Younger Women's Task Force Advisory Board

The Younger Women’s Task Force Advisory Board is a group of leaders from across the country who support YWTF through mentoring YWTF leaders, advising YWTF on national projects, and offering their skills and expertise for various YWTF endeavors. We greatly appreciate the support of the board. You can only build leaders of tomorrow with the help of leaders of today!
Introducing our YWTF Advisory Board Members:

Betsey Barnston, Financial Analyst, Smith Barney, New Haven, CT
Betsey Barnston graduated from Connecticut College in 1957, after which she started a career in Social Work. As was common at that time, in 1959 she stopped this work upon the birth of my first child. Soon, she found a need in her children's elementary school for an after-school program which later morphed into an alternative Integrated Day program, which she initiated and fought for with a small group of women. Since that time it has grown and is now being offered in three North Haven schools. In 1974, she returned to work and began a banking career by creating a program for counseling women on all financial matters, such as how to procure credit, the finances of divorce, estate planning etc. She later started a Trust Department for that bank. In 1985, she made the decision to join Smith Barney in order to return to a career path as a financial consultant, working directly with individuals to assist them in  planning their financial future. She remains in that pursuit today and continues to feel fulfilled in my work. In addition, she shares her life with her husband of 28 years and their eight children (four his and four mine), and seven wonderful grandchildren. 

Ellen Boneparth, Founder and Director, International Women’s Studies Institute, Santa Rosa, CA
Dr. Ellen Boneparth, IWSI Director, former Dean, Professor, and Diplomat turned fiction writer, has sold her home in Greece, a converted olive press, and now resides with her husband in a Victorian in downtown Santa Rosa, California. Ellen has a Ph.D. in Political Science from Stanford and taught political science and women's studies at San Jose State University. During her U.S. Foreign Service career, she served at the U.S. Embassy in Athens and the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. She most recently lived in Hilo, Hawaii and served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Hawaii, Hilo. She is the editor of two books and many articles on women and public policy.

Martha Burk, Director, Women on Wall Street Project at the National Cuoncil of Women’s Organizations, Washington, DC
Dr. Martha Burk is a psychologist and women's equity expert who is cofounder and president of the Center for Advancement of Public Policy in Washington, D.C. Dr. Burk served as Chair of the National Council of Women's Organizations (NCWO) from 2000 through 2005.  Dr. Burk led the NCWO effort to open the Augusta National Golf Club to women, and remains at the forefront of the debate on women's progress in corporate America. Dr. Burk was named a Woman of the Year by Ms. Magazine in 2003. Dr. Burk is also a syndicated columnist and is a frequent contributor to major newspapers and print outlets on public policy, including USA Today, The Nation, Knight-Ridder wire services, Scripps Howard news services, Louisville Courier Journal, Los Angeles Daily News, Ms. Magazine, Working Woman, Business Woman, Executive Female, and The Washington Post.  She is an editorial advisor for Ms. Magazine. 

Claire B. Cole
Claire comes to the Advisory Board of YWTF from the National Coordinating Board and, prior to that, the New York City Chapter, where she served as the NYC Metro Chapter Director.
Claire is an active member of the social justice community through a variety of volunteer activities in New York City, and looks forward to continuing that activism in her new home of Seattle, Washington. Claire’s background includes serving as a host for the Haven Coalition, a network of pro-Choice women in New York City who open their homes to women coming to the City for late term abortions (an overnight procedure). In addition, she has served on the YWCA NYC’s Young Women’s Leadership Board; as grant writing for The White House Project and Lower Eastside Girls Club; and as volunteer coordinator of the Women’s Community Outreach group of Advocates for Rasiej during the 2005 NYC race for Public Advocate. Claire remains a dedicated volunteer for Planned Parenthood, and is an alumna of the Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership.
Claire is currently pursuing her Master’s of Public Health at the University of Washington in Seattle. She holds her B.A. from New York University in English literature and Gender and Sexuality Studies. While at NYU, Claire co-founded Voices for Choice, the only reproductive rights activist organization on campus. 

Dana Czuczka, Director of Government Relations, Planned Parenthood of New York City, New York, NY
Dana Czuczka, M.P.H., is the Director of Government Relations at PPNYC. Ms Czuczka coordinates the agency’s legislative strategy and serves as the agency’s primary lobbyist in New York City, Albany, and Washington, D.C. She is also Co-Director of Get the Facts NY, a statewide campaign organized by Planned Parenthood and Family Planning Advocates to support comprehensive, medically accurate sex education for all New York youth. Ms. Czuczka formerly served as the Associate Director of Education and Training at PPNYC, where she helped to write sex education curricula and conducted trainings and workshops for adolescents, parents, and health professionals on reproductive and sexual health issues.
 
Stephanie Davis, Policy Advisor on Women’s Issues, Office of the Mayor, Atlanta, Georgia
Stephanie Davis serves as the Mayor of Atlanta’s Policy Advisor on Women’s Issues and is charged with helping to end child prostitution, empowering women through financial literacy, and institutionalizing the living wage. As the first director of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation where she served for eleven years, Davis was responsible for raising several million dollars, establishing an endowment and positioning the Foundation to be the fastest growing women’s fund in the country. Davis also serves on the Board of the White House Project.
 
Laura Fenimore, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC
A founding member, Laura Fenimore served as YWTF’s inaugural National Regional Director, helping to establish the project’s first nine regional chapters. Laura has worked with the ACLU, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, India’s Isabella Thoburn College, SIECUS, the United States Senate, Whole Foods Market, and on numerous national and local political campaigns. The New Jersey native earned her MPA from the NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and her BA from Sarah Lawrence College. She currently serves as Site Producer for the National Geographic Online Store and resides in Washington, DC with her husband, Derek.
 
Claudia Fine, Executive Vice President, Chief Professional Officer, Senior Bridge, New York, NY
Ms. Fine has worked in the field of eldercare for over 20 years and was a partner with the New York City-based Fine & Newcombe Associates, a pioneering firm in the private eldercare field. Her company was acquired by SeniorBridge in 2000 and she became a founding member of the company. She is the former President of the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers, and a current member of the New York Society for Clinical Social Work Psychotherapists and the American Society on Aging. Ms. Fine has a Master's Degree in Public Health from Columbia University School of Public Health and a Master's Degree in Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work.
 
Sarah B. From, Deputy Director, Institute on Women & Criminal Justice at the Women’s Prison Association, New York NY
Sarah B. From is the Deputy Director of the Institute on Women & Criminal Justice, a national center for policy, research and dialogue based out of the Women’s Prison Association in New York City. In this capacity, Ms. From works to reform policy, educate public officials, and seed a national conversation on women and criminal justice. Since coming to the Women’s Prison Association in 2002, Ms. From has created the Women’s Advocacy Project (a leadership and advocacy training program for formerly incarcerated women), worked to expand housing opportunities for women leaving prison and jail, and guided the planning and launch of the Institute on Women & Criminal Justice. Prior to coming to Women’s Prison Association, Ms. From lived in Japan for a year teaching English to children and adults with the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. She is a recipient of the National Caring Award and the Yoshiyama Award for Exemplary Service to the Community (awarded by the Hitachi Foundation). Ms. From is a graduate of Vassar College.

Lauren Horn, Marketing and Communications Consultant, Riverdale, NY
Lauren Wechler Horn is an experienced professional with expertise in operational management, strategic planning, public relations, internal and external communications, marketing, and merchandising. Lauren currently works with the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Matt’s Promise Foundation, Golub and Isabel, P.C., and The White House Project. From 1992-1997, Lauren was the National Media Director for the Ms. Foundation for Women, the largest women’s fund in the United States. During her tenure, she created and executed the media and grassroots strategies, and developed cross-media marketing initiatives for Take Our Daughters To Work Day. Lauren, a graduate of Wellesley College, was born and raised in New York City and currently resides in Riverdale, NY with her husband and two daughters.

Jennifer Grayson, Policy Analyst, Legal Momentum, Washington, DC
Jennifer Grayson joined Legal Momentum as a Policy Analyst in Washington, DC in June 2003. She has held policy positions at various Washington nonprofits including OMB Watch, United Jewish Communities and the American Public Human Services Association, as well as internships at the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. She majored in Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and holds a Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown.

Sharon Levin, Founder and Executive Director, Women’s Prerogative, Washington, DC
Sharon Levin has spent the past decade working to expand opportunities for women and their families.  She was Senior Counsel at the National Women’s Law Center, focusing on women’s health and reproductive rights.  Sharon also worked for Congress, first for Representative Nita Lowey (for whom she managed the bipartisan Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues and the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus) and then for Senator Charles Schumer and the Senate Judiciary Committee.  In addition, during her years of private legal practice, Sharon represented several women’s organizations on a pro-bono basis on matters that included domestic violence, Title VII and child care. Sharon is also an adjunct professor teaching sex-based discrimination at the Washington College of Law of American University. Sharon is a graduate of Columbia University and the University of Chicago Law School.

Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat, Director of Public Policy at the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA), Washington, DC
NFPRHA is a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to ensure access to voluntary, comprehensive, affordable and culturally sensitive family planning and reproductive health services and to support reproductive freedom for all. Prior to joining NFPRHA, Jennifer spent nine years at Women’s Policy, Inc., most recently as their policy director. She received a BA in Political Science from the University of New Hampshire, and an MA in International Studies with a concentration in women and development from the Monteray Institute of International Studies. The mother of two daughters, Jennifer is active in their PTA, where she chairs the Cultural Arts Committee, as well as their local Democratic party, where she serves as Vice Chair of the Darnesville District Democratic Committee in Fairfax County, Virginia.

Lisa Maatz, Director of Public Policy, The American Association of University Women, Washington, DC
Lisa is the Director of Public Policy and Government Relations at the American Association of University Women (AAUW). Since 1881, AAUW has been the nation’s leading voice promoting equity and education for all women and girls. As AAUW’s top policy advisor, Maatz works to advance AAUW’s priority issues on Capitol Hill, through the executive branch and in the coalition. Maatz has done similar work for the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Older Women’s League, and was a legislative aide to U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). Maatz is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Ohio University, has two Master’s degrees from Ohio State, and holds an adjunct appointment with the Women and Politics Institute at American University. Honors include the Women’s Information Network’s Young Woman of Achievement Award, and the Mentor Award from the Public Leadership Information Network.

Karen O’Connor, Jonathan N. Helfat Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Founder and Director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University, Washington, DC
Karen O’Connor received her B.A. from the State University College at Buffalo and her Ph.D. and J.D. from SUNY Buffalo. Professor O’Connor has written, co-authored, and edited several books, including Women, Politics, and American Society and Gendering American Politics: Perspectives from the Literature. Her area specialty if women and the law. She is the past president of the Women’s Caucus for Association. She edited Women and Politics from 1999-2003. She currently serves as president of the Women and Politics Organized Research Section of the American Political Science Association. She teaches Women, the Law and Litigating for Social Change, The Politics and Policy of Reproductive Rights, and Politics in the US among other courses.

Purva Panday, Program Officer for Safety and Youth, New York, NY.
Ms. Panday brings a strong background in youth development, girls’ and young women’s leadership, and the anti-violence movement to her work at the Ms. Foundation. She oversees grant making and programmatic work for the Ms. Foundation’s Safety and Youth funds. Prior to joining Ms., Purva served as the Acting Executive Director of the Lower Eastside Girls Club, a social change organization serving NYC’s Lower East Side community. As Director of Community Education, Outreach & Advocacy at Girls Inc of NYC, she managed advocacy initiatives impacting NYC’s 600,000 school-aged girls, provided gender equity training and technical assistance to grassroots organizations city-wide, and founded the Institute for Social Change, a training and education program for girls and youth workers. A member of the 2004 Dignity for All Students Act Coalition, Purva helped lobby the NYC Council to pass landmark legislation ensuring every student the legal right to a school environment free of verbal, physical and sexual harassment. Purva has taught in the NYC public school system and has served as the Director of Partners in Progress, a mentoring program for underserved youth in East Harlem. In June 2006, she was a producer of V-Day’s historic Until the Violence Stops NYC Festival. Purva graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University with a BA in Asian and Middle Eastern Cultures and earned her Master’s degree in Adolescent Education from Bank Street College of Education. As a Rupp Fellow, Purva earned a certificate from Columbia Business School's Institute for Not-for-Profit Management and then went on to complete the Informed Leadership Series at the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies. A first-generation daughter of immigrant parents from India, Purva was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey.

Matthew Rich, Associate, Arlington Capital Partners, Washington, DC
Matthew joined Arlington in 2004 and is an Associate of the Fund. Matthew has been involved with Arlington's investments in Advanced Health Media, BrightStar Education, Cambridge Major Labs and PlattForm Holdings. Prior to Arlington, Matthew worked in Lazard Frères & Co.'s Mergers and Acquisitions Group in New York, where he was focused on a wide range of healthcare industries including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical technology. At Lazard, he was involved in several multi-billion dollar merger transactions and financing assignments. Matthew currently serves on the Board of Advanced Health Media. Matthew earned a B.S.E. degree from the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania with a major in Systems Engineering and a concentration in Economic and Financial Systems.

Carol Rosenblatt, Executive Director, Coalition of Labor Union Women, Washington, DC
Since April 2000 Carol has served as the Executive Director of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), directing the operations of the only national organization representing the interests of 6.5 million union women; advocates for equal pay, job security, child and elder care benefits, safe workplaces, affordable health care, retirement security, reproductive rights and protection from sexual harassment and violence at work. CLUW works to organize unorganized workers, promote affirmative action, support legislation of concern to working women and encourage women’s active participation in their unions. Previously she served for 4 years as the Administrative Officer of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild where she directed the negotiation and organization program of a labor union. Earlier she served as President, an elected full time position for 13 years, of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 2187 in Philadelphia. She is a graduate of Temple University.

Laura Russ, Ph.D. Candidate, University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Laura Russ is an Urban Planning Doctoral Student at the UCLA. Laura’s research focuses on women-led social movements with a specific emphasis on housing rights in the developing world. Laura was born Honolulu, HI but spent most of her childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area. After graduating in 2001 from Vassar college, she was selected as a Mickey Leland Congressional Hunger Fellow. As a fellow, she addressed local poverty concerns and shaped housing policy with the Center for Community Change in Washington, DC. Laura recently returned from South Africa where she interviewed homeless women activists in her on-going analysis of international social movements.

Susan G. Stein, Founder and President, Strategies for Philanthropy, Milwaukee, WI
Susan G. Stein, Founder and President of STRATEGIES FOR PHILANTHROPY LLC, has more than 33 years of executive management in the private and public sectors. Before moving to Milwaukee in 1987, she was the national associate director of an international foundation, New Israel Fund, based in New York City, where she also worked for five years in financial and retail marketing, and as a French teacher at the college level and as a private tutor. In its fourth year, STRATEGIES FOR PHILANTHROPY LLC develops client strategies to enhance philanthropy for families and corporations. Stein has served as President of the Boards of Directors of both TEMPO and the Artist Series at the Pabst and as Vice President of the Milwaukee Jewish Council for Community Relations in the early 1990’s. She currently serves on the statewide cabinet for Wisconsin’s office of State of Israel Bonds and as a member of the United Way of Greater Milwaukee’s Women’s Initiative. She is a board member of the Mental Health Association and a founding member of the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin advisory committee on adolescent psychiatry. Stein holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Sarah Lawrence College and Columbia University. She is the recipient of a certificate in Financial Management from New York University, and a Certificate in Nonprofit Governance from the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration. A Milwaukeean since 1987, she resides in Shorewood with her husband and two teenage children. Stein has written two novels, poetry, and short stories, and served in the early 1980’s as a French translator for World Press Review. She is the author of the 2005 book, These Are Not Your Husband’s Portions, published by Wood Place Imprints LLC.

Katrine Weiss, Director, Executive Search Services, Development Resources, Inc., Washington, DC

Daniel Yunger, Associate, Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer, Feld, New York, NY