Our Team

Executive Team

Karen Freedman

Founder & President

Glenn Metsch-Ampel

Executive Director

Leadership Team

Alma Ramon

Director of Administration

Allen Halpin, LCSW

Co-Director, Social Work Practice

Anna Schissel

Deputy Director of Litigation

Carmita Cortes, LMSW

Social Work Supervisor & Immigration Rights Project Social Worker

Cristina Manzano

Supervising Attorney & Co-Director, Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Project

Dyane McMahon

Director of Philanthropy & Strategic Partnerships

Jeffrey Chang

Director of Communications

Lisa Lubell, LCSW

Co-Director, Social Work Practice

Margaret (Peggy) Tarvin

Director of Litigation

Maritza Mateo

Office Manager

Mike Murtagh, LCSW

Co-Director, Social Work Practice

Tara Sheoran

Supervising Attorney & ACT Project Housing Specialist

William Gillespie, LMSW

Social Work Supervisor & Co-Director, Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Project

Administration

Alma Ramon

Director of Administration

Chynna Krouser

Administrative Assistant

Maritza Mateo

Office Manager

Michele La Rocca

Senior Administrative Assistant

Jordan Bestman

110 Front Desk Administrative Assistant

Nathan Oliver

112 Front Desk Administrative Assistant

Social Work Practice

Alida Capellan, MSW

Staff Social Worker

Allen Halpin, LCSW

Co-Director, Social Work Practice

Amanda Essor, LMSW

Staff Social Worker & Education Advocacy Project Social Work Director

Antoinette Briguglio, LMSW

Staff Social Worker

Carmita Cortes, LMSW

Social Work Supervisor & Immigration Rights Project Social Worker

Cibutwa Hamatheite, LMSW

Staff Senior Social Worker Adolescents Confronting Transition Project

Ilena Robbins, LMSW

Senior Staff Social Worker & Director, Mental Health & Developmental Disability Project

Jacquelyn Simons, LMSW

Staff Social Worker

Jocelyn Burnett, LMSW

Staff Social Worker & Domestic Violence Project Social Worker

Kara Katwaroo-Lee, LMSW

Senior Staff Social Worker

Leandro Brixner, LMSW

Staff Social Worker & Youth Justice Project Social Worker

Lisa Lubell, LCSW

Co-Director, Social Work Practice

Mary Ellen Shea, LMSW

Senior Staff Social Worker & ACT Project Pregnant and Parenting Specialist

Mike Murtagh, LCSW

Co-Director, Social Work Practice

Raysa Betances, LMSW

Staff Social Worker

Renee Rivera, LMSW

Senior Staff Social Worker

Shrimati Sookwah, LMSW

Senior Staff Social Worker & Co-Director, Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Project

Tajean Turnier, LMSW

Staff Social Worker

Tatiana Hernandez, LMSW

Staff Social Worker & Immigration Rights Project Social Worker

Tymeisha Massey, LMSW

Staff Social Worker

William Gillespie, LMSW

Social Work Supervisor & Co-Director, Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Project

Youth Advocates

Chelsea Velez

Youth Advocate

Jarel Melendez

Youth Advocate Coordinator

Legal Practice

Amanda Slater

Senior Staff Attorney & Immigration Rights Project Attorney

Anna Schissel

Deputy Director of Litigation

Betsy Kramer

Director of Policy & Special Litigation

Christina (Charlie) Rich

Staff Attorney

Cristina Manzano

Supervising Attorney & Co-Director, Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Project

Dawn O'Brien-Gans

Senior Staff Attorney

Doneth Gayle

Senior Staff Attorney

Emily Stark

Senior Staff Attorney

Erin Keenan Giangola

Staff Attorney

Justin Choi

Director of Youth Justice Project

Kristin Kimmel

Senior Staff Attorney

Laura Daly

Senior Staff Attorney and Legal Director of the Education Advocacy Project

Linda Diaz

Senior Staff Attorney

Lisa May

Senior Staff Attorney

Margaret (Peggy) Tarvin

Director of Litigation

Mark Leider

Senior Staff Attorney

Marly Gonzalez

Senior Staff Attorney

Michael Moorman

Senior Staff Attorney

Michael Scherz

Director, Domestic Violence Project

Myra Elgabry

Senior Staff Attorney & Director, Immigration Rights Project

Priti Kataria

Senior Staff Attorney

Samairah Khan

Staff Attorney

Serina Rosenbaum

Senior Staff Attorney

Shirim Nothenberg

Senior Staff Attorney & In-House Appellate Counsel

Stephanie (Fanny) Suquet

Senior Staff Attorney

Tara Sheoran

Supervising Attorney & ACT Project Housing Specialist

Human Resources

Jessie Jones, MSILR PHR

Director of Human Resources

Development

Dyane McMahon

Director of Philanthropy & Strategic Partnerships

Alicja Grygiel

Donor Relations Supervisor

Communications

Jeffrey Chang

Director of Communications

Staff Attorney & Equal Justice Works Fellow

First name Last name Title
Karen
Freedman
Founder & President
Glenn
Metsch-Ampel
Executive Director
Alma
Ramon
Director of Administration
Allen
Halpin
Co-Director, Social Work Practice
Anna
Schissel
Deputy Director of Litigation
Carmita
Cortes
Social Work Supervisor & Immigration Rights Project Social Worker
Christina
Manzano
Supervising Attorney & Co-Director, Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Project
Dyane
McMahon
Director of Philanthropy & Strategic Partnerships
Jeffrey
Chang
Director of Communications
Lisa
Lubell
Co-Director, Social Work Practice
Peggy
Tarvin
Director of Litigation
Maritza
Mateo
Office Manager
Mike
Murtagh
Co-Director, Social Work Practice
Tara
Sheoran
Supervising Attorney & ACT Project Housing Specialist
William
Gillespie
Social Work Supervisor & Co-Director, Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Project
Chynna
Krouser
Administrative Assistant
Michele
La Rocca
Senior Administrative Assistant
Jordan
Bestman
110 Front Desk Administrative Assistant
Nathan
Oliver
112 Front Desk Administrative Assistant
Alida
Capellan
Staff Social Worker
Amanda
Essor
Staff Social Worker & Education Advocacy Project Social Work Director
Antoinette
Briguglio
Staff Social Worker
Cibutwa
Hamatheite
Staff Senior Social Worker Adolescents Confronting Transition Project
Ilena
Robbins
Senior Staff Social Worker & Director, Mental Health & Developmental Disability Project
Jacquelyn
Simons
Staff Social Worker
Jocelyn
Burnett
Staff Social Worker & Domestic Violence Project Social Worker
Kara
Katwaroo-Lee
Senior Staff Social Worker
Leandro
Brixner
Staff Social Worker & Youth Justice Project Social Worker
Mary Ellen
Shea
Senior Staff Social Worker & ACT Project Pregnant and Parenting Specialist
Raysa
Betances
Staff Social Worker
Renee
Rivera
Senior Staff Social Worker
Shrimati
Sookwah
Senior Staff Social Worker & Co-Director, Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Project
Tajean
Turnier
Staff Social Worker
Tatiana
Hernandez
Staff Social Worker & Immigration Rights Project Social Worker
Tymeisha
Massey
Staff Social Worker
Chelsea
Velez
Youth Advocate
Jarel
Melendez
Youth Advocate Coordinator
Amanda
Slater
Senior Staff Attorney & Immigration Rights Project Attorney
Betsy
Kramer
Director of Policy & Special Litigation
Christine
Rich
Staff Attorney
Dawn
O'Brien-Gans
Senior Staff Attorney
Doneth
Gayle
Senior Staff Attorney
Emily
Stark
Senior Staff Attorney
Erin
Keenan Piangola
Staff Attorney
Justin
Choi
Director of Youth Justice Project
Kristin
Kimmel
Senior Staff Attorney
Laura
Daly
Senior Staff Attorney and Legal Director of the Education Advocacy Project
Linda
Diaz
Senior Staff Attorney
Lisa
May
Senior Staff Attorney
Mark
Leider
Senior Staff Attorney
Marly
Gonzalez
Senior Staff Attorney
Michael
Moorman
Senior Staff Attorney
Michael
Scherz
Director, Domestic Violence Project
Myra
Elgabry
Senior Staff Attorney & Director, Immigration Rights Project
Priti
Kataria
Senior Staff Attorney
Samairah
Khan
Staff Attorney
Serina
Rosenbaum
Senior Staff Attorney
Shirim
Nothenberg
Senior Staff Attorney & In-House Appellate Counsel
Fanny
Suquet
Senior Staff Attorney
Jessie
Jones
Director of Human Resources
Alicja
Grygiel
Donor Relations Supervisor

Adolescents Confronting Transition Project

Priti Kataria

Adolescents Confronting Transition Project Director

Tara Sheoran

Adolescents Confronting Transition Project Housing Specialist

Mary Ellen Shea, LMSW

Adolescents Confronting Transition Project Pregnant and Parenting Specialist

Cibutwa Hamatheite, LMSW

Adolescents Confronting Transition Project Social Worker

Chelsea Velez

Adolescents Confronting Transition Project Youth Advocate

Jarel Melendez

Adolescents Confronting Transition Project Youth Advocate Coordinator

Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Project

Cristina Manzano

Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Project Director

William Gillespie, LMSW

Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Project Social Worker

Shrimati Sookwah, LMSW

Co-Director, Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Project

Domestic Violence Project

Michael Scherz

Director, Domestic Violence Project

Jocelyn Burnett, LMSW

Domestic Violence Project Social Worker

Education Advocacy Project

Amanda Essor, LMSW

Education Advocacy Project Social Work Director

Laura Daly

Legal Director of the Education Advocacy Project

Immigration Rights Project

Myra Elgabry

Director, Immigration Rights Project

Tatiana Hernandez, LMSW

Immigration Rights Advocacy Project Social Worker

Amanda Slater

Immigration Rights Project Attorney

Carmita Cortes, LMSW

Immigration Rights Project Social Worker

LGBTQIA+ Project

Linda Diaz

LGBTQIA+ Rights Project Director

Mental Health & Developmental Disability Project

Ilena Robbins, LMSW

Mental Health & Developmental Disability Project Director

Youth Justice/Juvenile Delinquency Project

Justin Choi

Director of Youth Justice Project

Leandro Brixner, LMSW

Youth Justice Social Worker

Christina (Charlie) Rich

Youth Justice/Juvenile Delinquency Project Attorney

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