Staffing
History
Building on the success of the NARAL-NC affiliate of the 1980's and 1990's, NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina continues to invest a significant amount of resources to create and strengthen North Carolina’s pro-choice movement.
NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina has a rich history in North Carolina, dating back to the mid-1980’s when NARAL-NC worked through the North Carolina’s political and legislative systems to advocate for comprehensive reproductive health policies and to secure reproductive choice for all North Carolinians.
While many Americans felt safeguarded by the election of a pro-choice president in 1992, several NARAL Pro-Choice America affiliates, NARAL-NC included, began to experience a lack of support and were forced to close. In 1997, after years of victories and accomplishments in securing and safeguarding reproductive choice throughout North Carolina, NARAL-NC dissolved.
In December of 2001, recognizing North Carolina’s importance in the battle for reproductive freedom and based on contact with local North Carolinians about their desire to have a local presence, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Inc. and NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation began investing significant resources and support to re-establish a NARAL Pro-Choice America presence in North Carolina.
StaffingNARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina is staffed with an Executive Director, Field Director, Director of Development, and a Civic Engagement Coordinator.
Executive Director
Sean Kosofsky, hails from Detroit, Michigan where he served for twelve years as the Director of Policy for Michigan’s leading LGBT civil rights organization, Triangle Foundation. Since 1994 he has been one of the most recognized LGBT organizers in Michigan and is known nationally for his expertise in the areas of legislative advocacy, diversity training, canvass operations, political campaigns, fundraising and media advocacy.
Kosofsky is a graduate of Oakland University with a BA in Political Science with a concentration in Communications. Kosofsky is a former fellow with the Center for Progressive Leadership, and has served on the board of the Oakland County, MI ACLU and Ethnic Advisory Commission in Oak Park, Michigan. Kosofsky has received several awards from the GLBT community, including the 1997 Rising Star award and the 2002 Prism Award, as well as the Spirit of Detroit Award from the Detroit City Council. He lives with his partner in the Raleigh area.
Christine Sloane, Field Director, joined NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina in February 2008. She graduated cum laude from Pikeville College (Kentucky) with a Bachelor’s in Psychology. While working on her Master’s thesis in Global Politics at the University of Southampton (England), she focused on multiculturalism and women’s rights. In addition to her academic interests, she has been active in the choice movement in some capacity since 1996. Politically driven, she has also participated as an intern on various political campaigns on a national and state level. Christine originally hails from Hudson, NY, but moved to the Triangle in 1992. She is very enthusiastic about directing the second canvass on choice in the nation and the opportunity to build and organize our base in this state.
LaFonda Jones-General, Civic Engagement Coordinator, within this capacity she is responsible for building and fostering collaborations with organizations across the state to promote NARAL's progressive legislative agenda. Before joining NARAL LaFonda served as the NC project director for Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM).
LaFonda has received an Associates of Science degree in Paralegal Studies from Fayetteville Technical Community College, a Bachelors of Science degree in Political Science from North Carolina Central University where she graduated magna cum laude, and she is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Public Administration at North Carolina Central University. LaFonda is a lifetime subscribing member of the NAACP and has been appointed to serve on the National NAACP Prisoner Rights Sub-Committee because of her commitment to change the criminal injustices associated with mandatory minimum sentencing policies. This appointment was bestowed upon LaFonda by Julian Bond, Chairman of the National Board of Directors for the NAACP. LaFonda receives her greatest gratification serving as an activist for families whose lives have been altered by social injustices. At this point of her professional growth, she committed to serve and meet the needs of those people within our community who are underserved regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status.
Bernard Goodwin, Director of Development – NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina
Bernard has over 20+ years experience in all phases of advertising sales, marketing, public relations, fund development, special events, publishing, and management in a variety of industries, including serving two successful years as a Director of Fund Development at Florida State University. At FSU, he was responsible for identifying, cultivating and soliciting major gifts for scholarships, endowments, capital campaigns, and operational expenses through annual funds, grants, individual and corporate donor contributions, and estate giving. He was responsible for developing relationships and networks with high level donors to expand the donor database, cultivate new donors, and expedite the gifting process. He managed FSU’s most lucrative fund raising territory and was responsible for building a pipeline of prospective donors capable of providing millions of dollars in future support for the university. While at FSU, Bernard was personally responsible for raising over $1.8 million dollars in new contributions from individual donors in just two years. In addition to these contributions, Bernard was also responsible for securing a commitment for a $1 million estate gift to kick off a university endowment to fund away travel for the marching band at FSU.
Bernard has a B.A. in Communications from Florida State University and a M.A. in Communications from the University of Central Florida. He is a native Floridian but has resided in NC for ten of the past twelve years and once again calls Cary, NC home. He is a single parent of a teen age son.
Bernard is committed to the NARAL Pro-Choice movement and is excited about the challenges and responsibilities associated with the Director of Development position with NARAL Pro-Choice NC. He looks forward to increasing the awareness and financial support for the organization and its mission.
