As I settle in to my role as the new President of A Better Balance, I’d like to share a bit about my background, how I came to this work, and what lies ahead for the organization and our vital work to use the power of the law to protect and support workers and their families.
I spent the last 15 years in the fight to reform our justice system. I witnessed how mass incarceration fuels the intergenerational cycle of poverty, forcing loved ones of those incarcerated—disproportionately Black and brown women—to shoulder the impossible task of balancing low-wage work with childcare demands. The need to reform our workplaces, like the need to reform our justice system, is deeply intertwined with gender justice, racial justice, and social justice. I intend to lead A Better Balance with that intersectional framework at the forefront.
As a mother and as a woman of color, A Better Balance’s mission is personal to me in more than one way. I had an intense, non-traditional, six-year path to parenthood. I faced debilitating and life-threatening reproductive health complications, many that disproportionately affect BIPOC women, on the journey to have my daughter, who also had medical challenges. I would not have survived through it without leave and accommodations from employers. I met many women who were denied the same support in the workplace—support that would have made a world of difference. I promised myself that on the other end of my journey, I would work to help individuals whose circumstances were more precarious than my own when it comes to access to these fundamental workplace rights.
A Better Balance has accomplished so much, and has truly changed the culture and legal landscape around work in this country. ABB has had significant impact through winning legislative change at the federal and state level, enforcing laws through litigation, and providing direct legal services to individuals through our free legal helpline.
I am grateful to our Co-Founders and former Co-Presidents Dina Bakst and Sherry Leiwant for their legacy, which has laid the groundwork for our impact to continue to reach new heights. I am honored to join the ranks of such an incredible team and Board at A Better Balance and the broader movement. I am also thankful to our supporters, partners, and friends, who have been critical to the fight for work-family justice.
