Staff and Board of Directors

Sarah returned to the Center for Children’s Advocacy in October 2024 to serve as the Executive Director of the organization. Prior to coming back to CCA, Sarah served as Connecticut’s Child Advocate for more than 10 years. As Child Advocate, Sarah directed the OCA’s investigations, public reporting, and advocacy work on behalf of children and families throughout the State. Sarah has participated in drafting and seeking passage of many new laws addressing conditions and services for vulnerable children, including reducing use of restraint and seclusion of students, improving conditions for incarcerated children, and strengthening legal protections for abused and neglected children in foster care. Prior to serving as the State Child Advocate, Sarah worked for several years as the Director of the Child Abuse Project at CCA, representing children in child protection and special education matters and advocating for systemic improvement in the child welfare system. Sarah is a graduate of Trinity College, Hartford, and an honors graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law. Sarah lives in West Hartford, Connecticut, with her husband, Matt, and three children. When time permits, Sarah enjoys playing the trumpet and running (slowly).   

Stacey Violante Cote (she/her) was appointed Director of Operations in 2018, providing support for CCA staff, improving practice, and increasing the Center’s footprint in Connecticut. In 2023, Stacey was appointed the Deputy Director. 

Stacey’s work focuses on advocating for youth who are experiencing homelessness or at risk for homelessness. She supervises CCA attorneys and paralegals who work with youth throughout the state, and oversees two of CCA’s innovative outreach methods: the Center’s Mobile Legal Office, and CCA’s Teen Legal Action Clinics at Bridgeport’s Harding High School. Stacey and her team work to remove barriers that prevent youth from completing school, and address civil legal issues that are obstacles to long term independence and success. 

Stacey works closely with youth/young adults and statewide partners to remove systemic barriers to youth accessing safe and stable housing.

Martha Stone (she/her) is the Founder and Special Counsel of the Center for Children’s Advocacy. Prior to founding CCA in 1997, Martha served as Associate Director of Children’s Rights, Inc., a national organization engaged in foster care litigation throughout the United States; and for 18 years previously, she was Legal Director of the Connecticut Civil Liberties Union.

Martha is responsible for bringing class action lawsuits resulting in Consent Decrees involving DCF (Juan F.), CT juvenile detention centers, and access to community-based mental health services for the juvenile justice population (Emily J.). She is co-counsel for the plaintiffs in Sheff v. O’Neill, the Hartford school desegregation case. She is an Adjunct Professor at the UConn School of Law, where she teaches a course in child advocacy.

Martha is the recipient of many awards for distinguished service, including the Gault Guardian Award, Division of Public Defender Services, Community Partner Award, Capitol Region Education Council, NAACP Wilber G. Smith Award, Excellence in Civil Rights Advocacy Award, CT. Bar Association Charles Parker Legal Services Award, Bank of America Local Hero Award, Wheeler Clinic Advocacy Award, and the Champion of Children Award from the Village for Families and Children.  She was also named to the “Fifty Most Influential” list in Hartford Magazine. 

She received a JD and LLM from Georgetown University Law Center.

Dominique Cime is our Human Resources Manager with CCA.  Dominique has extensive HR experience in corporate settings, investment banking, manufacturing, municipalities, and non-profits. Dominique obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and a minor in Human Resources & Leadership from Johnson & Wales University. She received her Master’s Degree from Manhattanville College in Human Resources Management. She currently holds a national Senior Certified Professional designation from the Society for Human Resources Management. 

Dr. John Ducksworth (he/him) was born in New York City and attended the NYC Public School system. Completing his Doctor of Ministry degree at New York Theological Seminary as well as having a master’s degree in Public Administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, an earlier master’s degree from seminary in pastoral care and counseling. Spending seventeen years as an Officer/Clergy in The Salvation Army rising to the rank of Captain, he has served in various administrative and social justice appointments throughout the Northeast and New England states. He has provided leadership to Court based programs, Community Corrections, Probation and Juvenile Justice Agencies, private corrections corporations, and social services agencies. His various roles have expanded from being directly impacted to providing direct service, to middle and senior management positions, to government agency Executive Team. He is a licensed trainer and facilitator of Restorative Justice Principles and Practices and a Board of Directors member of the non-profit organization Restorative Justice Initiative.  He has until recently served as a Board member to the National Multifaith Campaign Ending Mass Incarceration (EMI). He has been published and is married to Joan and they have two teenage daughters.

Sharika Forde (she/her), Office Manager, joined the Center for Children’s Advocacy in 2020. Sharika earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Albertus Magnus College and brings to CCA many years of professional office experience in the nonprofit sector. She has previously held positions with 1199 New England Healthcare Benefit Fund, The Village for Families and Children and the YWCA of the Hartford Region.

Nate Fox spent the past 15 years in various advocacy, organizing and community outreach roles related to homelessness and housing injustice. Prior to obtaining his JD from UConn School of Law in 2021, Nate obtained his MSW from the UConn School of Social Work in 2013, organized the Beat of the Street “street newspaper” and Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau, and helped to pass a Connecticut Homeless Bill of Rights.

He also operated a housing navigation and resource center, where he worked to facilitate shelter access for folks living on the street. In his role at the Center, Nate works to address the legal rights of youth faced with homelessness and unstable living situations through individual casework; “know your rights” and other trainings for impacted youth, parents, and providers; and systemic and legislative advocacy. Nate is especially passionate about working and organizing with people most impacted by regressive and racist policies, and is excited to work for and alongside Connecticut youth to address systems that continue to fail them.

Alanna Herskowitz (she/her) is the paralegal for the Racial Justice and Educational Success Projects. Additionally, she provides support at Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED) meetings across Connecticut and is the liaison for the CCA clinic at Warren Harding High School. She obtained her B.S. in Criminal Justice in 2020 and her MPA in 2021 from the University of New Haven. She aspires to go to law school and continue to use her work to bring about meaningful change.

LaShawna Faison is the Intake Coordinator with the Medical-Legal Partnership Project. LaShawna aspires to finish her Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management and Personnel Administration from the University of Bridgeport. She has extensive experience working with a diverse population in the human service field and prides herself on creating a welcoming environment for all by meeting them where they are.

Before joining CCA, Attorney Masters was an Equal Justice Works fellow at Education Law Center-PA in Philadelphia, where she represented young people attending alternative and nontraditional public schools to advance their education civil rights; trained young people on their education civil rights in collaboration with community partners; and created a data-based report about school pushout and alternative education. Attorney Masters graduated from Yale Law School in 2022. Before law school, she taught high school science in Boston for 5 years. While teaching, she co-founded a group for educators to come together from different schools and engage in dialogue and action toward a more equitable public school system. Attorney Masters’ work at CCA focuses on advocating for young people who have experienced contact with the juvenile legal system. She represents individual students, works with community partners, and engages in legislative and other strategic systemic advocacy. To learn more about our School Justice Project, visit: https://cca-ct.org/our-work/aboutus_programs_tcpp/

Sarah Mervine (she/her) is the Director of the Yale-New Haven Health Medical-Legal Partnership.  In her role at Yale, Sarah works with Pediatrics throughout the YNHH system, including the hospital, specialty clinics and primary care.  Sarah assists patients with legal needs in education, housing, disability discrimination, benefit denials and guardianships.  In addition to working directly with patients, Sarah works with Yale residents, nurses, and social workers to help them understand and screen for social determinants of health in their own work.  Sarah joined CCA officially in September of 2022, but before that time she volunteered on several cases for CCA’s MLPP.  Prior to her work with CCA, Sarah was a staff attorney in the housing unit of New Haven Legal Assistance Association, an Assistant Clinical Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin Law School and a staff attorney and Skadden Fellow at Chicago Legal Aid. 

Josh Michtom spent the last fifteen years handling complex child welfare trials and appeals for the Connecticut Office of the Chief Public Defender, training lawyers in child welfare litigation, and writing on legal and public policy topics for journals and popular outlets, including Slate, The Hartford Courant, and The New York Times. He has presented on child welfare law at a number of national conferences and is an adjunct professor at Quinnipiac University School of Law. Josh is an elected City Councilman in Hartford, where he lives with his family. He sometimes plays trombone in a brass band.

Tiffany Minakhom (she/her) is CCA’s Senior Paralegal, working with youth, parents and agencies to coordinate legal advocacy and representation for children and youth. She joined CCA in 2019 as a Paralegal to support the Youth Justice Project, assisting youth who have been impacted by the juvenile justice system and supporting their return to the community.

Tiffany is dedicated to ensuring that all youth have access to quality education, healthcare, and housing. She is passionate about ending mass incarceration, and advocates for youth voice in a system that oppresses them to ensure that they are not silenced.

Tiffany received her Associate of Arts degree in Paralegal Studies at Manchester Community College, where she was President of the MCC Paralegal Association. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree at Bay Path University, where she graduated with honors. 

Chris Moore (he/him) is an award-winning graphic designer and the new Graphic Designer with CCA. After graduating from UConn, he worked as the Art Director at the Hartford Courant and Hartford Magazine. He has years of design experience in magazines, newspapers, books, and online. 

Lori Nordstrom (she/her) is a graduate of Yale College (1989) and Yale Law School (1994). While in law school, Lori co-founded a not-for-profit accredited child care center for teen parents based at a New Haven high school. She chaired the organization’s Board for six years and is currently responsible for program and fund development. After graduating from law school, Lori founded the Legal Organization For Teens (LOFT) in New Haven, Connecticut and for eight years represented homeless New Haven youth, provided consultation and representation to youth through a school-based legal clinic at a New Haven transitional high school, and provided legal rights training to youth at schools and juvenile justice programs. In addition to coordinating the Center for Children’s Advocacy’s foundation funding, Lori works with Casey Family Services in New Haven on research projects regarding foster care and adoption.

Ilana Ofgang (she/her) joined CCA in 2023. She previously worked as a community organizer with Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut (CONECT), an inter-faith broad-based community organizing non-profit that most recently led the campaign to get Clean Slate legislation passed in CT. Prior to her work with CONECT, Ilana was an associate attorney at Kirschbaum Law Firm, where she focused on habeas and criminal appeals. She is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law. In recent years, she has developed a passion for education law and disability rights advocacy.

Janet Ortiz (she/her)  joined CCA in 2019 as the Office Administrator in CCA’s Bridgeport office and she was later promoted to Bridgeport Office Manager.

She is a lifelong resident of Bridgeport and has been an advocate for children and families for many years. She is also currently serving as the Program Director for Urban Impact, they provide tutoring and mentoring services for children who attend the Geraldine Claytor Magnet Academy School or who reside in the PT Barnum Apartments.

For 20 years, Janet was the Program Director for The Nehemiah Commission, a DCF and DPH program that provided therapeutic services for children with serious behavioral challenges. 

Janet’s passion for her work at CCA is a great resource to the families we serve.  She is very knowledgeable about a wide variety of community resources and is able to connect families with the assistance they need.

Janet is a graduate of Harding High School and received her degree in Human Services from the University of Bridgeport. She is very proud of her Latin Heritage and enjoys attending events that enrich her culture and heritage. She is a wife, mom and Mema! She loves salsa dancing and spending time with family & friends.

Maggie Prendergast joined the Center for Children’s Advocacy in May 2022 as the Director of Development. She is responsible for cultivating and stewarding donor relations, corporate sponsorships and community partnerships to advance the Center’s organizational and programmatic capacity.  She is based in both the Bridgeport and Hartford offices.

Prior to joining CCA, Maggie worked at Friends Center for Children in New Haven as its Development & Communications Associate. She previously served as the Fundraising Consultant to the Visionary Program and Impact Transfer team for Ashoka and as the Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations at the Hotchkiss School.

Maggie graduated from Miss Porter’s School and then earned a BA from Smith College in Philosophy. She also earned an MA in Philosophy from New York University and an MA in Nonprofit Management from the City University in London.

Stella Rose is the Youth Advocacy Coordinator for CCA’s Speak Up initiative which trains youth in systemic advocacy strategies and facilitates a group of Hartford youth who are advocating for systemic change for themselves and their communities. With over 15 years of experience, Stella is a dedicated professional who is highly motivated to lead, guide, and enrich the lives of under-served youth. She is passionate about helping young people reach their full potential and is trained in professional school counseling based on the American School Counseling Association’s standards, competencies, mindsets, and behaviors. 

Bonnie Roswig (she/her) works with the Center’s Medical-Legal Partnership Project, and is Director of the MLP’s Disability Rights Project. Her office is located at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

Prior to joining the Center for Children’s Advocacy, Bonnie worked as a legal aid attorney in Georgia, was a Managing Attorney at Statewide Legal Services, and was an Adjunct Professor at the UConn School of Law. She is a graduate of Bennington College and Antioch School of Law.

Attorney Roswig was named the Connecticut Law Tribune’s 2019 “Giant Slayer,” for her success, nationwide, to secure access to KinderCare facilities for children with diabetes. Bonnie also received a Connecticut United States Attorney Award in 2018 for her successful efforts to ensure access to playgrounds for children with disabilities and for her body of disability rights work.

She was a 2011 Health Leadership Fellow with the Connecticut Health Foundation for leaders who represent public and private sectors in public policy, health practice, health care administration, community, law, business and commerce, advocacy, academia and related fields, to take collective action that eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities.

Mallory James Sanchez (they/she) is a Herbert & Nell Singer Fellow with CCA. Their project, LGBTQ Youth Advocacy, aims to increase CCA’s capacity to represent queer and trans youth and to create systemic change across Connecticut. Mallory works closely with the Yale Gender Program as part of CCA’s Medical Legal Partnership Project at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Mallory is passionate about the MLP model and the possibilities of interdisciplinary work to address legal needs and health inequities. Prior to joining CCA as a fellow, they were a student intern in the Medical-Legal Partnership Project and worked with the Global Health Justice Partnership at Yale on issues around harm reduction and homelessness. Mallory received their JD from Yale Law School and their BA in Sociology from the University of Vermont. 

Sabrina Tavi (she/her) is a senior staff attorney and pro bono director of the Center’s Immigrant Children’s Justice Project.

She began her career with the Juvenile Rights Division of the Legal Aid Society in New York City, where she represented hundreds of children in child protective and juvenile delinquency proceedings, and spent 12 years as a senior attorney in the Special Litigation Unit of the New York Legal Assistance Group, conducting systemic reform and impact litigation on behalf of low-income and indigent clients. At NYLAG, Sabrina’s cases focused on ensuring individuals’ access to government benefits and services.

Sabrina received her B.A. from Barnard College and J.D. from New York University School of Law, where she was a Root-Tilden-Kern scholar. She clerked for the Honorable John T. Nixon in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. Prior to law school, Sabrina worked for United States Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Nieka Thompson is the Center for Children Advocacy’s new Director of the Racial Justice Project.  Prior to joining CCA, Attorney Thompson worked as an Assistant Legal Director for the Department of Children and Families.   At DCF, she supervised area office staff, drafted DCF policy, served as a tri-chair on the Statewide Racial Justice Workgroup’s Policy and Practice Subcommittee, and coordinated training opportunities for legal division staff.  Attorney Thompson also worked at Connecticut Legal Service for 12 years where she practiced special education, child protection and family law.  At CLS, she also co-chaired Waterbury’s disproportionality minority contact committee.  During her free time, Attorney Thompson enjoys attending her sons’ sporting events and volunteering for their booster clubs.