Meet our Board

Board

The Workplace Fairness Board of Directors comprises professionals from the nonprofit and for-profit sector who are dedicated to the organization’s mission of workers’ rights advocacy. Serving on the Workplace Fairness Board of Directors is an extraordinary opportunity for an individual who is passionate about advocating for workers’ rights.

We are currently recruiting for diverse leaders to join our board. We are especially looking for Board members with expertise in the following areas: fundraising, web development/online marketing, workers’ rights advocacy, Board development and finance/accounting.
For an application packet, please email us at office@workplacefairness.org.

Meet our Board of Directors

Wayne Outten

Board President

Darnley D. Stewart

Darnley D. Stewart

Non-Voting Board Member

Rebecca M. Hamburg Board Vice President External Relations Committee Los Angeles, CA

Rebecca M. Hamburg

Board Vice President

Shannon E. Rusz Board Treasurer Finance & Operations Committee Annapolis, MD

Shannon E. Rusz

Board Treasurer

Barry Seng Board Secretary External Relations Committee Washington, D.C.

Barry Seng

Board Vice President

Tyra Gravesande

External Relations Committee

Heidi M. Allison Finance & Operations Committee Chair Rochester Hills, MI

Heidi M. Allison

Finance & Operations Committee Chair

Kristen Yealy

Finance and Operations Committee

Justin Sindelar External Relations Committee Vice Chair San Jose, California

Justin Sindelar

External Relations Committee Vice Chair

Eva Zelson External Relations Committee Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Eva Zelson

External Relations Committee

Phoenix Mourning-Star External Relations Committee Chair Waterville, Maine

Phoenix Mourning-Star

External Relations Committee Chair

Beth Creighton

Finance & Operations Committee

Holly Wittenberg

External Relations Committee

Zander Magee

Finance and Operations Committee

Aniko R. Schwarcz

External Relations Committee

Shannon E. Rusz Board Treasurer Finance & Operations Committee Annapolis, MD

Shannon E. Rusz

Board Treasurer
Finance & Operations Committee
Annapolis, MD

Barry Seng Board Secretary External Relations Committee Washington, D.C.

Barry Seng

Board Secretary
External Relations Committee
Washington, D.C.

Shireen Mitchell Finance & Operations Committee Washington, DC

Shireen Mitchell

Finance & Operations Committee
Washington, DC

Wayne Outten

Board President
Finance & Operations Committee
New York, NY 

Darnley D. Stewart

Darnley D. Stewart

Board Vice President
Finance & Operations Committee
New York, NY

Rebecca M. Hamburg Board Vice President External Relations Committee Los Angeles, CA

Rebecca M. Hamburg

Board Vice President
External Relations Committee
Los Angeles, CA

Heidi M. Allison Finance & Operations Committee Chair Rochester Hills, MI

Heidi M. Allison

Finance & Operations Committee Chair
Rochester Hills, MI

Fran L. Rudich Finance & Operations Committee Vice Chair Rye Brook, NY

Fran L. Rudich

Finance & Operations Committee Vice Chair
Rye Brook, NY

Justin Sindelar External Relations Committee Vice Chair San Jose, California

Justin Sindelar

External Relations Committee Vice Chair
San Jose, California

Eva Zelson External Relations Committee Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Eva Zelson

External Relations Committee
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Phoenix Mourning-Star External Relations Committee Chair Waterville, Maine

Phoenix Mourning-Star

External Relations Committee Chair Waterville, Maine

Beth Creighton

Finance & Operations Committee
Portland, OR

Holly Wittenberg

Holly Wittenberg

External Relations Committee
Washington, DC

Kenitra W. Dominguez

External Relations Committee
Bay Area, CA

Founders

Wayne Outten

Board President
Finance & Operations Committee
New York, NY 

Paul Tobias Tobias, Kraus & Torchia Cincinnati, OH

Paul Tobias

Tobias, Kraus & Torchia
Cincinnati, OH

Board

Wayne Outten
Board President
Finance & Operations Committee

New York, NY 

Wayne N. Outten is one of the founders of Workplace Fairness, formerly known as the National Employee Rights Institute (NERI), and has remained involved in various capacities since. Wayne has committed himself, through Workplace Fairness and many other organizations, to advocating for workers’ rights nationwide.

His practice, Wayne Outten & Golden LLP, focuses exclusively on representing employees. He co-chairs the firm’s Executives and Professionals Practice Group. His practice represents senior employees and professionals in all aspects of employment, including negotiation of employment, compensation, severance, expatriate and secondment agreements. His notable recoveries include $12 million in a discrimination/retaliation case, $18.9 million in a breach-of-contract case and $72.0 million in a compensation case.

His recognitions include “Best Lawyers in America”; Top 100 New York Metro Super Lawyers; Best Lawyer’s “Lawyer of the Year 2010” for Labor and Employment Law – NYC and “Lawyer of the Year 2012” for Litigation – Labor and Employment in NYC; Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers in America ; Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Lawyers in America; and Lawdragon “legend” (2015).

Wayne is also a founding member and/or leader of many organizations including the National Employment Lawyers Association and it’s New York affiliate, the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, the ABA Labor and Employment Law (Chair, 2015-2016). He has lectured and written extensively on negotiation, mediation and arbitration of employment disputes and on employment and severance agreements.

More at http://www.outtengolden.com/lawyer-attorney/wayne-n-outten.

Darnley D. Stewart
Darnley D. Stewart
Board Vice President
Finance & Operations Committee
New York, NY

Darnley D. Stewart has served as Vice President for Workplace Fairness since 2013. She is Of Counsel at Outten & Golden LLP in New York. As a former partner at that firm, she co-chaired the Discrimination & Retaliation Practice Group and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer (LGBTQ) Workplace Rights Practice Group. Darnley is admitted to practice in New York and is a member of the American Bar Association, the National Employment Lawyers Association (“NELA”) and its New York affiliate (“NELA/NY”).

More at http://www.outtengolden.com/lawyer-attorney/darnley-d-stewart.

Rebecca M. Hamburg Board Vice President External Relations Committee Los Angeles, CA
Rebecca M. Hamburg
Board Vice President
External Relations Committee
Los Angeles, CA

Rebecca M. Hamburg is the founder and principal consultant for Rebecca Hamburg Consulting. She empowers organizations with the tools and knowledge to achieve their vision for a better world. Through strategic planning, workshops, and project management support, Rebecca enables both nonprofits and foundations to be agents of change. She provides guidance that assists grant makers in understanding how they can support and engage in advocacy and other nonprofit organizations to engage their communities in public policy efforts through an understanding of federal tax and election law.

Recognizing that systemic change is a long-term investment, Rebecca also emboldens nonprofits to put their vision into action by developing goals that maximize their capacity to serve as agents of change. She supports organizations to design, develop, analyze, and evaluate programs, projects, and activities through setting specific goals and meeting criteria for success. 

Prior to starting her consulting firm, Rebecca served as the West Coast Director for Alliance for Justice, a national nonprofit committed to ensuring that Americans have their voices heard when government makes decisions that affect their lives, and the Program Director of the National Employment Lawyers Association, the country’s largest organization of lawyers who exclusively or primarily represent employees in employment-related matters. She also spent several years litigating cases on behalf of public and private employees around the country, as well as victims of civil and human rights abuses. Rebecca received her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School and her B.A. in political science from the University of California, San Diego. She is the proud mom of Rowen and Killian, and an avid yarn-lover.

More at https://www.rebeccahamburgconsulting.com/

Shannon E. Rusz Board Treasurer Finance & Operations Committee Annapolis, MD
Shannon E. Rusz
Board Treasurer
Finance & Operations Committee
Annapolis, MD 

Shannon Rusz is a practicing attorney in Maryland and has been affiliated with Workplace Fairness for many years in various capacities. In addition to her law practice she was on the staff of Workplace Fairness for five years, helping to grow the organization and reach the workers that can use our services. Shannon believes that workers need and deserve access to free, easy to ready information about their rights in the workplace. As a member of the board she hopes she can help to expand the reach of WF’s services and continue helping workers across the country. 

More at https://ruszlegal.com/.

Barry Seng Board Secretary External Relations Committee Washington, D.C.
Barry Seng
Board Secretary
External Relations Committee
Washington, D.C.

Barry Seng brings his expertise in development, digital strategy, and youth outreach to Workplace Fairness. Barry currently works as a Business Transformation Consultant at EY, helping clients solve their pressing needs to better serve their customers. Barry has experience officiating microgrant programs, revamping organizations’ digital strategies, and connecting youth advocates with resources and organizations. Barry graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Minors in Spanish and Art History. At Workplace Fairness, Barry plans to expand programming and resources, connect with labor rights activists, and support workers.  

More at https://www.linkedin.com/in/barryseng/

Shireen Mitchell Finance & Operations Committee Washington, DC
Shireen Mitchell
Finance & Operations Committee
Washington, DC

Shireen Mitchell offers Workplace Fairness her expertise as a non-profit board member, as well as in digital communications and social media. She is an award winning technological woman of color, founder, author, speaker, social entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, advocate, diversity analyst, and a political, digital & social strategist. Shireen is a native New Yorker who spent time playing video games, and designing BBS boards and gopher sites before the Web went worldwide. Shireen has served as a nonprofit board member for over a decade. She is currently on the boards of Workplace Fairness, Center for Partnership Studies, and Chair of the National Council of Women’s Organizations.

More at https://about.me/digitalsista.

Heidi M. Allison Finance & Operations Committee Chair Rochester Hills, MI
Heidi M. Allison
Finance & Operations Committee Chair
Rochester Hills, MI

Heidi Allison is a leading authority in the career and employment arena, serving as a board member for the last 10 years with Workplace Fairness.

She has 17 + years of expertise in developing sustainable businesses and websites, and has combined her Internet and strategic communications experience with her desire to help those in professional need with their employment and travel-related issues. While she has counseled countless world-class clients in their efforts to build and enhance beneficial relationships with their respective publics, Heidi has identified Workplace Fairness as a critical organization receiving a vast amount of media inquiries due to their extraordinary mission.

She currently manages several firms including Allison & Taylor, Inc. The Career Company, CruiseCompete and Shane PR. As well, she is an accomplished author, international consultant and avid traveler who is a recognized expert on the subject of eco-tourism. 

More at https://www.allisontaylor.com/ and https://www.allisontaylor.com/blog/alexandra-allison-bio/.

Fran L. Rudich Finance & Operations Committee Vice Chair Rye Brook, NY
Fran L. Rudich
Finance & Operations Committee Vice Chair
Rye Brook, NY

Fran Rudich serves on the board for Workplace Fairness, lending her unique expertise in employment law, particularly in the class action arena. Fran concentrates her practice in complex litigation and class action matters, with a particular emphasis in representing employees in all aspects of employment law, particularly sexual harassment, various issues of discrimination, and cases involving violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act, and state wage and hour statutes. Fran has been the lead attorney in numerous multi-million dollar employment discrimination jury verdicts against major national entities and corporations.

More at http://klafterolsen.com/attorneys/fran-l-rudich/.

Justin Sindelar External Relations Committee Vice Chair San Jose, California
Justin Sindelar
External Relations Committee Vice Chair
San Jose, California

Justin Sindelar serves on the board of Workplace Fairness to add his expertise in digital experience design and nonprofit digital organizing. He is a Digital Experience Specialist at NVIDIA, where he designs unique and integrated digital experiences informed by UX research, information architecture, and usability. Justin also brings special expertise in accessible design, having led several pilot accessibility programs in the private and nonprofit sector. His professional background began with several student-led nonprofit organizations, where he developed web properties and provided long-term digital organizing strategy. Justin graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with concentration in Marketing. 

More at https://www.justinsindelar.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinsindelar/

Eva Zelson External Relations Committee Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Eva Zelson
External Relations Committee
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Eva Zelson is an attorney at Zeff Law Firm, where she focuses her practice on representing the rights of employees and victims of police brutality. She also works with the Social Justice Law Project to provide representation and advocacy in various racial justice matters. As a longtime follower of Workplace Fairness, Eva looks forward to drawing on her knowledge of the changing needs of workers to ensure that Workplace Fairness continues to be an important resource for employees. Eva graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies and from William & Mary Law School. 

More at https://www.zefflawfirm.com/about-us/eva-zelson/

Phoenix Mourning-Star External Relations Committee Chair Waterville, Maine
Phoenix Mourning-Star
External Relations Committee Chair
Waterville, Maine

Phoenix Mourning-Star is a Sr. Science Advisor and Founder of Result International Research & Consulting, he is also a Visiting Professor of Mathematics & Statistics at Colby College. His efforts in employment fairness began in 2006 as a researcher studying the National Employee Survey investigating disproportionate punishment in the workplace.

Dr. Mourning-Star holds his doctorate in Ecology with Chemical & Biological Engineering and  is a multi-disciplinary strategist and scholar leveraging his degrees in Mathematics (BS), Biostatistics (MS), Epidemiology (MS), Environmental Law (LLM) and International Science, Technology & Space Policy.

More at https://www.colby.edu/directory/profile/phoenix.mourning-star/

Beth Creighton
Finance & Operations Committee
Portland, OR

Beth Creighton has devoted her professional life to the defense of the rights of employees and the promotion of justice in the community. Her practice concentrates on the representation of individuals harmed by sexual harassment, discrimination, wrongful discharge, and by the violation of civil rights and other manifestations of police and governmental abuse.

Beth’s undergraduate degree is in Women’s Studies from the University of Toronto (1992) and her JD is from the University of Wisconsin (1996), renowned for its labor and employment law programs. When she moved to Oregon in 1996, she began working with Crispin & Associates practicing employment law.  From 1997-1999, she represented clients in employment related claims while working for a firm that primarily did workers’ compensation law. In 2000, she began working for Steenson, Schumann, Tewksbury, Later & Rose, PC, where her practice was employment law and civil rights litigation (both employment related and police misconduct).  In July, 2010, she and her partner, Michael E. Rose, took over the firm and formed Creighton & Rose, PC.

Beth currently serve as one of the co-chairs of the employment section of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA) and is a member of OTLA’s Board of Governors, as well as an active member of the education, amicus and legislative committees. She is also active in the National Employment Lawyers’ Association (NELA), and, in 2013, was elected as the first member of the NELA Board of Directors from Oregon. She has lobbied in both Washington, D.C., and Salem for legislative changes that have given workers more rights and protections in the workplace. Beth continues to work tirelessly to enforce the rights of workers and others abused by the system and has been an indomitable advocate for change on both an individual and systemic level to benefit her clients.

Outside of the litigation arena, Beth is currently being trained by her teenage daughter to become more adept at conflict resolution.

More at http://civilrightspdx.com/

Holly Wittenberg
Holly Wittenberg
External Relations Committee
Washington, DC

Holly Wittenberg leverages her 20 years of management consulting, entrepreneurship, venture capital, and post-merger integration experience to help companies identify DEI opportunities that drive business value. She uses data-driven analytics to identify deep insights about DEI performance and opportunities to improve. Holly studied economics at the University of Chicago and has an MBA from Thunderbird (part of U of Arizona). She is a board member of  Woodley House, a nonprofit which provides residential services for those experiencing mental illness.

Kenitra W. Dominguez
External Relations Committee
Bay Area, CA

Keni Dominguez is a people ops strategist and career coach for Black and WOC introverts, with over ten years of leadership experience in People Operations/HR, and is a certified mediator. She attended UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. She received a master’s degree in Work Law, an integrated study of the laws and policies governing the workplace, the labor market, and the legal relationships between businesses and workers, including the regulation of work and the problems of inequity, insecurity, and discrimination in the workplace.

As a fierce advocate and ardent believer in a people-first philosophy, she is passionate about workplace issues related to gender and racial equity and how those issues emerge for Black and other WOC introverts. Keni was cited in multiple press pieces on platforms, including Apartment Therapy, HuffPost, Washington Post, Rolling Out, and various podcasts. Keni’s mission is to help empower Black and other WOC introverts to thrive in the workplace. She provides practical organizational culture and design for individuals and purpose-driven, people-centric companies. Keni helps introverts discover their unique voice, learn to work with their energy, and show up unapologetically as their authentic introvert selves to step boldly into who they are. 

Founders

Wayne Outten
Outten & Golden, LLP
New York, NY

Wayne N. Outten is one of the founders of Workplace Fairness, formerly known as the National Employee Rights Institute (NERI), and has remained involved in various capacities since 1994. Wayne has committed himself, through Workplace Fairness and many other organizations, to advocating for workers’ rights nationwide.

Wayne is founding and managing partner of Outten & Golden LLP. His practice focuses exclusively on representing employees. He co-chairs the firm’s Executives and Professionals Practice Group. his practice focuses on representing senior employees and professionals in all aspects of employment, including negotiation of employment, compensation, severance, expatriate, and secondment agreements. His notable recoveries include $12 million in a discrimination/retaliation case, $18.9 million in a breach-of-contract case, and $72.0 million in a compensation case.

His Recognitions include “Best Lawyers in America”; Top 100 New York Metro Super Lawyers; Best Lawyer’s “Lawyer of the Year 2010” for Labor and Employment Law – NYC and “Lawyer of the Year 2012” for Litigation – Labor and Employment in NYC; Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers in America (2006); Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Lawyers in America (2007); and Lawdragon “legend” (2015).

Wayne is also a founding member and/or leader in many organizations, including National Employment Lawyers Association and its New York affiliate, the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and the ABA Labor and Employment Law Section (Chair, 2015-2016). He has lectured and written extensively on negotiation, mediation and arbitration of employment disputes and on employment and severance agreements.

Paul Tobias Tobias, Kraus & Torchia Cincinnati, OH
Paul Tobias
Tobias, Kraus & Torchia
Cincinnati, OH

Paul Tobias was one of the founders of Workplace Fairness, where he served as the initial Chair for many years, and as a board member for more than 20 years. He was a dedicated and active advocate for workers’ rights nationwide, and was the founder of the National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) (Advocates for Employee Rights), serving as its first Executive Director. He was also the Chairman and Editor of The Employee Advocate newsletter. He authored a three-volume work titled “Litigating Wrongful Discharge Claims” (Callaghan/West 1987), co-authored “Job Rights and Survival Strategies – A Handbook for Terminated Employees” (Workplace Fairness 1997), was the past executive producer for Workplace Fairness’ Federal Employees Legal Survival Guide (authored by the Passman & Kaplan law firm)(1999) and the past Editor-in-Chief of Workplace Fairness’ Employee Rights Quarterly (Aspen Publishers July 2000 first issue).

Paul and Marvin Kraus founded Tobias & Kraus in 1976. He specialized in labor and employment law for more than 50 years, having represented companies, unions and individuals. For many decades, he specialized in advising and litigating for individuals, including wrongful dismissal and discrimination cases. He authored ten published articles in the field of labor and employment law, and he made more than150 presentations to the bar association and other groups concerning employee rights. Paul retired from law practice about 2016, and he died on March 22, 2021 at age 91. His legacy of working and advocating for employees and their lawyers lives on.

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Wayne N. Outten is one of the founders of Workplace Fairness, formerly known as the National Employee Rights Institute (NERI), and has remained involved in various capacities since. Wayne has committed himself, through Workplace Fairness and many other organizations, to advocating for workers’ rights nationwide.

His practice, Wayne Outten & Golden LLP, focuses exclusively on representing employees. He co-chairs the firm’s Executives and Professionals Practice Group. His practice represents senior employees and professionals in all aspects of employment, including negotiation of employment, compensation, severance, expatriate and secondment agreements. His notable recoveries include $12 million in a discrimination/retaliation case, $18.9 million in a breach-of-contract case and $72.0 million in a compensation case.

His recognitions include “Best Lawyers in America”; Top 100 New York Metro Super Lawyers; Best Lawyer’s “Lawyer of the Year 2010” for Labor and Employment Law – NYC and “Lawyer of the Year 2012” for Litigation – Labor and Employment in NYC; Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Lawyers in America ; Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Plaintiff Lawyers in America; and Lawdragon “legend” (2015).

Wayne is also a founding member and/or leader of many organizations including the National Employment Lawyers Association and it’s New York affiliate, the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, the ABA Labor and Employment Law (Chair, 2015-2016). He has lectured and written extensively on negotiation, mediation and arbitration of employment disputes and on employment and severance agreements.

More at http://www.outtengolden.com/lawyer-attorney/wayne-n-outten.

Darnley D. Stewart

Darnley D. Stewart has served as Vice President for Workplace Fairness since 2013. She is Of Counsel at Outten & Golden LLP in New York. As a former partner at that firm, she co-chaired the Discrimination & Retaliation Practice Group and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Queer (LGBTQ) Workplace Rights Practice Group. Darnley is admitted to practice in New York and is a member of the American Bar Association, the National Employment Lawyers Association (“NELA”) and its New York affiliate (“NELA/NY”).

More at http://www.outtengolden.com/lawyer-attorney/darnley-d-stewart.

Rebecca M. Hamburg is the founder and principal consultant for Rebecca Hamburg Consulting. She empowers organizations with the tools and knowledge to achieve their vision for a better world. Through strategic planning, workshops, and project management support, Rebecca enables both nonprofits and foundations to be agents of change. She provides guidance that assists grant makers in understanding how they can support and engage in advocacy and other nonprofit organizations to engage their communities in public policy efforts through an understanding of federal tax and election law.

Recognizing that systemic change is a long-term investment, Rebecca also emboldens nonprofits to put their vision into action by developing goals that maximize their capacity to serve as agents of change. She supports organizations to design, develop, analyze, and evaluate programs, projects, and activities through setting specific goals and meeting criteria for success. 

Prior to starting her consulting firm, Rebecca served as the West Coast Director for Alliance for Justice, a national nonprofit committed to ensuring that Americans have their voices heard when government makes decisions that affect their lives, and the Program Director of the National Employment Lawyers Association, the country’s largest organization of lawyers who exclusively or primarily represent employees in employment-related matters. She also spent several years litigating cases on behalf of public and private employees around the country, as well as victims of civil and human rights abuses. Rebecca received her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School and her B.A. in political science from the University of California, San Diego. She is the proud mom of Rowen and Killian, and an avid yarn-lover.

More at https://www.rebeccahamburgconsulting.com/

Shannon E. Rusz Board Treasurer Finance & Operations Committee Annapolis, MD

Shannon Rusz is a practicing attorney in Maryland and has been affiliated with Workplace Fairness for many years in various capacities. In addition to her law practice she was on the staff of Workplace Fairness for five years, helping to grow the organization and reach the workers that can use our services. Shannon believes that workers need and deserve access to free, easy to ready information about their rights in the workplace. As a member of the board she hopes she can help to expand the reach of WF’s services and continue helping workers across the country. 

More at https://ruszlegal.com/.

Barry Seng Board Secretary External Relations Committee Washington, D.C.

Barry Seng brings his expertise in development, digital strategy, and youth outreach to Workplace Fairness. Barry currently works as a Business Transformation Consultant at EY, helping clients solve their pressing needs to better serve their customers. Barry has experience officiating microgrant programs, revamping organizations’ digital strategies, and connecting youth advocates with resources and organizations. Barry graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Minors in Spanish and Art History. At Workplace Fairness, Barry plans to expand programming and resources, connect with labor rights activists, and support workers.  

More at https://www.linkedin.com/in/barryseng/

Tyra Gravesande is an Associate at NPAG and a Growth Manager at ONYX, an early stage femtech start-up that is modernizing menstruation by creating safe, innovative, reproductive wellness solutions. She also served as a social impact fellow at aīre ventures, a venture studio that empowers entrepreneurs to create positive change in underserved communities. In addition, she is a research assistant at MOTHER Lab, a multidisciplinary research group that focuses on maternal health equity, and a research fellow at Baylor College of Medicine, where she conducts bioethics analysis on various topics.

With a BA in Comparative Women’s Studies from Spelman College and a MS in Bioethics from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Tyra combines her passion for women’s health, social justice, and innovation to drive growth and impact in the femtech and health tech sectors. She has multiple publications, grants, and awards in the field of bioethics and reproductive justice, and has participated in several prestigious programs and fellowships at Harvard Business School, Yale University, McKinsey & Company, and JPMorgan Chase & Co. She is skilled in analytical problem solving, data analysis, and strategic partnerships, and is motivated by a vision of creating a more equitable and inclusive world.

Heidi M. Allison Finance & Operations Committee Chair Rochester Hills, MI

Heidi Allison is a leading authority in the career and employment arena, serving as a board member for the last 10 years with Workplace Fairness.

She has 17 + years of expertise in developing sustainable businesses and websites, and has combined her Internet and strategic communications experience with her desire to help those in professional need with their employment and travel-related issues. While she has counseled countless world-class clients in their efforts to build and enhance beneficial relationships with their respective publics, Heidi has identified Workplace Fairness as a critical organization receiving a vast amount of media inquiries due to their extraordinary mission.

She currently manages several firms including Allison & Taylor, Inc. The Career Company, CruiseCompete and Shane PR. As well, she is an accomplished author, international consultant and avid traveler who is a recognized expert on the subject of eco-tourism. 

More at https://www.allisontaylor.com/ and https://www.allisontaylor.com/blog/alexandra-allison-bio/.

Kristen Yealy contributes her experience in learning & development, training, and organizational effectiveness as a board member of Workplace Fairness. She is the Head of Learning & Development at Veris Insights, a market research firm that equips talent acquisition leaders to better the world of work through their recruiting practices. Prior to this role, she was the Behavioral Science Training and Enablement Specialist at BetterUp, a coaching company that enables organizations to create productive and engaging workplaces. She has an M.S.Ed. in Counseling and Mental Health Services from the University of Pennsylvania. Kristen is passionate about WF’s mission to make information about employee rights both comprehensive & digestible and to equip employers to treat workers fairly in the spirit of good business practice

Justin Sindelar External Relations Committee Vice Chair San Jose, California

Justin Sindelar serves on the board of Workplace Fairness to add his expertise in digital experience design and nonprofit digital organizing. He is a Digital Experience Specialist at NVIDIA, where he designs unique and integrated digital experiences informed by UX research, information architecture, and usability. Justin also brings special expertise in accessible design, having led several pilot accessibility programs in the private and nonprofit sector. His professional background began with several student-led nonprofit organizations, where he developed web properties and provided long-term digital organizing strategy. Justin graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with concentration in Marketing. 

More at https://www.justinsindelar.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinsindelar/

Eva Zelson External Relations Committee Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Eva Zelson is an attorney at Zeff Law Firm, where she focuses her practice on representing the rights of employees and victims of police brutality. She also works with the Social Justice Law Project to provide representation and advocacy in various racial justice matters. As a longtime follower of Workplace Fairness, Eva looks forward to drawing on her knowledge of the changing needs of workers to ensure that Workplace Fairness continues to be an important resource for employees. Eva graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Studies and from William & Mary Law School. 

More at https://www.zefflawfirm.com/about-us/eva-zelson/

Phoenix Mourning-Star External Relations Committee Chair Waterville, Maine

Phoenix Mourning-Star is a Sr. Science Advisor and Founder of Result International Research & Consulting, he is also a Visiting Professor of Mathematics & Statistics at Colby College. His efforts in employment fairness began in 2006 as a researcher studying the National Employee Survey investigating disproportionate punishment in the workplace.

Dr. Mourning-Star holds his doctorate in Ecology with Chemical & Biological Engineering and  is a multi-disciplinary strategist and scholar leveraging his degrees in Mathematics (BS), Biostatistics (MS), Epidemiology (MS), Environmental Law (LLM) and International Science, Technology & Space Policy.

More at https://www.colby.edu/directory/profile/phoenix.mourning-star/

Beth Creighton has devoted her professional life to the defense of the rights of employees and the promotion of justice in the community. Her practice concentrates on the representation of individuals harmed by sexual harassment, discrimination, wrongful discharge, and by the violation of civil rights and other manifestations of police and governmental abuse.

Beth’s undergraduate degree is in Women’s Studies from the University of Toronto (1992) and her JD is from the University of Wisconsin (1996), renowned for its labor and employment law programs. When she moved to Oregon in 1996, she began working with Crispin & Associates practicing employment law.  From 1997-1999, she represented clients in employment related claims while working for a firm that primarily did workers’ compensation law. In 2000, she began working for Steenson, Schumann, Tewksbury, Later & Rose, PC, where her practice was employment law and civil rights litigation (both employment related and police misconduct).  In July, 2010, she and her partner, Michael E. Rose, took over the firm and formed Creighton & Rose, PC.

Beth currently serve as one of the co-chairs of the employment section of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association (OTLA) and is a member of OTLA’s Board of Governors, as well as an active member of the education, amicus and legislative committees. She is also active in the National Employment Lawyers’ Association (NELA), and, in 2013, was elected as the first member of the NELA Board of Directors from Oregon. She has lobbied in both Washington, D.C., and Salem for legislative changes that have given workers more rights and protections in the workplace. Beth continues to work tirelessly to enforce the rights of workers and others abused by the system and has been an indomitable advocate for change on both an individual and systemic level to benefit her clients.

Outside of the litigation arena, Beth is currently being trained by her teenage daughter to become more adept at conflict resolution.

More at http://civilrightspdx.com/

Holly Wittenberg

Holly Wittenberg leverages her 20 years of management consulting, entrepreneurship, venture capital, and post-merger integration experience to help companies identify DEI opportunities that drive business value. She uses data-driven analytics to identify deep insights about DEI performance and opportunities to improve. Holly studied economics at the University of Chicago and has an MBA from Thunderbird (part of U of Arizona). She is a board member of  Woodley House, a nonprofit which provides residential services for those experiencing mental illness.

PlaceHoder

Keni Dominguez is a people ops strategist and career coach for Black and WOC introverts, with over ten years of leadership experience in People Operations/HR, and is a certified mediator. She attended UC Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. She received a master’s degree in Work Law, an integrated study of the laws and policies governing the workplace, the labor market, and the legal relationships between businesses and workers, including the regulation of work and the problems of inequity, insecurity, and discrimination in the workplace.

As a fierce advocate and ardent believer in a people-first philosophy, she is passionate about workplace issues related to gender and racial equity and how those issues emerge for Black and other WOC introverts. Keni was cited in multiple press pieces on platforms, including Apartment Therapy, HuffPost, Washington Post, Rolling Out, and various podcasts. Keni’s mission is to help empower Black and other WOC introverts to thrive in the workplace. She provides practical organizational culture and design for individuals and purpose-driven, people-centric companies. Keni helps introverts discover their unique voice, learn to work with their energy, and show up unapologetically as their authentic introvert selves to step boldly into who they are. 

Zander Magee brings experience in marketing optimization, organizational design, and market research from his time as a consultant and in the tech industry. Zander currently works as a Merchant Selections Senior Associate at DoorDash, where he works to identify the best local restaurants across every city. Prior to joining DoorDash, Zander advised health plans on improving marketing strategies and improving sales team efficiency. Zander graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a minor in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.

Aniko has been a practicing attorney and member of the plaintiff-side employment bar for over a decade. Her multi-disciplinary training and work experience contribute to her insight and broad capacity for understanding the social-emotional and economic effects of workplace discrimination and wage theft on her clients. Her decision to pursue a career in worker’s rights was influenced by her early volunteer experience at what was then known as the D.C. Employment Justice Center’s Worker’s Rights Clinic in the early 2000s, and a Peggy Browning Fund fellowship at the National Employment Lawyers Association; there, she met mentors and colleagues with whom she remains in contact today.

She currently serves as Director of Case Development for Civil Rights and Employment at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, PLLC, developing litigation to influence systemic change. At CMST, she has worked with thousands of clients and potential clients, including female retail employees in a class arbitration, Jock, et al. v. Sterling Jewelers Inc.; LGBTQ+ employees seeking coverage for gender affirming healthcare; detained immigrants challenging wage theft at a Federal administrative detention facility; and individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorders who were victims of wage theft at the adult rehabilitation centers tasked with helping them, among many others. She also represents clients including non-profit organizations, in conducting internal workplace investigations. Aniko was previously a Social Work Fellow in Advocacy Programs at the Alliance for Justice. She attended Vanderbilt University, graduating with honors and earned her J.D. from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. She also holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Maryland.
Shireen Mitchell Finance & Operations Committee Washington, DC

Shireen Mitchell offers Workplace Fairness her expertise as a non-profit board member, as well as in digital communications and social media. She is an award winning technological woman of color, founder, author, speaker, social entrepreneur, nonprofit leader, advocate, diversity analyst, and a political, digital & social strategist. Shireen is a native New Yorker who spent time playing video games, and designing BBS boards and gopher sites before the Web went worldwide. Shireen has served as a nonprofit board member for over a decade. She is currently on the boards of Workplace Fairness, Center for Partnership Studies, and Chair of the National Council of Women’s Organizations.

More at https://about.me/digitalsista.

Fran L. Rudich Finance & Operations Committee Vice Chair Rye Brook, NY

Fran Rudich serves on the board for Workplace Fairness, lending her unique expertise in employment law, particularly in the class action arena. Fran concentrates her practice in complex litigation and class action matters, with a particular emphasis in representing employees in all aspects of employment law, particularly sexual harassment, various issues of discrimination, and cases involving violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act, and state wage and hour statutes. Fran has been the lead attorney in numerous multi-million dollar employment discrimination jury verdicts against major national entities and corporations.

More at http://klafterolsen.com/attorneys/fran-l-rudich/.

Madeline Messa

Madeline Messa is a 3L at Syracuse University College of Law. She graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism. With her legal research and writing for Workplace Fairness, she strives to equip people with the information they need to be their own best advocate.