For more than 50 years, AFC’s staff of attorneys, advocates, and education specialists have successfully helped hundreds of thousands of families by providing free legal and advocacy services, including representation at school-related hearings and appeals, and teaching families what they need to know to stand up for their children’s educational rights.
Meet our team
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Alex-Elegudin-scaled-e1710185166160-500x500.jpg)
Alex Elegudin
Director, Postsecondary Readiness Project
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Allison-Guttu-e1710347356386-500x500.jpeg)
Allison Guttu
Supervising Attorney and Senior Pro Bono Manager
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Andrea-Picon-scaled-e1710952647430-500x500.jpg)
Andrea Picon
Bilingual Education Advocate
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Anna-Brehm-e1709305187840-500x500.jpg)
Anna Brehm
Advocate, Robin Hood Project (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/placeholder-headshot.png)
Anne Klein
Director of Operations (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Beata-Jarosz-scaled-e1709930020199-500x500.jpg)
Beata Jarosz
Development Operations Manager
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/placeholder-headshot.png)
Betty Baez Melo
Director, Early Childhood Education Project (she/her/ella)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Bree-Melvin-scaled-e1710361085212-500x500.jpeg)
Brittney Melvin
Early Childhood Education Advocate
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Brie-Kitchelt-e1711122075113-500x500.jpg)
Brianna Kitchelt
Staff Attorney, Impact Litigation and Direct Services (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Daniela-Garcia-e1710267279836-500x500.jpg)
Daniela Garcia-Casares
Education Specialist, Helpline
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Daniela-Nauffal-scaled-e1710190212758-500x500.jpg)
Daniela Nauffal
Staff Attorney, Robin Hood Project (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/David-Marx-e1710445861447-500x500.jpg)
David Marx
Law Graduate, Project Thrive (he/him)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Diana-Aragundi_edit-e1708551302835-500x500.jpg)
Diana Aragundi
Assistant Director, Immigrant Students' Rights Project (she/her/ella)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Diana-Imbert-e1710525758633-500x500.jpg)
Diana Imbert
Staff Attorney, Early Childhood Education Project (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Edgar-Trinidad-e1709224613595-500x500.jpg)
Edgar Trinidad
Assistant Director of Development (he/him)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Emily-Kramer-e1709224689512-500x500.jpg)
Emily Kramer
Project Director, Technical Assistance Center for Students in Temporary Housing (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Erika-Palmer-e1711128915368-500x500.jpg)
Erika Palmer
Supervising Attorney (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Isabella-Rieke-1-500x500.jpg)
Isabella Rieke
Senior Communications Manager (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Ivette-Greenblatt-scaled-e1710269752566-500x500.jpg)
Ivette Greenblatt
Director of Development
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/placeholder-headshot.png)
Jacqueline Ontaneda
Helpline Project Director
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Janyll-Canals-Kernizan-1-scaled-e1710271335491-500x500.jpg)
Janyll Canals-Kernizan
Director, Robin Hood Project (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Jennifer-Pringle-1-e1711054649985-500x500.jpg)
Jennifer Pringle
Director, Project LIT (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Juliet-Eisenstein-e1709069145189-500x500.jpg)
Juliet Eisenstein
Assistant Director, Postsecondary Readiness Project (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Julio-Gonzalez-scaled-e1710186399896-500x500.jpg)
Julio Gonzalez
Staff Attorney, Robin Hood Project (any pronouns)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Karen-Alves-1-scaled-e1710952551662-497x500.jpg)
Karen Alves
Senior Education Specialist and Outreach Coordinator (she/her/ella)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Karen-Herrera-scaled-e1710268223336-500x500.jpeg)
Karen Herrera
Parent Center Advocate (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Karoline-Quiros-e1710269652746-500x500.jpg)
Karoline Quiros
Senior Education Specialist and Administrative Coordinator, Helpline
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Kim-Madden-scaled-e1710952039147-500x500.jpg)
Kim Madden
Director of Family Support (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Lilliana-Diaz-Pedrosa-1-e1710446638452-500x500.jpg)
Lilliana Díaz-Pedrosa
Director, AFC Parent Center (she/her/ella)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Lisa-Bernard-e1710943399985-500x500.jpg)
Lisa Bernard
Staff Attorney, School Justice Project
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Lisbeth-Guzman-rotated-e1710276797804-500x500.jpg)
Lisbeth Guzman
Project Manager, Technical Assistance Center for Students in Temporary Housing
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/MaggieMoroff_Headshot-e1709222819679-500x500.jpg)
Maggie Moroff
Senior Special Education Policy Coordinator (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Malaysha-DePierro-e1711121593339-500x500.jpg)
May DePierro
Policy Associate (she/they)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Malika-Harris-scaled-e1710861657145-500x500.jpg)
Malika Harris
Director of Equity and Impact
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Marcia-Flores-1-e1709225245599-500x500.jpg)
Marcia Flores
Education Partnerships Manager, Project LIT (she/her/ella)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Melissa-Atkinson-scaled-e1710439328591-500x500.jpeg)
Melissa Atkinson
Administrative Assistant
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/placeholder-headshot.png)
Michael Arrington
Law Graduate and Education Collaborative Manager, Project Achieve (he/him)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Michelle-Eaton-e1709069483343-500x500.jpg)
Michelle Eaton
Senior Education Specialist, Project Achieve (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Nmoore-photo-e1710189933504-500x500.jpg)
Naphtali Moore
Staff Attorney, School Justice Project
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Noelis-Ciriaco-e1710269255382-500x500.jpg)
Noelis Ciriaco
Administrative Assistant (she/her/ella)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Pam-Mendez-e1710861388569-500x500.jpeg)
Pamela Mendez
Staff Attorney, Project Achieve (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Ptahra-Jeppe-scaled-e1710514376236-500x500.jpg)
Ptahra Jeppe
Staff Attorney, Charter Schools (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Randi-Levine-e1710942866289-466x500.jpg)
Randi Levine
Policy Director (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Rebecca-Shore-e1711121894477-500x500.jpg)
Rebecca Shore
Director of Litigation (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Photo-for-bio-NYCT-e1709132458934-500x500.jpg)
Rita Rodriguez-Engberg
Director, Immigrant Students' Rights Project
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Rohini-Singh-500x500.jpg)
Rohini Singh
Director, School Justice Project (she/her)
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Romi-Paek-e1710964497457-500x500.jpg)
Romi Paek
Director, Project Thrive
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/placeholder-headshot.png)
Ross Baker
Education Advocate
![](https://advocatesforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Sarah-Part-500x500.jpeg)
Sarah Part
Senior Policy Analyst (she/her)