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The Executive Fellows

Meet our inspirational Executive Fellowship leaders.

Meet the Leaders

Executive Fellows Website Photo - The Executive Fellows

This year’s group of leaders is an extraordinary group of 48 legal aid leaders from across the country, representing a wide range of practice areas including immigration, housing, and civil rights law. 

Executive Fellow Class of 2025

Adriana Melgoza (She/Her/Her)

Adriana Melgoza (She/Her/Her)

Administrative Director, Watsonville Law Center; Virtual Cohort
Alecia Reed-Owens (She/Her/Her)

Alecia Reed-Owens (She/Her/Her)

Deputy Director of Health Law, Mississippi Center for Justice; Virtual Cohort
Alexandra Goncalves Pena (She/Her/Her)

Alexandra Goncalves Pena (She/Her/Her)

Legal Director, American Friends Service Committee New Jersey Immigrant Rights Program; Virtual Cohort
Amy Daniewicz (She/Her/Her)

Amy Daniewicz (She/Her/Her)

Grant Program Director, Impact Fund; Hybrid Cohort
Ann-Marissa Cook (She/Her/Hers)

Ann-Marissa Cook (She/Her/Hers)

Attorney Supervisor & Child Welfare Law Specialist, Children's Law Center of California; Hybrid Cohort
Beatrice Ann Pangilinan (She/Her/Her)

Beatrice Ann Pangilinan (She/Her/Her)

Deputy Director, Asian Law Alliance; Virtual Cohort
Brooke Weitzman (She/Her/Her)

Brooke Weitzman (She/Her/Her)

Executive Director, Elder Law and Disability Rights Center; Hybrid Cohort
Cara Whisler (She/Her/Her)

Cara Whisler (She/Her/Her)

Practice Group Director of Family Law, Inland Counties Legal Services, Inc.; Virtual Cohort
Carla Lopez (They/Them/Their)

Carla Lopez (They/Them/Their)

Legal Director of the LGBTQ+ Program, California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc.; Hybrid Cohort

Carolina Martin Ramos (She/Her/Her)

Carolina Martin Ramos (She/Her/Her)

Executive Director, La Raza Centro Legal; Virtual Cohort
Daniel Nesbit (They/Them/Their)

Daniel Nesbit (They/Them/Their)

Director of Strategic Initiatives, California Rural Legal Assistance; Virtual Cohort

Dhalma Suarez (She/Her/Her)

Dhalma Suarez (She/Her/Her)

Programs Officer, Legal Aid of Marin; Virtual Cohort

Gabriela Perez (She/Her/Her)

Gabriela Perez (She/Her/Her)

Executive Director, Inland Empire Latino Lawyers Association; Hybrid Cohort
Gilberto Vera (He/Him/His)

Gilberto Vera (He/Him/His)

Deputy Director, Legal Aid Society of San Diego; Hybrid Cohort
Gina Amato (She/Her/Her)

Gina Amato (She/Her/Her)

Directing Attorney, Immigrants Rights' Project, Public Counsel; Virtual Cohort
Hannah Santos (She/Her/Her)

Hannah Santos (She/Her/Her)

Director of Development, Harriet Buhai Center for Law; Hybrid Cohort
Jimena Vasquez (She/Her/Her)

Jimena Vasquez (She/Her/Her)

Director of Legal Services, Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice; Hybrid Cohort
Joanna Wasik (She/Her/Her)

Joanna Wasik (She/Her/Her)

Deputy Legal Director, Washington Lawyer's Committee For Civil Rights and Urban Affairs; Virtual Cohort
Katie Joh (She/Her/Her)

Katie Joh (She/Her/Her)

Chief Executive Officer, Dependency Advocacy Center; Hybrid Cohort
Kendra Wagner (She/Her/Her)

Kendra Wagner (She/Her/Her)

Associate Director, Disability Rights California, Office of Clients' Rights Advocacy; Hybrid Cohort
Kisha Queeley (She/Her/Her)

Kisha Queeley (She/Her/Her)

Controller, Youth Law Center; Virtual Cohort
Leah Simon-Weisberg (She/Her/Her)

Leah Simon-Weisberg (She/Her/Her)

Executive Director, California Center for Movement Legal Services; Virtual Cohort
Lilit Melkonyan (She/Her/Her)

Lilit Melkonyan (She/Her/Her)

Managing Attorney, Central American Resource Center; Hybrid Cohort

Lorin Bond (She/Her/Her)

Lorin Bond (She/Her/Her)

Chief Operating Officer, National Housing Law Project; Hybrid Cohort
Lynna McPhatter-Harris (She/Her/Her)

Lynna McPhatter-Harris (She/Her/Her)

Director of Social Work, East Bay Children's Law Office; Hybrid Cohort
Maighna Jain (She/Her/Her)

Maighna Jain (She/Her/Her)

Regional Managing Attorney, Bay Area Legal Aid; Virtual Cohort

Marsha Johnson (She/Her/Her)

Marsha Johnson (She/Her/Her)

Deputy Director of Litigation, Inland Counties Legal Services; Hybrid Cohort
Martha Ruch (She/Her/Her)

Martha Ruch (She/Her/Her)

Lead Managing Attorney, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto; Hybrid Cohort
Mary Ross (She/Her/Her)

Mary Ross (She/Her/Her)

Directing Attorney, Economic Justice Project; Virtual Cohort
Matthew Hulse (He/Him/His)

Matthew Hulse (He/Him/His)

Executive Director, Contra Costa Legal Services; Virtual Cohort

Mekela Goehring (She/Her/Her)

Mekela Goehring (She/Her/Her)

Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network; Virtual Cohort
Nicholas Espiritu (He/Him/His)

Nicholas Espiritu (He/Him/His)

Deputy Legal Director, National Immigration Law Center; Hybrid Cohort
Nidya Paredes (She/Her/Her)

Nidya Paredes (She/Her/Her)

Supervising Attorney, Disability Rights California; Virtual Cohort
Nisha Vyas (She/Her/Her)

Nisha Vyas (She/Her/Her)

Deputy Director, Western Center on Law and Poverty; Hybrid Cohort
Paul Briley (He/Him/His)

Paul Briley (He/Him/His)

Executive Director, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children; Virtual Cohort

Rachel Mino (She/Her/Her)

Rachel Mino (She/Her/Her)

Supervising Attorney for Health, Law Foundation of Silicon Valley; Hybrid Cohort
Rezwanul Islam (He/Him/His)

Rezwanul Islam (He/Him/His)

Deputy Executive Director, Legal Services of Long Island; Virtual Cohort
Rida Haq (She/Her/Her)

Rida Haq (She/Her/Her)

Executive Director, Philadelphia VIP; Virtual Cohort
Sara Haji (She/Her/Her)

Sara Haji (She/Her/Her)

Executive Director, Social Justice Legal Foundation; Hybrid Cohort
Shawn Bolton (She/Her/Her)

Shawn Bolton (She/Her/Her)

Chief Operating Officer, Inner City Law Center; Hybrid Cohort
Stacey Moore Buchanan (She/Her/Her)

Stacey Moore Buchanan (She/Her/Her)

Director of Operations and General Counsel, Mississippi Center for Justice; Hybrid Cohort
Sunny Noh (She/Her/Her)

Sunny Noh (She/Her/Her)

Deputy Director, Legal Aid of Sonoma County; Virtual Cohort
Sunrise Ayers (She/Her/Her)

Sunrise Ayers (She/Her/Her)

Deputy Director, Idaho Legal Aid Services, Inc.; Virtual Cohort
Teague González (She/Her/Her)

Teague González (She/Her/Her)

Deputy Director, New Mexico Immigrant Law Center; Virtual Cohort
Theo Ser-Ramin (They/Them/Their)

Theo Ser-Ramin (They/Them/Their)

Equity and Community Program Manager, Legal Aid Association of California; Virtual Cohort
Vanessa Gutierrez (She/Her/Her)

Vanessa Gutierrez (She/Her/Her)

Deputy Director, Northwest Immigrants Rights Project; Virtual Cohort

Virginia Lewis Dole (She/Her/Her)

Virginia Lewis Dole (She/Her/Her)

Managing Attorney, East Bay Children's Law Office; Hybrid Cohort
See Past Fellows

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