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."

After graduating law school in 1973, Senator Blumenthal clerked for U.S. District Judge Jon Newman, and then for United States Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun.

He then transitioned to lead U.S. Senator Abraham A. Ribicoff's staff as Administrative Assistant. From 1977 to 1981, Senator Blumenthal served as a U.S. Attorney for Connecticut, in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1984 to 1987, and the Connecticut State Senate from 1987 to 1990. As a volunteer attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Senator Blumenthal saved the life of an innocent, wrongly convicted death row inmate who came within hours of execution.

Senator Blumenthal served five terms, from 1991 to 2011, as Connecticut's Attorney General. A leader in the fight against Big Tobacco, he helped end deceptive marketing aimed at children—a—victory lowering youth smoking rates, and compelling a multi-billion dollar settlement for Connecticut taxpayers. He also helped lead a coalition of all 50 states that culminated in historic agreements with social networking sites to better protect children from internet predators. He personally argued several major cases in court, including four before the U.S. Supreme Court—among them his successful effort to uphold the Connecticut sex offender registry.

In the Senate, Senator Blumenthal has built on his advocacy for consumers by holding companies accountable for the safety of their products. He has pushed GM to fix its cars' fatal defects, fought to keep dangerous nicotine products out of the hands of children, and worked to make communities safe from hazardous chemicals. As chair of the Commerce Consumer Protection subcommittee, he has led hearings and legislation to hold tech platforms accountable for privacy failings, toxic and illegal content, and other serious harms.

Senator Blumenthal is also working to bring Connecticut's transportation systems and infrastructure into the twenty-first century. Working with Connecticut's Congressional Delegation, he has secured billions of dollars of federal funding to improve rail safety, promoted climate resilience, and protected Long Island Sound and Connecticut's rivers and streams.

He has spearheaded legislation to support veterans by expanding employment opportunities, increasing housing access, holding the VA accountable, and providing health care for those exposed to toxic chemicals during their service including Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans and veterans working near burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. Senator Blumenthal authored the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, a bipartisan law to improve mental health care and suicide prevention resources.

Senator Blumenthal is a member of the Committee on the Judiciary, Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, Committee on Armed Services, and serves as the ranking Member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

 

Before joining the Board, Joe’s broad work experience included teaching as a college instructor, writing as a freelancer, as well as 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.

Cipolla spent the summer of 2001 covering stories in and around NYC and 9/11. He currently owns a media guest placement company. www.frankcipolla.tv.

She is excited to support the Assistant Secretary for Health ADM Christine’s priority areas—visibility, readiness, and response—with the goal to address critical public health challenges and improve the readiness and effectiveness of its officers.

RDML Delaney is the associate administrator and director of the World Trade Center Health Program where she provides executive oversight of a complex federal healthcare, health surveillance, and research program addressing the health problems arising in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks. With a 27-year career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, she has held various positions dedicated to promoting and enhancing occupational health and safety with a focus on preventing exposures that can lead to health effects during response and recovery work. She served in a variety of front-line leadership response roles during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic, Maui wildfires, and as Deputy Incident Manager for the 2019 Lung Injury Response. As the NIOSH senior leader and expert for anthrax preparedness, she addressed anthrax gaps by leading federal inter-agency work groups and CDC multi-disciplinary teams that improved the nation’s response to an environmental contamination event.

As the Environmental Health Officer Professional Advisory Committee (EHOPAC) Chair, she worked with EHOs across OP/DIVs to identify and coordinate support for EHOs and advise CCHQ leadership. In addition, she served as the NIOSH advocate to the CDC Liaison Office, facilitating communication and ensuring that valuable office insights were shared to enhance the work environment. Throughout her career, she has mentored officers, conducted promotion counseling, and served as a COSTEP preceptor. She has a passion for supporting officers throughout the Corps. This dedication drives her to actively seek opportunities where she can make a positive impact on their professional journeys.

RDML Delaney earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Spanish in 1997 from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, and a Master of Science degree in Environmental and Industrial Hygiene in 1999 from the University of Cincinnati. In 2004, she became a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH).

Outside of her professional life, RDML Delaney has been happily married to her husband, Chris, for 25 years. Together, they have two college-aged sons, Jackson and Declan. In her leisure time, she enjoys attending music concerts, hiking, and running. Additionally, she loves experimenting with new recipes, particularly using her Le Creuset cookware.

He is the manager of the World Trade Center DNA Identification Team, a unit dedicated to advancing the science and helping return loved ones to their families. Mark has been recruited by the United Nations, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and several foreign countries to assist in locating the missing and design protocol to further this ability.

Frank retired from IBM in 2005 after a career of nearly 33 years. He held a variety of sales and executive positions 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 with their route-to-market and distribution strategies.

Frank resides in New Canaan, CT with Mary, his wife of more than 50 years. He graduated from Youngstown State University and was an IBM Certified Client Director, having participated in the Harvard Executive Program. 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 guided the development of programs that provide continuity of care and promote resiliency in the lives of victims' families and survivors. Today, Ms. Fetchet is dedicated to helping communities heal after tragedy in the wake of natural disasters, acts of mass violence, social or civil unrest, and domestic terrorism.

In the aftermath of 9/11, Ms. Fetchet recognized the importance of providing information and a wide range of programs for all those impacted by 9/11. As a family member, she was committed to helping families through the emotional, but therapeutic process of commemorating the lives and stories of 9/11. Under her leadership VOICES worked with over 1,600 families to create the Living Memorial Project. This online collection of over 87,000 photographs and personal keepsakes, documents the nearly 3,000 lives lost and stories of survivors and is a core component of the In Memoriam exhibit at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.

Ms. Fetchet is a strong advocate for the rights of victim's families and survivors, and public policy reforms to make the country safer. As a 9/11 family member, she advocated for an appropriate process for the notification of human remains, the Victim's Compensation Fund and the creation of the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center site. She was also instrumental in campaigning for the 9/11 Commission and the implementation of reforms based on their recommendations. She testified before the 9/11 Commission and the U.S. Congress on five occasions.

More recently, Ms. Fetchet is assisting communities impacted by other tragedies by sharing lessons learned through VOICES' nineteen years of experience. In 2013 she implemented a project, funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, to define best practices in preparing for and responding to acts of mass violence. Interviews were conducted with those who responded to the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon and New York City, the Oklahoma City bombing and the shootings at Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois University and Tucson, Arizona. The project culminated in the creation of a Resource Kit that is available to communities nationally. Ms. Fetchet also initiated a research project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to quantify the needs of victims' families and survivors.

An expert on the long-term needs of victims and survivors, mental health care, preparedness, and national security reforms, she has made hundreds of appearances on national television and at conferences in the U.S. and abroad, and contributes regularly to print and radio.

James is a multi-Emmy Award winner, and is also the recipient of regional Edward R. Murrow awards, and New York State Broadcasting Association Excellence in Broadcasting awards.

In addition to the Missing Persons Team, Carl supervises the World Trade Center DNA Identification Unit, acts as a manager for the Family Assistance Center for New York City during mass fatality events, and is an integral member of the team that created, organizes, and continues to host New York City’s Missing Persons Day.

He previously served as Acting Chief Medical Examiner since December 2021 and as First Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, the second highest leadership position within OCME, since 2013.

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 among the executive leadership of the city’s RxStat initiative including its Overdose Fatality Review Committee.

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 appointments currently as Clinical Professor and Chair of 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.

He is a Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Association, where he served as a founding member of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force and has been co-chair of the Community Outreach Task Force. In these roles, he has coordinated responses to mass trauma events internationally for the past decade and co-authored the organization’s public statements on human rights issues. He received the AGPA Social Responsibility Award in 2021 in recognition of this work. Dr. Haen is an independent scholar whose most recent book was Creative Arts-Based Group Therapy with Adolescents, with the late Nancy Boyd Webb.

With a distinguished career spanning decades, Handschuh is widely recognized for his 26-year tenure as a staff photographer for the New York Daily News, where he captured the triumphs, tragedies and daily heartbeat of New York City.

On September 11, 2001, while documenting the heroism of first responders at the World Trade Center, David was buried alive by the collapse of the South Tower.

Rescued by what he calls his "guardian angels,” David suffered serious injuries and narrowly escaped with his life.

During many months of recovery from his injuries, Handschuh implemented several programs to address long term physical and emotional health issues for journalists that arose from working at Ground Zero.

He has received numerous awards for his Photography from the National Press Photographers Association, Pictures of the Year, New York Press Photographers Association, New York Press Club, Society of the Silurian’s, the Deadline Club, the National Headliners and many others.

David’s work has been featured in prominent publications including the New York Times, the Associated Press, Life Magazine, the New Yorker, Yahoo, Newsday, the Washington Post, the New York Law Journal and many others.

He has coached aspiring visual journalists literally from New York to New Delhi and presented programs for public safety personnel at the NYPD, suburban departments outside the City and across the country.

Handschuh was the keynote speaker at the Fire Engineering Magazine annual conference in Indianapolis and the Firehouse Magazine conference in Baltimore, MD where he brought 6,000 firefighters to tears.

David can be found on Instagram @FlyingManatee and his photography can be viewed online at www.FlyingManatee.com and www.NYCFoodPhotos.com.

Following the 2001 attacks, Noah devoted much of his career to helping victims and their families obtain healthcare, compensation, and justice through litigation and the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). In addition to Kreindler’s focus on the VCF, the firm continues to play a leading role in the ongoing litigation against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other terror sponsors on behalf of 9/11 victims and their families.

Before dedicating his career to advocating for victims of the terror attacks, Noah was a trial lawyer who secured significant results for clients across a range of practice areas. He has tried both aviation and motor vehicle product liability cases. He has been appointed by courts to lead cases involving commercial aviation and commercial bus accidents. He has spent his entire professional life assisting people who have suffered injury, illness or loss.

Matt McCauley’s legal practice is focused upon the representation of September 11th first responders who were injured or have developed illnesses due to their invaluable service at Ground Zero, Fresh Kills, and other disaster sites during the rescue and recovery operations following the 9/11 attack, and civilian survivors who lived or worked in lower Manhattan and are now afflicted with some of the same post-attack diseases.

Together with some of the country’s best advocates, Matt lobbied feverishly 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 got Congress to reauthorize the “Zadroga Act” in 2015, and then again in 2019 with the reauthorization of the Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act. Currently, as part of a tireless and relentless team, he is working to obtain the passage of the 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2025 before the 119th Congress.

His tireless and unwavering motivation to complete any mission before him has been ever present. Matt entered the NYPD Police Academy in October 1990 at the age of twenty, having to postpone the junior year at Iona College he had just begun. Prior to entering the police academy, Matt had already become a NYS Paramedic, an accomplishment he completed while concurrently attending Iona College as well. He would eventually return to Iona to complete his BS in Criminal Justice in 1996 while a member of the NYPD working in the 32nd Precinct and continuing to work as Paramedic. Matt would continue his education at Pace University School of Law, graduating in May 2001. Again, during this time he continued to work within the NYPD and also as a Paramedic. It was during Law School that he had opportunities to work within the New York County District Attorney’s Office on domestic violence prosecutions as well as working within the Unites States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York on terrorism prosecutions prior to 9/11.

The next chapter of Matt’s life, like for so many others, would be forever tied to 9/11/2001. Upon graduation from Law School in May 2001, Matt decided he wanted to take a shot at landing a job within the US Attorney’s Office to work on terrorism prosecutions. He retired from NYPD, turned down an offer from Robert Morgenthau to join the Manhattan DA’s office and accepted a coveted federal clerkship with the United States Court of Appeals – Second Circuit, with the hopes of it being a spring board back to the US Attorney’s Office directly next door. While he would have the opportunity to work on important cases with highly respected Second Circuit Judges, including United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, it was another matter that would change things quickly. Sitting in his office on the 6th Floor or Foley Square facing Centre Street on the morning of 9/11, Matt would hear and feel the first plane go by as it was about to strike the North Tower of the World Trade Center and, a short time later while looking out the window and on the phone trying to find out where he was going to meet first responders already heading to the location, he would watch the South Tower get struck, which sent a ripple of heat and concussion past Foley Square. Still a Paramedic and only recently retired from NYPD, Matt worked at Ground Zero during the rescue and recovery efforts in the aftermath of that day. In the Second Circuit he would also work on legal issues associated with quickly changing laws in the aftermath.

After leaving the Second Circuit, while Matt would not have the opportunity to pursue the work on terrorism prosecutions he had wanted to do, he would eventually be drawn more and more to important issues surrounding the 9/11 attacks and the rescue and recovery efforts, specifically the First Responders who were now becoming ill. Matt was part of an important team of first responders who lobbied Congress for the successful passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010. This work was not over and this team would have to go back for reauthorizations and extensions in 2015 and 2019. While a constant quiet presence seen in the background at press conferences, upfront Matt ran teams with John Feal, Jon Stewart and many other advocates in meetings with numerous members of Congress including then Senate Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell. As an NYPD police academy classmate with Detective Luis Alvarez, Matt had the honor of working with him, Jon Stewart and the other presenters on what would be an exceptionally emotional and forever memorable day of testimony before Congress in 2019, again being a quite constantly working presence in the background of that hearing. While mourning the death of his friend Louie, Matt was present with his son Finn in the Rose Garden at the White House when the President signed the Never Forget the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.

Matt continues to purse the mission of others that have been lost to 9/11 illnesses and remains a steadfast follower of the words of his friend and fellow advocate, the late FDNY Firefighter Ray Pfeifer, who would say “Always Do the Right Thing, Even When Nobody is Looking.”

Bonnie had a successful career in the financial services industry where she rose to the level of Senior Vice President at MasterCard Worldwide. She spent 21 years at MasterCard in new product development, promotions and sports marketing, and global cardholder services. She began her career at American Express.

In 2001, Bonnie’s husband, Eamon McEneaney, a Cantor Fitzgerald executive and a legendary member of the Lacrosse Hall of Fame, was killed in the 9/11 attacks. Shortly after, Bonnie joined VOICES as a board member and helped guide the formation of the organization to ensure that other 9/11 families had access to the information and resources they need to recover.

Bonnie eventually transitioned from corporate life to work on several 9/11-related initiatives. She is the author of the NY Times Bestseller, Messages: Signs, Visits and Premonitions from Loved Ones Lost on 9/11 (Harper Collins). This project took five years to complete and involved hundreds of interviews with family members and friends of 9/11 victims on the positive impact spirituality and related personal experiences had on their lives. Messages also made the NYT bestseller list for e-books.)

Prior to Messages, she created a volume of her late husband’s poetry: A Bend in the Road, (Cornell University Press), which sold out its two printings.

For the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Bonnie was an executive producer of a television documentary (A&E network), based on her book. The documentary Beyond: Messages from 9/11, aired in 44 countries. More recently, she completed an inspirational screenplay (feature film) inspired by her book.

Bonnie received her BA in International Relations from Brown University and her Master’s degree from Cornell University, and is a past recipient of the YWCA Woman of the Year award.

Dr. Naturale helped launch SAMHSA’s National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and an international not-for-profit, Psychology Beyond Borders. She developed training of trainers and capacity building activities in Uganda and Yogyakarta, Indonesia, was a curriculum developer of FEMA’s Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program and the Boston Medical Center for Multicultural Mental Health’s curriculum on Responder Resiliency.

Dr. Naturale received her doctorate from New York University where she studied Post traumatic and Secondary traumatic stress responses in the clinicians who responded to 9/11. She is currently the lead architect of the Boston Marathon bombings behavioral health response and is training emergency response clinicians in Kiev, Ukraine. Dr. Naturale continues to provide disaster and terrorism preparedness and response consultation and training throughout the U.S. and internationally.

Over the past decade with the OCME, Dr. Odien has played an essential role in the ongoing identification efforts of the victims of the September 11th attacks. In her capacity as the Lead WTC Anthropologist, she serves as the primary liaison, providing direct communication, support, and information to the families of 9/11 victims.

A survivor of the Boston Marathon Bombing, she combines lived and professional expertise in ways that resonate deeply with victims and survivors of terrorism and mass violence.

Dr. O’Neill has developed learning communities, peer-reviewed materials, presented at national and international conferences, and provided trauma-informed care and consultation following incidents of mass violence. She is a consultant for the NMVC, the OVC VOCA Center, and OVC TTAC, responding to MVIs and supporting long-term recovery and consultation in many communities, including New Orleans, Virginia Beach, Gilroy, Nashville, Perry (IA), Allen (TX), Columbine, and Vienna, Austria. She has served on numerous advisory groups and response teams dedicated to disaster mental health, peer support, and survivor services, including the Vibrant Emotional Health Crisis Emotional Care Team, the Disaster Distress Helpline Steering Committee, the American Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Team, and S.T.O.P.

Internationally, Dr. O’Neill is a member of the European Union Hub of Experts on Victims of Terrorism and has contributed to United Nations initiatives on victims’ rights, justice, and memorialization, presenting at the First Global Congress for Victims of Terrorism at UN Headquarters, providing testimony for the development of the model legislative provisions, and providing expert consultation for the development and launch of VOTAN (Victims of Terrorism Associations Network).

She maintains a private counseling practice, is an adjunct instructor in the graduate counseling psychology program at Chestnut Hill College, and is an adjunct lecturer for the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz. Dr. O’Neill earned her doctorate in health sciences with a focus on mental health, where her dissertation explored social support in communities impacted by hate-motivated mass shootings; the findings are being prepared to be presented for publication.

Previously, Stathi served as Director of Communications and Intergovernmental Affairs at the NYC Civic Engagement Commission, Assistant Director of Public Affairs and Community Relations at NY Health and Hospitals and as a Communications Advisor in the office of the Mayor of New York City.

She is Co-chair of Community Outreach for the American Group Psychotherapy Association and has provided services nationally and internationally on trauma and disaster. In February 2008, as Community Outreach Chair of AGPA, she gave testimony before Congress for the needs of military and their families. In the aftermath of 9/11, she ran Bereavement Groups for Corporate and Firefighter Widows, and Family Programs for Children. She co-created and ran the Couples Connection Programs for Firefighters and their Wives after 9/11 with Dr. Dianne Kane, head of the Mental Health office for FDNY at that time. Additional programs were run for FDNY Members facing Retirement.

Dr. Phillips is the co-author of three books including Healing Together for Couples: A Couple’s Guide to Coping with Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress. She is a blogger for Psychology Today under the title “ Speaking of Trauma” and has been the host of “ Psych Up Live” Podcast on the Variety Channel of Voice America now Libsyn.com since 2015. She has had the privilege of working with Voices of 9/11 from the earliest days.

She has since delivered over 500 presentations nationwide, giving voice to resilience after trauma and fighting for the mental health of those who run toward emergencies.

As the Founder & CEO of On the Job and Off, Ali leads a movement to build more resilient first responders. She draws not only on her professional training but also on the lived experience of being a firefighter and EMT who endured, survived, and chose to speak.

Ali is a Certified Crisis Counselor through the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, a Certified Trauma Responder with the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists, and a Behavioral Health Specialist with the Medical Reserve Corps. She has also served as a sexual assault and domestic violence counselor, work rooted in her belief that no one should have to carry their pain alone.

Her first book, Where Hope Lives, tells the story of her early years in the fire service. Her second, After Trauma: Lessons on Overcoming from a First Responder Turned Crisis Counselor (Broadleaf Books, 2022), weaves her personal journey with the tools she’s carried into her work with others: honesty, grit, and the belief that healing is possible.

Ali holds an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science, a Bachelor’s in Psychology: Crisis Counseling, a Master’s in Human Services: Trauma, Resilience, and Self-Care Strategies, and is currently earning her advanced graduate certificate in Trauma & Disaster Mental Health.

She moves often with her husband Forrest who serves in the Air Force.

She’s covered some of the country’s biggest New York connected stories, including the World Trade Center attacks and the 1996 crash of TWA flight 800.

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.

She has served the Department of Justice for over 14 years, most recently in the Office for Victims of Crime (“OVC”), where she focused on implementation of a claims system for victims of trafficking in child pornography.

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.