Ames Simmons is a queer white trans man serving as Equality NC’s Policy Director. He is a Senior Lecturing Fellow at Duke Law School and a member of the national advisory council for the SAGE/HRC Long-Term Care Equality Index. He provides vision and strategic direction for Equality NC’s policy and advocacy agenda with the North Carolina General Assembly and the state’s executive branch and administrative agencies. He also works with local governments and federal policymakers to achieve Equality NC’s mission of health, equity and safety for all LGBTQ North Carolinians. His work is rooted in community-based efforts prioritizing anti-violence, anti-oppression and transgender justice. Ames attended Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish, and Emory University Law School, where he earned a juris doctor degree. He previously served for almost two decades as in-house counsel at a healthcare consulting company based in Atlanta. Ames is licensed to practice law in North Carolina and Georgia.