CFR Leadership

CFR’s founders set out to dramatically change outcomes for families who experience the child welfare and family court systems—what we refer to today as the Family Regulation system. To meet this ambitious goal, the agency began with seasoned professionals who knew from experience that the most important way to help at risk children was by advocating for and supporting their parents and families in the first instance, and with an interdisciplinary model that built on family strength and addressed the needs families identified. Since that time, CFR has expanded its model beyond family regulation to advocate for young people at risk of incarceration and to provide interdisciplinary defense for clients in criminal, civil and immigration matters.

Starting with just 2 employees in 2002, the organization now employs more than 163 people in Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.

Tehra Coles was named the Executive Director of the Center for Family Representation (CFR) in New York City in March 2023. Previously, Ms. Coles served as policy counsel at Civil Rights Corps (CRC), focusing on a variety of topics related to the criminal legal system including qualified immunity, risk assessment tools and pre-trial detention laws. Prior to her role at CRC, Ms. Coles was the litigation supervisor for policy and government affairs at CFR, where she represented parents in family separation proceedings. She also managed the government funding application process and – in collaboration with impacted parents and families – lobbied elected officials and government agency officials on policy and legislation in areas of immigration, family separation, criminal legal systems and housing. Ms. Coles is a graduate of Albany Law School and Hollins University. 

Dr. Alicia Williams joined CFR in July 2021 as CFR’s first Chief Operating Officer. Dr. Williams oversees CFR’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging work, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Administration activities at CFR and also works closely with our CFO and Executive Director on strategic planning, facilities and operations issues. Dr. Williams has 25+ years of extensive HR experience including diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, labor relations, change management, culture champion, talent acquisition, and staff engagement. She comes with HR and operations experience in academic, telecommunications, manufacturing and non-profit settings. Dr. Williams most recently served as Managing Director of Human Resources at Food & Water Watch, a non-profit environmental organization. She oversaw the strategic direction of their Human Resources department, making sure the work was in alignment with the mission, goals and objectives of the organization. Before that, Dr. Williams was the Director of Human Resources, Operations and Training at the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts & Sciences for 8 years. She oversaw the overall operational matters across the organization and was responsible for creating the Culture and Core Values (Supportive, Transparent, Accountable, Respectful) of the organization.

Dr. Williams earned her Doctor of Education degree at The George Washington University and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from the University of San Diego and her MBA, with a Certification in Human Resources from Keller Graduate School. She is bilingual in Spanish and English and is a Certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR) with HRCI, Certified Change Management Practitioner with Prosci and Certified EQ-i2.0/EQ360 Practitioner with EITC.  Alicia holds the position of Board Advisor to the Washington, DC Chapter of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources (NAAAHR). Dr. Williams is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, an Adjunct Professor of Diversity Equity and Inclusion & Organizational Leadership at The George Washington University and is also President/Co-Producer of a podcast entitled “RaceToday!”

Samantha Elliott Miele, Chief Financial Officer, oversees CFR’s fiscal and reporting operations. Ms. Miele started at CFR as a Staff Accountant in 2016, gradually managing more of the organization’s fiscal operations during a period of tremendous growth at CFR, before stepping into this leadership role in 2024. Ms. Miele is responsible for CFR’s strategic fiscal planning, establishing budgets and forecasting income and expenses as well as oversight of CFR’s data management and reporting. She creates regular reports for the General Management team and for CFR’s Board Finance Committee. Ms. Miele has a M.S. in Accounting from Touro College and a B.A. in Marketing and Business Management-Human Resources from the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Managing Directors

• Wanjiro Gethaiga, Managing Director of Social Work/Manhattan, Queens, Bronx-Family Defense Practice
• Christine Waer, Managing Director of Litigation/Manhattan, Queens, Bronx-Family Defense Practice

Directors

• Malena Arnaud, Social Work Director of Bronx Practice
• Kelsey Boston, Social Work Director of Staten Island Practice
• Christine Bruno, Director of Litigation of Staten Island Practice
• Ari Chiarella, Social Work Director of Queens Family Defense Practice
• Wendell Cruz, Director of Holistic Practice & Criminal Defense Practice
• Diana Denza, Director of Communications, Manhattan Practice
• Teyora Graves, Parent Advocate Director
• Gordon Hamm, Director of Information Technology
• Sandeep Kandhari, YDP Director
• Evan Mastronardi, Interim Development Director
• Anastasia Rivera-Bonilla, Litigation Director of Bronx Practice
• Alexandra (Sandy) Rosin, Director of Litigation of Manhattan Family Defense Practice
• Ginelle Stephenson, Social Work Director, Manhattan Family Defense Practice
• Katherine Wojewoda, Director of Litigation of Queens Family Defense Practice

In-Charge

• Kenneth Sokol, Attorney-in-Charge of Legal Support

Deputy Directors

• Maggie Nieves, Deputy Director of Social Work for Queens Practice

• Charlotte Baughman,  Social Worker Supervisor, Queens Practice
• Christina Carroll, Litigation Supervisor, Bronx Practice
• Jeffrey Compton, Litigation Supervisor
• Meghan Downes, Social Worker Training Supervisor
• Amanda Franzen, Litigation Supervisor, Queens Practice
• Anna Ishii, Social Worker Supervisor, Manhattan Practice
• Melissa Kuldip, Social Worker Supervisor, Queens Practice
• Suzanne Leinwand, Litigation Supervisor, Queens Practice
• Sara Lewis, Litigation Supervisor, Queens Practice
• Karena Lim-Peralta, Social Work Supervisor, Bronx Practice
• Melissa Lombreglia, SCR Litigation Supervisor, Manhattan Practice
• Robin Lyde, Parent Advocate Supervisor
• Susannah Marsh, Litigation Supervisor, Manhattan Practice
• Ysmerlyn Murshed, Social Worker Supervisor, Queens Practice
• Mark Papish, Supervisor, Policy and Government Affairs
• Zoe Schonfeld, Litigation Supervisor, Immigration
• Carol Siegel, Litigation Supervisor, Criminal Defense
• Vasilios Stotis, Litigation Supervisor, Queens Practice
• Rachel Turetsky, Litigation Supervisor, Manhattan Practice
• Emily Wall, Appeals and Litigation Supervisor
• Pamela Weintraub, Litigation Supervisor, Queens Practice
• Nikki Woods, Litigation Supervisor, Youth Defense Practice

• Catherine Alin, Senior Staff Attorney, Queens Practice
• Felicia Alleyne-Davis, Senior Parent Advocate, Queens Practice
• Ben Chan, Manager, Equity, Efficiency and Belonging
• Christina Cheng, Senior Staff Attorney, Queens Practice
• Patrick Crisp, Senior Staff Attorney, Manhattan Practice
• Rosalynn Diaz, Senior Family Advocate, Queens Practice
• Madelene Feingold, Senior Social Worker, Manhattan Practice
• Elizabeth French, Senior Staff Attorney, Queens Practice
• Teresa Garcia, Senior Immigration Specialist, Immigration Practice
• Ebony Hopkins, Human Resources Manager
• Shayne Larkin, Senior Social Worker, Queens Practice
• Ashley Lopez, Manager of Accounting & Financial Reporting
• Hannah Mercuris, Senior Staff Attorney, Policy and Government Affairs
• Ed Parker, Senior Family Advocate
• Patricia Ramirez, Office Manager, Manhattan Practice
• Charles Rosenberg, Senior Staff Attorney, Appeals
• Cecile Schwartzman, Senior Social Worker, Queens Practice
• Christina Secharan, Operations Manager, Queens Practice
• Adriana Simmons, Senior Staff Attorney, Queens Practice
• Sam Sloane, Senior Staff Attorney, Criminal Practice
• Monique Stanley, Senior Parent Advocate, Staten Island Practice
• Catherine Supliski, Senior Staff Attorney, Bronx Practice
• Medha Venugopal, Senior Staff Attorney, Immigration Practice
• Serena Zhou, Senior Family Advocate, Manhattan Practice