2026 Disaster Law Day Pre-Conference

Lynn Jennings serves as the Vice President for Grants Management at the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). In this capacity, she has responsibility for planning, developing, and implementing systems for LSC’s nationwide grant-making and grants management. Ms. Jennings focuses on promoting effective and efficient delivery of legal services to the low-income individuals and families, ensuring sound fiscal and management oversight, and ensuring compliance with the LSC Act, other governing provisions of the law, and LSC’s guidelines, policies, and grant conditions.

Prior to joining LSC, Ms. Jennings served as the Executive Director of Big City Emergency Managers, Inc. (BCEM). Since 2005, the BCEM has brought together the directors of emergency management from the largest, most at-risk cities from across the country to foster the development and growth of robust and nimble emergency management operations in the nation’s largest, most at-risk metropolitan jurisdictions so that the country is better positioned to prevent, protect against, mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from major incidents and catastrophic emergencies.

Previously, she served as Executive Vice President at the Council for Excellence in Government (Council) where she directed the Council’s homeland security and emergency preparedness initiatives. In that capacity, she oversaw the development and implementation of a Public Readiness Index (PRI) to measure individual and family readiness. She also led the various leadership and performance programs at the Council including the Excellence in Government and DHS Fellows programs. In this role, she was responsible for the programming and execution of programs that graduate more than 220 Federal managers each year.

Ms. Jennings also served as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the CNA Corporation, a non-profit corporation that provides high-level, in-depth research and analysis to inform public sector decision makers in a number of important areas including homeland security.

She has extensive public sector experience and has served in a number of senior-level positions in the federal government, including Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy in the U.S. Department of Labor, General Counsel of the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, and Chief of Staff to the Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Ms. Jennings also has experience in the White House’s Office of Presidential Personnel as a Search Manager for key presidential appointments in both national security and domestic policy.

She earned a bachelor’s degree, cum laude with honors, in political science from the University of Rochester and a J.D. from the Columbus School of Law, the Catholic University of America.

Nicole Maesse is the Deputy Executive Director of a Texas civil legal aid organization and has served in leadership since April 2021. She supervises several statewide teams and projects, including disaster-response and consumer-protection work, with a focus on disaster recovery, complex litigation, and access to justice.

Frank X. Neuner, Jr. was nominated to serve on the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation by President Donald Trump, and the U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination on August 1, 2019. His theory behind providing legal service to those in need is that if you don’t provide legal protection and access to the law within their world, they will never believe in the justice system.

Neuner is a founder and partner of NeunerPate, a local corporate defense firm. He has shown an unwavering commitment to leadership and service to his community and profession. Through Neuner’s example and encouragement, the firm has developed a culture of dedication to community service and providing pro bono legal services. NeunerPate was awarded the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Pro Bono Publico Award in 2017. Neuner’s leadership roles and volunteerism extend beyond Acadiana to the state, national, and international stage. Neuner served as president of the Louisiana State Bar Association in 2005 and 2006 during the tumultuous Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

In 2013, Neuner was invited to speak at The World Justice Forum in the Hague, Netherlands and share his experience in restoring the legal system after a natural disaster. During his six-year tenure as Chair of the Louisiana Public Defender Board, he spearheaded the drive to provide legal protection and access to justice for indigent defendants. Neuner received a Juris Doctor in 1976 from Louisiana State University.

In 2008 he was honored as the LSU Law Distinguished Alumnus. In 2013 the Louisiana Bar Foundation honored him as its Distinguished Attorney. In 2018 Neuner was awarded the ABA Solo and Small Firm Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, served as the ABA State Delegate for Louisiana from 2012-2021, has been on the Board of IPNO since 2014 and currently the Emeritus Board Chair, is a past Chair of the ABA Client Protection Committee, Chair-Elect of The Fellows of the American Bar Foundation, serves on the American Bar Foundation Board, Chair of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority and member of the ABA Board of Governors.

He has been married to Tracy Owens Neuner for fifty-one years, and they have four children and six grandchildren.

Laura Tuggle has been the Executive Director of Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS) since May 2014 after beginning her career at SLLS in 1993. Under Laura’s leadership, SLLS has grown from a staff of 85 to 165 with the agency’s budget increasing from $6.5 to $17 million with an expansion in innovative programs such as its Right to Counsel Eviction Defense Program, heir property and estate planning collaboratives, four medical-legal partnerships, three onsite domestic violence collaboratives, and an embedded Homeless One Stop Legal Clinic. Prior to becoming SLLS’ Director, she previously managed SLLS’ Housing Law Unit during the years immediately following Hurricane Katrina from 2005-2010. Over her public interest career, she has excelled in many areas including direct services, systemic work, and policy advocacy resulting in increased access to housing for special populations including the homeless, people living disabilities, and disaster survivors.

Laura has received national, state, and local awards for her work in the interest of housing justice including a 2025 City Business Leadership in Law Award, the New Orleans Bar Association’s Mark Moreau Public Interest Award, a Louisiana State Bar Association Career Public Interest Award, and a National Legal Aid & Defender Reginal Hebert Smith Award. Laura graduated from LSU in 1984 and received her Juris Doctorate degree from Tulane Law School in 1987. She currently serves on the Board of the New Orleans Family Justice Center, the Gillis Long Foundation, the Louisiana State Bar Association Access to Justice Committee, and was Co-Chair of the Legal Services Corporation’s National Disaster Task Force Relationship-Building and Integration of Legal Services into the Nation’s Emergency Management Infrastructure Committee. She is an Advisory Committee member for the Bureau of Government Research and numerous other task forces to help improve access to civil legal services and opportunity for vulnerable people.

Shrushti Kothari serves as Disaster Grants Program Counsel in the Office of Program Performance at the Legal Services Corporation, where she works at the intersection of disaster response, technology, and the effective delivery of civil legal aid nationwide.

Her career in disaster legal services began on the ground in Houston in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. There, she served as a Staff Attorney in the Disaster Relief Unit at Lone Star Legal Aid and later as Project Manager for National Disaster Content and Resources, supporting both survivors and legal aid providers responding to large-scale disasters.

Building on that experience, Ms. Kothari has played a central role in strengthening the national disaster legal services infrastructure. She served as a subject-matter expert and content manager for LSC’s multi-partner Legal Aid Disaster Resource Center— a resource designed to ensure timely, accurate, and accessible legal information before, during, and after disasters.

In addition to her work at LSC, Ms. Kothari is actively engaged in national disaster leadership. She is a member of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Disaster Response and Preparedness and has served on the ABA Young Lawyers Division’s Disaster Legal Services Program since 2020. She is currently the Director of the ABA YLD DLS Program.

Skip Koenig is the Director of Pro Bono at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County. Skip also supervises NLSLA’s Consumer and Bankruptcy Team and its Disaster Assistance Program and leads the Southern California Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative. Skip is a Board Member of ENLA, the Emergency Network of Los Angeles, a Board Member of the San Fernando Valley Bar Association, the Co-Chair of the California Access to Justice Commission’s Pro Bono Coordinating Committee and an adjunct professor at UCLA Law School. Skip has been with NLSLA since 2018. Prior to joining NLSLA Skip was in private practice as a bankruptcy attorney for over 38 years.

Neesa Sethi is the Managing Attorney for LAFLA’s disaster response team. She quickly dove into disaster response work after the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfire disaster. Prior to this role, she served as LAFLA’s Stay Housed LA Pro Bono Project Manager, where she led project operations and collaborated with partner organizations to engage pro bono volunteers to help more tenants avoid eviction and homelessness. Before joining LAFLA, Neesa was a Senior Project Attorney at Legal Aid DC, where she managed a joint citywide initiative known as the Housing Right to Counsel Project. Neesa also has traditional law firm experience and clerked on the Supreme Court of Texas. She is a graduate of Stanford Law School, where she was a public interest fellow.

Ana Laurel (she/her/ella) is a Staff Attorney at Texas Riogrande Legal Aid, where she works on real property, environmental justice, estate planning, disaster, and foreclosure issues. Ana began at TRLA as an Equal Justice Works disaster fellow during law school and returned to TRLA as an Equal Justice Works fellow after graduation. Ana holds a J.D. from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University (2019), where she earned her Indian Legal Certificate and worked with state- and federally-recognized tribes. She recently served as a Chair and co-founder for the State Bar of Texas’ Community Redevelopment and Environmental Justice Taskforce as well as the Chair of TRLA’s labor union.

Madison Sloan is Director of the Disaster Recovery and Fair Housing Project at Texas Appleseed. Her work focuses on ensuring equity for historically excluded families and communities in federal disaster recovery programs, as well as broader disaster recovery and mitigation, fair housing, and civil rights issues. She joined Texas Appleseed in 2007 as an Equal Justice Works Katrina Legal Fellow, following six years representing elderly and low-income clients in housing, public benefits, and family law cases at the Michigan Advocacy Program.

Madison received her law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a Master of Public Affairs from the LBJ School at the University of Texas.

Peter Dennis is the Regional Managing Attorney for Florida Rural Legal Services’ Fort Myers office, serving Southwest Florida. He also leads the organization’s disaster legal services program, a role that evolved as the region found itself in the direct path of three major hurricanes in as many years. Peter has spent most of his career working with vulnerable and underserved communities, both domestically and internationally, with a focus on public interest law. His legal work has taken him across West Africa, Europe, and the United States, most recently in New York and Florida, where he has built and led multidisciplinary teams responding to complex community needs. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Florida (Go Gators!) and his J.D. from New York University School of Law (Go Violets!). Peter is admitted to practice in New York and Florida and is active in numerous voluntary bar associations and civic organizations throughout Southwest Florida. When he’s not at his desk, Peter can usually be found on the sidelines of a lacrosse field cheering on his goalie son, a high school junior, or visiting his daughter at Florida State University.

Paul R. Ferreira, JD, CPA, CFE is Managing Attorney of the Disaster Legal Services Unit at Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, providing no-cost legal assistance to disaster survivors across Central Florida. A retired Army Colonel and former forensic investigator, he brings deep legal, financial, and crisis-response experience.

Josh Gaul has worked at Iowa Legal Aid since August 10, 2009. He has served in the role of Managing Attorney since March of 2020. He currently manages Iowa Legal Aid’s Disaster, AmeriCorps, Victims of Crime Act, and CCC Projects. Josh graduated from Drake University Law School with High Honors in May of 2009.

Brittanny Perrigue Gomez is the Disaster Benefits Team Manager at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, the largest legal services provider in Texas. She represents low-income disaster survivors with FEMA and SBA assistance and helps clear title so homeowners can access disaster relief.

She has additional experience in guardianship, estate planning, probate, real property, and consumer law. Brittanny previously served as an Equal Justice Works Disaster Recovery Legal Corps Fellow and as an attorney with the U.S. Small Business Administration, assisting disaster survivors nationwide. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University and St. Mary’s University School of Law.

Jason Susalla is the Managing Attorney of Bay Area Legal Services’ Disaster Relief Team, which provides education, outreach, and legal assistance to disaster survivors across Florida. He joined Bay Area Legal in 2009 and began leading the Disaster Relief Project in 2018, focusing on recruiting and developing a statewide panel of volunteer attorneys dedicated to disaster response. The project became a formal team in 2023, and Jason now oversees initiatives that integrate legal aid into Florida’s disaster relief network, expand community partnerships, support long-term recovery efforts, and operate the Florida Disaster Legal Aid Helpline — a year-round hotline for survivors seeking assistance.

Jason plays an active role in Florida’s disaster recovery community, serving on the boards of FLVOAD and Pinellas VOAD, as Vice Chair of Hillsborough COAD, and as Chair of Recover Pinellas, the long-term recovery group leading efforts after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. He also represents Pinellas VOAD at the county’s Emergency Operations Center during disaster activations.

A frequent presenter on disaster legal services, Jason has spoken at state and national conferences, including the National VOAD Conference, the Governor’s Hurricane Conference, and the Equal Justice Conference.

Kristy Vick-Stratton is the Lead Disaster Response Attorney at Kentucky Legal Aid and Managing Attorney of the agency’s Bowling Green office. She earned her Juris Doctor from the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville in 2003, where she served on the Moot Court and Professional Skills Board and was an editor for the Journal of Law and Education. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University.

Admitted to practice in Kentucky in 2003, Kristy has served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney and as an Assistant Public Advocate with the Department of Public Advocacy. She joined Kentucky Legal Aid in 2017, representing clients in family law matters, assisting survivors of domestic and dating violence, and providing criminal record expungement services and community education. In 2022, she was named Lead Disaster Response Attorney, developing the agency’s disaster legal program following the December 2021 tornadoes.

Kristy is an AOC-trained mediator, a member of the Kentucky and Warren County Bar Associations, serves on the Advisory Board of the Barren River Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, and is Secretary of the National VOAD Disaster Legal Services Committee.

Stephanie Duke is the Supervising attorney of the Disaster Resilience team at Disability Rights Texas (DRTx). DRTx is the Protection & Advocacy agency for Texas and operates to ensure Texans with disabilities rights are upheld by affording equitable opportunities across all societal domains. Ms. Duke focuses on mitigating barriers that disaster survivors with disabilities face by affording access to justice and remedying discriminatory practices. Ms. Duke works to build resiliency for the disability community by advocating for inclusive planning processes with local, state and federal entities and educates the community about individual preparedness, resources and knowing your rights to promote independence and autonomy during and after every event. Ms. Duke addresses systemic barriers in federal and state disaster and emergency programs to ensure meaningful access to all disaster survivors via legal advocacy and policy reform. Ms. Duke is an Equal Justice Works Disaster Fellow alumni; committee member of the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Response, Chair of the Board of Directors for Texas Volunteer Organization Active in Disasters (VOAD); Chair of the State Bar of Texas, Disaster Law Task Force and is an appointed member to the Governor’s Task force on Disaster Issues Effecting Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities.

Ronald S. Flagg was appointed President of Legal Services Corporation effective February 20, 2020, and previously served as Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel since 2013. He previously practiced commercial and administrative litigation at Sidley Austin LLP for 31 years, 27 years as a partner. He chaired the firm’s Committee on Pro Bono and Public Interest Law for more than a decade.

Flagg served as president of the District of Columbia Bar in 2010-2011 and currently serves as President of the Board of the DC Bar Foundation. He previously also served as Chair of the Board of the National Veterans Legal Services Program, Chair of the District of Columbia Bar Pro Bono Center, Chair of the Bar’s Pro Bono Task Force, Chair of the Board of the AARP Legal Counsel for the Elderly, and as a member of the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates, the Board of the Washington Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, and the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission.

Flagg graduated with honors from the University of Chicago and cum laude from Harvard Law School. He began his career as a law clerk to Judge Myron L. Gordon, U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Wisconsin and as attorney-advisor in the United States Department of Justice, Office of Intelligence Policy.

Stephanie Duke is the Supervising attorney of the Disaster Resilience team at Disability Rights Texas (DRTx). DRTx is the Protection & Advocacy agency for Texas and operates to ensure Texans with disabilities rights are upheld by affording equitable opportunities across all societal domains. Ms. Duke focuses on mitigating barriers that disaster survivors with disabilities face by affording access to justice and remedying discriminatory practices. Ms. Duke works to build resiliency for the disability community by advocating for inclusive planning processes with local, state and federal entities and educates the community about individual preparedness, resources and knowing your rights to promote independence and autonomy during and after every event. Ms. Duke addresses systemic barriers in federal and state disaster and emergency programs to ensure meaningful access to all disaster survivors via legal advocacy and policy reform. Ms. Duke is an Equal Justice Works Disaster Fellow alumni; committee member of the American Bar Association Standing Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Response, Chair of the Board of Directors for Texas Volunteer Organization Active in Disasters (VOAD); Chair of the State Bar of Texas, Disaster Law Task Force and is an appointed member to the Governor’s Task force on Disaster Issues Effecting Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities.

Meghan has a degree in anthropology from Colby College in Waterville, ME and moved to Washington, D.C. after graduation to work for Senator Susan Collins as a legislative correspondent. After sailing tall ships on both the east and west coasts, Meghan accepted a teaching position at a charter school in post-Katrina New Orleans. Very quickly she realized just how long it takes for a community to recover after such a catastrophic event. Meghan led logistics efforts during the Deepwater Horizon 252 oil spill for the Natural Resource Damage Assessment efforts, supporting up to 80 field teams Gulf-wide on a daily basis. Over the past 15 years, Meghan has gained experience in disaster management working for Catholic Charities, American Red Cross, and currently The Salvation Army. She led a team of 15 disaster case managers supporting long-term recovery efforts after severe flooding impacted Baton Rouge, LA and surrounding parishes, supported Hurricane Irma recovery, responded to Hurricanes Dorian and Ian, contributed to COVID-19 response in Palm Beach County, FL, and virtually supported tornado relief efforts in Kentucky. Meghan currently serves as the National Emergency Disaster Services Director at The Salvation Army.

Brittanny Perrigue Gomez is the Disaster Benefits Team Manager at Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, the largest legal services provider in Texas. She represents low-income disaster survivors with FEMA and SBA assistance and helps clear title so homeowners can access disaster relief.

She has additional experience in guardianship, estate planning, probate, real property, and consumer law. Brittanny previously served as an Equal Justice Works Disaster Recovery Legal Corps Fellow and as an attorney with the U.S. Small Business Administration, assisting disaster survivors nationwide. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University and St. Mary’s University School of Law.

Taylor Wolter serves as Director of Philanthropy, Strategy, and Innovation at OneStar Foundation, where he oversees the organization’s statewide disaster and philanthropy programs, project management office, and strategic initiatives. He joined OneStar in 2017, weeks after Hurricane Harvey, and led the state’s federal volunteer, donations, and long-term recovery task forces, helping leverage more than $200 million in recovery funding for affected communities. In his current role, he focuses on developing high-impact philanthropic initiatives and cross-sector partnerships that deliver critical resources to disaster-impacted communities across Texas.

Prior to OneStar, Taylor served as Director of Emergency and Conservation Services at American Youthworks, a national nonprofit based in Austin. He lives in Denton, Texas, with his wife, Katie, son, Jack, and their dogs, Penny and June. He is also an accomplished competitive cook and an avid cyclist.

John G. Levi was nominated to serve on the Board of Directors of the Legal Services Corporation by President Barack Obama on August 6, 2009, and his nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 19, 2010. He was elected Chairman of the LSC Board by his fellow Board members on April 7, 2010, and his re-nomination was confirmed by the Senate in December 2014.

John is a senior counsel in the Chicago office of Sidley Austin, LLP. His practice focuses on employment litigation, executive compensation matters, and labor-management relations. He represents corporate clients before numerous courts, agencies, and arbitration forums. He also gives guidance on internal employment policies and governance.

John is the past chair of Sidley’s Law School Recruiting Committee and heads the firm’s committee overseeing its adopt-a-school programs. He has been involved in issues regarding juvenile justice and access to justice for many years, serving on the Board of the Cook County Justice for Children. He also serves on the Advisory Board for the Northwestern University Law School Center on Wrongful Convictions.

John was President and a longtime Trustee of the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago and in 2014, was honored by being made a Life Trustee of the School. He received the 2004 Abraham Lincoln Marovitz “Lend A Hand” volunteer award and was awarded an Honorary Diploma by the Parker School in 2003. John received the inaugural Mikva Challenge Corporate Citizenship Award for civic leadership to improve the lives of Chicago youth in 2011. He was elected in 2013 as a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and was recognized in the 2014 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in Labor Law Management and the Legal 500 U.S. 2013 for Labor and Employment.

John received his B.A. with honors from the University of Rochester in 1969 and earned his J.D. in 1972 and LL.M. in 1973 from Harvard Law School.