Rachel Berg works on NCLR’s nationwide impact litigation. She litigates the full range of NCLR’s civil practice, including transgender rights, education, sports, youth, and discrimination. Before joining NCLR, Rachel spent most of her career in private practice at large law firms in New York and Nashville, where she focused on class action litigation. While there, she also developed a substantial pro bono practice related to various social justice issues. Rachel clerked for the Honorable Eli...
Lisa Oman is the Director of Finance and Operations (DFO) and a member of NCLR’s senior management team. Lisa provides financial and operational leadership in partnership with the board of directors, senior management team, and the finance committee to support and improve NCLR’s long-term financial health and strategic growth. Lisa has a 20-year track record of guiding nonprofit strategic planning, financial management, and program development at nationally-recognized institutions...
Mikaela Rioux is the Donor Engagement Coordinator for NCLR where she is responsible for individual donor outreach, stewardship, and community engagement. She is a longtime fundraiser in the San Francisco LGBTQ and social justice landscape, with nearly 15 years of experience in development, operations, event production, and grant writing. After living abroad in Argentina as a high school student, Mikaela moved to Montreal, Quebec where she graduated from McGill University with a double major in...
Pamela Mercado Garcia was born and raised in Mexico. In 2011, when she was 12 years old, she migrated to the United States. She remained undocumented until her family was granted residency in 2015 after her mother applied for adjustment of status through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Pam joined NCLR as the Immigration Project Associate in June of 2022. She is responsible for assisting the Immigration Project Director and the pro bono of Counsel Attorneys with a variety of tasks...
Marie joined NCLR as a Legal Assistant in April of 2022. Prior to joining NCLR, Marie earned a B.A. from Smith College where she majored in Sociology – with a specific focus on the study of women and gender. She has since interned with Equal Rights Advocates, a Bay Area-based gender justice nonprofit, and the Victim Services Domestic Violence Unit of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. More recently, Marie was a Legal Assistant and Administrator at a boutique law firm specializing in...
Misa Ridgway joined NCLR as Philanthropy Coordinator in November 2021. He is responsible for processing donations, including upkeep of donor records and gift entry, aiding in financial reporting, and providing support through digital communication. He is also responsible for engaging with donors through events and outreach. Misa is a graduate of UC Berkeley with bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Linguistics. Throughout his career, Misa has worked in various non-profits. He...
Ellen Caminiti is the Communications Coordinator for the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), where she is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the organization’s social media channels and working with the Communications Director to develop messaging and communications strategy to help amplify all of NCLR’s impactful work for the LGBTQ community. Ellen truly enjoys the creative and intersectional nature of her position is excited about the potential that NCLR’s...
Shauna R. Madison, Esq. is the Director of People, Culture, and Equity and a member of NCLR’s Management Team. Shauna utilizes her expertise in labor and employment law, people management, and 501(c)(3) consultation to advise NCLR on holistic, trauma-informed, legally compliant policies and practices. Prior to joining NCLR, Shauna was Managing Partner at Medina Orthwein LLP – A queer-owned civil rights firm where she practiced as a full-time litigator and supervisor, focusing on employment...
Danielle (Danny) King is the Senior Youth Policy Counsel at the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), where they will be taking an intersectional approach to implementing legal strategies to advance the well-being of LGBTQ youth through community education, collaboration with coalitions, and public policy advocacy, particularly for LGBTQ youth impacted by the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems. Danielle (Danny) first joined NCLR in 2021, as a Gender Equality Attorney where they...
Nesta joined NCLR in 2020, continuing a career focused on advocating for the rights of children and families, particularly in the child welfare arena. Before joining NCLR, Nesta served as a staff attorney with the Legal Aid Society, and later with the Children’s Law Center, in Brooklyn, New York. Nesta graduated in 2008 with a BA from Stony Brook University, where she majored in Philosophy, and served as the Distinguished Alumni speaker at the 2016 departmental graduation ceremony. Nesta was...
