Lauren Williams is Co-Chair of the Board of Directors as well as Chair of Development at Wake Monarch Academy. Lauren was born and raised in Virginia, but made Raleigh home after attending NC State – Go Pack! Like many in the nonprofit world, she accidentally fell into development work and immediately realized this is what she was made for! Lauren is passionate about recovery and has been involved with Wake Monarch Academy for the last four years in various roles. When Lauren's not dreaming about the impact fundraising and marketing can make for nonprofits, you can find her with her sweet dog Hazel spending time at the beach, enjoying live music with friends, or trying out a new restaurant!

lauren@wakemonarchacademy.org

804-363-7971

Bonnie is Co-Chair of the Board as well as Policy / Advocacy Chair for Wake Monarch Academy. She currently works from home through her own consulting business and has a background in planning, policy and environmental science. Bonnie is an ally in the fight against stigma and substance use disorder and an advocate for hope! She has been touched by friends and loved ones with teens in the fight and has seen the impact these issues have on the family nucleus as well as friend connections and fragile networks among adolescents. Bonnie loves chasing and transporting her two children, hanging with her family and friends, serving at her church and in her community, and traveling (especially east).

bonnie@wakemonarchacademy.org
919-812-2433

Jake Summers is the Treasurer of The Board at Wake Monarch Academy, and heads our Finance Committee. Along with being a man in recovery, Jake is a Project Manager at Pine Creek RNG. Jake is a passionate entrepreneur who has helped to found and advise multiple start-up companies. Before Pine Creek, Jake was a partner at Green Hill Recovery and AIM Integrated Medicine. Previously, Jake founded a contracting and real estate company in Philadelphia, co-founded a mango farming / export company in Cambodia, and worked in private equity & asset management. Jake holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration from Villanova University and is also a CFA Charterholder. He lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia with his wife Anna. He lived as an expat in Cambodia for almost 2 years, and his most prized possession is his passport that ran out of pages before it expired. In addition to travel, he also enjoys fishing, anything outdoors, and playing the saxophone.

jake@wakemonarchacademy.org
610-999-4966

Ashley Riggleman is Secretary of the Board of Directors of Wake Monarch Academy. Ashley currently practices real estate law with Triangle Property Law in Apex, NC. Her civic mindset brought her to Wake Monarch Academy Board in early 2023. Her passion for recovery and hope stems from her loss of loved ones to substance use.

Before practicing real estate, Ashley focused on nonprofit work as the Staff Attorney at NC Center on Actual Innocence where she reviewed wrongful conviction claims for indigent inmates. She attended UNC Wilmington then graduated from Campbell Law in 2013. You can often find Ashley with her head in a book, at the lake, or enjoying time with her Husky named Kilo.

Ashley@wakemonarchacademy.org

Stephanie is on the Board of Directors for Wake Monarch Academy and held the previous Chair position. She currently works at Wake Med with the Bariatric Program. Through her own experience with her son's addiction, she has shared her story to break the stigma surrounding addiction. It has become her passion to help other parents navigate the waters of substance use treatment and provide them with hope. Her son has been in recovery for almost six years and owns his own carpentry business. Stephanie enjoys spending time with her family, watching her grandchildren, gardening, and is an avid reader.

stephanie@wakemonarchacademy.org

919-632-9975

Michelle is chair of fundraising for WMA. She is a graduate of Elizabethtown College with a dual degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She is currently a stay at home mom, taxi drive, full time cook and cleaner. She enjoys spending time with her great dane and two westies. Her favorite place is at the lacrosse field or cheer gym watching her two kids do what they love. Michelle became involved with Wake Monarch Academy after losing her oldest child at the age of 19 to suicide after a difficult battle with substance use. She currently heads up our fundraising committee.

michelle@wakemonarchacademy.org
919-360-2402

Jacob Rodman is the chief executive officer for Raleigh Neurosurgical Clinic, Inc, a group that was established in 1954. Mr. Rodman has over 20 years of management experience encompassing leadership positions at every level, including past president for the North Carolina Medical Group Managers Association (NCMGMA). He has held several leadership positions in his local triangle chapter of MGMA (TMM), including program chair, president, and past president. He has also served on several advisory committees and boards for United Healthcare of NC, the town of Morrisville’s budget office, Medical Mutual Insurance Company, and the Urgent Care Association of America. Mr. Rodman is a board certified medical practice executive by the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE) and has presented both nationally and internationally on a variety of topics surrounding medical practice management and leadership. A native of Kentucky, he attended the University of Kentucky and The State University of New York.

jacob@wakemonarchacademy.org

919-277-9837

Kenny Ferguson, currently the IT Director at NC State University in Raleigh, NC, is a person with a wealth of experience and knowledge in the fields of security, law enforcement, and business. Born and raised in Northern California, Kenny has faced many challenges in his life, including spending his entire childhood until he was 18 in foster care and two orphanages. Despite these challenges, Kenny has always been a person determined to succeed and achieve great things in his life.

Kenny has spent 15 years providing high-risk/value bodyguard services to the elite and wealthy foreign dignitaries from around the world, as well as some of your favorite local college coaches and businessmen. He also holds an M.B.A (Master of Business Administration) from The University of Arizona Global Campus (2022) and a B.S Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Technology from University of Arizona Global, where he graduated CUM LAUDE (2020). Kenny was also on the cover of Forbes Magazine for the April/May issue of this year.

Kenny is a child welfare advocate and mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle and other agencies dedicated to serving underprivileged youth in our community. He is also a child advocate for Path Changers, an organization that provides transitional housing for youth aging out of foster care. He has since been named the Director of Security for the Special Olympics of North Carolina summer games. Kenny is a youth sports coach for the Capital City Steelers Pop Warner organization, and he is also the video recruiting coordinator at Millbrook High School in Raleigh, NC, where his 17-year-old son Jayden plays Varsity football and his 15-year-old son Micah runs Track and field on the varsity level.

kenny@wakemonarchacademy.org

A native of eastern North Carolina, Will attended UNC–Chapel Hill for undergrad following in the footsteps of his parents and older brothers. A sociology and public policy major, he brings industry and entrepreneurial knowledge of finance, insurance, logistics, and event management to the board as well as his own personal recovery experience.

Will currently serves as a Commercial Credit Analyst for Providence Bank in their Raleigh branch, and when he’s not working he enjoys spending time with his family, being the fun uncle, as well as playing golf and reading “boring” books.

He also enjoys good eastern NC barbeque, playing with his dog Rue, and cooking his way through various cookbooks – except baking, he’s really not good at baking.

Will@wakemonarchacademy.org

Rebecca Brigham, MSW has a 40-year career as a social worker. Her career included working in public and private child welfare services (county, state, and non-profit) and academia as a Clinical Associate Professor at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work.

She has held direct practice, mid-management, and leadership positions throughout the course of her career and is especially known for innovative program development. After 30 years of public service in

North Carolina, Ms. Brigham retired from UNC in 2023. Ms. Brigham has been active in the Triangle adolescent substance use recovery community for more than three years. She and her husband are the proud parents of two adult children. In her free time, she enjoys community engagement, travel, and needlework.