Leading with HOPE

Orah RaiaCo-founder

Parent Advocate

Orah has over 35 years of experience in the area of special education, specifically focusing on the inclusion of students with disabilities in schools and communities. She holds a Master's Degree in Special Education.

She began her advocacy career working for the NJ Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN). In this role, she collaborated with many school districts in New Jersey, as well as with the New Jersey State Department of Education and the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities on several state initiative projects.

In addition, she has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in the area of inclusion and has conducted numerous workshops both locally and nationally. She has also served on several nonprofit Boards of Directors.

Her son Brian, who has developmental disabilities, was one of the first students included in general education classrooms with supports in New Jersey. He is the driving force behind her passion to provide inclusive opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their communities.

Orah and her family moved back to New Jersey in July 2024 after living in North Carolina for 14 years in order to be closer to family. In addition to Brian, her family includes their daughter, who lives in Vermont.

The lack of supports for her son in North Carolina was also a major reason for the relocation. Regardless, she remains committed to HOPE NC's mission as a Board member.

Greg McGrewPresident

Retired Attorney
Parent Advocate

Greg McGrew has been involved in the developmental disability community since his son was diagnosed with autism, at age 3 (he is now 29).  Over the years, Greg has held leadership roles in the disability community, including serving as President and board member of Disability Rights, North Carolina from 2002 to 2005, and as President and board member of First In Families of North Carolina from 2007 to 2012.  Greg is an attorney licensed in North Carolina and recently retired at the end of 2024 after a 27-year career as Assistant General Counsel at Ciena Corporation.

Greg resides in Apex with his wife, Cheryl, and their son, Jacob.  Their daughter, Megan, currently lives in New York.  Greg is actively involved with the Boy Scouts of America and serves on the local board of directors.

Colin MellorVice-President

North Carolina Department of Transportation Environmental Policy Unit
Parent Advocate

Colin began his career at NCDOT in 1994. Since then he has worked both as a public servant and in private industry as a geologist and a geophysicist, gradually changing paths through environmental coordination and permitting roles to NEPA/SEPA (National/State Environmental Policy Act) analysis and environmental policy. Currently with NCDOT’s Environmental Policy Unit he oversees project environmental planning and compliance for the eastern half of the state and is one of NCDOT’s technical leads on Governor Coopers climate change-focused Executive Order 80. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Geology from the University of Wollongong, Australia, and a Master’s degree in Geology from UNC Chapel Hill. He is a North Carolina Licensed Geologist.

Colin resides in rural Orange County with his wife Kim and his two children Henry and Anna. He is actively involved as a coach and a Board member with the Mebane Youth Soccer Association.

Charles AlleyTreasurer

Charles G. Alley earned undergraduate and MBA degrees from Duke University and served five years in the U.S. Navy. He spent 12 years with Sara Lee Personal Products in leadership roles in Winston-Salem, Arkansas, France, and Finland. As a consultant he has advised organizations from startups to Fortune 500 companies on finance, operations, and business turnaround management. He was also a founding board member and board chairperson for Moji Coffee and More, a nonprofit coffee shop providing job training for persons on the I/DD spectrum.

Ginny DropkinSecretary / Co-founder

Parent Advocate

Ginny has been actively involved in the developmental disabilities arena since her son was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum, at age 4 (he's now 40).  She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the UNC-Chapel Hill. Ginny served on the Board of Directors at Frankie Lemmon School. She's been a member of the Arc and the Autism Society. Her advocacy is now focused on joining efforts with others to find solutions to the critical question of what happens to these young adults when their parents and caregivers are no longer alive or able to offer support and care. She was a Board Member of Autism Community Initiative, an effort to create supported housing. Her experience with ACI eventually led directly to her current efforts with HOPE, which she co-founded. She continues collaborating with other parents and looking for solutions.

Grant Pearson

Self-Advocate

Grant moved to North Carolina from Richmond, VA in 1999 and graduated from C.E. Jordan High School in 2004. He currently participates in weekly activities at Reality Ministries where he enjoys socializing with friends. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, visiting Duke Gardens in the spring and summer, and doing yard work at home.

Holly Riddle

Retired Assistant Director in the NCDHHS' Office of the Senior Advisor on the ADA

Holly Riddle is currently retired from leading the Olmstead Plan Development for the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) as an Assistant Director in the NCDHHS’ Office of the Senior Advisor on the ADA.  Over her four decades in government, she has served, in addition, as policy advisor to the NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services; executive director of the NC Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD); general counsel to the former NCDHHS Division of Youth Services; and a staff member of Wright School and the Whitaker Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility.  Ms. Riddle holds bachelor’s in English and master’s degree in Special Education from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center.  She is a former member of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law; a member of the National Advisory Board for the College of Direct Support; a member of the boards of the NC Guardianship Association and Housing Options for People with Exceptionalities (HOPE NC); a graduate of Leadership North Carolina; former chair of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities’ (AAIDD) Legal Process and Advocacy Committee; and Fellow of the AAIDD.  In 2013, the NCCDD created an award in her name, recognizing excellence in professional leadership in the field of developmental disability.

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Alex Nickodem

Broker/Realtor with Terra Nova Global Properties

Alex lives in Chapel Hill with his wife, a professor at UNC, and their son. He has been practicing real estate in the Triangle since early 2018. In 2022, he joined Terra Nova Global Properties in Chapel Hill. His practice areas include residential sales, new construction, and he has extensive experience with first time homebuyers. As a former fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity, he is passionate about making people’s home dreams become a reality. 

His greatest joys in life are found in time with his family, whether that be splashing in Morgan Creek, exploring the NC Botanical Gardens, or chasing his son around the lawn at Weaver Street Market. He loves exploring the natural beauty to be found in the Triangle, from Eno River State Park to the Hillsborough Riverwalk to Coker Arboretum.

Chris Cole

CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner, CliftonLarsenAllen

Chris Cole is a CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).  He joined CliftonLarsenAllen CPA firm (top 10 CPA firm in the US) in January 2022 as their Quality and Wellness Director. Among his responsibilities is assessing and monitoring the impact of workload and culture on engagement quality across the firm.  He's originally from Connecticut and upstate New York, and lived in North Carolina since 1982.

Chris and his family currently reside in Hillsborough.  His hobbies include reading, golf and travel with his wife, Amy, and son, Jay.  His son is a senior at Georgetown University and in Air Force ROTC and his wife is an IT Project Manager at UNC Chapel Hill Medical School.

Cathy Connors

Cathy brings nearly three decades of experience in affordable housing and a deep understanding of what it takes to turn big ideas into real homes, neighborhoods, and communities.

She is the founder of Solstice Partners, a Cary-based multifamily development company focused on affordable workforce housing in North Carolina. Since founding the company in 2007, Cathy has helped develop 18 projects totaling approximately 1,500 units across North Carolina and Virginia. She also shares her expertise with mission-driven organizations like The Carying Place, supporting efforts that bring together housing, childcare, family support, and community resources.

Laine Hindley

Laine serves as the Vice President of Homeowner Services for Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, where she has dedicated nearly five years to advancing equitable, sustainable homeownership. With a background in teaching and over four years of prior experience at Durham Habitat, Laine possesses a deep ability to connect with and understand the diverse needs of the individuals and families she serves. Her work bridges the gap between rigid regulatory compliance—such as fair housing law, loan underwriting, and income verification—and the human-centered program space, where she designs curriculum and community engagement strategies to support residents in building healthy, connected neighborhoods.

Outside of her professional work, Laine is an avid adventurer. She enjoys exploring with her two dogs: Bruce Wayne, a 35-lb "mini lab" adopted from a lab rescue who is a frequent visitor to the Chapel Hill office, and Molly, a spirited Boston Terrier and Miniature Schnauzer mix who was her grandmother's dog. Laine is also passionate about being in the water, whether kayaking the Eno River or swimming laps. In her quieter moments, she enjoys creative pursuits such as watercolor painting and knitting, as well as tackling home improvement projects around her house.

Les Parker

Les brings 20 years of architecture, development and construction experience to the table, having worked on schools, government buildings, and recreation and industrial projects across North Carolina and beyond. He currently serves as Design Director at Bobbitt A&E in Cary, where he leads project teams and sets the firm's standards — building on a decade at Smith Sinnett Architecture managing large-scale educational and government projects. Les holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Kentucky, is a Registered Architect in three states (NC, SC, VA), plus a Licensed General Contractor.

Off the clock, Les enjoys spending time with his wife, Treanna; their three kids, Hattie, Redin, and Stanton; and their dog, Trousers. Hattie has Down syndrome, which has deepened his awareness of the challenges people with IDD face and further fueled his passion for accessibility in his work. He also has a hands-on builder's streak — from backyard playhouses to custom home additions — and he brings that same craftsmanship to everything he takes on.