Friends of Wake County GAL exists to
change the lives of abused and neglected children by supporting the work of Guardians ad Litem
Background
In 1983, the North Carolina General Assembly established the Office of Guardian ad Litem (GAL) Services as a division of the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts. Pursuant to G.S. 7B-601, when a petition alleging abuse or neglect of a juvenile is filed in district court, the judge appoints a volunteer Guardian ad Litem advocate and an attorney advocate to provide team representation to the child. All Guardian ad Litem advocates are trained, supervised, and supported by program staff in each county of the state. To learn more, visit the Wake County GAL website.
Meet the Board
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Laura Gruebel
PRESIDENT
Laura was sworn in as a GAL in December 2017. Laura is the mother of 3 adult children and is also a physical therapist.
Laura has been involved in managing and volunteering for various projects and programs for the Friends, including the Angel Tree program and the annual Backpack Drive. Laura served as Vice President from 2020-2022 where she took on an active role in the Friends’ tutoring program and education advocacy endeavors. She was voted in as the President in 2023 and looks forward to continuing to serve the kids and GALs of the program.
Laura lives by the motto Believe There is Good in the World!
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Lorna Hirsch
VICE PRESIDENT
Lorna retired in 2017 after 18 years at Time Warner Cable/Charter Communications as a finance leader. Since retirement she has been actively involved with the Friends, co-chairing the annual Angel Tree program, as well as, participating in other programs and events.
She has a strong passion in helping kids in foster care as her parents fostered a child when she was young. This left a lasting impression on her to help kids in foster care.
In addition, Lorna is currently an active volunteer with Meals on Wheels. She served on the American Red Cross Triangle Board for two terms from 2006 to 2010.
Lorna and her husband are long-time residents of Raleigh. They have two married daughters and two dogs.
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Nate Forshey
TREASURER
Nathan Forshey is married to Heather Forshey and has 4 children. He grew up in Newton, NC and has lived in Raleigh since the Fall of 1995 when he began attending NC State University. He has a degree in Business Finance and began his career as a mortgage loan originator, worked as an account executive at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and then an Associate Financial Advisor to Todd Purich at Legacy Private Client Services. He left his career in financial services in 2016 to become the Firm Administrator at Raleigh Divorce Law Firm. He has been the Fundraising Chair of the Friends of Wake GAL since 2018 and led the planning committee for the first four Annual Light the Way Galas as well as hosted two successful fundraising golf tournaments at Brier Creek County Club.
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Michelle Hillson
SECRETARY
Michelle has served as the Technical Producer at Inside Carolina, a prominent Tar Heel Sports website, for over 20 years. With a career in the digital sports media industry that began in 1997, she has contributed her expertise to various media organizations, including the News & Observer, WRAL, Flagship Media, iHigh, and Host Communications.
A third-generation Chapel Hillian, Michelle has made Cary her home for the past 30 years. She and her husband, Jeff, are the proud parents of an adult daughter, whom they adopted from foster care at the age of six. Since her daughter began college in 2017, Michelle became a Guardian Ad Litem, advocating for 14 children in recent years.
In addition to her advocacy work, Michelle volunteers with Note in the Pocket and has previously served on several boards, including the Triangle Educational Advancement Foundation and various sports booster clubs. For a decade, she directed media relations for the Holiday Invitational Basketball Tournament and Pigskin Preview.
Organizational Documents
Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are available from the State Solicitation Licensing Branch at 919-807-2214. The license is not an endorsement by the State.