LAC Staff
Martha Acero | Janet Coleman | Gabrielle de la Gueronniere | Sally Friedman | Tracie Gardner | Susan Hallett | Renee Martinez | Anita R. Marton | Roberta Meyers-Peeples | Frank Murphy | Catherine H. O’Neill | Gladys Peeples | Paul N. Samuels | Vanessa Severino | Joseph Thompson | Judy Whiting |
Martha Acero, Vice President for Finance and Administration/Chief Financial Officer: Martha Acero joined the Legal Action Center in July 2004. Ms. Acero’s duties include: maintaining the integrity of LAC financial, accounting, human resources, administrative support, facility management, and management information systems. She is also responsible for assuring that fiscal records, personnel records, computer networks, administrative support and the facilities are administered and maintained in compliance with funder, auditor, agency and regulatory requirements. Prior to joining LAC, Ms. Acero worked as Deputy Director for Finance and Administration at the Coalition for Hispanic Family Services, starting in 2001. Prior to that, Ms. Acero held positions in the financial departments of a number of non-profit organizations and governmental bodies. She received her BBA in Public Administration from the College of Business Administration in Bogotá, Colombia and her MA from New York University.
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Janet Coleman, Accountant: Janet Coleman joined the Legal Action Center in September 2000. She works as the Center’s accountant.
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Gabrielle de la Gueronniere, Deputy Director of National Policy: Gabrielle de la Gueronniere joined the Legal Action Center's Washington D.C. office in May of 2003 as a law student intern. Following her graduation in 2004, Ms. de la Gueronniere became the Center's Policy Associate. In addition to focusing on national policy advocacy and analysis of issues related to ending discrimination against people with addiction histories, Ms. de la Gueronniere also works as a policy associate for the Legal Action Center's National H.I.R.E. Network. Ms. de la Gueronniere is a graduate of Boston University and American University's Washington College of Law.
Sally Friedman, Deputy Legal Director: Since joining the Legal Action Center in October of 1993 as a staff attorney, Sally Friedman has prosecuted cases involving the breach of HIV confidentiality and has successfully litigated a number of cases challenging discrimination against individuals with HIV and/or drug and alcohol histories. Ms. Friedman’s other work includes writing publications, producing video trainings, and providing consultations on the confidentiality of alcohol and drug treatment records. She has also provided technical assistance to a number of programs and conducted trainings throughout the country. Ms. Friedman is a graduate of Brown University and New York University Law School.
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Tracie Gardner, Director of State Policy: Tracie Gardner joined the Legal Action Center in October of 2000 as Director of New York State Policy. She coordinates the Center’s policy work on issues relating to HIV/AIDS, criminal justice, and alcohol and drug dependence and abuse in New York State. Prior to joining LAC, Ms. Gardner was a project manager at the Hudson Planning Group, a technical assistance provider to community-based, non-profit organizations. Previously, Ms. Gardner was the Director of Public Policy and Collaborative Development for the Harlem Director’s Group, an Upper Manhattan advocacy organization. She has been working in various capacities of AIDS policy and advocacy since 1987. Ms. Gardner is a graduate of Mount Holyoke.
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Susan Hallett, Program Analyst, National H.I.R.E. Network: Susan Hallett is the Program Analyst for the National H.I.R.E. Network, an initiative of the Legal Action Center dedicated to increasing the employment opportunities available to people with criminal records. She is responsible for creating and staffing the Network’s clearinghouse and responding to requests for information about ex-offender employment from individuals and service providers around the country. Prior to her current position, Ms. Hallett worked for LAC as a Legal Assistant starting in September, 2000. Her duties included assisting clients with criminal records, histories of alcohol and drug dependence and HIV/AIDS. She also drafted two manuals, How to Get and Clean Up Your Virginia Rap Sheet and How to Get and Clean Up your Pennsylvania Rap Sheet, to help clients in obtaining and understanding how to read their state criminal records. Her previous experience includes case management for MICA forensic clients, administrative assistance and nursing. During 27 years of incarceration, Ms. Hallett became certified as an Adkins Life Skills educator and served as Inmate Director of Pre-Release Services for several years. In her free time, Ms. Hallett is involved with Puppies Behind Bars, an innovative program that teaches prison inmates to train dogs that will go on to become guide dogs for the blind, service dogs, bomb sniffing dogs, and search/rescue dogs for various agencies. Ms. Hallett was a member of the pilot Puppies Behind Bars program at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility.
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Renee Martinez, Staff Attorney: Renee Martinez is a Staff Attorney with the Legal Action Center. She works on cases involving the breach of HIV confidentiality and on cases challenging discrimination against persons with HIV, drug or alcohol addiction and criminal records. Her other responsibilities include providing legal and technical assistance to drug and alcohol treatment programs, as well as conducting trainings throughout the country. Before coming to LAC, Ms. Martinez was an Assistant Attorney General and Liaison to the Latino Community for the State of Nebraska and worked with a Washington D.C.-based non-profit organization, CASA of Maryland, representing Latino immigrants in matters of housing and wage and hour law. Ms. Martinez is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Michigan Law School.
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Anita R. Marton, Vice President: Anita Marton joined the Legal Action Center in 1988, after spending five years at the Legal Aid Society in the Criminal Defense and Criminal Appeals Divisions. During her tenure at LAC, Ms. Marton has provided legal advice and assistance to individuals with alcohol and drug histories, criminal records, and HIV and has participated in ground-breaking litigation on all of these issues. She has also provided training and technical assistance to health and social service providers, federal, state, and local policymakers, employers, employee assistance programs, and unions on such issues as managed care and welfare reform, confidentiality of treatment records, and employment discrimination. Ms. Marton has drafted legislation, written position papers, testified before legislative committees, and developed funding proposals. She has also served on advisory committees at the state and local levels. Ms. Marton is a graduate of Brandeis University and Northeastern Law School.
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Roberta Meyers-Peeples, National H.I.R.E. Network Deputy Director and Field Educator and Organizer: Roberta Meyers-Peeples is the Field Educator and Organizer for the Legal Action Center's National H.I.R.E. Network, a project aimed to increase the number and quality of job opportunities available to people with criminal records by changing public policies, practices and public opinion. Prior to assuming this position, Ms. Meyers-Peeples worked as a Legal Assistant at the Legal Action Center for nearly ten years. During that time she helped over 1,000 individuals with criminal records clean up their rap sheets and advised them about their legal rights when seeking employment.
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Frank Murphy, Paralegal: Frank Murphy has worked for LAC as a Legal Assistant since September, 2005. His duties include assisting individuals with criminal records clean up their New York State rap sheets as well as advising them about their legal rights and obligations when seeking employment. Additionally, Mr. Murphy does training sessions for staff of and individuals with criminal histories, and people with histories of drug and alcohol dependence and HIV/AIDS. Prior to joining the Legal Action Center, Mr. Murphy received his Bachelors Degree (Summa Cum Laude) from the Canisus College of Buffalo, one of the only surviving male prison college programs in New York State. He also served as a Program Assistant for the college program, Law Library Clerk, Director of the Transitional Services (Pre-Release) Program, President of the Inmate Liaison Committee, Inmate Representative and clerk for the Inmate Grievance Resolution Committee, Coordinator for the Residential Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program, Facilitator of Aggression Replacement Training (A.R.T.), Alternatives To Violence Program (A.V.P.), and an HIV/AIDS Peer Educator. Additionally, Mr. Murphy is a decorated veteran of the United States Navy where he served 5 years as a Hospital Corpsman and Field Medical Technician. He served at Portsmouth Naval Hospital, Norfolk Amphibious Base aboard the USS Guam (LPH 9), Marine Corps Base (MCB), Camp Lejeune, North Carolina with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Camp Schwab in Okinawa Japan with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, Subic Bay Naval Base in Olongapo, Philippines with 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, U.S. Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center (MCMWTC) with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Norway, and Jungle Warfare Center in Panama 1st Battalion, 6th Marines.
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Catherine H. O’Neill, Senior Vice President and Director of HIV/AIDS Projects: Katie O’Neill joined the staff of the Legal Action Center in 1977, became Executive Vice President in 1992 and Senior Vice President in 2000. She oversees all of LAC’s legal work, including providing legal and technical assistance and training to individuals and organizations, consulting with policy makers, and developing training materials and publications on a wide range of issues relating to drug and alcohol problems, HIV/AIDS, and criminal justice. As litigation director, Ms. O’Neill supervises LAC’s federal and state court litigation in the areas of discrimination based on disability (drug or alcohol history or treatment; HIV status) and criminal history and protection of confidentiality. She is also responsible for directing LAC’s HIV/AIDS Projects, which include training health and human service providers on confidentiality and other HIV-related legal issues, providing legal services to individuals and families with HIV and AIDS, and assisting policy makers. Ms. O’Neill is the author of many of LAC’s manuals on confidentiality and discrimination issues. She is a member of the Bar Association of the City of New York’s AIDS Committee, a past president and member of Board of Directors of the New York AIDS Coalition andpast member of the Board of Directors of two New York City syringe exchange and harm reduction programs. In 1992, she was awarded the Bar Association of the City of New York’s Third Annual Legal Services Award. Ms. O’Neill is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Yale Law School.
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Gladys Peeples, Executive Assistant: Gladys Peeples joined the staff of the Legal Action Center in 1985 as a Legal Secretary and Administrative Assistant to the President and Vice President. In 1993, she became LAC’s Office Manager. Since 1996, she has worked as the Executive Assistant to LAC’s President and Vice President. In this position, she is responsible for all secretarial services, including telephone reception, travel arrangements, correspondence, reports, word–processing and filing. She acts as liaison between the President and the senior staff, is the primary back-up for the development office, and mentors and assists support staff. Prior to joining LAC, Ms. Peeples worked for five years for the then New York State Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.
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Paul N. Samuels, Director and President: Paul Samuels is Director/President of the Legal Action Center. Mr. Samuels has participated in ground-breaking litigation defending the rights of people with alcohol and drug histories, HIV disease and criminal records; worked on and overseen numerous advocacy campaigns to combat discrimination, expand services, reform sentencing laws, and effect other important public policy advances; testified before numerous Congressional and state legislative committees; lectured in more than 25 States; and served on numerous national and state advisory groups. He has received a number of awards, including the Robert Wood Johnson Innovator Award (2002), The Betty Ford Award, AMERSA (1998), New York City Coalition of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Organizations (1997), Veritas Villa (1995), New York State Association for Alternative Sentencing Programs (1994), and National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (1992 and 1994). Mr. Samuels joined the staff of the Legal Action Center while a law student in 1976, became a staff attorney upon graduation from Columbia Law School in 1979, became Executive Vice President in 1983 and Director/President in 1992. He is a graduate of Harvard College.
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Vanessa Severino, Senior Administrative Assistant: Vanessa Severino joined the Legal Action Center in October 1998. Her duties include assisting attorneys, preparing legal documents and materials for training seminars, and organizing complex and diverse information. She previously spent five years working in a variety of capacities for the Women’s Prison Association and Home.
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Joseph Thompson, Controller: Joseph Thompson joined the Legal Action Center in September 2004 as the Controller. His responsibilities include managing the agency’s accounting system, preparing fiscal reports and vouchers and assuring that fiscal records, reports, vouchers and time/leave records are maintained in compliance with funding sources, auditors, and regulatory requirements. Prior to joining LAC, Mr. Thompson was the Fiscal Officer at the Coalition for Hispanic Family Services. Mr. Thompson has also worked at a host of other not-for profits agencies in various capacities. Mr. Thompson is a graduate of the University of Cape Coast where he earned his Bachelor Degree in Business Administration and St. John’s University, where he received his Masters Degree in Business Administration.
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Judy Whiting, Staff Attorney: Judy Whiting joined LAC in February, 2006 as Senior Staff Attorney. Before coming to LAC, Judy worked for several years as an Assistant Attorney General in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, where she handled pharmaceutical pricing, healthcare and predatory lending cases. She also taught Antitrust Law at Suffolk University Law School, and worked with the National Consumer Law Center. Prior to her time in Massachusetts, Judy spent almost ten years as staff attorney with the Criminal, Civil and Volunteer Divisions of The Legal Aid Society in New York, specializing in representing the elderly and mentally impaired persons charged with crimes. She also worked as clinical instructor at Hofstra Law School’s Housing Law Clinic. Judy is a graduate of Barnard College, and Cornell Law School, where she received the first Freeman Civil Rights/Civil Liberties Award.
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