Season Atkinson brings a breadth of experiences to the MADD National Board of Directors.  As a  personal injury attorney at Tatum & Atkinson, PLLC in Raleigh, North Carolina, she takes a special interest in helping victims of drunk and drugged drivers pursue compensation through the civil justice system and also supports them in navigating and understanding their role in the criminal justice system.  Many times, this additional personal attention and assistance helps the county prosecutor in obtaining a criminal conviction against the impaired driving offender.

Season is also the proud wife of a North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper, Derek DelCastilho, who has previously served on his troop’s DWI task force and has been honored at the North Carolina Law Enforcement Recognition Awards Ceremony for his role in removing impaired drivers from North Carolina roadways.  He regularly apprehends and arrests impaired drivers and, all too often, the arrest is the result of a crash in which there is a fatality or serious injury.  Impaired driving, its consequences and how to reduce or eliminate it is a frequent topic of conversation in their household.

Season has also been an active member of the North Carolina MADD State Advisory Board and co-chairperson of Raleigh Walk Like MADD for several years. She remains active with North Carolina MADD and continues her commitment locally by lobbying the North Carolina General Assembly for tougher DWI laws and raising funds for improving services to North Carolina victims.

Most importantly, Season has personally been affected by an impaired driving tragedy.  On August 8, 1980, she lost her father, James “Jim” White, when he was killed in a drunk driving crash. Season was 6 years old.  As a result of this loss and her background in helping victims of impaired drivers, Season is committed to MADD’s mission of No More Victims and the goal that drunk and drugged driving be eliminated within her lifetime.