NCHRC Staff + Contractors
Robert Childs, MPH, Executive Director
Robert Childs has served as NCHRC’s Executive Director since 2009 and in 2011 was named one of five people who made a difference in HIV in the USA by thebody.com. In addition to performing executive functions, he is involved in all program activities including service delivery, program design, innovation and evaluation, resource development and organizing. Prior to joining NCHRC, Robert served as a Public Health Operations Manager and Program Director at Positive Health Project in New York City, where he oversaw their public health programs, law enforcement relations and training, harm reduction programs and led research on the public health effects of people injecting in the public domain. Robert has worked in harm reduction for over 10 years and specializes in public health legislative advocacy, syringe access, harm reduction, law enforcement and drug user interactions, sex work and overdose prevention and has spoken on such at the United Nations, the FDA, the US Congress, New York City Council and the North Carolina, Mississippi, New Hampshire and Oregon Legislatures.
Robert’s email: robert.bb.childs@gmail.com
Robert’s mobile: 336-543-8050
Tessie Castillo, BA, Program Coordinator
Tessie serves as NCHRC’s Program Coordinator. Tessie runs NCHRC's outreach (incarcerated, drug user, sex worker and migrant laborer), education and advocacy programs and is NCHRC lead reporter for NCHRC media pieces. Prior to joining NCHRC, Tessie was an outreach worker for farm workers in Wake County, a case manager for refugees settling in the Triangle area, and a Spanish interpreter for survivors of human trafficking. Tessie enjoys living and working with immigrants. She lives with her husband in Raleigh.
Tessie’s email: tswopecastillo@gmail.com
Tessie’s mobile: 919-809-7718
Leilani Attilo, MPH, RN, Harm Reduction Medical and Advocacy Coordinator
Leilani Attilio, MPH, BSN RN is the Harm Reduction Medical and Advocacy Coordinator for NCHRC. She served as an Army Nurse Corp Officer for five years and completed two deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as a critical care nurse. After fulfilling her Army obligation, Ms. Attilio worked in a number of civilian health care settings including a critical care, pediatric home care and long term health facilities before transitioning into public health nursing. She recently completed a Master of Public Health with a focus in Hispanic and border health at the University of Texas at El Paso. She came to NCHRC as an intern and then became an employee educating drug rehabilitation and methadone clients on drug overdose prevention and advocating for the comprehensive overdose bill, "911 Good Samaritan/Access to Naloxone" bill, at the NC Legislature, which passed overwhelmingly earlier this year.
Leilani’s email: leilani.attilio@gmail.com
Leilani’s mobile: 610-420-1230
Dr. Logan Graddy, Medical Director
Dr. Graddy attended medical school at the University of South Florida, psychiatric residency at Duke University, and a fellowship in forensic psychiatry at West Virginia University. He is board-certified in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. He is a member of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, and the American Society of Addiction Medicine. At NCHRC Dr. Graddy directs the overdose prevention program and assists in NCHRC's education and advocacy work.
Jen "Crash" Earls, BA, RN, Law Enforcement Safety Advocate
Jen "Crash" Earls works part-time as one of NCHRC’s Law Enforcement Safety Advocates. She is a former Chicago Police officer who recently graduated with a BSN from Duke University. She also holds a BA in Communications from the University of Notre Dame. While serving the City of Chicago, Officer Earls worked on the Gang Team, as a Field Training Officer, on the Targeted Response Unit bicycle patrol and many other roles. Even though she held many positions, she truly loved patrol and interacting with citizens of all stripes and backgrounds. An interest in medicine and health guided Officer Earls' decision to leave the department and pursue a nursing degree. Her passion is harm reduction and officer safety and believes that everyone deserves to work in safe conditions. She is dedicated to educating law enforcement officer's about the dangers of needles and the infectious diseases that officer's working the streets might contract. She currently resides in Durham and also works as a Emergency Room nurse.
Detective Sergeant Ronald Martin, Law Enforcement Safety Advocate
Ronald Martin works part-time as one of NCHRC’s Law Enforcement Safety Advocates. He is a former Detective Sergeant and is a dedicated, committed Law Enforcement Professional with over 20 years of experience in the New York City Police Department (NYPD). At the NYPD, he trained officers to a highly proficient level of community patrol, enforcement and public security. He supervised narcotics teams conducting street level buy and sell operations and warrant executions. Furthermore, he managed mid to high-level narcotic cases involving pen wires leading to extensive criminal prosecution. Ronald also consulted directly with the Chief of Police and the Mayor of New York City on issues of internal misconduct. He has also conducted and investigated various criminal offenses while working as a team member in conjunction with the Secret Service, DEA, ATF, and FBI. At NCHRC, he advocates for needlestick prevention measures for officers in North Carolina and for more dialogue between drug users, sex workers and law enforcement to create a safer communities.
Hadley Gustafson, MA, Videographer and Program Consultant
Hadley Gustafson is an award-winning video activist with a 2011 MA in multimedia journalism (documentary storytelling + motion graphics) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She believes documentary video is a powerful tool in the fight for human rights and social and environmental justice. Before going to grad school, she operated her own graphic design business for eight years. Hadley has worked for NCHRC as a videographer and outreach worker for 2 years, producing numerous video advocacy projects on sex work violence prevention and condom use, syringe exchange, overdose prevention, harm reduction, HIV and drug policy in the South.
Steve "Mannie" Manning, Outreach Worker
Steven "Mannie" Manning, Outreach Worker, NCHRC. Mannie was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina, and has spent most of his adult life involved in the street drug scene in east Durham. A former dealer who has served time in jail, Mannie uses his street smarts and experience with drug use to educate his former customers on how to stay safe while using. Mannie currently leads outreach teams to visit Durham neighborhoods and sex worker hotels at high risk for HIV, hepatitis and overdose.
Loftin Wilson, Transgender Services Coordinator
Loftin Wilson works part-time as NCHRC’s Transgender Advocate and Harm Reduction Organizer. Loftin runs NCHRC transgender support groups and also advocates for harm reduction and transgender rights in North Carolina.
