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Staff   Karen Goldstein Vice President & General Counsel, Legal Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3144     Karen Goldstein joined Vera in August 2000. In addition to serving as General Counsel, she is also the Institute's Vice President. Previously, she served as general counsel for the New York City Department of Homeless Services and as general counsel to Miracle Makers, Inc., a community-based nonprofit corporation in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. She has also assisted the Hon. Kathryn McDonald in the administration of the Family Courts; served as deputy general counsel to the New York City Human Resources Administration; and worked as a trial attorney for the Legal Aid Society's Juvenile Rights Division and as a Senior Supervising Attorney for the Society's Criminal Appeals Bureau. Karen has a J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.     Daniel F. Wilhelm Vice President & Chief Program Officer, Vera Institute of Justice e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3073     As chief program officer, Daniel F. Wilhelm supervises all of Vera's centers and programs. He also oversees the Institute's communications and development efforts. Formerly as director of technical assistance, Dan guided how Vera worked with local, state, and national government officials and oversaw the Institute's federal relations. From 2002 to early 2006, Dan directed Vera's State Sentencing and Corrections Program; he joined the Institute in 2001 as that program's associate director. Previously Dan practiced as a litigator in the New York office of Sidley & Austin and served as law clerk to U.S. District Judge Frederic Block in Brooklyn, NY. Dan has testified before commissions and legislative committees in some 20 states on criminal justice matters. He is co-author of the Vera publication Is the Budget Crisis Changing the Way We Look at Sentencing and Incarceration? and has written on justice issues for the Federal Sentencing Reporter, Corrections Today, the American Bar Association, and the American Journal of International Law. Dan is a graduate of Northwestern University School of Law, Harvard Divinity School, and Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.     Ernest Duncan Chief Operating Officer/ Chief Financial Officer, Vera Institute of Justice e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3054     As chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Vera Institute of Justice, Ernest provides practical, hands-on management to the organization. Over the past 15 years, Ernest has helped non-for-profit organizations focus on the particular issues of governance, fiscal infrastructure, and human resources that directly impact organizations’ continuing success. His experience encompasses internal control reviews, risk assessments, and organizational development. Past organizations Ernest has worked with include Wildcat Service Corporation, the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Museum of African American History, and the Smithsonian Institution. Ernest serves on the board of directors of the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem and is past treasurer of Family Justice, Inc. Other memberships include the American Institute of CPAs and New York State Society of CPAs and its Not-for-Profit Organizations Committee. Ernest is a life member of the National Black MBA Association and is past president of the Nashville chapter. Ernest earned a B.S. in accounting from the Culverhouse of Accountancy at the University of Alabama, an M.B.A. in strategic management and public policy from George Washington University, and a D.B.A. in management and leadership from the University of Phoenix.     Robin Campbell Director of Communications, Communications Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3172     Robin came to Vera in September 2001, after working for several years as a freelance writer and editor. His first assignment as a member of Vera's communications staff focused on prosecutorial discretion and the disproportionate representation of minorities among those sentenced to federal capital punishment. Before coming to Vera, Robin wrote for an array of publications and institutions, including the Center for Court Innovation. He has a degree in English literature from the University of Chicago.     Maureen Christensen Director of Finance and Budget, Fiscal Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3039     Maureen joined Vera in April 1985 and was appointed director of finance and budget in March 2007. Maureen oversees the accounting and budget departments. She is responsible for the Institute’s overall budget, managing Vera’s grants and contracts, the year-end audit, and banking relationships. Previously, Maureen worked in both the private and public sectors. She has a B.A. in Spanish and an M.B.A. in finance from Pace University.     Anna Kornilakis Director, Development e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3084     Anna Kornilakis joined Vera in October 2003 following her work in development at Discovering Justice, a Boston-based nonprofit. She was also a project manager within the charitable services group at Goldman Sachs where she was involved in executing the firm's annual global volunteerism initiative. Anna's prior experience is in consulting and research, including two years with The Monitor Group. She holds a B.S. in business administration from Northeastern University and a M.S. in nonprofit management from the Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy.     Hester Lyons Human Resources Director, Human Resources Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3068     Hester Lyons joined Vera in 1990 as coordinator of administrative services. Previously, she was vice president of operations for a small New York lobbying firm, and prior to that, operated her own company. In addition, Hester has worked as a NYC probation officer, a researcher for the NYC Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, and a program director for the Wiltwyck School. She has a B.A. in sociology from the University of California at Berkeley, and an M.A. in social relations from John Jay College.     Jesus Quinones IT Director, Technology Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3143     Jesus Quinones joined Vera's technology department in August 2003. Prior to Vera, he has worked at Archer Management and Metromedia Fiber Network as a senior network engineer. As an IT manager, Jesus plans and designs network structures; tests and evaluates new technologies; and provides advanced technical support to Vera staff. He will receive his bachelor's degree in computer science from Long Island University.     Gloria L. Tate Director of Facilities and Administrative Systems Training, Facilities Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3152     Gloria L. Tate joined Vera in February 2003 as a senior program associate for the Safe Return Initiative and became director of facilities and administrative systems training in September 2006. Before coming to Vera, Gloria worked as a program administrator for Grand Valley State University and served on the boards of a variety of nonprofit and civic organizations. In 2000, Gloria was a candidate for county commissioner in Kent County, Michigan. She received her B.A. in socio-economic policy analysis from James Madison College of Michigan State University, her M.P.A. with an emphasis in nonprofit management from Grand Valley State University, and completed one year of law at the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law.     Kevin Cameron Network Support Specialist, Technology Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3097     Kevin Cameron joined the Vera Institute in August 2002. He is responsible for providing technical support at the Institute's demonstration project locations throughout New York City as well as at the central offices. Before coming to Vera, he worked as a technical consultant providing computer services for various companies in New York City and Westchester. In addition, he worked for Merck and Co. as a system specialist and the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). Kevin graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a B.S. in information technology. While at R.I.T., he served on the student government and Institute Council and was highly involved in campus and Rochester community affairs.     Siobhán Carney Assistant to the Director, Vera Institute of Justice e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3067     Siobhán joined Vera in August 2007 as an assistant to the director, Michael Jacobson. Before coming to Vera, Siobhán worked as a consultant to the not-for-profit sector in Ireland and as an education coordinator under the Irish Government’s Local Development Social Inclusion Programme. Her interests include social inclusion, education disadvantage, peace and reconciliation, local and regional development, and entrepreneurship. Siobhán has a B.A. in English and geography, an M.A. in spatial analysis and development, and a Higher Diploma in Education from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. She completed her Ph.D. in micro-enterprise development at Trinity College in 2003.     John Chattin Human Resources Manager, Human Resources Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-4063     John Chattin joined Vera in April 2001 as human resources assistant. Previously, he held positions with Hearst Magazines and the New York Times. He has a B.A. in journalism from Western Kentucky University and an M.F.A. in creative writing from the New School.     Valerie W. Christopher Network Administrator, Technology Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3040     Valerie W. Christopher joined Vera in 1987 as an administrative assistant in the network and fiscal departments. She now oversees a Novell 3.2 server and several NT servers, and provides network and software advice and assistance to Vera staff. Previously, she worked for five years at the New York City Department for the Aging. Valerie graduated with a B.A. Honours from Queen's University in Ontario, Canada.     Donna Edwards Payroll Specialist, Fiscal Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3061     Donna Edwards began working at Vera on a temporary basis in December 2001 and became a permanent employee in April 2002. Previously, she held positions with G&G Retail, Inc. and Meade Personnel Consultants, Inc. Donna has an associates degree as a Micro Computer Specialist from Blake Business School.     Oscar Garcia Staff Accountant, Fiscal Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3033     Before joining Vera's fiscal department in July 2005, Oscar Garcia worked as a bookkeeper for several companies in New York. He was also a finance assistant for The Synergos Institute, Inc., a nonprofit organization devoted to helping alleviate poverty around the world. Oscar holds a bachelor's degree from the National University of Honduras.     Paula Gonzalez Budget Officer, Fiscal Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3136     Paula joined Vera in August 2007. Previously she worked for the After-School Corporation where she was the contracts officer. Before that Paula provided budget and administrative support to the Burma Project/Southeast Asia Initiative at the Open Society Institute.     Quin Hong Accounting Associate, Fiscal Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-5209     Quin joined Vera in November 2004 as an intern and became a part-time fiscal assistant in August 2005. After a year as a fiscal assistant while finishing up a bachelor's degree in accounting, Quin now handles inquiries regarding accounts payable.     Beverly Jones Assistant General Counsel, Legal Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3137     Beverly Jones rejoined Vera in 2005 after practicing with the Tax Exempt Organizations group at the law firm of Preston, Gates & Ellis LLP in Seattle, Washington. From 2003 to 2004 she had been in residence at Vera as the Rockefeller Brothers Fund Fellow in Nonprofit Law. Beverly also served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Deborah T. Poritz of the New Jersey Supreme Court after graduating from Yale Law School in 2002. While at Yale, Beverly was a student director of the Advocacy for Parents and Children Clinic and executive producer of the Court Jesters, the law school's own theatre troupe. Beverly graduated with honors from Smith College in 1997 with a major in government.     Patrick Kelly Writer/Editor, Communications Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3082     Patrick Kelly rejoined Vera in April 2007 as a writer and editor in the Communications Department. Before joining the department for the first time, in 2005, Patrick was a writer and editor for Current Biography, a reference publication. He also lived in Germany for several years, where he worked as a freelance translator. Patrick holds a B.A. in English from San Francisco State University and an M.A. in English from Columbia University.     Greg Klemm Controller, Fiscal Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3174     Greg Klemm joined Vera in January 2005 and became controller in March 2007. Previously, he was an associate of Audit and Risk Advisory Services at KPMG LLP. He was also a budget assistant at the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University in Ohio. The position at the Levin College provided him with experience in grant budgeting, accounting, and administration. Greg has an M.B.A. and a bachelor's degree in accounting from Cleveland State University.     Abbi Leman Production Editor, Communications Department e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3133     Abbi Leman joined Vera's communications department in November 2005. Prior to Vera, she worked as an assistant editor at the Wall Street Transcript and taught English as a Ford Foundation Fellow in Wuhan, China. Abbi received her B.A. in English and history from Augustana College, and she is currently pursuing an M.A. in applied linguistics at Teachers College, Columbia University.     Alexandra Lucas Human Resources Coordinator, Human Resources e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3004     Before joining Vera in August 2007, Alexandra worked with Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) as a national recruiter from the company’s New Jersey recruitment center. Previously she was an assistant manager and recruiter in New York City for the company. She is currently pursuing professional in human resources (PHR) certification.     Delma McDonald Department Coordinator, Finance and Operations e-mail: tel: (212) 376-3072     Delma McDonald joined Vera in 1985 as an administrative assistant in the research department. In July 2003 she became a coordinator in the finance, operations, and human resources departments. Among her responsibilites, Delma maintains grant files and distributes monthly financial reports.