Our Staff

 

  • Quisquella Addison (qaddison@probono.net)
    LawHelpNY Program Director
    Quisquella joined Pro Bono Net in July 2016. Previously, she worked as a Staff Attorney at the Legal Aid Society focusing primarily on eviction defense. She began her legal career as an Equal Justice Works AmeriCorps Legal Fellow with Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. and LiveHelp Program Coordinator at LawHelpNY. Prior to law school, Quisquella was the Constituent Services Director for New York State Senator Eric Schneiderman. She also lived abroad for several years in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where she taught and volunteered with a local women’s law project, Centro de Servicios Legales para la Mujer (CENSEL). She received her JD from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and received a self-tailored B.A. in Ethnic Studies from Mount Holyoke College. She was a 2012 Council of Urban Professionals Fellow, holds a Certificate in Corporate Compliance from Fordham University School of Law and is a Certified Mediator. Originally from Boston, she currently lives in New York City.
  • Zizi Bandera (zbandera@immigrationadvocates.org)
    Immigration Advocates Network Community Engagement Coordinator
    Zizi joined the Immigration Advocates Network in June 2015. She has experience working for immigrant, worker, and LGBT rights as an organizer, policy advocate, and community educator. Most recently, at the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights of Los Angeles (CHIRLA), she served as Organizer and Community Education Outreach Coordinator. Prior to that she worked at Public Allies in Los Angeles, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, Equality California, and the Trevor Project. She is a graduate of the University of California, Riverside.
  • Tim Baran ( tbaran@probono.net)
    LawHelpNY Program Manager
    Tim joined Pro Bono Net in June 2018. His two-decade journey in the legal space has taken him from the Federal Courts to Law Firm Library Director to Legal Tech Ambassador to Legal Marketing. He works closely with legal services and community-based organizations and manages initiatives that leverage technology and LawHelpNY’s online resources to expand access to legal assistance for low-income and vulnerable communities and strengthen collaboration within the civil justice sector in New York. His LawHelpNY work with Pro Bono Net engages his passion for access to justice and love of community. He’s an avid podcaster - listening and hosting - but please don’t hold that against him. Tim likes to travel but loves coming back to Manhattan, his home for more than 20 years.
  • Don Bellamy (dbellamy@probono.net)
    Senior Developer
    Don joined Pro Bono Net in February 2013 after spending several years working as a subcontractor for the organization. Prior to joining Pro Bono Net, he ran his own consulting company and has over 20 years of experience in the web development field. He lives with his wife and four daughters in Dewitt, Michigan.
  • Paul Bennett (pbennett@probono.net)
    Director of Finance & Administration
    Paul Bennett joined Pro Bono Net as the Director of Finance and Administration in March 2018. Paul coordinates the financial, human resource, and administrative support functions. Prior to Pro Bono Net, Paul served as the Director of Finance and Administration at Hunger Free America and the Chief Financial Officer of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute. Paul also served as a consultant at the Nonprofit Finance Fund where he served as a Senior Consultant and Director of Analytics, amongst other roles. His claim to minor fame was to lead the research that resulted in the Financial SCAN product from Guidestar. Paul has taught “Advanced Excel” as an adjunct professor at NYU and is an alumni of the Coro Fellows Program.
  • Rodrigo Camarena (rcamarena@immigrationadvocates.org)
    Director, Immigration Advocates Network
    Rodrigo Camarena is the Director of the Immigration Advocates Network, the largest network of nonprofit legal advocates committed to defending immigrants. Rodrigo was formerly Strategy Director at Purpose where he developed advocacy campaigns, digital products and brand strategies for global change-makers like the Ford Foundation, UNICEF, and Fwd.us. Prior to Purpose, Rodrigo developed new initiatives to tackle economic inequality as Executive Director of Business Growth Programs for the City of New York. Rodrigo is also the former Executive Director of the Mixteca Organization - an immigrant rights organization based in Sunset Park Brooklyn.
  • Doug Carlson (dcarlson@probono.net)
    Director of Technology & Operations
    Doug's background includes leading both technology and operations for a range of companies in the tech, services, and non-profit spaces. He has served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer for a number of firms, with a focus on startups and high growth organizations. Doug founded and built a 100 person Internet technologies firm, running it for eight years before selling it to a publicly traded firm. He recently completed a four-year consulting engagement with Teach For America, revamping their HR, recruiting, and financial operations, implementing new core corporate systems, and helping them build out and mature their technology operations.

  • Connie Cheng (ccheng@immigrationadvocates.org)
    Field Support Associate, Immigration Advocates Network
    Connie joined the Immigration Advocates Network in August 2018. She is passionate about building the capacity of immigrant communities. While in college, she directed a naturalization assistance program for Chinese immigrants in Greater Boston. Connie previously interned at the National Partnership for New Americans and the Asian American Legal Defense & Education Fund. She received a B.A. in Economics from Harvard University and now lives with her college roommate, and their fish, in New York City.

  • Jessica Darling (jdarling@probono.net)
    Development Associate
    Jessica joined Pro Bono Net in June 2018. She was previously the Development and Communications intern for Pro Bono Net throughout the spring of 2018. Jessica recently graduated from Pace University with a B.A. in Communications as well as with a minor in Marketing. She enjoys volunteering, writing, and exploring the city in her spare time. Originally from New Hampshire, Jessica now happily lives in Manhattan.

  • Abigail Eusebio (aeusebio@probono.net)
    Finance and Administration Manager
    Abigail fully joined Pro Bono Net in March 2017 after working as a consultant on the LawHelpNY’s website. Abigail’s background includes both technology and operations for companies in tech, government, and professional services institutions. Prior to Pro Bono Net, Abigail worked on technical and digital media projects, which ranged from immigration to housing and recruitment. Abigail held a City Council (elected) position in the Philippines before moving to the U.S. to finish her studies. Abigail holds a Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics from the University of San Francisco. Abigail also holds a certificate in Data Science. An avid runner, Abigail pledges to finish at least a half marathon every year in support of a nonprofit cause.
  • Kevin Freyne (kfreyne@probono.net)
    ProBono.Net & LawHelp Quality Engineer
    Kevin joined Pro Bono Net full-time in November 2007, and now serves as the QA Engineer. Prior to joining Pro Bono Net, he worked for Plural Inc and Dell Professional Services (DPS). Kevin worked on various projects, which ranged from Mortgage Partnership Financial program for a major federal financial institution to testing a proprietary intranet solution of a not-for-profit research organization dedicated to reviewing medical research. Kevin received an A.S. degree in Business Management from the Borough of Manhattan Community College in December 2007. He lives in New York City.
  • Jacquelyn Gitzes (jgitzes@probono.net)
    Development Officer
    Jacquelyn (Jax) joined Pro Bono Net in January of 2015 as the Development Associate, based in the New York office. With an M.A. in International Relations and Diplomacy from Seton Hall University, she specializes in nonprofit development and communications with a passion for human rights and access to justice. During her graduate studies she interned at Physicians for Human Rights and Immigration Equality in the communications and development departments respectively. She also holds a B.A. in International Relations from Ursinus College in PA. In her spare time she enjoys reading, nerd popculture, and volunteering.
  • Mike Grunenwald (mgrunenwald@probono.net)
    Program Manager
    Mike joined Pro Bono Net in March 2015.  Previously, Mike worked for several years at the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Program, where he served as the lead on a variety of technology initiatives, including management of the probono.net/dc and LawHelp.org/DC websites and development of interactive interviews on the LawHelp Interactive platform.  Mike has a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, an M.A. in Philosophy from Vanderbilt University, and a B.A. summa cum laude in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Dayton, where he also taught philosophy courses for several years.  Mike lives in Dayton, Ohio with his wife and their twin boys.
  • Kanchana Hegde (khegde@probono.net)
    LawHelp Interactive & Pro Bono Manager Quality Engineer
    Kanchana joined Pro Bono Net in January 2013 after previously working with a start-up pharmaceutical company in India, and in California as a QA tester. Kanchana earned her Bachelor's degree in Science from India, and was a part of the certificate program at Hudson County School of Technology on Inclusive Education. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey.
  • Claudia Johnson (cjohnson@probono.net)
    LawHelp Interactive Program Manager
    Claudia joined Pro Bono Net in April 2008. She was most recently part of the management team at Bay Area Legal Aid in Oakland, where she implemented and managed the Legal Advice Line (LAL). LAL is a team of cross trained multilingual advocates providing real time counsel and advice in four areas of law across seven counties. Before joining Bay Legal Claudia was a supervising attorney at the Volunteer Legal Services Program in San Francisco. She supervised the pro bono panel for eviction and consumer defense cases, and intake and placement for eviction, consumer, federal and family law. Claudia started her legal services career in Philadelphia, where she was a Skadden Fellow working on managed care. She is a graduate from the Goldman School of Public Policy and the Graduate School of Public Health at UC Berkeley, and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She lives in Washington state.
  • Liz Keith (lkeith@probono.net)
    Program Director
    Liz joined Pro Bono Net in December 2004, working first as a LawHelp Circuit Rider and now as the Program Director. She received a self-tailored master's degree in community informatics from the University of Michigan School of Information, where she was a consultant to community information projects for the Digital Partners Social Enterprise Laboratory and the Alliance for Community Technology in Haiti and Chile. Prior to graduate school, Liz served as Director of Communications and Development at the Maine Women's Policy Center. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area.
  • Aimee Latorre(alatorre@probono.net)
    LiveHelp Program Coordinator
    Aimee Latorre joined Pro Bono Net in February 2018. She previously founded Empowering Resolutions, where she advised employers on the hiring and management of household staff. Aimee previously worked as an Associate at Kasowitz, Benson, Torres Friedman LLP, Coudert Brothers LLP, with a focus on commercial, employment and bankruptcy-related litigation. Aimee is a Certified Mediator, and throughout her private practice actively engaged in pro bono work including immigration matters, as well as serving as a community and court mediator. Aimee received her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and B.A. in Political Science from Fordham College at Rose Hill. Aimee is based in New York City.
  • Patricia Malone (pmalone@probono.net)
    Program Associate Director
    Pat joined Pro Bono Net in November 2011. She manages staff, projects, and legal content, with more than 15 years experience in nonprofit project management and immigration law. At Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), she trained and supported immigration practitioners; represented immigrants in proceedings; managed local outreach projects; started a newsletter and a hotline; and, recruited pro bono counsel to represent immigrant children. Prior to CLINIC, she worked at Proyecto Libertad in South Texas and AYUDA in Washington, D.C. Ms. Malone has a BA from SUNY Oneonta, and a JD from the University of San Francisco.
  • Colin MacAllister (cmacallister@probono.net)
    ProBono.Net Senior Developer
    In January 2014 Colin joined the team at Pro Bono Net as a Senior Developer. He has worked as a web developer for over 19 years, most recently as a Senior Web Developer at the Columbia Business School. He worked in a variety of other fields in the past, including technical writing, marketing, and journalism. He earned a bachelor's in English from Rice University in his native Texas, and more recently a degree in Computer Science from Columbia. In 2002 he founded a group on the Lower East Side to disseminate literature and host lectures on environmental and health issues arising from September 11th, and before that helped to start a local chapter of the Green Party. In the deep dark past he acted in comedies and dramas and played bass in a ska band, and he keeps promising himself that he'll teach these things, and programming, to his daughter. He lives in New York City.
  • Mark J. McGrath (mmcgrath@probono.net)
    Chief Development Officer
    Mark joined the team at Pro Bono Net in May of 2016. Previously he worked as a consultant with a wide variety of non-profit organizations leading their development efforts. Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Hale House Center, and The International Center for Transitional Justice are few of the organizations Mark has had helped raise funds to supporting their work over the past few years. Prior to his work as fundraising counsel, Mark gained valuable experience leading the development departments of a variety of New York organizations which include Continuum Health Partners, Inc., United Hospital Fund and United Way of New York City. Mark resides in Manhattan and is based in the New York office.

  • Mirenda Meghelli (mmeghelli@probono.net)
    Partnerships Manager
    Mirenda joined Pro Bono Net in July 2012. She previously worked as the Hotline Program Coordinator for Legal Information for Families Today (LIFT), where she managed the organization's telephone and email family law information hotlines. Before LIFT, Mirenda worked as a staff attorney at the Bronx Defenders within the organization's Family Defense Practice. She received her B.A. in History from University of Pennsylvania and earned her J.D. from Georgetown Law. Mirenda lives in Washington, DC.
  • Mark O'Brien (mobrien@probono.net)
    Executive Director
    Mark O'Brien is the co-founder and Executive Director of Pro Bono Net, a national nonprofit that increases access to justice for the poor and other vulnerable populations through innovative uses of technology, collaboration and volunteer mobilization. Founded in 1998, Pro Bono Net has built web platforms to support public interest lawyers, build broad based justice partnerships, and empower people in need to solve their own legal problems. Prior to starting Pro Bono Net, Mark spent eight years building a nationally recognized pro bono program at Davis Polk. He is a Senior Fellow of the Institute for Technology Law & Policy at Georgetown University Law Center, where he co-teaches the Technology, Innovation, and Law Practice Practicum. Mark was named a 2012 FastCase 50 honoree for his contributions to the legal technology field. Mark lives in Brooklyn, where he and artist Kit Warren, have raised two sons, and where he can regularly be found playing in pick-up soccer games in all seasons and all weather.
  • Jessica Penkoff (jpenkoff@probono.net)
    Pro Bono and Strategic Initiatives Coordinator
    Jessica (“Jess”) joined in March 2018 as Pro Bono & Strategic Initiatives Coordinator. She spearheads current pro bono initiatives and partnerships, and coordinates project management of new initiatives. Previously, Jess worked as a Senior Staff Attorney providing eviction defense to low-income tenants in Brooklyn (CAMBA Legal Services), as well as a Staff Attorney serving homeowners affected by Superstorm Sandy (NYLAG). She is proud to have volunteered with Sanctuary for Families and the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Greater New York (Le-Gal) to expand access to justice for homeless/at-risk LGBTQ youth through a weekly walk-in legal clinic in the West Village. She was born and raised in the sunshine and ocean breezes of Southern California, where she earned her B.A. from U.C.L.A. in 2007. In 2009, she moved to NYC to attend Fordham University School of Law, where she earned her J.D. in 2012.
  • Alice Pucheu (apucheu@probono.net)
    Project Manager
    Alice joined Pro Bono Net while pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Media Studies from Hunter College and years later is still excited to be a part of the organization. She has transitioned roles over the last few years and is currently the Project Manager for ProBono.Net, LawHelp, and LawHelp Interactive. She also works as a yoga instructor and professional dancer. When not at the office, Alice is usually breaking a sweat and smiling at a dance studio, yoga studio or gym. Although living happily as a New Yorker, she holds her Louisiana upbringing close to her heart.
  • Jeanne Ortiz-Ortiz (jortiz@probono.net)
    Disaster Response Legal Fellow
    Jeanne is a bilingual attorney and helps spearhead national disaster relief projects to empower the public with legal information and self-help tools, equip public interest advocates with resources to support their work on disaster relief and recovery, mobilize legal volunteers, and build national capacity around disaster legal aid. Before joining Pro Bono Net, Jeanne worked as a legal fellow at the Central Alabama Fair Housing Center and provided free legal representation and employment discrimination litigation on behalf of low-income LGBT individuals in Puerto Rico. She drafted proposals for the Puerto Rico Police Department on police intervention with the LGBT community and founded an award-winning Ms. JD chapter in her school to network over 200 law students and provide them with professional development resources. For three years, she led pro bono workshops around reproductive rights to low-income communities in Puerto Rico.
  • Simon Rah (srah@probono.net)
    Senior Project Manager
    Simon joined Pro Bono Net in September 2015 as a Senior Project Manager. He has been working in the IT field for over fifteen years in various capacity from programmer, statistician and systems analyst to project manager and department director. Over the years, he has worked primarily with non-profits, government and community-based organizations, helping them build and implement IT solutions to support their important work. He earned a Bachelor's in Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences from Brown University and a Master's in Experimental Psychology at C.U.N.Y. Before moving into IT, he taught undergraduate psychology courses for about 6 years and fantasizes about going back one day. He is a fan of media, especially video games, that combine his love of technology, art and story. His time working at ESRB fed his addiction and probably did not help his social life any.
  • Rafael Ramirez (rramirez@probono.net)
    Community Support Associate
    Joining Pro Bono Net in June 2016, Rafael comes from a background in Arts Administration and Information Technology, bringing his experience in service, project management and technology from both, for profit and nonprofit organizations as Community Support Associate. Prior to joining Pro Bono Net, Rafael worked at Nespresso, Macktez and Citi, in the fields of Information Technology and Compliance. A graduate of Indiana University, he holds a Master of Music degree. In his ongoing journey of growth and expansion, he enjoys the practice of mindfulness and exploration of consciousness. Rafael was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico and currently lives in New York City’s metro area.
  • Ken Ramsey (kramsey@probono.net)
    Immigration Advocates Network Program Coordinator
    Ken joined Pro Bono Net in 2011 as the Program Coordinator for Immigration Advocates Network. Prior to that, Ken worked as an Associate Director and Program Specialist for Church World Service's Immigration and Refugee Program and provided direct services to newly-arrived refugees as a Case Manager with Ecumenical Refugee Services in Denver, Colorado. Ken also lived abroad for several years in the Czech Republic, Thailand, and Poland as an English instructor and worked for an indigenous rights organization, Cultural Survival, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelors degree in Anthropology. Ken lives in Montclair, New Jersey with his wife and two cats.
  • Nora Rosati (nrosati@probono.net)
    Associate Product Manager
    Nora joined the LawHelp team in February 2018. She previously worked at Opportunity@Work where she supported the TechHire initiative, a national network of communities creating pathways for underrepresented Americans to learn skills and gain access to technical jobs. Nora has a B.A. in Philosophy and a minor in Computer Science from Georgetown University.
  • Sandra Sandoval (ssandoval@immigrationadvocates.org)
    Immigration Advocates Network Citizenshipworks Program Manager
    Sandra joined the Immigration Advocates Network in October 2013. Prior to joining IAN, Sandra worked with San Antonio Immigrant Youth Movement (SAIYM), a youth-led movement to empower undocumented youth by providing resources, tools, and guidance to help navigate the higher education system, while collaborating with other community organizations and leaders to advocate for fair and just immigration laws. Sandra, a DREAMer, is a recent recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). She received a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a MPA from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
  • Jessica Stuart (jstuart@probono.net)
    Pro Bono Manager Product Manager
    Jessica joined the Pro Bono Net team in August 2008, working first as LawHelp Program Associate and now as Product Manager for Pro Bono Manager. Prior to joining Pro Bono Net, Jessica lived in Los Angeles and worked for a major motion picture company on the rebuild of a B2B Asset Management application used by a number of different internal and external stakeholders. She now enjoys applying her interest in operations to helping law firms use technology to make their pro bono programs run more efficiently. Jessica earned her B.A. in Communication Processes from the University of Connecticut, and now lives in New York City.

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  • Greg Tenzer (gtenzer@probono.net)
    LawHelp Interactive Senior Developer
    Greg joined Pro Bono Net in July 2012. He has close to 14 years of experience working on a variety of different online solutions ranging from straight e-commerce sites to custom online services like roommate/apartment matching for long and short term stays. Other industry experience includes lead generation and various intranet systems. Greg was born and raised in northern New Jersey and has been living in NYC the past 5 years.
  • Jillian Theil (jtheil@probono.net)
    Field Support and Training
    Jillian joined Pro Bono Net in August 2011. Previously, she worked as a staff associate at the Center for Genetics and Society. She has also advised health and women’s empowerment organizations on public outreach, content and policy strategies, specializing in web-based projects. She earned her B.A. summa cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles. Jillian is based in San Francisco.
  • Sebastian Zavala (szavala@probono.net)
    Immigration Advocates Network Program Manager
    Sebastian joined the Immigration Advocates Network in May 2015. After law school he became an adjudications officer for USCIS, interviewing applicants for naturalization and permanent residency. He also served as a programs director for Catholic Charities of the East Bay and the International Institute of the Bay Area (IIBA), increasing the capacity of legal programs to serve low income clients through technology, efficient volunteer management, and cultivating the next generation of immigration advocates. Sebastian is one of the founding members of the East Bay Naturalization Collaborative, the Bay Area DACA Collaborative and the Horn of African Human Rights Network. Sebastian received a B.A. in Raza Studies with an emphasis in behavioral and social sciences from San Francisco State University. He received his J.D. from Arizona State University, with the highest pro bono distinctions. Sebastian lives in Oakland, California with his wife and dog.