Our Staff
Barb joined Action for Children North Carolina as President and CEO in October 2004. A child advocate for more than 30 years, Barb has served as special consultant to the founding of Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America and provided leadership as Vice President to such national organizations as United Way of America, Communities In Schools, Inc. and America’s Promise-The Alliance for Youth.
At the community-level, Barb founded and led multiple multi-disciplinary coalitions to address teen pregnancy, drug-addicted mothers and their families, youth substance abuse as well as youth and gang violence. Barb served as a clinical instructor in the Department of Pediatrics for the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita where she played a lead role in the founding of the first school-linked health clinic in the state.
A native of Kansas, Barb holds a master's in regional and community planning from Kansas State University.
Barb can be reached at (919) 834-6623 x224 or at barb@ncchild.org.
Laila joined Action for Children in July 2010. She collects and analyzes data, maintains the online KIDS COUNT DATA CENTER and provides technical assistance to data users statewide.
A native of South Carolina, Laila holds a master's degree in Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. She was a Barbara Jordan Scholar in 2007 and received outstanding undergraduate research distinction at Winthrop University, where her majors were political science and psychology. She has previously worked on Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT publications and data while working with the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT partner in Texas, The Center for Public Policy Priorities. She has also worked at the Texas Council on Family Violence.
Laila can be reached at 919.834.6623 extension 225 laila@ncchild.org.
Brandy joined Action for Children North Carolina in June 2002. She conducts research and analysis of public policy issues on a variety of topics, with a primary focus on juvenile justice and delinquency prevention. She is also responsible for building and mobilizing local support in key areas across the state to raise awareness about issues affecting children.
Prior to joining Action for Children, she worked in the public policy arena for various nonprofits, including the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits where she assisted in the production of a bimonthly newsletter and monitored sources related to public policy issues for the nonprofit sector. She also worked at the Mental Health Association of Greensboro where she planned and organized discussions and actions on mental health reform.
Brandy graduated cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, receiving a BA in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. She completed her master's degree in public administration (MPA) from North Carolina State University, with a concentration in mental health policy.
Brandy can be reached at (919) 834-6623 x234 or at brandy@ncchild.org.
Randi joined Action for Children North Carolina as Assistant to the President in 2000. She now serves as the Office Manager and directs administrative matters for Action for Children, maintaining records and files, and oversees property and equipment maintenance, repairs and improvements. She seeks bids and contracts with vendors in addition to assisting the CFO with contract reports, financials, annual audits, human resources, serving as a liaison to the Board of Directors and maintaining internal controls.
Randi enjoys figure skating and traveling. She has a varied background--from being the first female Launch Controller in the United States at the Poker Flat Research Range of the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks to founding two nonprofit figure skating clubs, producing national level figure skaters and served as a United States Figures Skating Association Judge for ten years.
Randi can be reached at (919) 834-6623 x229 or at randi@ncchild.org.