| |
 |  | About UFE | Annual Report | Programs Board of Directors | Staff Bios | Jobs & Internships at UFE | |||||
         
| | United For a Fair Economy Staff
Chuck Collins, Associate Director Chuck Collins is the co-founder and Associate Director of United for a Fair Economy (UFE). Founded in 1995, UFE is a national non-partisan organization that draws attention to the dangerous consequences of growing income and wealth inequality in the US and inspires action to reduce economic inequality. Journalist John Nichols said "United for Fair Economy is the single most effective group in the country when it comes to publicizing issues of economic injustice, income disparity, the racial underpinnings of the gap between rich and poor, and . . . the yawning chasm between the salaries of corporate CEOs and those of working Americans." UFE's programs and strategies include: popular economics education, legislative campaigns, research and media work and creative direct action organizing. In 1997, he co-founded Responsible Wealth, a project of United for a Fair Economy, to bring together business leaders and investors to publicly speak out against economic policies and corporate practices that worsen economic inequality. Recently, he coordinated the Call to Preserve the Estate Tax, signed by over 1100 prominent Americans including Bill Gates, Sr., George Soros and others. In 1999, Fast Company magazine recognized Collins "one of 17 leaders, doers, and change makers." In 2001, Boston Magazine named Collins in its annual list of the hundred most influential people in Boston. He is author of numerous books and articles on economic inequality, housing policy and social change funding. His latest book, co-authored with William Gates, Sr., is Wealth and Our Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes (Beacon Press, 2003). Other books include: Economic Apartheid in America: A Primer on Economic Inequality and Insecurity. (The New Press, 2000); Shifting Fortunes: The Perils of the American Wealth Gap (1999) and co-author of Robin Hood Was Right: A Guide To Giving Your Money for Social Change (WW Norton, 2000). Collins's articles have been published in The Nation, Sojourners, Tikkun, Boston Globe, Washington Post, The American Prospect and other national journals. He is on the Editorial Board of Dollars and Sense Magazine. Chuck holds a B.A. in History & Economics from Hampshire College (1984) and an M.B.A. in Community Economic Development from New Hampshire College (1987). 617-423-2148 ext. 11 | ccollins@FairEconomy.org Jane Covey, Development Director Jane leads the work of the development team and coordinates outreach to, and communications with, UFE’s supporters. She works with program staff to develop mutually rewarding relationships with individual and institutional contributors. Before joining UFE, Jane worked for twenty years with the non-profit sector in developing countries. She was co-founder and Executive Director of a research and education non-profit that became an internationally recognized pioneer in generating theory and organization development practice to strengthen the non-profit (civil society) sector in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Jane remains involved internationally through her service on the boards of two international non-profit organizations, Action Aid USA and Plan International. Jane holds an M.B.A. from Case Western Reserve University (1979) and an M.S.N. (Nursing) from Yale University (1969). 617-423-2148 ext. 27 | jcovey@FairEconomy.org Attieno Davis, Education Specialist Attieno Davis, the mother of two adult daughters, has been actively engaged in the movement for social change for 30-plus years. She credits Muhammad Ali’s refusal to answer the draft as the "AHA!" moment, motivating her. After attending Antioch College in Yellow Springs, OH, Attieno lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she worked in the domestic violence and women’s arenas before coming to Boston, where she has been part of a community health movement bringing together health access, housing and environmental justice. She credits her work, and the opportunities it has provided her, with reaffirming her belief that people make the difference. 617-423-2148 ext. 15 | adavis@FairEconomy.org Lee Farris, Senior Tax Organizer Lee organizes individuals and organizations to reform the estate tax, which is the most progressive tax in the U.S. She develops actions to support the estate tax. Lee identifies and builds connections with key partner organizations, activists, and spokespeople. Lee has more than 20 years of experience in organizing. In the 1980s, Lee worked as Southern Africa Coordinator for Boston Mobilization for Survival, winning passage of anti-apartheid state pension divestment and purchasing legislation. In the early 1990s, Lee worked for the Women’s Statewide Legislative Network, which won passage of state legislation to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Lee then worked as Director of Community Organizing for the Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation, where she organized tenants on housing legislation and funding, and coordinated a participatory economic development planning process. Lee is active in the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization and in the Area 4 Coalition in her Cambridge neighborhood. She was raised in Gainesville, Florida. Lee graduated from Yale University in 1978 with a degree in Political Science. 617-423-2148 ext. 33 | lfarris@FairEconomy.org Jasmine Francis, Technology Coordinator 617-423-2148 ext. 25 | jfrancis@FairEconomy.org Karl Gossot, Financial Manager Karl oversees UFE's books and makes sure we pay our bills on time. Before joining UFE, Karl had previously worked as a bookkeeper with a restaurant management company in Boston, and was on the board of the Harvest Co-operative Market in Cambridge. Karl holds degrees in Mathematics and Economics from Boston University (1991 and 1993). 617-423-2148 ext. 16 | kgossot@FairEconomy.org Chris Hartman, Research Director Chris researches and helps develop UFE's publications and educational workshops. He also edits the UFE and RW websites. A former education coordinator for UFE, Chris previously worked as a VISTA community organizer in Minneapolis. He was also an editor for Simon & Schuster Education Group and a research assistant at the Taubman Institute for Public Policy at Brown University. Chris was born in Kansas and grew up there and in Nebraska, Texas, and Iowa. He is one of several family partners in his uncle's wheat farm in northwestern Kansas. Chris is a 1991 graduate of Brown University with a degree in Public Policy. 617-423-2148 ext. 18 | chartman@FairEconomy.org Honey Hodge, Development Associate Honey provides general support to the development team, including coordinating direct mail appeals and processing gifts. She brings to UFE over five years of fundraising experience from a largely educational base. Honey holds a B.A. in English Literature from Santa Clara University in California 617-423-2148 ext. 23 | hhodge@FairEconomy.org Jeannette Huezo, Education Coordinator Originally from El Salvador, Jeannette came to the US in 1989. She has spent her life working for justice and social change. By developing confidence and leadership skills in others, she has increased the number of activists in the struggle for social change, and has empowered women, immigrants and others facing injustice to participate in the decision-making process around issues that affect their lives. Jeannette's first organizing job in United States was with the Latino Parents Association. She then went on to spend four years at the Coalition for Basic Human Needs (CBHN), organizing low-income women to fight for their rights. Then, Jeannette went to work for the Women's Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) as the Program Director / Trainer / Organizer. Following that, she worked as a Union Organizer for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 254, organizing immigrant workers like herself to find their voice as members of the labor movement. Jeannette is an Advisory Board Member of the Center to Support Immigrant Organizing (CSIO). She is also a volunteer with the Personnel Committee of the Haymarket People's Fund. Jeannette is the mother of nine children, four of whom still live in El Salvador. 617-423-2148 ext. 32 | jhuezo@FairEconomy.org Christina Kasica, Communications and Policy Specialist Christina helps make connections to media and shape messages that bring UFE’s key education and research in the area of taxation to as wide an audience as possible. She has worked in communications since 1990, most recently in Robert Reich’s political campaign and before that in the technology industry. In 2003 she served as director of a workforce development program in Chelsea for IBA/STRIVE. Christina studied languages and history at Harvard University and holds an M.A. in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. 617-423-2148 ext. 19 | ckasica@FairEconomy.org Scott Klinger, Responsible Wealth Co-Director A Chartered Financial Analyst, Scott previously was an investment officer at United States Trust Company and a vice president at Franklin Research and Development. Scott holds an A.B. in Religion from Duke University (1982). 617-423-2148 ext. 20 | sklinger@FairEconomy.org Karen Kraut, State Taxation Project Director Karen works with progressive tax coalitions in three partner states (Washington, Massachusetts, and Virginia) to develop the curriculum of and train trainers in a workshop that explains the state’s fiscal crisis and mobilizes people to advocate for progressive tax reform as a solution to the crisis. She previously worked as a public housing community organizer in Pittsburg, CA and as a legislative assistant for Congresswoman Olympia Snowe. Karen holds a B.A. in Organizational Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania (1989) and an M.A. in Public Health from the University of California (1995). 617-423-2148 ext. 22 | kkraut@FairEconomy.org Mike Lapham, Responsible Wealth Co-Director Mike is the person on the UFE staff to ask about the RW Tax Fairness Pledge and most membership-related questions (for RW only). Prior to joining UFE in 1996, Mike was AIDS Housing Project Director for the City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development and a Housing Specialist for the law firm of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo, P.C. He is a member of the Social Venture Network. Mike graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Urban Studies and Public Policy in 1986. He also holds an M.A. in Community Economic Development from New Hampshire College (1991). 617-423-2148 ext. 12 | mlapham@FairEconomy.org Betsy Leondar-Wright, Communications Director Betsy links journalists with UFE resources in order to raise the profile of economic inequality in the mass media. Before coming to UFE, Betsy directed two organizations, the Massachusetts Human Services Coalition and the Anti-Displacement Project. She has also worked as a program coordinator at Women For Economic Justice Her publications include Shifting Fortunes: The Perils Of The American Wealth Gap (United For A Fair Economy: 1999) and Mass Billions: The Changing Role Of Federal Support for Human Services in Massachusetts (Massachusetts Human Services Coalition, 1996). Betsy holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Sociology from Boston College (1986). 617-423-2148 ext. 13 | bleondar-wright@FairEconomy.org Meizhu Lui, Executive Director Meizhu is committed to being a life long "troublemaker!" She was a Boston City Hospital kitchen worker for 20 years, rising with the rank and file to become President of AFSCME Local 1489. The local earned a reputation for militance, tackling tough issues like maintaining affirmative action gains during lay-offs and returning Haiti's President Aristide to power. In 1993 Lui became an organizer for Health Care For All, building a multi-ethnic coalition which challenged Boston’s health system to stop focusing solely on treating the diseases of the well-insured. They demanded culturally appropriate systems for safeguarding the health of the public. Meizhu is a long-time member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, a national organization well known in the Boston area for its participation in struggles for fundamental social change, against racism in all its aspects, and for a strong left. She is a Trustee of the Hyams Foundation, and a member of Asian American Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP). Her work has been honored by a variety of organizations, such as the YWCA, the Commonwealth Coalition, Rosie’s Place (for homeless women), the Randolph-Rustin Award for the Education of African American Workers from the Labor Studies Program at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, the Immigrant Workers’ Resource Center, Mass Senior Action Council, and the Boston Women’s Fund. 617-423-2148 ext. 21 | mlui@FairEconomy.org Gloribell Mota, Tax Team Bilingual Education Specialist Gloribell Mota is the Bilingual Education Specialist for the Tax Team, specifically working on the issue of State Budget Crises. Prior to coming to UFE, she worked as an employment advocate and director for the Mary Ellen McCormack Task Force (MEMTF), a South Boston public housing development, for over three years. She helped integrate and increase communications between long-time white residents and newcomers among the Latino, Asian, and African American residents. Through much of her work and personal experience, she came to grasp and understand the struggle, barriers, and concerns of the Latino community. Her parents immigrated from El Salvador and the Dominican Republic, she lives in a community where resistance and acceptance of the new wave of immigrants is being battled and has worked with many families and individuals trying to raise their children, find decent employment, and make a change in their communities. She is very active in her community of East Boston by participating and being recently elected for the Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH) Board of Directors. Active in their Community Organizing project, Gloribell continues to become an active member in many events that will educate, inform, and mobilize the residents. Additionally, she volunteers as a host and producer on “La Voz del Pueblo” a radio program on 1600 AM. It’s a Spanish talk program aiming to serve as a forum for Latinos to express, comment, and exchange information on the issues affecting the communities. Gloribell holds a Bachelor Degree from Emerson College in Visual Media Production and an Associate Degree in Communications from Bunker Hill Community College. 617-423-2148 ext. 14 | gmota@FairEconomy.org Dedrick Muhammad, Racial Wealth Gap Project Coordinator Dedrick Muhammad is the coordinator of one of UFE's newest programs, the Racial Wealth Gap Project. Dedrick has a strong history in dealing with issues of race and social justice. He has worked in various Mutlicultural Centers at different colleges in the country and recently worked for Rev. Al Sharpton as the National Field Director for the National Action Network. 617-423-2148 ext. 17 | dmuhammad@FairEconomy.org Mike Prokosch, Global Economy Coordinator Mike coordinates the global economy education and organizing programs at United for a Fair Economy. Mike was development coordinator and national progam director at the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES) and has worked as a graphic designer for various organizations. He holds a B.A. from Harvard College (1970). 617-423-2148 ext. 24 | mprokosch@FairEconomy.org Steve Schnapp, Executive Associate Steve has more than 30 years of experience as a community organizer in the Bronx, in Boston, and in Lowell, MA. He has studied popular education and led numerous training of trainers workshops for organizers, community educators, and social justice activists. He was an adjunct professor of Community Organizing and Social Change at the Boston University School of Social Work from 1991 to 1998. Before coming to UFE in October 1998, Steve directed the Management and Community Development Institute at the Lincoln Filene Center for Citizen Participation at Tufts University. 617-423-2148 ext. 10 | sschnapp@FairEconomy.org Christina Strong, Tax Team Assistant 617-423-2148 ext. 26 | cstrong@FairEconomy.org | |||||
 | Top of Page | ||||||
 | |||||||
 UFE Home | About UFE | Press Room | Activist Network | Economics Education | Research Library | Events | Links | Responsible Wealth | Join UFE | Contact UFE | Order Materials | |||||||
