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Staff
Miami (State Headquarters)
- Northeast Florida Regional Office (Jacksonville and surrounding areas)
Northwest Florida Regional Office (Panhandle)
Mid-Florida Florida Regional Office (Greater Tampa and surrounding areas)
Tallahassee Legislative Office
Board of Directors
Miami Office - State Headquarters
Executive Director
Howard Simon was appointed Executive Director of the ACLU of Florida on October 1, 1997. Dr. Simon was raised in New York, and graduated from the City College of New York. He received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Minnesota in legal and political philosophy and social ethics.
Prior to his appointment as Executive Director of the Florida affiliate of the ACLU in 1997, Simon served as Executive Director of the Michigan affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union since 1974.
Prior to his work with the ACLU, he taught philosophy at the University of Minnesota and was a faculty member in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at DePauw University in Indiana.
As Executive Director of the Florida affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, Simon has overall responsibility for ACLU's legal, public education, legislative lobbying, and membership and fund-raising programs.
During Simon's tenure with the ACLU, the organization has been involved in cases and controversies dealing with school vouchers, charter schools, religious practices in the public schools, abortion rights, the Terri Schiavo case as well as physician-assisted suicide, and numerous controversies involving freedom of speech.
The ACLU has been extensively involved in addressing the need for electoral reforms in Florida. The organization played a key role in securing the end of the use of paperless electronic voting systems in Florida, leading to the 2008 election in which every county used the optical scan system. The organization has also led efforts to end Florida's policy requiring the lifetime voting ban of former felons.
Deputy Director
Beth Wilson joined the ACLU of Florida as Deputy Director in October 2007 after working for the ACLU of Kentucky for 14 years; first, directing that affiliate's Reproductive Freedom Project and serving the last four years as the Executive Director. Wilson, a Cincinnati native, is a former newspaper reporter and later worked as a reproductive rights advocate and counselor before joining the ACLU. She holds a journalism degree from Eastern Kentucky University and a master's degree in social work from the University of Tennessee. As Deputy Director in Florida, Wilson works closely with the Executive Director to further advance civil liberties in the Sunshine State by expanding staff, volunteers and infrastructure. She champions the rapid expansion of the ACLU of Florida, now totaling over 30,000 members, 18 local chapters and 40 employees working in Miami and six Regional Offices around the state. In addition to assisting the Executive Director with management and fund raising, Wilson coordinates the efforts of the regional offices across the state, and various departments and projects, balancing the priorities at the local, state and national levels.
Legal Director
Randall C. Marshall joined the ACLU of Florida in August 2000. A former Florida Assistant Attorney General, Marshall also worked as an Assistant City Solicitor in Pittsburgh, a visiting professor at Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan, a staff attorney with Texas Rural Legal Aid in Hereford, Texas, and a staff attorney with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality in Toledo, Ohio. He has extensive experience in class action civil rights litigation and representation of migrant farm workers. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in mathematics and sociology from the University of Northern Colorado, and received a master's degree in mathematics as well. He received his J.D. with honors from the University of Colorado School of Law in 1982.
Director of Communications
Brandon Hensler joined the ACLU of Florida in 2006 as Director of Communications. Hensler oversees a variety of communications-related tasks including: media relations, internal communications, the ACLU of Florida Web sites, PR strategy, community relations and more. He leads other PR professionals as the President of the Public Relations Society of America's Gulfstream Chapter, and also sits on the Sunshine District PRSA Board. A five year veteran of PR Newswire, a global news distribution organization, he has a diverse background working with media and in the corporate world. Prior to PR Newswire, Hensler spent time with D.C.-based Self Reliance Foundation & Hispanic Radio Network working to increase availability of bilingual resources to Spanish-speaking persons in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. In addition he wrote and produced radio shorts on myriad subjects ranging from immigration to health issues. Hensler is currently on the Board of Directors of the Public Relations Society of America, Gulfstream Chapter, where he also served as President in 2008. He is also on the Board of Trustees of the Miami University 1809 LGBT Alumni Association. A native of Fort Lauderdale, Brandon holds a B.A. in International Studies from Miami University of Ohio.
Director of Development
Jeff Vessels, Development Director, joined the ACLU of Florida in June 2008. He has been involved in the ACLU for more than 20 years as a volunteer community organizer, Board member, Executive Director of the ACLU of Kentucky, and Capital Campaign Director for the ACLU of Northern California. A Kentucky native, Vessels holds an English degree from Brescia College (Owensboro, Kentucky) and a masters of science in social work from the University of Louisville. Prior to becoming an ACLU staff-member, he worked in Kentucky state and local governments as an HIV case manager, director of the state health department?s HIV prevention programs, and a human services administrator. As Development Director, he works with staff members, Board members, volunteers, and others to inform ACLU supporters about the organization?s work and plans, and to solicit their support.
Director of Public Policy and Advocacy
Courtenay Strickland, who has been working in the civil rights field since 1998, re-joined the ACLU of Florida in 2007 to lead the ACLU's legislative and field operations at the local and state levels as well as Congressional lobbying. As the past President & CEO of Verified Voting, Courtenay worked to achieve reforms that would ensure publicly verifiable elections without sacrificing voters' privacy and independence at the polls. In her five years as Voting Rights Project Director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, Courtenay lobbied the Florida Legislature concerning post-2000 reforms such as provisional balloting and worked to end Florida's system of felony disenfranchisement. After the failed 2002 primary elections in South Florida, Courtenay co-founded the Miami-Dade Election Reform Coalition, a community-based group recognized nationally for its work at the local level. Courtenay also served on the Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters of Miami-Dade County, and as Public Relations Director of the League of Women Voters of Florida. She holds a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Yale University.
Director, Racial Justice / Voting Rights Projects
Muslima Lewis joined the ACLU of Florida in March 2006. A former Senior Trial Attorney with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Lewis' practice has included work in the Miami office of Akerman Senterfitt and serving as General Counsel at Alliance Entertainment Corp., and as a staff attorney for The New York Times Company. Lewis was a founding member of CARE (Community Alliance for Reform in Education) in Palm Beach County, and has been an active volunteer in the area of voting rights restoration and with the Election Protection coalition. Lewis is a past president of the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Bar Association (formerly, the Black Lawyers Association of Dade County). She received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Barnard College/Columbia University, and her J.D. from Yale Law School.
Associate Legal Director
Maria Kayanan has a broad range of experience in both state and federal court. She clerked for the late Honorable James R. Jorgenson of the Third District Court of Appeal from 1988 through 2003. From 2003 to 2008 she was in private practice, specializing in appeals and trial support in complex litigation. She also taught Legal Research and Writing for four years at Nova Southeastern University, from 1984 through 1988. Before law school she was a paralegal with a migrant farmworker legal services program in Apopka, Florida. Maria is a member of the Florida Bar, the United States District Courts for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Maria is a graduate of St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland and received her J.D. in from the University of Miami School of Law.
Controller
Laurence R. Brown, a Certified Public Accountant since 1985, started his public accounting career working for an international certified public accounting firm. Since then Larry has worked for a large regional accounting firm in Florida and for his own firm. He services primarily non-profit organizations by providing audit, accounting, management consulting and tax services. In January, 2007, Larry joined the ACLU Foundation of Florida, Inc. and ACLU of Florida, Inc. as Controller. Larry is also a Certified Internal Auditor and holds a Masters in Management Information Systems Auditing from New York University. Currently, Larry is a doctoral candidate in accounting.
Manager of Annual and Planned Giving
Kileen Marshall serves as the ACLU of Florida's Manager of Annual and Planned Giving. Previously serving in the Public Policy Department, Kileen is a key component of the ACLU of Florida's development program. Kileen graduated from the University of Miami in May, 2005 with a triple major in International Studies, Communication Studies and Religious Studies, and a minor in French. Kileen has held several positions with the ACLU of Florida, including intern, Development Assistant and Interim Legal Program Associate. In her spare time, Kileen enjoys rock climbing and mountain biking.
Manager of Development Services
Monique Lebron has joined the staff of the ACLU of Florida as Development Associate and quickly became an integral part of the Development team. She was promoted to Manager of Development Services in 2007. Monique is a recent graduate of the University of Miami, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication. She held an internship at WPLG-Channel 10 and she was an information and referral coordinator assistant at the Alpha-1 Foundation in Coral Gables for a year and a half during her undergraduate studies. Monique is assisting the Development team in meeting and surpassing fundraising objectives for the ACLU's state and national organizations.
Online Marketing Manager
Elsie Morales recently joined the ACLU of Florida as the Online Marketing Manager. As part of the Communications Department, her position involves coordinating the organization's online communications, including content creation and management of the ACLU of Florida Web sites, online initiatives, and newsletters. Elsie has experience in the fields of nonprofit marketing, community outreach, and government, and joins the ACLU from the communications department of Voices For Children Foundation, where she strengthened overall community outreach and awareness by organizing young professionals events and managing the website and social marketing sites. Prior to Voices, Elsie worked with the Hispanic Latino Coalition and Representative Donna Clarke, in Sarasota, Florida. She has also served as a contributing writer for national publications such as PODER Magazine and Hispanic Magazine. Born in Miami to Cuban parents, Elsie is fluent in Spanish. She graduated from New College of Florida with a concentration in politics, media theory, and literature.
Racial Justice Project Associate
LaRhonda Odom joined the ACLU of Florida in October, 2007 as Racial Justice Project Associate. She will advance our felon enfranchisement advocacy work (including supporting the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and broadening the reach of our Restoration of Civil Rights assistance workshops) and she will work on the on the full range of the ACLU of Florida's voting rights and racial justice initiatives. LaRhonda previously worked as an Organizer at ACORN in Jackson, MS and as a college researcher and instructor. She also has extensive volunteer experience on social justice issues, having most recently served as Assistant Secretary for the A. Philip Randolph Institute in Jackson.
Legal Program Associate
Layssa Zamora, of Mexican and Cuban heritage, has recently joined the ACLU as Legal Program Associate to oversee the process by which the ACLU of Florida reviews and screens requests for assistance on potential civil liberties litigation. A long-standing respect for multi-culturalism, civil liberties, public awareness and environmental protection led her to seek out a position with an organization such as the ACLU. Layssa holds a B.A. in Anthropology/Sociology and a certificate in Latin American studies from Florida International University. She aspires to continue her studies in the future with the ultimate goal of receiving her Masters and PhD in Anthropology.
Legal Staff Assistant
Sabrina Williams joined the ACLU in 2008 as Legal Staff Assistant to provide general office support to the ACLU?s expanding Legal Division. She provides clerical and administrative support for attorneys handling active civil liberties cases while assisting with the process of reviewing and screening requests for help on potential litigation. Sabrina has over 20 years of general office and legal assistant experience to her credit. For fourteen of those years she enjoyed employment within various areas of law; 13 years for a criminal lawyer and 1 year in the civil and appellate field. Led by personal convictions on individual freedoms and a desire to be of service against injustice, Sabrina sought employment with the ACLU and views it as a opportunity to combine all her legal experience and be of service in an organization working towards the greater good for many. She is a movie buff, enjoys all areas of the Arts and is an active member of her church in her spare time.
Receptionist & Administrative Assistant
William Marshall, a long-time ACLU volunteer in the Miami office, joined the staff as Receptionist and Administrative Assistant after a 25-year career in the retail flower industry as a designer. Marshall decided to leave the private sector and return to school in pursuit of a degree, achieving a BA in English literature from FIU in 2004. He started as a volunteer at the ACLU in 2005, spurred on by the Bush administrations frontal assault on civil liberties and the ACLU?s reputation for protecting those rights.
Northeast Florida Regional Office (Jacksonville and surrounding areas)
Director
Benétta M. Standly, MPA, originally from Los Angeles, California, serves at the Director of the Jacksonville office of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. Ms. Standly works to expand civil liberties initiatives in the Northeast region of Florida, including all phases of management, public policy advocacy, public relations, membership, fundraising and community organizing in the Jacksonville office. She is responsible for directing ACLU activities in the Northeast region including organizing public education programs, public speaking, media appearances, contact with public officials, and managing the office.
She previously served as the Statewide Organizer and Public Policy Director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia. In that capacity, Ms. Standly?s work focused on increasing the ACLU?s presence across the state by encouraging members, volunteers, and supporters to participate in civic dialogue, increase their political power, and play an active role in shaping public policy. Specifically, Ms. Standly works toward achieving racial justice for all persons living in Georgia through the following campaigns: abolishing capitol punishment, restoring voting rights to the formerly incarcerated, and dismantling the school to prison pipeline.
Ms. Standly previously worked with L.A. Care Health Plan, the nation's largest public, non-profit Medicaid Managed Care Plan serving approximately 1 million lives, where she served in management capacities in the following departments: community outreach and education, public policy research, legislative analysis, as well as regulatory affairs and compliance. Ms. Standly is most proud of work in organizing eleven (11) regional community advisory committees; comprised of 350 ethnically and linguistically diverse Medicaid beneficiaries and community stakeholders. Through a transfer of skills, these participants became community activists who continue to impact public policy, conduct public education, and serve as a new cadre of local leadership.
Ms. Standly received both her Bachelors of Science in Public Health and Masters in Public Policy & Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Northwest Florida Regional Office (Panhandle)
Director
Susan Watson first came to the ACLU as one of the plaintiffs in the voucher lawsuit. She began volunteering in 2000 as the Panhandle Chapter Chair and a member of the State Board of Directors of the ACLU of Florida. Beginning in June of 2005, Susan joined the staff as a regional director. She is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the ACLU in North West Florida. For eleven years, Susan worked as a registered nurse in hospitals in Florida and Illinois. Most recently she worked as the computer network administrator for the University of West Florida's public radio station.
Staff Attorney
Benjamin James Stevenson is the staff counsel for the ACLU of Florida's Northwest Regional Office, which covers the Panhandle region of the state. Stevenson joined the ACLU after a sabbatical traveling extensively throughout the world. Previously, he worked at the Tallahassee firms of Andrews Moyé, LLC, and Fowler White Boggs Banker, P.A., where he handled all aspects of his clients' litigation needs. Stevenson also directed Florida's False-Claims-Act cases by overseeing attorney's prosecutions and settlements while in Tallahassee. Stevenson graduated as a member of phi beta kappa from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, before pursuing his J.D. at Florida State University's College of Law from where he graduated as a member of the Order of the Coif.
Mid-Florida Regional Office (Greater Tampa and surrounding areas)
Director
Joyce Hamilton Henry was the Director of DemocracyWorks which was a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization in Hartford, Connecticut. Among its focus was to remove barriers that delimited full participation in the democratic process particularly among low income, ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities and youth and to increase voting and civic participation among these groups.
She was also the Director of the Office of Multicultural Programs at the University of Hartford. In that capacity, she developed and implemented programs to assist with the recruitment and retention of students of color and to address broader issues of diversity and inclusion on the college campus. For twenty years, Joyce was an Adjunct Professor at the University of Hartford. She taught in African American Studies and the Departments of Sociology and Psychology. She is published and is known nationally and internationally for her contributions in the field of social work. In June 2001, she was the recipient of the National Association of Social Workers (Connecticut Chapter) Social Worker of the Year Award.
Hamilton Henry received a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Relations from the University of Connecticut, a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Connecticut School of Social Work and a doctorate degree from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.
Director of Nancy and Martin Engels Religious Freedom Project
Glenn Katon became the Director of the ACLU of Florida's Nancy and Martin Engels Religious Freedom Project in mid 2008, having served as the Director of the Central Florida Office since October 2006. He has practiced law as a shareholder with the Tampa law firm of Bush Ross, P.A., trial attorney with the Department of Justice, Tax Division, in Washington, D.C., litigation associate with a large Dallas law firm, and law clerk to the Honorable Terry R. Means, U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Texas.
Katon first became involved with the ACLU of Florida as a volunteer attorney with the PATH Project. He has also taken criminal defense and race discrimination pro bono cases, held leadership positions on a subcommittee of the American Bar Association's Litigation Section and the Community Liaison Committee of the Hillsborough County Bar Association, and is currently vice-chair of the ABA's International Human Rights Committee. Katon graduated on the Dean's List at St. John's University School of Law, where he served as an editor of one of the school's law journals, and he received a B.A. from George Mason University. Before law school, he worked as a staff writer for the National Committee for an Effective Congress on Capitol Hill.
LGBT Advocacy Project Staff Attorney
Shelbi Day joined the ACLU of Florida's LGBT Advocacy Project from the Southern Regional Office of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, where she advocated on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender clients and their families through litigation, public education and outreach, and public policy advocacy. Prior to NCLR, Shelbi worked at Southern Legal Counsel, Inc., initially as an Equal Justice Works Fellow and later as a staff attorney, litigating a diverse range of civil rights cases. From 2002 to 2003, Shelbi served as a law clerk to the Honorable Charles R. Wilson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
She received her law degree with high honors from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Shelbi also has a master's degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Florida; her master's thesis was on the viability of using human rights law to address sexual orientation-based discrimination and persecution in Ecuador. During law school and graduate school, Shelbi focused her studies on human rights, gender, and sexual orientation, and she earned graduate certificates in International Law and Women's Studies. Prior to her advanced studies, Shelbi graduated magna cum laude from Missouri State University.
