LEGAL ACTION CENTER

LAC Staff

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.

Dan Belnap, Policy Associate: Dan joined Legal Action Center’s Washington DC office in August 2008. At Legal Action Center, Dan’s work focuses primarily on national advocacy efforts to expand effective health policy responses to drug and alcohol addiction. Dan came to Legal Action Center from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), where he worked on issues related to Medicaid, covering the uninsured, and access to care. Before joining NASHP, Dan was a policy advocate working to improve anti-hunger and anti-poverty programs at Utahns Against Hunger. He holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Utah.

Sarah Bennett, Grants and Database Manager: Sarah Bennett works with non-profit organizations serving as a database and web developer. Her specialty is creating tools that allow non-profits to mobilize large audiences to assist them in meeting their eAdvocacy goals. A few of her recent successes include enabling thousands of people to communicate with their elected officials through MassEquality.org, and helping people lobby for a fair and equitable contract through the Boston Teachers Union website, BTU.org. Sarah is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer with an MBA, currently employed by Legal Action Center as a Grants and Database Manager.

Sherie V. Boyd, Office Manager: Sherie V. Boyd joined the Legal Action Center in November 2006. Ms. Boyd manages LAC's Washington, DC office for LAC's National Policy Team. Ms. Boyd also serves as Administrative Assistant for the State Associations of Addiction Services. In addition to performing a variety of administrative functions, Ms. Boyd also is responsible for formatting and disseminating a number of electronic newsletters and alerts for the Center. Prior to joining LAC, Ms. Boyd worked for five years as the Administrative Assistant II for Joseph J. Blake & Associates, Inc., located in Washington, DC. Ms. Boyd is currently attending P.G. Community College in Largo, Maryland, where she is pursuing a degree in Business Management Science.

Kat Bridgeman, Development Associate/Web Coordinator: Kat Bridgeman joined the Legal Action Center in November of 2007. Kat is responsible for database management, web site maintenence, assisting in event and campaign planning, and providing support for the Director of Development. Before coming to LAC, Kat worked in development and non-profit publishing. Kat is a graduate of New York University.

Janet Coleman, Accountant: Janet Coleman joined the Legal Action Center in September 2000. She works as the Center’s accountant.

Crystal M. Ferguson, Administrative Assistant: Crystal joined the Legal Action Center in November of 2006 bringing over 8 years of administrative experience. Crystal is the assistant to the Center’s Senior Vice-President, Vice-President, New York Policy Director/ WISH-NY Coordinator, Deputy Legal Director and Liman Fellow. Before coming to the Legal Action Center, Crystal worked at the National Development and Research Institutes and the Fortune Society.

Sally Friedman, Legal Director: Ms. Friedman directs the Center’s Legal Department, which serves over 2,500 clients annually and provides trainings and technical assistance for hundreds of health and social service program serving LAC’s constituency. Since joining the Legal Action Center in October of 1993, Sally Friedman has prosecuted cases involving the breach of HIV confidentiality and discrimination on basis of HIV status, criminal record, and drug or alcohol history. She has also advised and trained hundreds of organizations across the country on privacy and anti-discrimination laws protecting individuals with HIV, criminal records, and alcohol/drug histories. Ms. Friedman has authored numerous publications and produced video/DVD and online trainings on these topics. She is a graduate of Brown University and New York University Law School.

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.

Gabrielle de la Gueronniere, Director for 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.

Susan Hallett, Legal Assistant: Susan Hallett has worked for LAC as a Legal Assistant since September 2000. Her duties include assisting clients with criminal records, histories of alcohol and drug dependence and HIV/AIDS. Ms. Hallett also presents trainings to various groups on issues relating to criminal histories and their impact on employment, housing, and other areas. She has 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 Transitional 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 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. She is a member of Our Journey, a support group dedicated to helping women find their way on a new journey through life.

Robert B. Levy, Director of Development: Robert Levy is the Director of Development for the Legal Action Center. Prior to joining LAC, Robert served as the Executive Director of the Givat Haviva Educational Foundation, the oldest and largest educational institute in Israel, dedicated to building a future of peace and democracy between Arabs and Jews.

He has worked as the ED or Director of Development for several social-service oriented non-profits, promoting education, medical research, elder care, and community outreach. Robert has extensive experience in marketing and advertising, and teaches Entrepreneurship at the Fashion Institute of Technology. He is the past Chair of the Board of Directors of the All Stars Project, Inc in New York, and has his own consulting firm dedicated to helping small businesses and non-profit organizations grow.

Evelyn Malavé, Legal Assistant: Evelyn Malavé has been a legal assistant at the Legal Action Center since August 2007. Her duties include assisting clients correct their rap sheets and obtain Certificates of Rehabilitation, connecting clients with LAC attorneys, representing clients in administrative hearings, and conducting trainings. Before coming to LAC, she worked at the Yale Child Study Center’s Family Support Service, providing therapy and case management services for children at risk of psychiatric hospitalization or juvenile detention. She also volunteered at The Children’s Center in Sing Sing Correctional Facility’s Visiting Room, maintaining a playroom and learning center where incarcerated parents could rebuild and strengthen their relationships with their visiting children. Ms. Malavé graduated Yale University with a B.A. in English in 2005.

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.

Kayla M. McPherson, Program Coordinator, Consumer Advocacy Council on E-health ProjectKayla M. McPherson joined the Legal Action Center in August of 2008. She is responsible for coordinating a consumer engagement and education initiative on electronic health information in New York State. Kayla is a graduate of Columbia University.

Roberta Meyers-Peeples, Director of the National H.I.R.E. Network Prior to assuming this position, Ms. Meyers-Peeples served as Co-Director of HIRE for two years, Co-Deputy Director for one year and as the Field Educator and Organizer for two years while dramatically expanding the outreach of the Network. She has worked directly with policy makers and advocates around the country to identify public policy priorities that directly affect employment opportunities for people with criminal records as well as helped develop appropriate advocacy strategies in strengthening or challenging existing legislation in those states. Ms. Meyers-Peeples has also served as a Legal Assistant at the Legal Action Center for 10 years. She has trained hundreds of workforce development and corrections staff on employment strategies that best serve job seekers who have criminal histories. She is the author of the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) newly released primer entitled Serving the Employment Needs of Justice-Involved Juveniles and Adults: A Primer for Treatment and Recovery Support Service Providers (May 2008), is a contributing author for the U.S. Department of Labor guidebook, Working Ahead: A Guide for Connecting Youth Offenders with Employment Opportunities (July 2004) and is author of the "Completing Employment Applications" section of Legal Action Center's How to Get and Clean Up Your New York State Rap Sheet, Sixth Edition 2003. Roberta has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business, Management, and Economics with a concentration in Management from the State University of New York/Empire State College. Additionally, she serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Youth Represent, a non-profit legal advocacy organization for juveniles in New York City and on the Steering Committee of the National Transitional Jobs Network.

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. Mr. Murphy currently undertakes this work through the Rikers Island Single Stop (RISS) pilot program. At RISS he helps clients obtain their official criminal history “rap sheets” and reviews the rap sheets for errors. Mr. Murphy works with courts, district attorneys’ offices and the state Division of Criminal Justice Services to help correct common rap sheet errors. He then counsels clients on how to understand their criminal histories and how to explain them in job interviews, all with the goal of making clients more able to obtain employment. Additionally, Mr. Murphy trains people with histories of drug and alcohol dependence and HIV/AIDS, and people who work with them, about their right to be free from criminal-records and disability related job discrimination. Mr. Murphy received his Bachelors Degree from Canisus College of Buffalo. He served as a Program Assistant for the College Program and as Law Library Clerk, Director of the Transitional Services (Pre-Release) Program, Coordinator for the Residential Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program. Mr. Murphy is a decorated veteran of the United States Navy.

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.

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.

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.

Vanessa Severino,Senior Administrative Assistant: Vanessa Severino joined the Legal Action Center in October 1998. Her duties include assisting attorneys, coordinating trainings and rap sheet workshops, organizing office operations and procedures such as, requisition of supplies and other clerical duties. She previously spent five years working in a variety of capacities for the Women's Prison Association and Home.

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.