They have won hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements on behalf of thousands of accident victims, many of them catastrophically injured. They have been lead counsel in several multi-plaintiff litigations. Mr. Barasch and his colleagues take special pride in the work they have done on behalf of injured New York City firefighters, winning landmark decisions that have shaped the law on their behalf. After helping scores of firefighters receive awards in their individual cases, the firm was thrust into the legal problems of those killed and injured in the World Trade Center attacks, representing the families of dozens of firefighters killed, as well as over 1,000 first responders who sustained permanent respiratory illnesses from the toxic dust at the WTC site.

Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein appointed Mr. Barasch as liaison counsel on behalf of all rescue workers injured or killed, and he worked closely with Kenneth Feinberg, the Special Master of the Victim Compensation Fund, to expand the rules of the Air Transportation Safety and Systems Stabilization Act. When the VCF closed in 2004, the firm fought to reopen it because many clients continued to be diagnosed with new illnesses caused by the toxic dust, and/or they were found disabled after they had received an award for a non-disabling injury.

In January 2011 President Obama signed the Zadroga Act into law, named in honor of the firm's client, NYPD Detective Jimmy Zadroga, who died of pulmonary disease in 2006 caused by WTC toxins. As a result, $2.4 billion has been made available for medical care and $2.7 billion has been set aside for compensation to those whose health has gotten worse since 2003. Mr. Barasch and his colleagues currently represent more than 5,000 sick first responders and residents."

 

Before joining the Board, Joe’s broad work experience includes teaching as a college instructor, writing as a freelancer, and positions in health insurance, the software industry and at FEMA. He has written for dozens of publications as well. Joe holds an MA from SUNY at Albany.

 

Dr. Crane is currently Deputy Director of the Mount Sinai WTC Monitoring and Treatment Program.

 

She has worked with various social service agencies over the years providing counselling services and community workshops. For the past 10 years, Virginia developed and organized a weekly reading program for children with special needs and volunteered in a local soup kitchen and food pantry. Virginia has always been passionate about meeting people’s concrete needs for housing, education, and nutrition.

Virginia is a Chicago native and enjoys hiking, walking along the beach, and lively conversation.

 

A former private counterterrorism investigator, John litigates for foreign terror victims and victims of international human rights abuses in areas including Iraq, Libya, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates. He was a key member of the team that prosecuted Linde et al. v. Arab Bank Plc, the first litigation against a financial institution brought to trial under the Anti-Terrorism Act. He is also a member of the team litigating against al Qaeda's alleged financiers and supporters arising out of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. John oversees Motley Rice’s litigation against Iran for its role in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in addition to claims filed with the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund arising out of judgments entered against Iran for the firm’s 9/11 clients.

 

John went through years of surgeries and innumerable hours of therapy; as well as extensive hospital stays and mounting medical expenses. Once out of the hospital, John made it his mission to alleviate the Heroes of 9/11 from the burdens he experienced and created the FealGood Foundation. The foundation assists First Responders and others who have been physically or mentally injured as a result of their rescue, recovery and clean-up efforts at the WTC site. John has helped pass 19 pieces of legislation in DC, NYS, NJ and Michigan. Through his organization, he has donated $10 million over the last 20 years, built a memorial and donated a kidney.

 

Frank retired from IBM in June 2005 after a career of nearly 33 years. He held a variety of sales and executive management positions in IBM headquarters in the tri-state area, including Global Client Director and Vice President, Alliances in the Computer Services Industry. Following his retirement from IBM, he established Fetchet Consulting LLC which helped firms in their route-to-market and distribution strategies.

Frank resides in New Canaan, CT with Mary, his wife of more than 40 years. He graduated from Youngstown State University and was an IBM Certified Client Director, having participated in the Harvard Executive Program in 2003. Frank and Mary have three sons, Wes, Chris - and Brad, who perished at the age of 24 on 9/11.

 

Using social work practices, she developed a wide array of innovative programs that provide continuity of care and promote resilience in the lives of those impacted. VOICES has served tens-of-thousands of victims’ families, survivors, responders, and families of those who have died of 9/11-related illnesses.

Ms. Fetchet is equally committed to leveraging VOICES over two decades of expertise to assist communities in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from other tragedies. Working collaboratively with public-private partnerships in the United States and abroad, she shares lessons learned, provides training and conducts research. More recently she is creating VOICES Community Preparedness Training, A Victim-Centered Approach to Prepare for, Respond to, and Recover from Tragedy, a two-day training for community stakeholders that will be launched in September, 2023.

A strong advocate for victims’ rights and mental health care for victims’ families, responders and survivors, Ms. Fetchet provides a unique perspective on the long-term needs of those impacted by tragedy. As an advocate for public policy reforms to make the country safer, she was instrumental in advocating for the establishment of the 9/11 Commission which led to sweeping government intelligence reforms and testified on five occasions before the United States Congress and the 9/11 Commission. Ms. Fetchet has served on dozens of advisory boards including the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, INVICTM, the Family Steering Committee for the Establishment of the 9/11 Commission, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Ms. Fetchet is a co-author of several publications based on research findings from, “Investigating the Long-term Impact of Bereavement due to Terrorism.” As a pioneer in preparing communities, she led the creation of Preparing for After: How to Help Victims of Mass Violence and VOICES of Experience: Helping Communities Heal After Traumatic Events.

A 1994 graduate of Columbia University School of Social Work (CUSSW), Ms. Fetchet has received numerous awards for her work, including the induction into the Hall of Fame at Columbia University School of Social Work, ABC News Person of the Year, and NBC News Making a Difference.

 

Dr. Graham joined the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in 2006, and later served as Deputy Chief Medical Examiner for the borough of Manhattan. With a particular focus most recently on the investigation of overdose fatalities, he leads OCME's response to the opioid epidemic in coordination with local, state and federal partners. Dr. Graham established the OCME Drug Intelligence and Intervention Group in 2016 and currently serves as Chair of the city's RxStat Overdose Fatality Review Committee led by the OCME since summer 2021.

A native of Tennessee, Dr. Graham graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He then completed general surgery internship and anatomic pathology residency at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta prior to subspecialty fellowship training in forensic pathology at the Emory/Fulton County Medical Examiner program. Dr. Graham is board certified by the American Board of Pathology in both anatomic and forensic pathology. He holds faculty appointment currently as Chair for the Department of Forensic Medicine at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine. Dr. Graham has published in numerous peer-reviewed scientific journals in the areas of forensic science, medicine, and pathology, and he is a member of both the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and the National Association of Medical Examiners.

 

Dr. Gurwitch has numerous scientific publications and presentations addressing these topics. She has responded to disasters /traumatic events, both nationally and internationally. She has helped to develop materials for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN), the American Red Cross, the U.S. Department of Education, and the American Psychological Association, among others, related to disaster mental health, secondary traumatic stress, and resilience. With a focus on these issues, Dr. Gurwitch has served on state and national committees and task forces as well as consulted with federal and state agencies and school systems.

Among her appointments, Dr. Gurwitch served on the inaugural US Department of Health and Human Services’ National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters. Dr. Gurwitch is a subject matter expert regarding at-risk populations for the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and children’s issues for the American Psychological Association. Dr. Gurwitch has been actively involved in the NCTSN since it began in 2001, with efforts largely focused on Disaster/Terrorism. She now serves as a Senior Advisor for the Disaster and Terrorism Program of the National Center for Child Traumatic Stress; Dr. Gurwitch is the Co-Principal Investigator for the NEW DAY (Network for Enhancing Wellness in Disaster-Affected Youth) SAMHSA-funded grant with the NCTSN. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Dr. Gurwitch has been involved in activities related to understanding its impact and improving coping for children and their families.

Dr. Gurwitch is a leader in the evidence-based treatment, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). As one of only 21 Global Trainers worldwide, certified by PCIT International, Dr. Gurwitch is involved in training, service, consultation and research in PCIT. She is recognized as the national leader in the adaptation of PCIT for use with military families coping with deployment. Dr. Gurwitch and her colleague recently developed an adaptation of PCIT specifically for use with children who have experienced trauma.

Dr. Gurwitch is one of the co-developers of Child-Adult Relationship Enhancement (CARE), a trauma and evidence-informed program based on PCIT and other evidence-based parenting interventions designed for to strengthen relationships and to improve behaviors in children and teens. CARE is being used across settings throughout the US and internationally, with a growing evidence base. Again, Dr. Gurwitch has taken the primary role in adapting CARE for use after disasters, in military settings, and, with colleagues, an adaptation for school settings. Recently, Dr. Gurwitch has been involved in the inclusion of COVID-19 and DEI issues into PCIT and CARE implementation, including its use via telehealth.

 

Robert represents more than 6,600 family members and survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He is co-liaison counsel and an active member of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee for Personal Injury and Death Claims in In re Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001, seeking to expose and bankrupt the alleged financiers and supporters of al Qaeda. Robert also played a central role in In re September 11th Litigation, involving more than 50 personal injury and wrongful death clients against the aviation and aviation security industries for their alleged failure to detect and prevent the 9/11 attacks.

Robert has also represented terrorism victims in litigation against Arab Bank for allegedly supporting Hamas.

 

After serving on the law faculty at Rutgers University-Camden and the University of California Hastings College of the Law, she became the 14th president of Mills College, the first women’s college west of the Rockies. In 2022, she was appointed chair of the independent Military Justice Review Panel, chartered by Congress to review and assess the operation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. She served on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine study group that issued a landmark 2018 report on sexual harassment and on the Response Systems Panel, which made recommendations for improving the U.S. military's investigation, prosecution, and adjudication of sexual assault in 2014.

A recipient of the U.S. Department of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service and the CalVet Trailblazer Award from the California Department of Veteran Affairs, she is a member of American Law Institute and the Council on Foreign Relations and holds degrees in engineering, law, and history from Duke, Yale, and Penn.

 

In 2009, Dr. Howard worked as a consultant with the US-Afghanistan Health Initiative. In September of 2009, Dr. Howard was again appointed NIOSH Director. He was reappointed for a third six-year term in 2015, and a fourth term in 2021.

Prior to his appointments as NIOSH Director and WTC Health Program Administrator, Dr. Howard served as Chief of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health in the State of California’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency from 1991 through 2002.

Dr. Howard earned a Doctor of Medicine from Loyola University of Chicago; a Master of Public Health from the Harvard University School of Public Health; a Doctor of Law from the University of California at Los Angeles; and a Master of Law in Administrative Law and Economic Regulation, and a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management, both degrees from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Howard is board-certified in internal medicine and occupational medicine. He is admitted to the practice of medicine and law in the State of California and in the District of Columbia, and he is a member U.S. Supreme Court bar. He has written numerous articles on occupational health, policy, and law.

 

He has also been appointed by the Federal Court as a member of the Plaintiffs Committee for liability arising out of the September 11 attacks. Subsequent to the terrorist attacks, Mr. Kushlefsky established himself as one of the Nation’s leading experts on the September 11 Victims’ Compensation Fund, representing more than 120 families in the VCF.

 

Additionally, Ms. Landau serves as VOICES representative at external events and forums, coordinating partnerships with nonprofits, various service providers, and community stakeholders. Stephanie co-presents with Voices Founder and Director, Mary Fetchet in providing summary overviews of the “Preparing for After” and other trainings and is helping to develop the revised Voices Center Preparedness Training curriculum, comprised of over 20 hours of training modules for community stakeholders. Over the past 18 years, Stephanie has provided thousands of hours of case management services to assist 9/11 families, survivors, and responders in accessing resources and support services.

As project manager for the 9/11 Living Memorial Project, Stephanie conducted hundreds of workshops in communities throughout the tri-state area and Washington, D.C. Her team met with over 1,600 families to create tributes to their loved ones in the 9/11 Living Memorial Project resulting in over 87,000 photographs that VOICES donated to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. In addition to meeting with victims’ family members, she implemented the program to collect survivor and responder stories and other firsthand accounts and compiled data for over 1,000 memorials. Ms. Landau’s responsibilities also include the management of VOICES high school and college internship programs. She continues to participate in other 9/11-related events such as 9/11 Memorial & Museum Community Nights, special exhibit openings and anniversary services.

 

A researcher and educator with diverse interests and achievements, Dr. Luft is a passionate spokesman who seeks to impart a reverence for humanity and a commitment to ethics in the practice of medicine.

 

Andrew participated in one of the largest personal injury settlements in history in the state of Connecticut (a charter plane crash at the Bridgeport, CT Airport) and also participated in several of the largest recoveries in history under the Military Claims Act involving a 1996 Air Force plane crash in Dubrovnik, Croatia. He also achieved a rare reversal from the NTSB of their previous conclusion of pilot-error based on his investigation of a product defect following a helicopter fatality.

Andrew has tried dozens of cases in state and federal courts throughout the U.S. in a wide variety of matters beyond aviation, building on the earlier part of his career spent as a Federal Prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. There he investigated cases with the FBI, DEA, ATF, Secret Service, U.S. Marshals, NYPD, and several other law enforcement agencies, trying cases and arguing appeals on behalf of the United States. Prior to this, he served as law clerk to the late SDNY District Judge Lloyd F. MacMahon.

Andrew’s pro bono activities include winning a five-year fight with the U.S. Department of Justice to gain well-deserved recognition, under the Federal Public Safety Officer’s Benefits Act, for Glenn Winuk, a volunteer firefighter and EMT who died on September 11, 2001, trying to save others. As a result, the American Association of Justice (AAJ) awarded Mr. Maloney “Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year.” Mr. Maloney, a volunteer firefighter himself, served at the World Trade Center in the days after the attacks.

 

After his transition to the private sector, Matt became a busy and talented medical malpractice defense attorney, successfully handling a large caseload, assisting at numerous jury trials including the questioning of witnesses, and obtaining numerous favorable decisions granting motions for summary judgment or procedural dismissals to Matt’s clients in complicated medical malpractice actions brought by some of New York City’s best plaintiff’s attorneys. At the same firm, he added the defense of multi-state pharmaceutical and medical device cases to his resumé, working on all of the above simultaneously.

Matt then became senior litigation counsel at another large New York firm. There, his earlier background as both a police officer and certified paramedic made him a natural fit to develop the firm’s nascent practice in the representation of first responders in 9/11-related matters. Before graduating law school, Matt had been a New York City police officer assigned to Manhattan North, Queens North and to the Deputy Commissioner of Legal Matters. In the latter position, he had served as a liaison between the NYPD and other city, state and federal agencies in high profile cases. Prior to and during his NYPD career, and even during the early years of his legal career, he continued to work as a paramedic in Westchester County and New York City. On September 11, 2001, shortly after the initial attacks on the Towers, he had instinctively reported for duty to Ground Zero as a volunteer first responder from his job at the Second Circuit federal appeals court several blocks away.

Several years after the dust and smoke from that tragic day was thought by most to have cleared, but when it actually became apparent that first responders and many others involved in the rescue, recovery and clean-up work at Ground Zero were falling ill with various diseases at young ages, Matt joined forces with some of the country’s best legal and political advocates to feverishly lobby for the passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, affording benefits and compensation to ill and injured first responders and civilian survivors through the creation of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, administered by the U.S. Department of Justice. Matt and other dedicated advocates of the crucial legislation successfully redoubled their efforts and, in 2015, and then again in 2019, got Congress to reauthorize the Zadroga Act. He has dedicated himself to fighting for the cause of the September 11th first responders and civilian survivors for as long as the need may exist.

Matt joined the firm in 2016 and became a principal partner in 2019. Continuing to work as a 9/11 advocate, he has obtained millions of dollars in awards from the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, for first responders (including not only police officers and firefighters, but also construction and iron workers, sanitation workers, civilian volunteers and many others) in their subsequent role as victims and survivors of the terrible, medical aftermath of those devastating events. Matt also spends considerable time and effort (on a pro bono basis) informing first responders and qualifying civilian survivors about the World Trade Center Health Program (administered by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and getting them enrolled as participants. This enables their health to be monitored regularly, at no cost to them, by doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals specializing in occupational and environmental illnesses, often providing for the earliest possible medical intervention to address a 9/11-related disease.

In addition to his diverse litigation and 9/11-related work at the firm, Matt serves as a town prosecutor for the Town of Mamaroneck. During law school, he was appointed as a student assistant district attorney in the New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney’s Office, where he prosecuted domestic violence cases. He was also selected as a student intern by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he worked with federal prosecutors on terrorism cases. He is dedicated to his family and church, is an active member of his Parish, and holds board member positions on a school foundation and various youth sports organizations, for which he also coaches. He is admitted to practice law before the courts of the State of New York, Commonwealth of Massachusetts and District of Columbia, and before the United States District Courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

 

He is FDNY’s senior Pulmonary Consultant, Co-Director of FDNY’s World Trade Center (WTC) Medical Program, the Principal Investigator for the NIOSH funded FDNY WTC Data Center and the Co-Director of the NIOSH funded FDNY WTC Clinical Center of Excellence.

Dr. David Prezant received his Bachelor of Science from Columbia College in 1977 and his Doctor of Medicine from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1981. After completing his internal medicine residency at Harlem Hospital, he returned to Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center for his Pulmonary Fellowship training. Currently, Dr. Prezant is a Professor of Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a pulmonary physician at the main teaching hospital – Montefiore Medical Center. He is the course director for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine course on Pulmonary, Critical Care & Disaster Medicine.

In 1986, Dr. Prezant became an FDNY Medical Officer and in 1994 the Deputy Chief Medical Officer. In 2006, supervision of FDNY’s Office of Medical Affairs for Emergency Medical Services was added to his responsibilities. In 2010, he was appointed to be a Chief Medical Officer and the Special Advisor to the Fire Commissioner for Health Policy.

On 9/11, Dr. Prezant was at the WTC taking care of FDNY firefighters and EMS rescue workers. He was present during the collapse and its aftermath and helped with triage efforts. Since then, he has been responsible for the design and implementation of the WTC medical monitoring and treatment program for FDNY firefighters and EMS WTC rescue workers funded by the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health. Dr. Prezant has played a key role in leveraging the WTC Health Program so that members can obtain WTC Victims Compensation benefits and DOJ Public Safety benefits.

Most recently, Dr. Prezant has assisted the Fire Commissioner and Chief of Department in coordinating FDNY’s response to Pandemics including EBOLA and COVID-19 – including medical protocols, personal protective equipment, testing, vaccinations, and other related activities.

In addition, Dr. Prezant’s expertise has led to advances in firefighting gear for the prevention of burn injuries and the improvement of physical performance; design of the IAFF Wellness Fitness Initiative and the IAFF Candidate Physical Ability Test; the FDNY electronic medical record and injury reporting system, computerized triage for the NYC 911 EMS system, and Medicare’s EMS ET3 model initiative.

Dr. Prezant has served on the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine Committee on Personal Protective Equipment; is a member of the IAFF Redmond Advisory Board and the NFPA Health and Safety Committee (co-authoring the Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments).

He has authored over 250 peer-reviewed medical scientific papers, of which over 100 have been on the health impact of the WTC on NYC Firefighters and EMS workers including seminal papers in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Lancet, the CDC’s MMWR, Environmental Health Perspectives, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine and CHEST. This work has identified illnesses such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, COPD, sarcoidosis, rhinosinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux, mental health disturbances, obstructive sleep apnea and cancers as WTC-related illnesses eligible for federal coverage.

In recognition of these activities, Dr. Prezant has received numerous awards including at Albert Einstein College of Medicine distinguished teaching awards, the American Thoracic Society’s Public Service Award (2011), the American College Chest of Chest Physicians’ Presidential Citation Honor Lecture Award (2012) and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor (2023).

 

Since the Fund reopened in October 2011, she has served in various leadership roles touching most aspects of the program, including supervision of the public-facing Helpline, managing the team responsible for all outgoing correspondence, supervising the eligibility claim review team, developing a training program for new staff, and coordinating cross-team leadership efforts. Nicole joined the United States Department of Justice as an Attorney Advisor to focus on economic loss claim review in 2015. The following year, the Special Master tapped her to lead the team of legal professionals dedicated to reviewing FDNY and NYPD first responder claims.

Nicole has a deep understanding of VCF policy, and her comprehensive knowledge of the program overall is rooted in her longevity and progress within the Fund. As a member of the VCF Outreach Team, Nicole has represented the VCF during in-person information sessions, training sessions, and virtual webinars alike. She has served as a subject matter expert for the appeals process, and as a Hearing Officer presiding over in-person and virtual eligibility and compensation appeal hearings. In October 2020, Nicole was named Associate Special Master, a leadership team role created to provide additional operational and policy support to the Special Master. In this role, Nicole provided oversight to streamline productivity across the team, and ensure that claims continue to move as quickly and efficiently as possible. In 2022, she received the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division Special Commendation Award in recognition of her exemplary service.

Prior to joining the VCF, Nicole worked in project management and began her legal career at a small private practice. She graduated from the Howard University School of Law and received her undergraduate degree cum laude from Howard University. Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Nicole is a member of the New York State Bar and District of Columbia Bar. She now calls the Washington, DC area home.

 

Her pursuit for justice has led to successes in declassification of the “28 pages”, enactment of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act – “JASTA”, the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral 2021 September 11 Transparency Act which was the catalyst for President Biden’s Executive Order on September 3, 2021, directing a Declassification Review of key 9/11 documents, resulting in troves of newly declassified documents never seen before.

At the launch of LIV Golf in 2022, she began the Stop Saudi Sportswashing campaign and is currently working with congress to enact the Ensuring Justice Victims Terrorism Act to protect the 9/11 community’s ability to continue their civil litigation against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the role it played in the September 11 terrorist attack against our nation.

 

Prior to this role, Allison oversaw all grant functions for the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (“SMART”). Previously at the SMART office, she had oversight over the team working with American Indian tribes to implement the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. For their efforts, she and her team received the Assistant Attorney General Award for Exceptional Service.

Allison previously served as the Deputy Director of the Federal, International, and Tribal Division at OVC. She oversaw the Antiterrorism Emergency Assistance Program, including the International Terrorism Victim Expense Reimbursement Program, National Mass Violence Victimization Center, and OVC's Mass Violence victim support program. As Deputy Director, she also provided guidance and resources for Federal partners’ victim services programs. In addition, she led the tribal victims' services program, including the creation of innovative and efficient processes to help the Department effectuate a massive increase in funding for the first ever Tribal Victim Services Set Aside Program, and the creation of the Tribal Financial Management Center.

Before her Federal service, Allison was the Director of the National District Attorneys Association's (“NDAA”) National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse (“NCPCA”), where she managed program activities and staff; and trained and provided technical assistance nationwide on child abuse, maltreatment, sexual exploitation, computer facilitated crimes against children, and domestic violence. She has also authored numerous articles on these topics. Prior to her position at NDAA, Allison was a prosecutor for over 11 years, serving in New York and Illinois. She was an Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney's Office for more than nine years, where she tried a wide variety of felony cases.

Allison was born and raised in New York City, and although living in the Washington D.C. area for the past 20 years, considers herself a lifetime New Yorker. Before beginning her legal career, Allison was a police officer and lieutenant for eight years in the Philadelphia area. She received her B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from Temple University School of Law.

 

She is currently also working with UGent and ENABEL to improve cultural sensitive support for victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burkina Faso and Senegal. An is a postdoctoral researcher with specific interest, publications and experience on the psychosocial impact of victimisation (e.g. sexual violence, armed conflict, migration, terrorism) and its implications for psychosocial support for victims. She worked as a psychologist in war-affected regions in Northern Uganda and Eastern Congo.

In Eastern Congo she founded and managed the Centre for Children in Vulnerable Situations, a victim support NGO providing psychosocial support to children, families and communities impacted by armed conflict. There, she carried out a large scale quantitative and qualitative doctoral study on the psychosocial consequences of sexual violence during and after the armed conflict and its consequences for treatment. She is a proud member of INVICTIM and works as a volunteer with Victim Support Europe to contribute to improving support for victims of terrorism in Belgium, Europe and around the world.

 

On September 11, 2001, Jay’s brother Glenn J. Winuk, an attorney, volunteer firefighter and EMT, was killed in the line of duty at the World Trade Center. Inspired by his brother’s devotion to community service and his courageous actions, Jay joined David Paine in 2002 as co-founder in helping to build the 9/11 Day initiative into a national observance. Jayis a frequent public speaker about and passionate advocate for volunteerism and national service.

In addition to his leadership role for MyGoodDeed, Jay serves as president of Winuk Communications, Inc., the public relations agency he founded in 1994. He has won numerous national public relations awards. He earned a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University and a B.A. degree in communications from the State University of New York at Oneonta.