Experience

U.S. International Trade Commission

• United States
• International Trade and Development
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Attorney Advisor

  • Dec 2022 - Present

  • Serves as Attorney Advisor for USITC’s Office of Equal Employment Opportunity • Provides legal research, interpretation, and advice on EEO-related laws, regulations, cases, and EEOC-issued guidance and identifies policy and regulatory impact, especially when the matters involve unusual, unique, complex, or potentially controversial issues. • Processes EEO complaints from initial counseling through Final Agency decision or election of a hearing before an U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Administrative Judge. • Adjudicates Final Agency Decisions and Final Agency Actions regarding complex allegations of discrimination in personnel/disciplinary actions and claims of unlawful harassment, specializing in allegations of discrimination under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) and Reasonable Accommodation claims • Develops new EEO policies and standard operating procedures that were both compliant with relevant EEO law and specially tailored to meet the needs of USITC. Show less



U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

• United States
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Chief of Reasonable Accommodation (Supervisory HR Specialist)

  • Sep 2021 - Dec 2022

  • Managed VBA’s Reasonable Accommodation Program for nearly 23,000 employees and supervised a team of 15 District Reasonable Accommodation Coordinators in administering VBA’s Centralized Reasonable Accommodation Program. • Acted as VBA’s legal subject matter expert on the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act • Reviewed and approved all guidance documents created by subordinates to ensure that all accommodation(s) offered by the agency are ideally the most effective and efficient accommodations for both the employee and management o Ensured Agency’s justifications for denials and alternate accommodation are legally sound and able to withstand third party scrutiny. o Puts management on notice in cases where there has been a potential violation of the Rehabilitation Act and advises on appropriate corrective actions. • Provided expert guidance to senior management and facing legally and factually complicated reasonable accommodation requests.• Conducted bi-weekly training for all VBA supervisors and HR professionals on the basics of reasonable accommodation law and pressing RA issues (requests for vaccine exception, return to office requests for RA, requests for full time telework as RA, etc.) o Essential functions • Prepared and issued agency guidance for VBA on all reasonable accommodation issues to include:o Exceptions to COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement based on disability, religion, and pregnancyo Return to Office and Reasonable Accommodation o Equipment as a reasonable accommodation for teleworking employeeso The privacy requirements of the Rehabilitation Act Show less

• Attorney Advisor to Veteran's Benefits Administration's Reasonable Accommodation Centralized Program

  • Mar 2021 - Sep 2021

  • Submitted legal opinions on contentious and pressing reasonable accommodation issues facing VBA that required the interpretation and application of federal EEOC policies, employment laws, disability legislation, VBA policies and practices, and CBAs to VBA’s Executive Director of the Human Resources• Acted as a subject matter expert on reasonable accommodation and the primary legal advisor to VBA’s Reasonable Accommodation Centralized Program• Prepared employees for EEOC/MSPB hearings and/or mediation Show less

• Attorney Advisor

  • Jul 2018 - Sep 2021

  • Drafted Final Agency Decisions and Final Agency Actions regarding complex allegations of discrimination in personnel/disciplinary actions and claims and unlawful harassment, specializing in allegations of discrimination under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) • Drafted Final Agency Decisions awarding compensatory damages



U.S. Department of the Army

• EEO Specialist

  • Feb 2015 - Jul 2018

  • Drafted Final Agency Decisions and Final Agency Actions regarding complex allegations of discrimination in personnel/disciplinary actions and claims and unlawful harassment, specializing in allegations of discrimination under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) • Drafted Final Agency Decisions regarding allegations of breach of negotiated settlement agreements • Drafted Final Agency Decisions awarding compensatory damages • Drafted Final Agency Decisions and Final Agency Actions regarding complex allegations of discrimination in personnel/disciplinary actions and claims and unlawful harassment, specializing in allegations of discrimination under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) • Drafted Final Agency Decisions regarding allegations of breach of negotiated settlement agreements • Drafted Final Agency Decisions awarding compensatory damages



Defense Logistics Agency

• United States
• Armed Forces
• 700 & Above Employee

• EEO Specialist

  • May 2014 - Feb 2015

  • Analyzed formal Federal Sector Equal Employment Opportunity complaints under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Americans with Disabilities of Act of 1990 and the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to accept or dismiss on procedural grounds • Drafted Final Agency Decisions and Final Agency Actions regarding complex allegations of discrimination in personnel/disciplinary actions and claims of unlawful harassment • Reviewed Final Agency Decisions of other employees to ensure legal sufficiency Show less



USAID

• United States
• International Affairs
• 700 & Above Employee

• Reasonable Accommodations Manager and EEO Specialist

  • Apr 2013 - May 2014

  -Managed USAID's Reasonable Accommodation program and facilitated all reasonable accommodations requests. -Wrote policy recommendations on issues relating to Disability Law and EEO Law. -Provided EEO counseling. -Wrote Accept/Dismiss Letters. -Wrote Final Agency Decisions. -Managed USAID's Reasonable Accommodation program and facilitated all reasonable accommodations requests. -Wrote policy recommendations on issues relating to Disability Law and EEO Law. -Provided EEO counseling. -Wrote Accept/Dismiss Letters. -Wrote Final Agency Decisions.



U.S. Customs and Border Protection

• United States
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• Disability Program Manager

  • Jun 2011 - Apr 2013

  • Wrote policy recommendations on issues relating to Disability Law, including: the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, ABA compliance, and Drug Testing Accommodations • Handled all CBP headquarters’ reasonable accommodation requests • Coordinated CBP headquarters’ first Disability Mentoring/Interviewing Day; eight job offers were extended to individuals with disabilities based on the interviews performed during Disability Mentoring Day and the event was a top story on DHS Connect • Wrote The Agreement Establishing an Alliance Between the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection • Wrote CBP’s Affirmative Action Plan for individuals with disabilities: The Plan to Increase U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Employment of Individuals with Disabilities • Led working group on Affirmative Action Plan to Increase the Employment of Individuals with Disabilities • Built and maintained collaborative relationships with institutions and organizations that provided rich sources for a diverse, high-quality applicant pool • Subject Matter Expert on: hiring authorities for individuals with disabilities and veterans, reasonable accommodations, WRP, and the Shared List for People with Disabilities • Advised managers about candidates available for placement in jobs under special hiring authorities, and provided managers with information on reasonable accommodation and needs assessments for applicants and employees • Helped persons with disabilities get information about current job opportunities, types of jobs in the agency, how these jobs are filled, and reasonable accommodation • Created CBP's Disability website • Worked to develop CBP's Mediation Program Show less



The Law Offices of Kaufmann and Brick

• Law Clerk

  • May 2009 - Jun 2011

  • Interpreted and applied the ADEA, the ADA or Rehabilitation Act, Reasonable Accommodations, the EPA, the GINA, the IRCA, the FMLA, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the NLRA • Coordinated and conducted webinars for employees and manger/supervisors on EEO related topics, sexual harassment, affirmative employment, compliance, and other fair employment practices. • Advised employees and managers/supervisors on fair employment practices such as: EEO issues, sexual harassment, affirmative employment, and EEO compliance • Conducted formal and informal EEO investigations • Conducted EEO counseling • Drafted Final Agency and Administrative Law Decisions • Wrote and conducted interrogatories and affidavits Show less



Fund for Public Interest Research

• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Canvasser

  • May 2008 - Aug 2008

  • Raised an average of $180.00/ per night for the fund (in the top 15%) • Inspired community action by informing individuals of pressing policy issues • Mapped out routes and led groups of canvassers as a team leader • Raised an average of $180.00/ per night for the fund (in the top 15%) • Inspired community action by informing individuals of pressing policy issues • Mapped out routes and led groups of canvassers as a team leader