

Health Hub Team Member

Terry Dillon is a Health Hub Team Member at NC Survivors Union, having joined the organization several months ago. With an associate degree in Emergency Medicine, along with former certifications in Hazmat Operations, International Trauma Life Support, ACLS, PALS, BLS, and as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Terry brings a wealth of medical expertise to the team. His involvement at NCSU includes participating in Saturday Groups, Block Party Planning, and the National Survivors Union.
 
Terry is passionate about harm reduction because it unites people from diverse backgrounds to face shared challenges, fostering a deep sense of community and care. He believes that the desire to help one another, even complete strangers, is at the heart of harm reduction. For Terry, being part of NCSU is an incredible opportunity to help others while receiving support from those who understand their own struggles. He feels blessed every day to work in such a meaningful space, where the ability to potentially help someone is deeply rewarding.

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Jessica Weisner

Health Hub Team Member

Jessica is a dedicated member of the Health Hub Team at NC Survivors Union, while balancing her full-time job as a cleaner. She has been with NCSU for a year, actively contributing to programs like Saturday Groups, Direct Services, Boulder Care, Advocacy, Trainings, the Buprenorphine Program, and more. She is also involved in OSHA Certification, Peer-Led Grief Group, Block Party Planning, the National Survivors Union, and Community Clean Up efforts.
 
Jessica’s involvement began as a participant, and her goal is to promote safer drug use, helping people lead healthier lives during active use. Having lost two lifelong friends to overdose and relapse, both of whom left behind young daughters, Jessica’s work is deeply personal. She strives to ensure no one else meets a similar fate, providing not just clean supplies but also connecting individuals with resources to help them achieve their best each day.

NCSU Board

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Dinah Ortiz

Board Co-Chair
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 Nick Voyles

Treasurer
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Robert Suarez

Board Co-Chair
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 Marilyn Reyes

Board Member

Advisory Circle

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Mary Figgatt, MPH

Mary Figgatt (she/her) is an epidemiologist with a research focus on understanding and reducing the impact of infectious diseases among people who use drugs. Her work draws from partnerships with community organizations, advocates, governmental agencies, and public health researchers. She works with NC Survivors Union by contributing to grant writing and providing guidance on data and research projects. She is passionate about harm reduction because of the way it empowers people while always finding a way to give back to the community in the face of new challenges.

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Jennifer J. Carroll, PhD MPH

Jennifer J. Carroll is a medical anthropologist specializing in drug use, drug policy, and overdose prevention. She is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at North Carolina State University, an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine at Brown University, and a subject matter expert advising the Division of Overdose Prevention at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She has been working in harm reduction in the United States and researching the implementation and impacts of harm reduction efforts in the United States and in Ukraine for nearly 2 decades

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Nabarun Dasgupta, MPH, PhD

Nabarun Dasgupta tells true stories about health, with numbers. He is a senior epidemiologist and Innovation Fellow at the University of North Carolina. He has a 2-decade track record of reducing drug harms through applied science. He works closely with people who use drugs and patients with chronic pain. He has served as an advisor to the US FDA, CDC, and the World Health Organization. He collaborates with NCSU on drug checking, medication assisted therapy, surveys, qualitative research, and other areas of shared scientific interest. His team’s work can be found at OpioidData.org.

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Roxanne Saucier, MPH

Roxanne Saucier is a consultant who focuses on promoting harm reduction and the health and human rights of people who use drugs. For the past 14 years, she has worked with Open Society Foundations’ International Harm Reduction Development Program on efforts to introduce harm reduction interventions to new settings, call attention to abuses committed in the name of drug treatment, and push for an end to drug war policies. She also provides technical assistance and capacity building to harm reduction groups, especially in the areas of advocacy, communications, and program planning. 

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Dr. Taleed El-Sabawi

Dr. Taleed El-Sabawi is an interdisciplinary scholar, with a JD and a PhD in Public Health, Health Services Management and Policy with a doctoral cognate in Political Science. She specializes in the use of qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze texts, including congressional hearing testimony, regulations, legislation, news media, political speeches and interview transcripts. Her area of expertise is in addiction and mental health policy, politics and law. Dr. El-Sabawi has studied and written extensively on narrative discourse surrounding opioid overdose deaths; federal administrative regulation of potentially habit-forming substances; and health insurance parity. Recently, Dr. El-Sabawi co-authored a model law that creates non-police behavioral health crisis response teams.

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