Board of Trustees
If you would like to watch the meeting between the board members live, please visit https://www.youtube.com/@GovernorMorheadSchool during the scheduled meeting time and click on the livestream.
GMS Board of Trustees meetings:
December 11, 2023, 10AM EST
March 6th, 2024, 10AM EST
June 10th, 2024, 10AM EST
Official meetings of public bodies are required to be open to the public.
An official meeting is either an in-person gathering or the “simultaneous communication” of a majority of the public body “for the purpose of conducting hearings, participating in deliberations, or voting upon or otherwise transacting the public business “.
N.C. Gen. Stat. 143-318.10(d)
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Dr. Alan Chase
Member of the Governor Morehead School Board of Trustees
Dr. Alan Chase is a graduate of the Governor Morehead School for the Blind.
He holds a master's degree in special education and a doctorate in educational administration and supervision from NC State University. His doctoral dissertation focused on educational policy as it relates to schools for the blind.
Dr. Chase began working with students with visual impairments and other disabilities in 2005 on college transition and access through temporary state service and the nonprofit sector. In 2008, Dr. Chase established a nonprofit organization for youth with visual impairments that continues to support college and career readiness skills each summer today.
Professionally, he has served as a teacher and central office school leader in North Carolina and a school administrator in Tennessee. Dr. Chase also has served as an adjunct faculty member at the university level. At the state level, he has served on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Governor Morehead School Alumni Association and was Chairperson of the North Carolina Conference on Visual Impairment and Blindness.
On the national level, Dr. Chase serves on the AER Organizations and Schools Accreditation Committee and as a peer reviewer for The Review and the Journal of Risk, Hazards and Crisis in Public Policy. Dr. Chase has published papers in the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness. He has presented at state and national conferences on a variety of topics around special education, visual impairments, and policy.
Currently, he works in the Office of Exceptional Children at the NC Department of Public Instruction.
John DeLuca
Member of the Governor Morehead School Board of Trustees
John DeLuca was born in Wayne County, North Carolina, in July, 1956. He was legally blind at birth due to a childhood form of glaucoma, which progressed to total blindness in the years that followed.
In the late summer of 1962, John enrolled at the Governor Morehead School in Raleigh, North Carolina, and graduated in June, 1974. Afterward, he obtained an undergraduate degree in history from Duke University and a law degree from the Stanford University School of Law.
Since that time, John has worked as an attorney for the North Carolina Employment Security Commission and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. From 1993 to 2003, he served as Director of the North Carolina Division of Services for the Blind. Prior to his retirement from the State government in late 2010, he served for the seven preceding years as a deputy commissioner of the North Carolina Industrial Commission.
Following his retirement, John has been a member and President of the Raleigh Host Lions Club, a member of the Governor Morehead School Human Rights Committee, a member of the Board of Directors for Arts Access of North Carolina, and a member/volunteer for the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music (PineCone).
Earlier this year, he was appointed to serve on the Governor Morehead School Board of Trustees.
His interests include music, sports, reading, travel, and dining.
Dr. Ricky Scott
Member of the Governor Morehead School Board of Trustees
Dr. Ricky Scott, a native of North Carolina, was born in Gaston, which is located in the northeastern section of the state. He received his early education in the local public school but completed the remainder of his pre-college education at the Governor Morehead School for the Blind.
Following his graduation from GMS, He earned his undergraduate degree from UNC Chapel Hill, his master's degree from UNC Charlotte, and his doctoral degree from NC State University. While pursuing his advanced degrees, he remained an active community advocate through his service in various leadership positions in a variety of advocacy organizations that advocate for the full integration of all persons with disabilities into community life through education, employment, and recreation. For example, Scott previously served on the North Carolina Statewide Independent Living Council.
Also, he has served on the board of directors for the following organizations: NC Council of the Blind, Raleigh Mayor’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities, Raleigh Human Relations Commission, and the Governor Morehead School Human Rights Committee. Furthermore, he has served as President of the Governor Morehead School Alumni Association, as Second Vice President of the NC Council of the Blind, as President of Raleigh Elite Lions Club, and as President of the Raleigh-Wake Council of the Blind. Currently, he serves as President of Governor Morehead School Alumni Association, Second Vice President of the NC Council of the Blind, and Chairman of Raleigh Mayor’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities.
In addition to his advocacy work, he worked with the NC Disability Determination Services, conducted research for Disability rights of North Carolina concerning gaps in mental health services for youth and young adults in North Carolina, and worked with the Center for Faculty Excellence at the University of North Carolina concerning the application of universal design principles to academics. Outside of his leadership in community advocacy, he enjoys playing beep baseball, reading, sports, and socializing with family and friends.
J. Locke Milholland
Member of the Governor Morehead School Board of Trustees
J. Locke Milholland
My association with the Governor Morehead School dates back to 1994 when I took some Braille courses after losing my sight. I was, at the time, also attending NC State University.
I graduated from the College of Forest Resources. I went on to attend Campbell University where I obtained a law degree and MBA. I practiced as a solo practitioner attorney for about fifteen years, and I am currently an Assistant Attorney General with the North Carolina Department of Justice.
Tiana Sims Beachler
Member of the Governor Morehead School Board of Trustees
Tiana is a dynamic individual who recently relocated from Las Vegas, NV to North Carolina in 2021. With a passion for adventure and new experiences, Tiana is excited to explore all that her new home has to offer. She is a driven and goal-oriented individual who is always looking for ways to challenge herself and grow both personally and professionally. In her free time, Tiana enjoys exploring her new home in North Carolina, as well as spending time with her friends and family.
Tiana holds two bachelor's degrees from the University of Arizona, one in Sociology and one in Criminal Justice, which she earned in 2020 with Summa Cum Laude honors. She then went on to complete her Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice in 2022, specializing in Forensic Science. Tiana’s dedication to helping those in need is evident in her many accomplishments, including winning the Student of the Year award at the University of Arizona in 2021 and Woman of the Year at the University of Arizona in 2021.
Prior to her move to North Carolina, Tiana worked as a Program Officer for the state of Nevada - Vocational Rehabilitation, where she served individuals with significant disabilities and those who were blind and/or visually impaired. In recognition of her outstanding service, Tiana was awarded the Best of the Best award for the state of Nevada in 2019.
Tiana Sims is an accomplished Forensic Scientist and Professor at the University of Arizona. In her current role, Tiana teaches a variety of courses, including general education, sociology, criminal justice, and political science. Her passion for teaching and commitment to her students have earned her a reputation as an outstanding educator. Tiana's expertise in forensic science is highly valued at the University of Arizona, where she also works as a Forensic Scientist. Her work in this field is dedicated to advancing the science of forensic investigation and helping to solve complex cases. She is a respected leader in her field and is committed to making a positive impact on the lives of her students and the broader community.
In addition to her work at the University of Arizona, Tiana is also an active member of her community. She serves on the Burke County Board of Education and the City of Morganton Human Relations Commission, where she works to improve the lives of those around her.
Tiana's dedication to education and community service is evident. She is a respected leader in her field and a committed advocate for those in need. Her passion for making a positive impact on the world is truly inspiring. Tiana's dedication to helping those with disabilities is a testament to her compassion and empathy.
With her extensive education, experience, and community involvement, Tiana is an asset to any team. She is a dedicated and passionate individual who is always looking for ways to make a difference.
Sean Tikkun
Member of the Governor Morehead School Board of Trustees
All knowledge gained must be shared. Dr. Sean Tikkun has been a teacher for more than two decades. He started his career working in private schools teaching mathematics and then moved into the field of visual impairment. Dr. Tikkun has taught in a specialty behavioral disorder school, a private college prep-boarding school, public schools, community colleges, and universities His first academic love remains mathematics, which he received a B.A. in from Lake Forest College. His two Master’s degrees in Special Education and Educational Media Design and Technology, from Northern Illinois University and Full Sail University respectively, inform his practice and approach to teaching with attention to individual needs and digital natives.
Before coming to North Carolina Central University, Dr. Tikkun served as an adjunct instructor and co-principle investigator in support of two federal projects at Northern Illinois University. As part of this work, he helped create the first automated Braille grading program and massively open online course (MOOC) in the field of visual impairments. This training program, named Unified English Braille Online Training (UEBOT), helped hundreds of professionals retrain on a new Braille code across the United States. Project VITALL served as the first training program in the world in assistive technology for individuals with visual impairments. Both of these programs have been replicated at North Carolina Central University.
Dr. Sean Tikkun serves in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction teaching classes in both the Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TSVI) preparation program and the Assistive Technology for Individuals with Visual Impairments (ATVI) program. He serves as a senator with the Faculty Senate and is the parliamentarian for that body. Dr. Tikkun serves as PI on three projects at this time. Dr. Tikkun also serves professionally on the Higher Education Accreditation Committee for the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI) and the Subject Matter Committee in the area of Assistive Technology for the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP).
Traci Wilkerson
Member of the Governor Morehead School Board of Trustees
I am Traci Wilkerson and a mother of two visually impaired kids, both use braille, technology and white canes. I have raised them with the belief that life experiences are the most important! They need to get their hands on and hands dirty to develop concepts. We have always held high expectations for our kids. Now, my daughter is at Liberty University and my son is in high school (with one of the state's virtual schools) and a swimmer aiming for the 2024 Paralympics. We have had many challenges and some days I wish they didn’t have to fight these same battles over and over. My son reminds me that they will always have these battles, but he handles it with good humor and lightheartedness and doesn’t let them get him down. We have always tried to have a good sense of humor about the challenges my children and our family has faced.
To help my children as they grew up, I returned to school for an Orientation and Mobility degree. It took me about 10+ years to complete, but I am now an O&M and currently working. I am also a braille transcriber and love working with math and Nemeth!
I hope to be the best advocate for the visually impaired children of NC. I will hold high expectations for all of them as I have for my own children. I believe it truly makes a difference!