MEET  THE BOARD

Sara is a licensed clinical mental health therapist in NC with a focus on addiction. Her day-to-day involves providing interdisciplinary care for hospitalized patients who are navigating traumatic injuries and substance use concerns. Her research passions include creating culturally relevant mental health/addiction services for the AAPI community, harm reduction, and structural barriers to mental health and addiction services. As a first-gen South Asian American, these topics are close to her heart. When she's off the clock, she loves spending time with friends and family, and going on long walks.

Dr. George Stoupas is an assistant teaching professor in Wake Forest University's Department of Counseling, where he also serves as program coordinator for addiction counseling. He holds a doctorate in counselor education from Florida Atlantic University and a master's degree in mental health counseling from Nova Southeastern University. He is licensed as a clinical mental health counselor in Florida and North Carolina, as well as a marriage and family therapist and certified addiction professional in Florida. George has worked in a variety of settings, including traditional substance use disorder treatment, syringe services programs, and his own private practice. He has researched, published, and presented on topics such as harm reduction, ethics, stigma, and grief/loss in addiction counseling. He is on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Family Therapy and the Journal of Addictions and Offender Counseling. George formerly served on the Board of Directors for Rebel Recovery Florida and currently serves as President-Elect of the International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors (IAAOC)

Originally from Indiana, Rev. Kelly P. Carpenter is an ordained United Methodist minister. Rev. Carpenter has lived in both Greensboro and Chicago. For the 20+ years, he served as Senior Pastor of Green Street United Methodist Church, a multiracial congregation with a commitment to community service, ministries with people in recovery, the gay/lesbian community, interfaith relations and public activism. He is currently the Sr. Pastor at Ardmore UMC.
He founded The Shalom Project, assisted with numerous local organizing groups and non profits, and helped in the formation of the Twin City Harm Reduction Collective. He also served on the steering team for the Silk Plant Florist Truth Committee. In 2006, Kelly founded The Shalom Project, a local non profit seeking to disrupt the cycle of poverty for people.  
Rev. Carpenter has a B.A.s in Religion, Philosophy & English Literature from the University of Indianapolis, 1988, and a Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School, 1994. He has certifications as a Dream Leadership and Spiritual Director from the Haden Institute. Kelly has a love of writing/reading poetry, gardening, jazz, running and working with dreams