National Office and Staff

Learn about what each department at the AILA national office in Washington, DC, does and how to contact staff within each department.

Executive Office

The Executive Office is responsible for the overall management of the organization, national office, and staff. Staff execute the policies and priorities as determined by the Board of Governors and work closely with the Executive Committee.

• Executive Director, Benjamin Johnson, Esq.
  Implements association goals as determined by the Board of Governors. Works with the Executive Committee to develop and carry out strategies to achieve organizational goals. Oversees the operation of the national office and its staff. email

• Chief Operating Officer, Grace Woods, Esq., CAE
  Leads efforts to optimize the association's operating performance at all levels and maximize AILA’s business strategies to ensure future growth and sustainability. email

• Chief Advisor – Policy & Partnerships, Angela Kelley
  Provides leadership and oversees public policy and advocacy, including mobilizing support for federal policy priorities, participating and leading national coalitions, and overseeing the advocacy strategies that incorporate policy development, communications plans, strategic partnerships, and power building. email

• Executive Assistant, Victor Pattianakotta
  Provides administrative support to the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. email

Governance and Member Services

The Governance and Member Services Department supports AILA’s Board of Governors, Chapters, Member Groups (Interest Groups, Law Students, and New Member Division), leadership cultivation and recognition, committee selection and other governance activities, and provides customer service for all current and prospective members.

• Senior Director, Governance and Leadership Strategy, Kay Ciesla
  Responsible for managing relationships with the Board of Governors and other volunteer leadership and facilitating improved connectivity and collaboration between members. email
• Associate Director, Volunteer Engagement and Member Services, Jerrica Stovall
  Responsible for volunteer engagement, leadership recruitment and development, and member services and recognition. email
• Volunteer Engagement Manager, Anna Rappoport
  Oversees volunteer and chapter outreach and support and facilitates improved connectivity and collaboration between members. email
• Volunteer Engagement Coordinator, Nicole Richardson
  Provides administrative support to the Volunteer Engagement Manager to help further AILA’s mission. email
• Member Groups Manager, LaJuan Campbell
  Leads efforts to expand member engagement within the AILA community and promotes the development of diverse leaders and volunteers. email
• Member Services Manager, Andrew Gilkes
  Manages Member Services Team, as well as customer service and support for e-commerce customers. email
• Member Services Coordinator, Tonya Reeves
  Responsible for member customer service. email
• Member Services Coordinator, Ian Longmire
  Responsible for member customer service. email
• Member Services Coordinator, Haydee Garcia
  Responsible for member customer service. email

Communication and Outreach

The Communications and Outreach Department is charged with promoting the mission of the association and the expertise of the 15,000-plus member attorneys to media and the general public. The department staff works strategically to identify and prepare media spokespeople on key immigration issues of national interest. Staff also develops effective outreach and materials for various media markets, assists members in reaching out to local media, and provides members with substantive and rhetorical tools for use in public presentations to multiple audiences and constituencies.

• Senior Director, Communications and Outreach, George Paul Tzamaras
  Develops association's communications and outreach strategies. email
• Senior Associate Director, Communications, Belle Woods
  Develops press releases, talking points, opinion pieces and blog posts, PSAs, and other messaging materials. email
• Video/Audio Producer, Duygu Eruçman
  Provide video/audio expertise across the association to support AILA departments on their video/audio needs and projects. email
• Digital Media Specialist, Kaitlin Bell
  Provides strategic leadership for AILA’s social and digital media portfolio, manages the Think Immigration blog, fields press inquiries, and builds out messaging materials. email

Government Relations

The Government Relations Department advocates for immigration-related legislative, regulatory, and policy reforms before Congress and the agencies, consistent with AILA's principles and priorities. Working with member-based committees, the AILA Executive Committee and the Board of Governors, the department draws upon the knowledge and expertise of the members to provide lawmakers and policymakers with the best and most current information to advance AILA's policy and legislative goals. The department also organizes AILA's National Day of Action and handles member requests for AILA assistance on individual cases pending at USCIS Service Centers and other agencies.

• Senior Director, Government Relations, Gregory Z. Chen, Esq.
  Directs AILA’s agency, congressional, grassroots, and coalition strategies with a focus on immigration enforcement, due process, and removal defense. email
• Director, Government Relations, Sharvari (Shev) Dalal-Dheini, Esq.
  Directs AILA’s agency, congressional, grassroots, and coalition strategies with a focus on employment-based immigration and immigration benefits. email
• Senior Associate Director, Government Relations, Kate Voigt, Esq.
  Works with the Director of Government Relations to advance AILA’s policy and advocacy objectives relating to immigration enforcement, due process, and removal defense. email
• Business Immigration Litigation Attorney, Jennifer Coberly, Esq.
  Pursues litigation to advance AILA’s advocacy and policy priorities. email
• Supervisory Policy and Practice Counsel, Michael Turansick, Esq.
  Works to advance AILA’s immigration benefits policy and advocacy objectives, with an emphasis on identifying and addressing problematic case trends through liaison and resource assistance in coordination with AILA committees. email
• Supervisory Policy and Practice Counsel, Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock, Esq.
  Works to advance AILA’s administrative and congressional advocacy goals by working with AILA staff, coalition partners, AILA members, and AILA volunteer committees. email
• Policy and Practice Counsel, Amy Grenier, Esq.
  Works to advance AILA’s administrative and congressional advocacy goals by working with AILA staff, coalition partners, AILA members, and AILA volunteer committees. email
• Grassroots Advocacy Associate, Sofia Rosales-Zeledon
  Coordinates grassroots activities related to AILA’s advocacy agenda. email
• Policy Associate, Paul Stern
  Collaborates with and provides support to designated agency liaison committees with a focus on employment-based immigration. email
• Liaison Coordinator, Blanca Hernandez
  Receives, screens, and processes requests for individual case liaison assistance. email
• Liaison Coordinator, Jonathan Valdez
  Receives, screens, and processes requests for individual case liaison assistance with a focus on the National Benefits Center and USCIS Lockboxes. email
• Government Relations Assistant, Joy Hardy
  Provides administrative support. email

Marketing and Member Experience Department

The Marketing and Member Experience Department plays a vital role in developing and promoting the products, services and member experience that are at the core of the value and mission of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). The department’s goal is to identify, analyze, and understand member needs, and to use these critical insights to define, communicate, and deliver a premier member experience. The department supports the organization by developing and leading the strategic direction and delivery of a comprehensive brand and marketing strategy, by providing the insights needed to inform the prioritization of critical resources, and by identifying new opportunities to sustain the organization’s growth.

• Senior Director, Marketing and Member Experience, Janet Kolokithas
  Leads and develops the association’s marketing, member experience, and business development strategies. email

• Manager, Creative Services, Robert Bequeaith
  Oversees the design and production process for graphic design work for the National Office. email

• Associate Director of Product Marketing, Mark Friedman
  Leads product launches cross-departmentally and identifies and prioritizes product features while providing consulting support to the assigned product managers. email

• Business Development and Marketing Manager, Cassie LoPiccolo
  Responsible for supporting non-dues revenue initiatives across the organization. email
• Business Development Coordinator, Gianna Ward
  Supports non-dues revenue initiatives across the organization. email

• Director of Marketing Operations, Mary Johnson
  Directs the implementation of the association’s day-to-day marketing operations.email
• Creative Writer, Giomar Silva
  Develops fresh ideas and winning creative copy for AILA’s emails, direct mail, and online marketing campaigns. email
• Marketing and Member Experience Associate, Tanesha Norman
  Brings expertise to market segmentation, tailored messaging and offers, campaign creation and coordination, metrics tracking, database management, and inter-departmental coordination of content and scheduling. email

• Associate Director, Content Delivery, Rachel Pulda
  Responsible for the overall content and vision of AILA’s website and daily electronic newsletter. email
• Web Manager, Greg Horvitz
  Serves as technical editor for AILA.org. email
• Content Manager, Laura Embree-Lowry
  Ensures AILA’s online content expands member engagement with valuable resources. email
• Creative Writer, Liz Toff
  Develops fresh ideas and winning creative copy for AILA’s emails, direct mail, and online marketing campaigns. email
• Website Specialist, Walter Rust
  Serves as the primary person responsible for posting materials to the association’s website (AILA.org). email
• Online Editorial Specialist, Sharon Burk
  Assists with creating regular email communication to members regarding immigration law news. email

Meeting Operations

AILA’s Meeting Operations Department plans and implements the association’s educational programs and events, including continuing legal education conferences in virtual, hybrid, and in-person format. The Meeting Operations Department also oversees the CLE accreditation and provides support to members and other practitioners seeking guidance relating to AILA’s educational programming.

• Director, Meeting Operations, Kathryn Y. Chong, CMP
  Responsible for all meeting planning and conference administration for the association. email
• Meeting Operations Manager, Barry Collins
  Responsible for developing and managing education processes. email
• Meetings Manager, Eunice Lee
  Provides support to the Senior Associate Director with the association’s logistical needs for all AILA/Council meetings, including pre-conference logistical planning and on-site logistics such as registration, set up, food and beverage arrangements, and A-V and other vendors and negotiating contracts for topics conferences each year and other conferences as needed. email
• Meetings and CLE Manager, Matt Antico
  Provides oversight of CLE process and manages logistical needs for all AILA in-person, virtual, and hybrid meetings. This position is responsible for pre-conference logistical planning and on-site logistics. email
• Meetings and CLE Associate, Rick Connelly
  Responsible for the administration of association’s continuing legal education accreditation programs. email
• Meetings Associate, Elina Gross
  Supports the meeting operations department.

Practice and Professionalism Center and Innovation

The Practice and Professionalism Center (PPC) and Innovation Department is dedicated to the shared ideals of the legal profession, including service to clients, ethical conduct, increasing competence and respect of the legal system, and pursuit of the public good. The department focuses on providing assistance with developing our members’ practice, resolving ethical dilemmas, providing ideas on improving firm management, and help meeting pro bono commitments.

• Senior Director, Practice & Professionalism Center and Innovation, Reid F. Trautz, Esq.
  Serves as centralized staff resource for members in areas of practice management and development, ethics, UPL, mentoring, and pro bono coordination. email
• Practice and Ethics Counsel, Charity Anastasio, Esq.
  Coordinates existing practice management and ethics resources for AILA members. In addition, helps develop and organize new resources using a variety of media and provides general support to volunteer committees. email
• Senior Pro Bono Associate, Erin Lynum
  Provides extensive staff support on various components of the Practice and Professionalism Center, including various pro bono initiatives (the Military Assistance Program, the Annual Conference Pro Bono Clinic, Citizenship Day, and more), the Mentor Directory, and in the area of ethics. email
• Practice Innovation Specialist, Camille Rybacki Koch
  Provides staff support on various components of the Practice and Professionalism Center, including working with AILA’s Innovation and Technology Committee and more. email

Professional Development

AILA’s Professional Development Department drives revenue, creates member value, and advances member professional development through the association’ educational programs and events. These programs include in-person and virtual continuing legal education conferences, audio and web seminars, online learning content and courses, and conference handbooks and materials. The Professional Development Department works closely with the Meeting Operations Department to coordinate logistics for all programs and to ensure CLE accreditation is obtained for AILA educational content.

• Director, Professional Development, Emmie Smith, Esq.
  Managing the Professional Development team, planning committees, and programs. email
• Associate Director, Mike Orlando, Esq.
  Develops, plans, and implements the association’s continuing legal education (CLE). email
• Education Program Manager, John Area
  Develops, plans, and implements the association’s continuing legal education (CLE). email
• eLearning Manager, Kate Molski
  Responsible for developing, standardizing, and implementing learning and development programs for the association. email
• Education Coordinator, Thomas Thornton
  Coordinates AILA seminar logistics and implementation, conference resources, and video editing for AILA programming. email
• eLearning Programs Associate, Sarah Kra
  Provides support and assistance with the development, standardization, and implementation of learning and development programs for the association. email
• eLearning Coordinator, Caitlin Foley
  Coordinates AILA roundtable logistics and implementation, conference resources, and eLearning inbox. email
• Sections Associate, Alexis Kreun
  Supports AILA Family, Business, Removal Defense, Federal Court Litigation, and Global Migration Sections with roundtables, quarterly Section Calls, conferences, listserv management, and other educational content provided to members. email

Publications

AILA’s Publications Department is the leading publisher of information and analyses serving the practicing immigration lawyer, with an extensive collection of peer-reviewed treatises, manuals, toolboxes, and other reference materials, including AILALink—AILA’s online immigration law research library.

• Director, Editorial, Danielle M. Polen, Esq.
  Oversees the association’s publishing program and its online resources. email
• Associate Director, Publications, Sarah Redzic, Esq.
  Works with the Editorial Director to focus AILA’s publishing efforts on those publications that will best serve the needs of AILA’s membership. email
• Senior Legal Editor, Rizwan Hassan, Esq.
  Serves as lead legal editor for all conference handbooks and select AILA publications, materials, and resources. email
• Senior Online Legal Publishing Manager, Sarah Loor, Esq.
  Serves as editor for AILALink, the association’s online immigration law research database. email
• Legal Editor, Richard Link, Esq.
  Responsible for editorial and production processes associated with publication of print and electronic practice resources. email
• Online Publishing Specialist, Alhan Millones-Bilbao
  Responsible for digitizing AILA publications and developing new digital products. email