Douglas Engelman, President & Scholarship Coordinator
Dr. Engelman is a recent addition to our board. He received his doctorate from the University of South Florida in 2020 and joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina Wilmington immediately upon receiving his degree. He is a Medical Sociologist, with a concentration in mental health/mental illness. His research is focused on improving the lived experience of individuals who have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness, also addressing the challenges experienced by family members. Dr. Engelman recently published a book chronicling his experience with his son, Doug Jr., who was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 20. He has been a NAMI volunteer and supporter for over 20 years.
Alabama Stone, Vice President
Alabama Stone is many things. A poet, an artist, storyteller for social justice, a mental health professional, a peer, and a young person living with mental health challenges. Alabama is a Wilmington native, born and raised in Masonboro, but has lived throughout the south, working with communities experiencing houselessness, mental health and substance use challenges, and runaway youth. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing – Poetry from North Carolina State University, where she founded a mobile poetry workshop for runaway youth. She currently works as a mental health professional and Peer Specialist and Supervisor in NC. She works within the state as a peer specialist and peer consultant for First Episode Psychosis programs that serve young people aged 15-30 living with schizophrenia. She is also a Digital Peer Navigator and consultant where she is involved in research conducted in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience at UNC Chapel Hill. Alabama is passionate about art, community inclusion, social justice, and de-stigmatizing mental illness. Alabama is a trained NAMI In Our Own Voice facilitator, Support Group Facilitator and Facilitator Mentor. She strives to make NAMI Wilmington more accessible to young people and to underserved communities.
Chuck Eldridge, Executive Director
Chuck Eldridge is a self-employed charter boat captain and safe boating instructor. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1999. His wife, Janis, discovered NAMI shortly after his diagnosis in Greensburg, IN. They attribute a great deal of living well with mental illness to NAMI. They were members in the Delaware and Philadelphia affiliates before joining NAMI Wilmington in 2015. Chuck has been a board member since 2016and served as Treasurer before being elected to President in May 2021.
Bob Taglin, Board Member
Robert Taglin holds an MBA from New York University. He worked as a Financial Services Industry professional for 30 years, with expertise in marketing and partnership negotiation for Fortune 500 companies. He previously volunteered with Samuel Y and Club Pride in New York, where he helped facilitate music groups for Alzheimer’s patients as well as self-help groups for seniors with mental illness and medical issues. Robert underwent training to become a support group facilitator with NAMI Wilmington.
Brian Mingia, Board Member
The Executive Director for The Healing Place located in WIlmington, NC. As native North Carolinian, Brian grew up in Greensboro, NC. After receiving undergraduate degrees from UNC-Greensboro in Economics North Carolina State University in Psychology he attended UNC-Charlotte for his Master of Health Administration. Since then, Brian has spent over a decade working within the Mental Health and Human Service field linking individuals to care and progressively advancing through administrative roles. Brian previously held the position of Operations Director for an outpatient based mental health and substance use provider. Brian has experience with hospital facilities across the state as well as community based mental health and substance use service providers. Brian’s passion for mental health and substance use treatment is both personal and professional. As many individuals struggle with addiction, his goal is to assist in providing resources to individuals who otherwise would not have access to compassionate care.
Julie Morrow, Treasurer
Julie is a retired RN, wife and mother of 3 adult children, 2 who were diagnosed with bipolar 1 as adults. With an extended family history of bipolar, she wanted to get involved with NAMI to learn more and be able to help support her family through this often challenging diagnosis.
Virginia Goldrick, Board Member
Virginia Goldrick is a person in recovery who has been working on herself all her life. She has a B.A. in English Literature, a Master’s and a PhD in Psychology; and is a CRSS (Certified Recovery Support Specialist) in Illinois. She now lives in Wilmington NC and hopes to complete training as a Peer Specialist soon. She is a trained IOOV (In Our Own Voice) Presenter and is a certified WRAP Facilitator as well. She serves as co-facilitator for NAMI Connections and for Family Support Group. She would like to see more peers actively involved in mental health research, as participants, evaluators, presenters and planners.
Janis Eldridge, Board Member and Secretary
Janis Eldridge is the Office Manager for Destination Realty in Holly Ridge, NC. She has been a NAMI family member in Indiana, Delaware, and Philadelphia and became more active with NAMI Wilmington in 2015. She is currently the Walk for Awareness Coordinator, Membership Coordinator, Provider Education Coordinator and keeps the President in line.
Khadijah “Kay’” Sargent, Communications Coordinator
Kay is a mom of one, and social butterfly. She found NAMI Wilmington shortly after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and has been wanting to find a way to give back to the mental health community ever since. Kay is currently in school for social work and aspires to become a mental health therapist. Kay is a trained peer connections support facilitator, and an in our own voice presenter. In her free time, she likes to play rugby, and hike with her daughter.
Melody Bracy, PAMH Peer Support Group Facilitator
Melody Bracy is a BS/QP Certified Peer Support Team Lead at Physician Alliance for Mental Health (PAMH). Melody has been in the mental health field since 1988. She has worked with adults and children over the last 33 years. She currently works with individuals with mental illness and substance abuse. She has partnered with NAMI for about 5 years and facilitates a group of individuals that attend Peer Support Groups at PAMH. She hopes to open this up to the community when COVID isn’t as rampant. If you have any questions about Peer Support Services or just want to ask about their program please reach out to her at mbracy@pamentalhealth.com.
Sara Hobgood, Parents and Guardians of Adolescents Support Group Facilitator
Sara Hobgood is a mom of 4 and has a passion for adolescent mental health. She is eager to educate the community, increase resources and access to those resources for this population. Sara currently works in the mother baby unit and has been a nurse for 24 years. While she has dealt with depression and anxiety herself, her dedication to the mental health field catapulted when her oldest daughter had a suicide attempt in February 2020. Sara is planning to go back to school to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She is currently a NAMI support group facilitator for Parents and Guardians of Adolescents with Mental Health Challenges.
Colin Pearson,
Colin is a peer worker on a team specializing in first episode psychosis treatment. As a peer worker he also has lived experience with substance use and all the other things that usually come with it (such as mental health challenges, homelessness, incarceration, institutions, etc…). Just before the start of the pandemic, Colin started his recovery journey in 2020 and has jumped head first into his own recovery as well as becoming involved in several other recovery communities in the Wilmington area. His goal is to help and support others however he can whether that be as a support group facilitator, holding space for his peers over coffee, or showing that recovery can be fun and going fishing with his peers.
Kim Palmer, Nami Family Support Facilitator
Kim Palmer is a wife, an advocate, and has a passion for mental health. She is eager to support the community, increase awareness and provide access to resources for community members. Kim has been working in the mental health field for 20+ years, in the school setting, residential facilities, and an outpatient program. She grew up in a family dealing with mental illness and substance use, and being married to her husband who is diagnosed with Bipolar. Her involvement with community work began once moving to Wilmington in 2020. She currently serves as a NAMI Family Support Facilitator.