Who We Are
TIC-NC was founded by Marcia Herman, Gretchen Witzgall, Amy Brown and Faye Orr in 2005 and is located in Pittsboro, NC.
THE BOARD
Marcia E. Herman-Giddens, PA, MPH, DrPH, is an adjunct professor in the school of Public Health, Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Senior Consultant at the NC Child Advocacy Institute. She has worked in the field of child health and maltreatment for over 20 years both as a medical provider and an advocate, teacher and researcher. Her research, published in numerous journals, books, and monographs, has revolved around the growth and development of children, child maltreatment, and sexually transmitted infections in children. More recently, Dr. Herman-Giddens has begun researching tick-borne infections. Dr. Herman-Giddens received her Physician Associate degree from Duke University Medical Center in 1978 and practiced pediatrics there for many years. She received her doctorate in public health in 1994, and after three years as the medical director of the State Child Fatality Prevention Team, has been engaged primarily in child advocacy, public health advocacy, teaching and research.
Judi Loberg, MSSW, works with families, groups, and individuals in a therapy setting and does training and supervision for therapists. She has been in private clinical practice for 20 years both in Jonesboro, Arkansas and in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She also owns and manages the Rigmor House retreat center in Chapel Hill with her partner Cyndi O°ØNeal. Previously Ms. Loberg taught physical education and coached several sports in high schools in the United States, Japan and in Germany for 10 years.
After returning to the states, Ms. Loberg helped a local company develop and implement a wellness program for its employees. This program became a model for other small companies, its unique program being one that was open to the employee°Øs entire family.
She has served on several non-profit boards, both in advisory and director capacity. She was a founding board member and past President of the Satir Institute of the Southeast in North Carolina, was founding board member and past president of the Foster Grandparent program, advisory board member of the Vo-tech development program, and advisory board of the Salvation Army, and member of the Arkansas State University museum advisory board all in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Cyndi O'Neal, MS.
BA - Concord College, 1987, Accounting and Business
MS - West Virginia College of Graduate Studies, Counseling with emphasis
on Families
Cyndi O'Neal worked in the accounting field for 10 years. After receiving
her MS, she worked in a psychiatric hospital and private practice settings
in several states. She continues a practice focusing on children and families
here in North Carolina
Ms. O'Neal has worked with non-profit organizations in the development process
in West Virginia and North Carolina. She was instrumental in organizing
and setting up the Women's Domestic Shelter in Beckley, WV where she served
on their Board for 3 years and as President for one year. Ms. O'Neal also
volunteered for the America Red Cross while in West Virginia. In North Carolina,
she helped set up the Satir Institute of the Southeast, Inc. by obtaining
their 501(C)3 status and serving as their Executive Director for 18 months.
During that time the Institute developed and ran a summer camp for under-privileged
teenagers in which she was involved on a daily basis. Ms. O'Neal has also
been a board member of the Human Rights Committee of Learning Services (a
live-in brain injury center) for 5 years in Durham, NC.
Jane Hock - Ms. Hock and her family moved to the Chapel Hill area from Virginia in August 1999 and have been enjoying the beauty and diversity of North Carolina since. Jane served as Secretary on the Woods Charter School Board from May 2005 to June 2007. Prior to joining the WCS Board, she was involved with the Principal Search Committee, served as the Volunteer Coordinator through the PTSA, and was the Co-Chair of the Building Maintenance Committee. Beyond her experiences at Woods, Jane has been a Preschool Teacher for approximately twenty years. Her experience includes managing a home daycare and teaching pre-kindergarten at a five star NAECY program. During her years teaching at the Children’s Cooperative Playschool in Chapel Hill, she has served in the capacity of pre-kindergarten teacher, lead teacher and acting director. In this capacity, Jane has spent a substantial amount of time directing the teaching staff and parent volunteers. Her family’s interest in outdoor activities has lead to an increased awareness and concern about tick borne illnesses and outreach programs to spread awareness throughout the community.
Kimberly (Kim) A. Brownley, PhD received her doctorate degree in Experimental/Biological Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1996. Currently, she is an assistant professor of Psychiatry in the UNC School of Medicine. Dr. Brownley has nearly 20 years experience conducting research with a focus in women's health, obesity, and eating disorders. Her work is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), and the National Alliance for Research in Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD). Dr. Brownley is a member of the UNC Clinical and Translational Research Center Scientific Oversight Committee and the Binge Eating Disorder Association Scientific Advisory Board, and is Associate Editor of the International Journal of Psychophysiology. More recently, she has become interested in researching the long-term sequelae of tick-borne infections, and she joined the TIC-NC board in 2010.
Ann Leonard, BSN, MSPH has over 30 years of experience in the field of public health. Her work has focused on women's reproductive health globally, and she has served in senior leadership roles with Ipas, a non-profit agency, for 24 years. She also works with her husband, Rob Hogan, on their farm, Hogan's Magnolia View Farm. They sell grass fed beef and various other crops to the local community. Their work to maintain sustainable, locally produced food has been the source of their interest in tick borne illnesses. The farm has been in existence for over 200 years and they are working to secure it's viability into the future. Addressing the risks that farmers face from tick-related illnesses is critical to achieving the long-term success of local farms and, ultimately, accessibility of locally raised food.
Carol Clark, RN, BSN has been a nurse for 23 years with various specialties including cardiac and trauma ICU's and triage nursing. She has recently developed an interest in tick-borne illnesses after experiencing an explosion of problems in her area of the state with people and pets. Ms. Clark is has been working with public health and TIC-NC to raise awareness of tick diseases and their prevention. Her efforts with TIC-NC will focus on exploring programs to address education through the school system, veterinarian circles, and among North Carolina's Hispanic population who are often at high risk given their high frequency of outdoor work. She joined the board in 2010.