Board of Directors
Jennie Kowaleski
Board President
Jennie Kowaleski is a local small business owner and Physician Assistant with over two decades of experience in medicine, who is living and working in the Triangle. She also has a Masters degree in Education and Leadership which she uses to teach others in her industry and lead community events. She is a true advocate for those in need and has a passion to help stop human trafficking. She believes we all have a voice that can be used to lift others up when they are unable to do so for themselves. She knows community involvement and inclusion are essential to make an impactful change.
Kenneth Ragland
Board Member
Officer Kenneth Ragland graduated from Southeastern College with degrees in Biblical Studies and History of Ideas. He went on to earn a M. Div in Biblical Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Officer Ragland is an active member of his church and proudly serves the citizens of Apex, NC as a Community Police Officer with the Apex Police Department. In this role, he seeks to build positive relationships between the community and the police department.
Erin Bircher
Board Member
Erin Bircher is originally from Northern VA but has been in the Cary area since 2007. She is a Dually Licensed Psychotherapist with 20 years of clinical experience. Erin is the owner and founder of her practice “Foundations 4 Change, PLLC” which is in Cary NC. Erin spends her free time with her two active teenage boys, her husband and their 3 dogs. They enjoy spending time outdoors and traveling to new places. Erin is extremely adventurous and enjoys bringing people in the community together. Erin loves trying new things and showing her boys how important it is to give back.
Haley Gray
Board Member
Haley Lynn Gray, MBA, is a business strategist, marketing operations expert, and founder of In2itive Biz Solutions. With a background in software engineering, entrepreneurship, and digital marketing, Haley helps business owners simplify growth, strengthen their systems, and create marketing that actually makes sense. She is also the founder of the Women’s Entrepreneur Network, a community of more than 75,000 women business owners, and is passionate about helping leaders build sustainable, practical, and profitable organizations.
Hope Tyler
Board Member
Hope Tyler is a North Carolina native who attended Meredith College and NC State University. She has been in the Real Estate industry in North Carolina for 20 years. She has volunteered locally with Guardian Ad Litem and the Raleigh Junior League. She has been married to her high school love for 26 years. She and her husband have two adult sons and precious grandbabies. She is also a mom to a French bulldog named Georgia Peach. Outside of work and volunteering, she enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, practicing pilates, reading, attending concerts and dancing.
Board Advisors
Laurie Ruettimann
Board Advisor
Laurie Ruettimann, a distinguished consultant and author with over two decades in leadership and HR, began as an HR leader before evolving into an influential writer and speaker. Recognized by CNN in 2009 as a top US career adviser, her insights have appeared on platforms like NPR, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal. Globally renowned for her keynote addresses on leadership and technology in the workplace, her best-selling book, “Betting On You,” delves into modern HR dynamics. Laurie also shapes future leaders through LinkedIn Learning and sparks discussions on her podcast, Punk Rock HR. She’s a steadfast advocate for enhanced workplace experiences. Her forthcoming book is Corporate Drinker, based on stories and a podcast of the same name. She lives with her husband and cats in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Anna Ptak
Board Advisor
Anna Ptak is an international speaker and policy consultant. She is also an ethical fashion designer using her creative side as a catalyst for change. As an Overcomer herself, she is much more than just someone with a story. Anna consults nonprofits and government agencies around the globe on to eliminate demand and end human trafficking. When she isn’t fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves, she is spending time with husband, her daughter, and their 2 fur-babies.
Kara Matthews
Survivor Advocacy Board Liaison
Reverend Kara Matthews is an ordained elder within the United Methodist Church. She has a Master of Divinity with an emphasis in pastoral care and counseling. She has spent more than 20 years in various forms of ministry including missions and human advocacy. She believes that everyone is uniquely and wondrously made in the image of God and worthy of acceptance and inclusivity. She believes that we are all called to be a voice for those who are marginalized within society and is thrilled to be part of Shield NC.
Founder & Board Advisor: Nicole Bernard
Nicole Bernard is the mother of four children, author of A War Against the Cowbird, and former host of the Red X Podcast. She served the anti-trafficking organization, Transforming Hope, for four years and worked in a variety of advocacy, service and behavioral research positions before founding Shield NC.
From Our Founder:
We need but one reason to fight against the evils of human trafficking: we learn that it exists. Shield North Carolina draws a line in the sand. We are bold and strategic in our collaborative efforts to prevent trafficking, affect policy, and support restoration services. Stand on the mountain-top with us and see what we see: a future where all North Carolinians are free.
Interested in Joining the Board?
Leadership Team
Niki Miller
Executive Director
Niki Miller graduated from NC State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a minor in Economics. For almost ten years, she worked in various management positions in the brokerage industry before taking a leap of faith to return to college and earn a Master’s degree in Professional Counseling from Liberty University. Through her studies at Liberty, Niki was connected with the Sex Abuse Treatment Unit of the Wake Co. Dept. of Human Services. While working with this Unit, she served as a therapist to juvenile survivors of sexual abuse and was responsible for the rehabilitation of juvenile sex offenders. Niki co-founded and co-leads the NC Demand Reduction Task Force and serves as an Ambassador of Hope for Shared Hope International.
Sarah Michael McNeese
Training Coordinator
Sarah Michael McNeese is a proud North Carolinian who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Appalachian State University and a Master of Social Work from NC State University. Throughout her career she has provided operations support to non-profit peer-lead mental health services, allocated equitable interpersonal violence programming to the American Indian populations of NC, and created Human Trafficking materials for Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault grantee agencies throughout NC. Sarah Michael is passionate about advocating systematically and creating resource pathways for individuals in need and for the providers who serve them. In addition to her work with Shield NC, she serves as the Board Secretary for the NC Coalition Against Human Trafficking and works part time with the NC Post-Conviction Review Commission.
Halley Merkel
NC Demand Reduction Task Force Coordinator
Halley Merkel is a native North Carolinian and adoptee. One of her life goals is to create positive change within the foster care community by creating better resources for the children within the network. Halley graduated from Fayetteville State University with B.S. in Organizational Psychology and she’s currently pursuing a Master’s in Social Work. She believes in creating change through building rapport in the community, and she’s committed to being a part of that initiative with Shield and the NC Demand Reduction Task Force. In her free time you can find her canoeing or hiking all around NC with her husband or exploring local museums.
Chelsea Wilcox
Outreach Coordinator
Chelsea Wilcox is a Kentuckian who followed love to North Carolina and now calls Garner home. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications at William Peace University. After graduation, she is considering pursuing a Master’s in Political Science. She wants to work in advocacy and plans to take a hands on approach to fighting injustices in this world. In her free time, she loves to travel with her fiancé and hang out with her dog, Goliath.
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