| Name | Title | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|
Bill Westbrook |
Director of Information Technology | Profile |
Since 2001, the Office of Indigent Defense Services (“IDS”) has overseen legal representation for indigent defendants and others entitled to counsel in North Carolina. Created by an act of the N.C. General Assembly, the organization works daily to make real the Constitution`s right to counsel for those charged with crimes or who face significant deprivations to their liberty. IDS trains, qualifies, and sets performance standards for attorneys, as well as determines the most appropriate and cost-effective methods for delivering legal defense services in each of the state`s judicial districts. It is committed to recruiting North Carolina`s most talented attorneys to represent indigent defendants and to providing those attorneys with the resources they need to be effective. IDS works diligently to anticipate and resolve systemic issues that impact defenders and their clients. For two decades, it has distinguished itself nationally as a leader in the development of innovative, high quality, cost-effective, and accountable indigent defense programs. Many states, including Georgia, Texas and Virginia, have looked to IDS`s example and establishing act for guidance in improving their own defense systems. The organization`s programmatic work includes efforts to increase communication and resource-sharing with the private bar; the development of legal training programs, often in partnership with the UNC School of Government; the establishment of a specialized Office of the Juvenile Defender; and the creation of performance guidelines for appointed counsel across a number of practice areas. IDS also works regularly with the Offices of the Capital Defender and Appellate Defender to recruit and evaluate attorneys for their respective rosters, ensure their appointments in a timely and equitable manner, and to support them with expert services. IDS and its staff are committed to the continued delivery of quality legal services to indigent persons throughout North Carolina. For more information about IDS and its role in public defense, see Why We Have a Public Defense System.
The mission of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is to protect the health and wellness of the people in Illinois through the prevention, health promotion regulation, and the control of disease and injury. In partnership with other state agencies, IDPH has over 200 programs which affect the lives and wellbeing of every resident and visitor in Illinois. IDPH promotes healthy living through education, science-based practice and by encouraging disease prevention and control. First organized in 1877, IDPH is one of the state`s oldest agencies with an annual budget of approximately $500 million, with headquarters in Springfield and Chicago and with seven regional offices, three laboratories and approximately 1,100 employees. Each office operates and supports many ongoing programs and is prepared to respond to emergency situations as they arise. Through a diversity of programs and services, IDPH touches virtually every age, aspect and stage of an individual`s life and makes Illinois a safer and healthier place to live. These programs and services include: •Childhood immunization •Food, water and drug testing •Hospital and nursing home licensure •Infectious disease control •Chronic disease control •Vital records •Health statistics collection and evaluation •Newborn screenings for genetic disorders •Women`s health promotion •Emergency management system licensure •Emergency Preparedness •Workforce development Although IDPH is a centralized state health department, there are seven Regional Health Offices that assist in supporting the network of 96 certified Local Health Departments, 102 counties, and communities throughout the state. Through the Regional Health Offices, IDPH is able to in effect decentralize regulatory functions and mobilize technical assets to improve the health of Illinoisans.
Welcome to USDA Rural Development. We are committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. Through our programs, we help rural Americans in many ways. We offer loans, grants and loan guarantees to help create jobs and support economic development and essential services such as housing, health care, first responder services and equipment, and water, electric and communications infrastructure. We promote economic development by supporting loans to businesses through banks, credit unions and community-managed lending pools. We offer technical assistance and information to help agricultural producers and cooperatives get started and improve the effectiveness of their operations. We provide technical assistance to help communities undertake community empowerment programs. We help rural residents buy or rent safe, affordable housing and make health and safety repairs to their homes.
NCLEJ was founded in 1965, in the heyday of the civil rights movement. From the very start, NCLEJ staff joined with southern civil rights lawyers in landmark cases, worked with community-based organizations around the country, won ground-breaking victories in the courts, and achieved major reforms in legislation and agency policies and practices. Through these early successes, NCLEJ demonstrated that the law can be a powerful instrument for improving the lives of the most disadvantaged members of our society. For more than 50 years, NCLEJ has led the way in advancing economic justice across the country through class action litigation and policy advocacy; securing systemic reform in the delivery of income support and related human services; and safeguarding important legal and constitutional rights. NCLEJ`s staff of award-winning lawyers has many years of experience. NCLEJ multiplies the impact of its staff by collaborating with major law firms, as well as civil rights, civil liberties, women`s rights, immigrants` rights, and other legal advocacy organizations. NCLEJ is a leader in working collaboratively outside of litigation, both through formal and informal arrangements. NCLEJ staff excel at forging new partnerships by educating other advocates about emerging issues and advocacy strategies, presenting at conferences, convening groups of advocates over critical issues, disseminating publications widely, and expanding the use of its national listservs and website.
Suffolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 84,585. It is the largest city in Virginia by boundary land area as well as the 14th largest in the country. Suffolk is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area.