2022 Presenters
We are in the process of securing presenters for this year. Stay tuned for updates.
Legal Issues in Higher Education Conference: Charles Carletta Talks about the Presenters
Natasha Baker, J.D. Founder
Novus Law Firm
Building on years of experience advising higher education clients and California employers, Natasha Baker founded Novus Law Firm in 2020 to provide high quality, technology-savvy, and proactive legal counsel for clients.
Natasha’s practice includes advising on California employment law; advising on employment law in the higher education context and seeking legislative change where necessary to adapt the Labor Code to the uniqueness of academia; serving as outside general counsel to institutions; and labor negotiations.
Natasha’s practice also includes conducting preventative training and providing practical advice on a wide range of legal issues, including Title IX compliance, performance management and termination strategies that minimize risk, and labor relations issues.
Natasha is passionate about legal issues in higher education and has co-authored amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court and the National Labor Relations Board and comments to the Department of Labor and the Department of Education to ensure that her clients’ perspective is fairly represented. She served on the National Association of College & University Attorneys (NACUA) Board of Directors. She regularly presents at NACUA, the Council of Independent Colleges, and other higher education conferences. She is an instructor for NACUA’s online course “Conducting Effective Internal Investigations.”
Alexander (Sandy) R. Bilus, J.D. Partner
Saul, Ewing, Arnstein and Lehr
Alexander (Sandy) R. Bilus assists clients who are facing complex litigation or who need legal advice on issues involving cybersecurity and data privacy, particularly in the higher education industry. As a core member of the firm’s Higher Education Practice, Sandy understands the concerns that colleges and universities face when crises unfold on campus. His experience includes helping higher education institutions address legal issues involving campus unrest and protests, sexual abuse, First Amendment/free speech issues, data privacy and cybersecurity issues, hazing, and criminal acts committed by employees.
Sean V. Burke, A.B., J.D. Associate General Counsel
UPenn
Sean Burke is associate general counsel for the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Medicine, where his practice includes labor and employment, civil rights, and athletics. He also teaches labor and employment law at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
Peter M. Carey, B.S., J.D. Chief of Police
Retired
Peter M. Carey, retired from the NY State University Police at Buffalo State College; and was a career University Police Officer having served for 41 years and Chief of Police for 14 years. He earned numerous awards for professionalism, heroism and lifetime achievement. He has a Juris Doctor degree, is a licensed attorney and served as a criminal justice academic as an Adjunct Faculty for 14 years. Chief Carey has been a leader in community policing throughout his career facilitating many initiatives to enhance the relationship between the police and the campus community. In 2012, under his leadership his police department earned accreditation from the NY State Division of Criminal Justice Services. He is experienced in creating free speech and public assembly policy and crowd management for large scale events. Chief Carey served as the Incident Commander for the Buffalo State College COVID19 planning and response during the pandemic. During the current social and criminal justice reform movement, Chief Carey provided exceptional leadership and training for his police department including: Procedural Justice and Principled Policing, Fair and Impartial Policing, Police Ethics and De-escalation Strategies.
Eva Chatterjee-Sutton, B.S.,M.A. Vice President of Student Life & Dean of Students
Washington and Jefferson
Eva Chatterjee-Sutton joined Washington and Jefferson College as the vice president of student life and dean of students in July of 2013, with over 20 years in the field of student affairs. At W&J, Dean Eva has continued her commitment to creating a holistic and robust student experience. To date this has been marked in part by leading a team in the Division of Student Life whose work resonates with the values of student success and community development. She serves as a member of the president’s senior team and leads a division of over 90 dedicated staff members who are deeply committed to the mission of W&J. Committed to the success of the whole student, Dean Eva collaborates closely with colleagues in academic affairs and across the institution, to craft a robust, caring and developmental student experience. Dean Eva has extensive experience with Title IX, Division III athletics, student conduct, Greek life, student governance, community engagement, residence life, student activities, career services, student leadership, and student health and counseling. She serves as the Facilitator of the NCAA ADR Institute and is a member of the boards of the Legal Issues in Higher Education Conference and the NASPA James E. Scott Academy.
Zandria Conyers, J.D. Deputy General Counsel and Managing Director of Legal Affairs
NCAA
Zandria Conyers is the Deputy General Counsel and Managing Director of Legal Affairs for the NCAA. In her role, Zandria oversees legal operations including litigation and budget management, staff development, and internal investigations. She also provides legal and business counseling to the NCAA’s business units such as the executive office, human resources, finance, internal audit, information security, championships and communications. Zandria also oversees all legal work for women’s basketball including serving as liaison to the Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee, and for the NCAA’s response to gender equity and congressional inquiries. Prior to joining the NCAA, she was the General Counsel for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in Daytona Beach, FL. While at the LPGA, Zandria served as corporate secretary and was responsible for overseeing all strategic legal and business affairs matters including media rights and international business development, board governance, antitrust, and player regulations. She also managed the LPGA’s IP portfolio throughout more than 50 countries and directed all litigation. Zandria’s career includes serving as business counsel for the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs in Atlanta, GA and as mergers and acquisitions counsel for the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, DC.
Zandria is a graduate of American University’s Washington College of Law and the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications. She is also a member of the Florida and Georgia Bar Associations. Zandria is married to Marcel, and they have two children, DJ and Charlotte.
Kristie Damell, MA, Ed.D. Associate Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Dr. Kristie Damell is currently the Associate Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator at New Jersey Institute of Technology; she has extensive and diverse experience in higher education as a Student Affairs scholar and practitioner for over fifteen years. Prior to her time at NJIT, she served over 10 years at Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ), most recently as the Associate Dean of Students and Title IX Coordinator, and previously as Associate Director of Student Life among other positions. She is also an adjunct professor at Montclair State University’s graduate program for higher education (NJ) and presents regularly at conferences. Past conference topics have included “Doctorates and Diapers: Women’s journeys navigating the doctoral degree with children,” and, “Changing our Campus Culture by Speaking Up: A collaborative approach to bystander intervention.” She received her EdD from Fordham University in Educational Leadership, MA in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Columbia University, and her BS in Community Health Education from East Stroudsburg University. Kristie is the proud mother of two children and moonlights as a singer in a number of performance ensembles.
Megan Farrell, J.D., MBA Advisor and Consultant
Megan C. Farrell is an advisor and consultant to educational institution clients with a focus on Title IX compliance. Ms. Farrell’s approach focuses on providing practical, reasoned advice to universities, colleges, and schools who are implementing change and bringing her legal, business, and education expertise to unique challenges.
Megan’s background includes working as Title IX Coordinator at Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) and Notre Dame of Maryland University. Megan currently serves as the Equity and Title IX Coordinator for Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District and has consulting contracts with other K-12 districts such as Berkeley Unified and Carmel Unified. She has also served as in-house counsel, faculty member, and graduate program director. Aside from these in-house positions, Megan also has provided risk and litigation management counseling to institutions, developed internal policies and procedures for education clients, and designed customized training programs for schools across the country.
Megan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University, a Juris Doctor from Delaware Law School, and a Master of Business degree from University of Maryland. She also holds
certificates in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University and Mentor Coaching through the Coach Training Alliance, an International Coach Federation (ICF) program.
Janet Elie Faulkner, J.D. Founding Attorney
Faulkner Legal LLC
Janet Elie Faulkner was Emerson College’s first general counsel and also was in-house counsel for Northeastern University for over ten years. Janet conducts independent investigations of Title IX, employment, faculty, discrimination, disability, and athletics matters. She recently co-authored a peer-reviewed article on accommodating disabilities in the Title IX process. Janet has held leadership roles in the Boston Bar Association’s College and University section, is a member of the NACUANOTES Editorial Board, and has developed training modules for the Student Conduct Institute. She was a co-author of SCI’s Joint Guidance on the 2020 Title IX regulations, including the article on the intersection between Title IX and Title VII. Janet recently served as interim Employment Counsel for Cengage Learning. She also teaches Education Law and Public Policy at Boston College.
Janet established Faulkner Legal in 2014. Faulkner Legal is a boutique firm with a focus on the areas of employment, education, disability & privacy law. Faulkner Legal provides legal advice to colleges and universities, non-profits, education vendors, & small businesses. Faulkner Legal is a member of the Partner Network of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education.
Barbara Fienman, Ed.D., Ph.D. Student Affairs Professional
Barbara M. Fienman is a higher education administrator with over forty years of experience working in student affairs. Since 1995, Barbara has served as an “interim administrator” for colleges and universities throughout New England. She has been a vice president of student affairs, dean of students, and has served as a director of career services, residence life, international student advising, among others. Fienman conducts department, program and division reviews for colleges looking to assess their challenges and opportunities. As a certified CliftonStrengths coach Fienman is a frequent presenter on Strengths, Generations in the Workplace, professional development for staff and building a pipeline of candidates for higher education. Fienman has been an adjunct faculty member in the graduate programs at Suffolk University, Salem State, and Northeastern University. Fienman received her Bachelors degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, an Ed.M. from Boston University and a Ph.D. from Boston College where her dissertation focused on suing colleges for negligence.
Marjory Fisher, J.D. Associate Vice President and Title IX Coordinator
Columbia University
Associate Vice President Marjory Fisher is Columbia University’s Title IX Coordinator, responsible for monitoring the university’s policies and procedures and for resolving sexual and gender-based misconduct, harassment, and other complaints under Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in federallyfunded educational institutions. In addition, Ms. Fisher provides guidance on investigations, oversees Deputy Title IX Coordinators at the University, and is responsible for training University staff and others on Title IX issues.
Ms. Fisher brings extensive legal and investigative experience to her post was formerly Bureau Chief of the Special Victims Bureau in the Queens District Attorney’s Office for 22 years, and prior to that served for eight years as Assistant District Attorney in the Sex Crimes Bureau and supervising Trial Attorney in the Homicide Bureau of the Kings County (Brooklyn) District Attorney’s Office.
Ms. Fisher is the recipient of multiple awards for excellence in trial work and the pursuit of justice, including recognition from the Mt. Sinai Rape Crisis and Intervention Program and the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault. She earned her juris doctor from George Washington University’s National Law Center.
Seth Gilbertson, J.D. Senior Counsel
Bond Schoeneck & King Attorneys
Most recently, Seth was labor and student affairs counsel for SUNY’s western campuses (University at Buffalo, Buffalo State College, SUNY Geneseo, SUNY Fredonia, SUNY Brockport and Alfred State College). In addition, he served as primary counsel for international programs, applied learning and records/e-discovery.Seth oversaw many labor and employment cases, including cases before the New York State Division of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He has drafted multiple policy documents for SUNY, including housing licenses, discrimination complaint procedures and e-discovery procedures. Seth managed audits, including federal and state Clery, OFCCP and Title IX audits; represented SUNY during Inspector General and Office for Civil Rights investigations and was counsel to task forces on student wellness and students with disabilities. He negotiated system-wide contracts with Google and Microsoft.Seth is a frequent presenter at national higher education conferences, including National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA).
Leslie M. Gomez, J.D. Vice Chair of the Institutional Response Group
Cozen O’Connor
Leslie is the Vice Chair of the Institutional Response Group at Cozen O’Connor. She is a former career child abuse and sexual assault prosecutor with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
Leslie Gomez, Vice Chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Institutional Response Group, focuses her practice on the institutional response to sexual and gender-based harassment and violence, child abuse, and other forms of harassment, discrimination, and criminal conduct.
Leslie provides consulting, counseling, and legal advice on all aspects of the institutional response to misconduct. She assists institutions in designing effective institutional responses that integrate the complex federal and state regulatory framework with the unique dynamics of trauma and the impacts of interpersonal violence on individuals and communities.
Leslie regularly advises presidents, boards, senior leadership, counsel, student affairs, human resources, campus law enforcement, Title IX Coordinators, and other campus partners in implementing trauma-informed, fair, and impartial processes.
Leslie helps institutions develop comprehensive policies, procedures, systems, and training programs in compliance with Title IX, Title VII, the Clery Act, as amended by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, and state and local laws. Leslie conducts comprehensive policy audits; drafts policies, procedures, and internal operating protocols; develops and trains multi-disciplinary teams; serves as an expert adviser to campus task forces and working groups; consults and advises on Title IX investigation, adjudication and appeal proceedings; and assists educational institutions in meeting federal compliance obligations and responding to investigations by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Clery Compliance Division.
Prior to entering private practice, Leslie served as an assistant district attorney at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.
Joshua Grubman Associate General Counsel
Rhode Island School of Design
Joshua Grubman serves as Associate General Counsel at Dartmouth College. Previously, he served as Associate General Counsel at Rhode Island School of Design, focusing on litigation, regulatory compliance, policy development, employment, and operational matters. Prior to his role at RISD, he was General Counsel for Mount Ida College. Joshua counseled Mount Ida through the closure process in 2018, handling the transfer of students, termination of faculty and staff, program closures and adoptions, accreditation, closed-school discharge liability, asset purchase agreement, final audit, modification and transfer of restricted funds, defense of trustees, executives, and senior management in litigation and investigations, wind down operations, and other issues. He continues to share his experience in this area with other institutions in transition. His practice prior to in-house positions included outside counsel for post-secondary education, regulatory compliance, and government relations.
Steven J. Healy Chief Executive Officer
Margolis Healy
Steven J. Healy is Chief Executive Officer of Margolis Healy and is a nationally recognized expert on campus public safety, Title IX and the Clery Act. From 2003 through 2009, he was the Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police at Princeton University where he led the University’s safety, security, and law enforcement programs and is credited with enhancing and expanding the department’s overall professionalism and capabilities through improved leadership, additional personnel, significant strategic investments in training, updated equipment, new computer systems and a relocation to a technologically advanced facility. Prior to Princeton, Steven was the Chief of Police at Wellesley College in Wellesley, MA. He also served as Director of Operations at the Department of Public Safety at Syracuse University for five years.
A past president of the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA), Steven served as a member of the association’s Government Relations Committee for 13 years, and was the IACLEA Regional Director for the North Atlantic Region during his tenure at Wellesley. As president of IACLEA, Steven contributed significantly to the national dialogue about campus safety and security in the aftermath of the tragic rampage-shooting incident at Virginia Tech University in April 2007. As the Immediate Past President of IACLEA, Steven led an IACLEA special panel reviewing post-Virginia Tech challenges and concerns for the higher education community. He also served as IACLEA’s representative to the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) “National Campus Safety and Security Project” and to EDUCAUSE’s “The IT Role in Campus Safety” project. He was a featured speaker and panelist with Dr. Gary Margolis, co-founder of Margolis Healy, on emergency response and recovery at the NACUBO annual meeting. In 2009, he was named a Fellow at the Department of Education’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol, Other Drug Abuse and Violence Prevention. Steven is also a past president of the Massachusetts Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.
Steven serves as a subject-matter expert for the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice. He testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on the topic of “Security on America’s Campuses” and testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor on the topic of “Best Practices for Keeping America’s Campuses Safe.” At the request of the U.S. Department of Education, he was asked to serve on a special working group developing emergency management planning guidelines for the higher education community.
Steven has been a featured presenter at several ACE Annual Meetings, addressing various issues related to campus safety, security, emergency management, and regulatory compliance. He served as chairperson of the National Center for Campus Public Safety Advisory Board and was responsible for leading the development of a strategic plan and framework for the National Center for Campus Public Safety. Steven is currently the Chair of the Advisory Board for the National Center for Campus Public Safety, which was funded by Congress with bipartisan support in 2013.
Steven is a frequently requested and nationally recognized consultant, presenter, and trainer who speaks on issues related to campus safety and security. He has appeared on numerous national news programs and talk shows including CNN, ABC Nightly News, CBS, FOX, MSNBC, and National Public Radio. Steven was named one of the “Top 25 Most Influential People in the Security Industry” by Security Magazine.
Steven is a 1984 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He spent 10 years on active duty with the United States Air Force as Security Police Officer. From 1992 to 1995, He was the Operations Officer for the 95th Security Police Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base.
Patrick Hromisin, CIPP/US, CIPP/E
Patrick Hromisin handles privacy and data protection compliance, internal investigations, and related litigation for a broad array of clients. He has guided dozens of clients on compliance with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). He also helps clients prepare for cybersecurity incidents; respond to potential breaches and conduct related internal investigations; and provides representation in related litigation. Patrick is credentialed as a Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US) and a Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).
Adam Jussel, J.D. Dean of Students
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Adam serves as the Dean of Students for University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, where he helps assist with student conduct, student advocacy and engagement, support resources, including basic needs, crisis management. Adam also co-leads the Campus Cares initiative—comprehensive, holistic health and wellbeing work for all UWM students, faculty and staff. Before UWM, Adam was the Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Conduct at Washington State University. He previously represented WSU as an assistant attorney general, and has a certification in higher education law and policy from NASPA Adam served as a faculty member for the Foundations Track at the 2018 Gehring Academy, and has been fortunate to speak at a number of conferences about how to better serve students, including the National Conference on Law and Higher Education, University of Vermont Legal Issues Conference, the Higher Education Alcohol Other Drug & Wellness Summit, and the National Conference on Campus Sexual Assault and Violence. Adam was also a member of NASPA’s Culture of Respect CORE Constructs Advisory Board, advising NASPA on creating best practices regarding sex and gender based violence. Adam is also a faculty member for higher education law and policy at Marquette University. Adam received his juris doctorate from Seattle University and his Bachelor of Science in Business Information Systems from California Lutheran University. He is a member of the Washington bar.
Steven J. McDonald, J.D. Retired Higher Education Counsel
Steven J. McDonald is the recently retired General Counsel of Rhode Island School of Design and previously served as Associate Legal Counsel at The Ohio State University. Steve began his legal career at Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, where he represented CompuServe in Cubby v. CompuServe, the first online libel case, and he also has taught courses in Internet law at Ohio State’s College of Law and at Capital University Law School. He is a Fellow and past member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, one of the developers of its NACUANOTES legal information service, and a recipient of its Distinguished Service and Life Member Awards. He presents and writes frequently on issues of higher education law. In State, ex rel. Thomas v. The Ohio State University, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that he really is a lawyer. He received his A.B. from Duke University and his J.D. from the Yale Law School.
Jim Moore, Senior Advisor for Clery Act Compliance and Campus Safety Operations
U.S. Department of Education
Jim Moore is the Senior Advisor for Clery Act Compliance and Campus Safety Operations at the U.S. Department of Education. He serves as the federal government’s leading expert on the Clery Act, the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, and other campus safety and crime prevention initiatives. Mr. Moore also leads the Department’s Clery Act training, technical assistance, and outreach initiatives. He is a frequent speaker and trainer on campus safety issues, including sexual assault prevention and response, threat assessment, and substance abuse prevention. From 2014 – 2017, Mr. Moore also served on the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault.
Jeffrey Nolan, J.D. Partner
Holland & Knight
Jeffrey J. Nolan is an education and labor and employment attorney with Holland & Knight who represents, advises, educates and helps clients throughout the United States manage conflicts, enhance the safety of individuals and environments, and successfully navigate the maze of legal obligations faced by educational institutions and employers. Mr. Nolan is based in Holland & Knight’s Boston office.
Mr. Nolan represents and advises colleges, universities and independent schools throughout the United States regarding situations that implicate Title IX, the Clery Act, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and other laws that apply in the higher education context. He also conducts system-wide compliance assessments and helps clients develop Title IX/Clery Act and other policies, practices and training programs to minimize risk and enhance compliance with those laws. In 2022 and in 2018-19, Mr. Nolan served on the American Council on Education’s (ACE) Title IX Working Group that prepared ACE’s comments to the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed 2022 and 2020 Title IX regulations, and his work on fair, equitable trauma-informed investigations was cited 8 times in the Preamble to the final Title IX regulations issued by the Department in May 2020. Mr. Nolan also advises higher educational institutions on the governance, faculty relations and related challenges that they face in the current economic and regulatory environment.
In the employment law area, Mr. Nolan assists employers in dealing with the full range of employee relations issues, advises them on how to comply with applicable employment laws, and helps them to create effective employment policies and training programs.
Mr. Nolan has more than 30 years of experience representing clients in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Mr. Nolan has successfully argued many cases that created favorable precedent in the higher education and employment contexts.
In client-sponsored and public venues, Mr. Nolan has trained thousands of education, human resources and law enforcement professionals throughout the country on best and promising practices in Title IX/Clery Act compliance, witness-centered/trauma-informed fair investigations, how to conduct hearings under Title IX regulations, threat assessment and management, ADA issues and other education and employment law issues.
Mr. Nolan advises clients on threat assessment practices, which use a proven methodology to assess and manage potential risks of targeted violence in the higher education and workplace settings.
Mr. Nolan also provides independent investigations of sensitive campus and workplace issues, such as reports of alleged sexual misconduct, intimate partner violence or stalking, alleged sexual harassment, faculty misconduct and other workplace misconduct. Jeffrey Nolan is a Certified FETI® Practitioner (CFP-B).
Mr. Nolan is licensed to practice law in Massachusetts, New York, Texas, Vermont and Virginia, and practices in other jurisdictions as appropriate under state practice regulations.
Kimberly Novak, CEO
NovakTalks
Kimberly Novak, Kim is the CEO of NovakTalks, a higher education consulting firm that specializes in facilitating the development of strategic prevention, intervention, and accountability initiatives. A foundational characteristic of her team’s our work is the involvement of students in the governance of their organizations. Additionally, she. serves on Pi Kappa Alpha’s Staff as the Health & Safety Officer. In this role she provides training and support specific to health and safety for chapter leadership, collegiate members, volunteers, and staff.
Kim is recognized as a thought-leader in Student Organization Conduct having worked in student conduct administration for over 25 years. She is frequently called up to educate campus professionals and international fraternity staffs on the design as well as implementation of organization conduct systems. In 2007 Kim lead the development of the Interdisciplinary Institute for Hazing Prevention, the first educational experience designed to apply the principles and framework for prevention to the issue of hazing. The Institute is now in its 15th year and continues to be the leading hazing prevention program in higher education.
Kim approaches her work with college students with the heart of an advocate and is committed to the advancement of communities of care on college campuses across the country.
Jennifer L. Papillo, LL.M., J.D. Associate General Counsel
University of Vermont
Jennifer L. Papillo joined the UVM Office of the General Counsel in 2010, and was promoted to Associate General Counsel in 2015. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Elon University, a J.D. from Stetson University College of Law, as well as a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center, with a focus on tax exempt organizations. Jennifer is a frequent speaker and author at the national and regional level on issues related to student conduct, managing distressed and disruptive students, admissions practices, campus disruption, the First Amendment, political activities, taxation, Title IX, the Clery Act, FERPA, and the ADA. Jennifer is an active member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA), a member of the UVM Legal Issues Board of Directors, and a contributor to the SUNY Title IX Joint Guidance Initiative. Jennifer also serves as President of the Junior League of Champlain Valley (JLCV) and JLCV Diaper Bank, a fully volunteer run organization with statewide reach distributing diapers and wipes to low income Vermonters. Before coming to UVM, Jennifer served as a law clerk for the American Cancer Society, Inc.’s Office of Corporation Counsel in Washington, DC, and a research assistant to Peter F. Lake in the writing of Beyond Discipline: Managing the Modern Higher Education Environment (Hierophant Enterprises, Inc., 2009).
Steven Richard, J.D. Partner
Nixon Peabody LLP
Steven Richard is a partner at Nixon Peabody LLP and leads its national Title IX and Higher Ed teams. Mr. Richard has over twenty-five years of experience representing colleges and universities nationally. He has served as lead trial and appellate counsel in Title IX and student conduct cases in federal and state courts. Subsequent to the issuance of the 2011 Dear Colleague letter, Steven has defended colleges and universities in Title IX lawsuits filed by complainants and respondents. Steven has also counseled institutions extensively on faculty matters, including issues relating to shared governance, academic freedom, and tenure revocations and denials. Steven is a frequent writer and speaker on higher education administrative and judicial developments. He was recently selected by Rhode Island Lawyers Weekly as the state’s “Go To Lawyer” in Education Law.
Steven earned his undergraduate degree from Boston University, his law degree from Notre Dame Law School where he was a member of its Law Review, and his master of business administration from Bryant University.
Steven is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys and a Trustee of Bryant University.
Joshua W. B. Richards, J.D. Partner
Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP
exigency, accreditation, minors on campus, and civil tort claims, including student death and abuse matters. In addition, he regularly conducts on-site training sessions for higher education clients regarding compliance with civil rights laws and the Clery Act. Josh is a graduate of Middlebury College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is currently nearing the end of a three-year term (FY 2019-2022) on the NACUA Board of Directors and is on the Legal Issues In Higher Education Advisory Board.
Heather A. Salko, J.D. Manager of Risk Research
United Educators Insurance
Heather A. Salko is the Manager of Risk Research at United Educators Insurance (UE). An attorney, Heather oversees the Risk Management research content created by UE and concentrates her own research, writing, and presentations on employment issues, student affairs (including Title IX and other disciplinary matters), and student mental health. Heather oversees and often hosts UE’s risk management podcast, Prevention and Protection, which can be found on UE’s website (ue.org) and Apple podcasts.
Heather joined United Educators in 2002, serving for 13 years as a Senior Claims Counsel during which she managed litigation for member institutions in New England and began focusing on risk management in 2015. Before joining United Educators, Heather was a litigator in Philadelphia where she concentrated insurance coverage and employment matters. Heather is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University and Villanova University Law School. She is licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey,
and is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys.
Scott Schneider, J.D. Partner
Husch Blackwell LLP
Scott advises companies and educational institutions nationwide on a variety of complex legal issues with a focus on particularly sensitive matters.
He is a prominent litigator as well as a sought-after advisor on Title IX, labor and employment law issues, and various risk management concerns. He has led numerous investigations of serial sex abuse allegations, allegations of misconduct involving senior leadership and other acts of institutional misconduct, as well
as high-profile program reviews of institutional response.
Over the last decade, Scott has provided training nationally to thousands of personnel on a variety of issues, including Title IX; labor and employment law; faculty hiring, promotion and tenure processes; and Greek Life risk management. Scott regularly presents to national organizations, including the National Association of College and University Attorneys, the National Association of Independent Schools and the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators.
Scott is an award-winning professor at Tulane University and also serves on the faculty for the State University of New York’s Student Conduct Institute. In addition, Scott has been retained by the National Center for Campus Public Safety to serve as a faculty member for its Trauma-Informed Sexual Assault Investigation and Adjudication training program for campus officials.
Neera Skurky, J.D. Associate General Counsel
Duke University
Neera Makwana Skurky is an in-house attorney who advises Duke University and Duke University Health System on all types of legal issues involving employees, including
allegations of discrimination, harassment or retaliation. Prior to joining Duke, Neera was Associate University Counsel at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she worked closely with university administration on a wide variety of legal matters related to employment law, faculty governance and academic freedom, public records, open meetings, the First Amendment, and litigation. Before working with UNC-Chapel Hill, Neera was in private practice with Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Arnall Golden Gregory LLP in Atlanta, Georgia. Neera is originally from Brevard, North Carolina.
Gina Maisto Smith, J.D. Chair of Institutional Response Group
Cozen O’Connor
Gina Maisto Smith, Chair of Cozen O’Connor’s Institutional Response Group, focuses her practice on the institutional response to sexual and gender-based harassment and violence, child abuse, and other forms of harassment, discrimination, and criminal conduct. Gina provides consulting, counseling, and legal advice on all aspects of the institutional response to misconduct. She assists institutions in designing effective institutional responses that integrate the complex federal and state regulatory framework with the unique dynamics of trauma and the impacts of interpersonal violence on individuals and communities. Gina regularly advises educational and child-serving institutions including public and private K-12 schools and colleges and universities about policies, changes in the law, and investigations into allegations of child abuse and sexual misconduct, including sexual violence. She regularly conducts policy audits and assists in the development of policy and the design and implementation of internal operating procedures. In addition, Gina conducts training for K-12 administrators and multiple university constituencies, including Title IX coordinators, sexual assault response teams, judicial hearing boards, investigators, and members of the campus community. Before entering private practice, Gina spent nearly two decades in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office where she investigated numerous cases, handled more than 100 jury trials, and developed unmatched experience in the investigation and prosecution of sex crimes, child abuse, and domestic violence.
William Stackman, Ph.D. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
University of Missouri-Columbia
Dr. Bill Stackman is currently the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He previously served for seven years as the Vice Provost for Student Affairs at Notre Dame University. Dr. Stackman has been working in student affairs for 38 years and has held leadership positions at a number of institutions, including Director of Student Activities at Texas A&M University, Dean of Student Affairs at Rhodes College, Associate and Acting Dean of Students at Oberlin College, Director of Student Activities/Mayer Campus Center at Tufts University, Associate Director of the Illini Union and Program Director at the University of Illinois, and Associate Director of Student Activities at Temple University.
Dr. Stackman earned his doctorate at Boston University in Leadership, Administration, and Policy Studies. He also holds a master’s degree from West Virginia University in Higher Education Administration, a master’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in Parks and Recreation Administration, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky in Parks and Recreation. He is currently completing a master’s degree from the University of Missouri in Positive Psychology with an emphasis in Positive Coaching.
Thomas Sullivan, J.D. President Emeritus and Professor of Law and Political Science
University of Vermont
Professor Tom Sullivan became the 26th President of the University of Vermont in July 2012. Upon completing his term as President in July of 2019, he became President Emeritus and Professor of Political Science.
Prior to becoming President, he served as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Minnesota, 2004-2012.
He served as the eighth Dean of the University of Minnesota Law School from 1995 to 2002. Upon finishing his term as Dean, he returned to full-time research and teaching. In June 2003, he received the J. William Elwin, Jr., Award from the American Bar Association for leadership and contributions to law school development. At the University of Minnesota Law School, he has received the Stanley V. Kinyon Teacher of the Year Award for Excellence in Teaching. He has chaired the ABA Section of Legal Education and has chaired the Association of American Law Schools Section on Antitrust and Economic Regulation.
On three occasions, he has been a consultant to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on judicial nominations to the Supreme Court, and to the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on mergers. In 2015, he received the Robert J. Kutak Award from the American Bar Association for his contributions to the legal academy, the Judiciary, and the Bar. Since 1984, he has been an elected member of the American Law Institute (ALI), and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation since 1994. Presently, he serves as President of the Board of Directors of the American Bar Foundation (ABF), the leading empirical research center in law and social policy in the US. In 2021-22, he served as a Reporter for the American Law Institute (ALI) on its Principles of Law on Student Sexual Misconduct under Title IX.
Professor Sullivan is a nationally recognized authority on antitrust law, complex litigation, and constitutional law, having authored 13 books and over 75 articles and essays. He and co-author Professor Richard Frase published Proportionality Principles in American Law: Controlling Excessive Government Actions (Oxford University Press, 2009). He is the co-author, with Professors Herbert Hovencamp, Howard Shelanksi, and Christopher Leslie of Antitrust Law, Policy, and Procedure (8th ed., 2019) and co-author with Professor Jeffrey Harrison of Understanding Antitrust and Its Economic Implications (7th ed., 2019). Most recently, he published Complex Litigation with Professors Richard Freer, Doug Floyd and Brad Clary (3rd ed., 2019). He also published Private Antitrust Actions (Little, Brown & Co., 1996) with Douglas Floyd. In 2013, he published The Arc of Due Process in American Constitutional Law with Toni Massaro (Oxford University Press). His most recent book, Free Speech: From Core Values to Current Debates (with Len Niehoff) published by Cambridge University Press in 2022.
Twice he has been a visiting faculty member at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. On three occasions, he has been a visiting fellow and visiting Professor of Law at Cambridge University in England. During the fall semester 2002, he was a visiting Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley (Boalt Hall) and in 2012 he was a visiting faculty member at New York University Law School. On 2020, he was elected by the faculty a Life Fellow member of Cambridge University’s Clare Hall College (in the UK).
Before coming to the University of Minnesota, Professor Sullivan served for six years as Dean of the University of Arizona College of Law and as Associate Dean at Washington University in St. Louis. He began his career in higher education as a faculty member at the University of Missouri, Columbia. He graduated magna cum laude from law school at Indiana University in 1973, where he served as an editor on the Indiana Law Review. After law school, he clerked for a federal judge in Miami, Florida and thereafter was a Federal Prosecutor in the US Department of Justice in the Attorney General’s Honors Program. In 1977, he became an antitrust litigator with the New York and Washington, DC, firm of Donovan, Leisure, Newton, and Irvine. Throughout his career, he has continued to serve as a consultant on antitrust, complex litigation, constitutional law, and Federal Court matters.
Adam Steinbaugh, J.D.
Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)
Adam Steinbaugh is an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that works to defend civil liberties, with a particular focus on higher education. Steinbaugh is a graduate of Whittier College and Loyola Law School, both in Los Angeles. At FIRE, Steinbaugh served as the director of the Individual Rights Defense Program, which advocated for the rights of students and faculty members. He now works on FIRE’s litigation team.
Joseph Storch, J.D. Senior Director of Compliance and Innovation Solutions
Grand River Solutions
Joseph Storch is the Senior Director of Compliance and Innovation Solutions for Grand River Solutions. In that role he advises clients on best practices in Clery Act and Title IX compliance, and works to develop new products, trainings, and resources to assist our clients in their compliance, response, and prevention efforts. Joe has provided live training to tens of thousands of higher education professionals in 30 U.S. states, furnishes technical guidance to numerous education institutions, organizations, and associations, and has twice served as an expert witness before the United States Senate (Armed Services, 2019; Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 2016).
He previously served as Associate Counsel in the SUNY Office of General Counsel and Chair of the Student Affairs Practice Group. He founded the Center for Advanced Research in Reducing the Impact of Violence in Education (ARRIVE Center) and served as Principal Investigator on more than $20 million in grants and external funding. He founded and oversaw the SUNY Student Conduct Institute, which offers compliance and best practice training annually to thousands of higher education professionals engaged in response to violence and conduct violations. In 2014, Joe received the Commissioner’s Award from the State University Police for contributions to safety on campus. In 2015, he served as a technical adviser to the Office of the Governor, developing comprehensive legislation enacted in July 2015 as Article 129-B of the Education Law (also called “Enough is Enough”) and has since served as principal author on guidance issued to implement that law. That same year, the National Association of College & University Attorneys awarded him its First Decade Award. Beginning in 2016, Joe founded and oversaw the SUNY’s Got Your Back program which has provided over 125,000 comfort bags to victims and survivors of violence, while educating tens of thousands of students and community members. In 2017, the One Love Foundation recognized his work in relationship violence prevention with its Unsung Hero Award and in 2018 the Pride Center of the Capital Region awarded him its Straight But Not Narrow award. In 2020, City and State selected him as one of its 40 Under 40. Joe served as Principal Investigator of the Biennial SUNY Uniform Campus Climate Survey, one of the largest such surveys in the nation, and of the SPECTRUM conference, the nation’s largest gathering addressing violence against members of the LGBTQI+ community.
Joe is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of SUNY Oswego where he served as Vice President of the Student Association, of the University at Albany with a Masters of Public Policy, and of Cornell Law School where he served as Moot Court Board Chancellor. After graduating, he clerked for the New York State Appellate Division, 3rd Department and he currently serves as a member of that Court’s Committee on Character and Fitness. Joe served four years as Executive Editor of the Student Affairs Compliance Report & Analysis, is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of College and University Law, and is the author of more than 75 articles and book chapters in law reviews, practitioner journals, and popular media, most centering around campus safety or copyright law.
Denzil J. Suite, Ph.D. Vice President for Student Life
University of Washington
Dr. Denzil Suite, Vice President for Student Life, joined the University of Washington in July 2013. In that capacity, he provides leadership and direction for strategic planning, assessment, and staff development for a comprehensive division of student programs and services. He leads a team of approximately 1,000 professionals in creating and maintaining a healthy campus environment through services, programs, and innovative learning experiences beyond the classroom, and through a highly collaborative relationship with other senior UW leaders.
Prior to joining UW, he served as Associate Vice President of Student Affairs at the University of Southern California where he had oversight responsibilities for over 20 departments in the division. He also served and as an Associate Professor for Clinical Education at the USC Rossier School of Education. He taught master’s level courses on Student Development, the History of Higher Education, and on Intervention Strategies.
Suite earned his bachelor’s degree in Psychology at The Ohio State University, a master’s degree in Education from the University of Vermont, and a Ph.D. in Policy and Organization from the University of Southern California. His research for his doctorate centered on factors affecting student success in college. He is especially interested in how students from differing backgrounds are affected by the college environment. He chose this topic because of his long-standing commitment to college students and their success.
Dr. Suite has worked professionally in student affairs for over 20 years and has held positions of responsibility at UC Berkeley, Cal State L.A., and UC Santa Cruz. He is the recipient of numerous awards from national, local, and student organizations.
He recently served as the Chair of the Board of Directors for NASPA—the world’s leading association for Student Affairs professionals.
David Tiscione, MA Director of Title IX, Compliance, and Assessment
Loyola University
David Tiscione is currently the Director of Title IX, Compliance, and Assessment at Loyola University Maryland. In this role, David serves as the Title IX Coordinator and the ADA/504 Coordinator. Previously, David held roles at 2 and 4-year private and public institutions in Title IX, student conduct and residence life. David received his Bachelor of Arts from Frostburg State University and Master of Arts from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. David has over 10 years of experience working within preventing and addressing sexual and gender-based misconduct including serving as an advisor, investigator, hearing panel chair and member, and a Title IX Coordinator and Deputy. David is also experienced as a restorative justice facilitator and infuses its philosophies into his work. David is passionate about preventing and addressing sexual and gender-based misconduct because he has seen the significant harm it causes individuals and communities.
Larry Leroy “Lee” Tyner, Jr., B.A., J.D. General Counsel
Texas Christian University
Lee Tyner was named the inaugural General Counsel at Texas Christian University in April, 2018. Before coming to TCU, Lee was as an attorney at the University of Mississippi for almost twenty years, serving as General Counsel from 2003-2018. During his career in higher education, Lee has taught courses in Higher Education Law, Business Law, and Communications Law. Lee is a national leader among higher education lawyers, serving two terms on the Board of Directors and as the chief elected officer for the National Association of College and University Attorneys. Lee regularly speaks on a wide range of topics, most frequently in the areas of free expression, diversity and access, student affairs, and intercollegiate athletics. Lee received his B.A. from the University of Mississippi and his J.D. from the University of Virginia.
Rebecca Leitman Veidlinger, J.D. Title IX Attorney
Rebecca Leitman Veidlinger, Esq., PLLC
Rebecca Leitman Veidlinger is an attorney in private practice specializing in Title IX and the institutional response to complaints of gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. Rebecca conducts external Title IX investigations and hearings for colleges, universities, and K-12 schools across the country. She also conducts comprehensive Title IX compliance and systems reviews for educational communities, examining past responses to complaints of sexual misconduct and providing recommendations for best practices in the field.
Rebecca teaches and trains on school-related sexual misconduct nationwide. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan School of Law, where she teaches a seminar on Title IX. She serves as an instructor for the State University of New York’s (SUNY) Student Conduct Institute, leading online modules on effective investigative interviewing and on collecting and understanding specialized evidence. Rebecca is also a contributing author to SUNY’s Joint Guidance on Federal Title IX Regulations, a free comprehensive online resource geared to providing high-quality Title IX interpretation, insights, and practice tips for institutions of higher education. She also regularly provides sexual misconduct prevention and response training to higher education administrators, K-12 personnel, coaches, prosecutors, and law enforcement officers.
In April 2022, Rebecca was selected to serve as the external co-chair of the University of Michigan’s Coordinated Community Response Team, an entity tasked with collecting information from the University community about sexual misconduct, developing that information into community-based initiatives, and communicating directly with the University’s president regarding those iniatiatives.
Before entering private practice, Rebecca worked at the University of Michigan as a Title IX investigator, where she investigated complaints of sexual harassment, sexual violence, and stalking involving students, staff, and faculty. She also served as Michigan State University’s interim deputy Title IX coordinator, overseeing MSU’s creation of a free-standing civil rights investigation unit in 2015. Rebecca is the former sex crimes prosecutor in Monroe County, Indiana (home of Indiana University), where she prosecuted hundreds of cases of domestic and sexual violence involving children and adults. Rebecca began her legal career as a federal judicial clerk for The Hon. Harold H. Greene of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. She received a JD, cum laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center, a master’s degree in public policy and women’s studies from The George Washington University, and a BA from McGill University.
Natalie Winkelfoos, Delta Lodge Director of Athletics and Physical Education
Oberlin College
The first woman to hold the position at Oberlin College, Natalie Winkelfoos was named the Delta Lodge Director of Athletics and Physical Education in 2012 and promoted to Associate Vice President for Athletics Advancement in 2017. Winkelfoos serves as a member of the President’s Senior Staff.
Named the Division III Administrator of the Year by Women Leaders in College Sports in 2015 and a Division III Under Armour AD of the Year in 2018, Winkelfoos has raised approximately $40 million dollars to date that has transformed Oberlin’s athletics facilities and infrastructure. She has a proven track record of generating philanthropic support for the department and is an advocate for inclusion, mental health and leadership development.
Winkelfoos served on the North Coast Athletic Conference Diversity Committee with conference presidents and Executive Director to create a conference-wide program to mentor females and minorities. Additionally, she was part of a working group that produced Oberlin’s first-ever varsity student-athlete transgender inclusion policy. Notably, has presented at a number of conferences regarding social justice, fundraising, embedding inclusion into an athletics department, balancing family and a career in athletics and has been recognized as an industry influencer by the Women in Sports and Events organization.