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Talk It Out NC

North Carolina ABC Commission
400 East Tryon Road
Raleigh, NC 27610
919-779-0700

Talk It Out NC Leadership

Jeff Strickland, Jr. serves as Public Affairs Director for the NC Initiative to Reduce Underage Drinking. Strickland has experience in grant management, event planning, and marketing.

He is a native of Pinehurst where he matriculated as the valedictorian of his public high school and is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Phone: (919) 948-7895
Email:   jeff.strickland@abc.nc.gov

Burna Mattocks serves as the Director of Special Services. She began her career with the ABC Commission in 2004 assisting with the creation of the then Education Division. Seventeen years later have come full circle and returned to the Education Outreach and NC Initiative to Reduce Underage Drinking sections.

Her background spans 23 years in health care where she was manager of a Health and Wellness Center, providing wellness classes and community events, as well as, manager of a Primary Care Management team inclusive of Primary Care, Emergency Room, Immunization and Medical records. She holds a B.S. degree in Business Management from National Louis University.

Phone: (919) 948-7891
Email: Burna.Mattocks@abc.nc.gov

Heather Murray started working with the ABC Commission in May 2019. She does the “behind the scene” work in the education outreach division. Heather handles most of the scheduling. She previously worked in Human Resources for 4 years, and before that, she taught Pre-k. She wanted to make a difference in other people’s lives. Talk It Out has made a huge impact in others and she wants to continue to make a difference.

Phone: 919-948-7909
Email:   heather.murray@abc.nc.gov

Rodney PoolRodney Poole comes to the Education Outreach Division of the ABC Commission with an extensive history of spreading the word about the dangers of underage substance abuse. He holds a B.A degree in psychology from Shaw University and has been in long term recovery for the past twenty-nine years. After college, he taught middle school and has worked with at-risk youth for the bulk of his career. Rodney has worked as an international substance abuse prevention speaker for the past ten years. His work with students, teachers, and parents has taken him to Dubai, Qatar, Singapore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Viet Nam, Laos, Thailand, Nairobi and all over the U.S. He is truly committed to reducing underage drinking in the state of North Carolina.

Phone: 919-948-7910
Email:   rodney.poole@abc.nc.gov