About NAMI Champaign

We Have a Simple Mission

To provide education, support, and advocacy, to all persons living in our community who are affected by mental illness.

Founded in 1983, NAMI Champaign is the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grass-roots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. NAMI is an all-volunteer non-profit organization and has over 1,100 affiliates in communities across the country who engage in advocacy, research, support, and education.

Interim Executive Director

Teklii DeyKoontz, tekliid@namichampaign.org

NAMI Champaign County Executive Board

President: Asako Kinase-Leggett
Vice-President: Carolyn Rust Thompson
Treasurer: Pat Brown
Asst Treasurer: Jennifer Buoy
Secretary: Richard Bowles
Family Representative: Georgiana Schuster
Peer Representative: Alex Brown
Board Member At-Large: Keisha Taylor
Board Member At-Large: Marz Carranza

These roles are open to be filled by NAMI Champaign members who share the mission of NAMI Champaign County to improve the lives of individuals and families challenged by mental illness through influencing public policies, providing up-to-date education and support programs, and increasing public awareness and understanding of mental illness. Executive Board roles are all volunteer. Email info@namichampaign.org to learn more.

Committees – Get Involved with NAMI!

Art for Health: Nancy Carter (nancy)
Communications: Carolyn Thompson (carolynt), Teklii DeyKoontz (tekliid)
Community Education: Georgiana Schuster
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Liaison: Richard Brandt
Deflection Initiative: Diane Zell
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Asako Kinase-Leggett (asakok)
Family Programs: Nancy Carter (nancy)
Finance: Jennifer Buoy, Pat Brown (patbrown)
Governance: Asako Kinase-Leggett (asakok), Pat Brown (patbrown)
Legislative Advocacy: Georgiana Schuster
Library: Bev Schweighart
Marketing: Richard Bowles
Membership: Carolyn Thompson (carolynt), Jennifer Buoy
Mulligans Golf Outing Fundraiser: Lyndon Goodly, Nancy Carter (nancy)
NAMI on Campus: Diane Zell
Outreach: Amber (Bunny) Shields (ashields)
Peer Programs: Asako Kinase-Leggett (asakok)
Spanish Language Programs: Marz Carranza
Strides Against Stigma: Diane Zell, Carolyn Thompson, and Jennifer Buoy
Warm Line: Dennis Cockrum (drcockrum)
Web Designer: Alison Rehm

¡También tenemos una dirección de correo electrónico en español! Envíe sus preguntas por correo electrónico a informacion@namichampaign.org.

(We also have a Spanish-language email address! Email informacion@namichampaign.org with questions.)

Roles listed above are all volunteer. Looking to join a committee? NAMI Champaign has many to choose from. Email info@namichampaign.org with the subject line “Join a Committee” to learn more.

The following are registered service marks of NAMI: In Our Own Voice, NAMI, NAMI Basics, NAMI Connection, NAMI Ending the Silence, NAMI FaithNet, NAMI Family & Friends, NAMI Family Support Group, NAMI Family-to-Family, NAMI Grading the States, NAMI Hearts & Minds, NAMI Homefront, NAMI Information Helpline, NAMI On Campus, NAMI Parents & Teachers as Allies, NAMI Peer-to-Peer, NAMI Provider, NAMI Smarts, NAMIWalks, NAMIWALKS and National Alliance on Mental Illness.