Amanda J. Fitzgerald, JD
Executive Director
Tracy M. Nicholson
Case Manager
Kathleen Timbinaris
Case Specialist
Amanda Fitzgerald joined Disability Advocates in July 2021. She brings a legal background and over 15 years of non-profit and philanthropic experience to the role. Amanda oversees the administration of the organization and works directly with the organization’s Board of Directors to ensure that it fulfills its mission.
Tracy Nicholson joined Disability Advocates in May 2025. She brings 18 years of experience as a paralegal advocate for Legal Aid. In that role, she handled Disability/Medicaid claims, Unemployment Insurance Claims, Subsidized Housing denials, and Individual Education Plans. Tracy works directly with Disability Advocates’ clients and coordinates with contract attorneys for clients with cases at the hearing or Appeals Council levels.
Kathleen Timbinaris joined the team at Disability Advocates in January 2026. Kathleen joins our team with several years of experience as a paralegal in a Social Security Office where she helped clients through the initial application process all the way through the hearing level. As a Case Specialist, Kathleen works closely with clients to guide them through the disability application and decision process with clarity and care. She assists our clients by preparing and filing disability claims, helping ensure that each case is thorough, accurate, and supported with the necessary documentation. Known for a calm and approachable style, Kathleen is committed to making a complex and often overwhelming process more manageable.
Attorneys
Disability Advocates contracts with experienced, Board Certified Social Security Disability Specialist attorneys to represent our clients at the Administrative Law Judge and Appeals Council levels of the disability process.
Board of Directors
Elizabeth Laughter, Board Vice Chair
Managing Director, Client Service, Verger Capital Management
Paulette Smith, Board Treasurer
Office Administrator, Trinity Presbyterian Church
Patrice Williams, Board Secretary
Director of Communications, Crossnore Communities for Children
Fleming El-Amin
Board Chair, Former Forsyth County Commissioner for District A
Debra McCluney, MSW
Unhoused Advocate, United Way of Forsyth County
Shawanna Nicole Moore-Geter
Founder/CEO, Counseling with a Purpose, PLLC
Tyler Pruitt
Instructional Technologist, Wake Forest University
Executive Director, World Tea Association Inc
Executive Director, Chinese Language Teachers Association of North Carolina
Craig Thomas, CFA
Chief Investment Officer, Verger Capital Management