Mandy Atkission started her TIP career in 2003 as a TIP volunteer for the Trauma Intervention Program of San Diego County, Inc. In 2005, Mandy became a Crisis Team Manager and in 2007 was promoted to Executive Director of the San Diego TIP affiliate.

In 2011, Mandy and her family fulfilled a long-awaited dream of moving to Western North Carolina. “Leaving San Diego was difficult, but the mountains of North Carolina were calling our name” says Mandy. “Fortunately for me, I was able to stay with TIP as the Chief Development Officer for TIP National.” “Working with the local WNC emergency response community, along with city and county government, my first goal was to bring a TIP program to my new hometown.” That goal was realized in 2015 when TIP of WNC was launched.

Mandy is now TIP National’s Executive Director. In that role, Mandy oversees the National Organization, works directly with each of the 13 TIP affiliates, continues to work with cities and counties on expanding the TIP program and does TIP training across the county. She is still active on a daily basis in the TIP of WNC affiliate.

Denise Gonzalez joined TIP of WNC in June 2018 as the Crisis Team Manager and oversees the daily operations of the program. She enjoys working with both Emergency Responders and the compassionate citizens that make up our team of TIP volunteers.

In May of 2015 Denise and her husband moved to Hendersonville, NC from West Palm Beach, FL where she was trained in Nonprofit Management and holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Florida Atlantic University. She has educated at-risk youth, trained therapeutic foster parents and managed treatment facilities for victims of severe abuse and human trafficking.

Denise knows that being there for survivors in the immediacy of a personal and traumatic event can make a significant difference in the way that the trauma affects the person's life. She has seen much of the effects that trauma can have when no one is there to support the survivor. She finds it rewarding to know that there are so many people in our area who want to be there for their neighbors at some of the toughest moments of their lives.