Coming Together for Resilience: LSC’s 2025 Midwest Capstone Disaster Conference

Since she became Executive Director in 2017, Dori Rapaport has led Justice North, formerly known as Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota, through a myriad of innovations and expansions to increase the organization’s capacity to help more individuals. Dori speaks on statewide and national panels regular on topics such as rural access to justice, technological innovations to increase access to legal services, and collaborations with legal aid and the courts. In Dori’s spare time she and her partner spend time driving their five teenagers all over Duluth (no licensed drivers yet!), and love to walk their golden retriever while birdwatching by Lake Superior.

Anne M. Hoefgen is the Executive Director of Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota. As executive director she is responsible for the day-to-day operation and fiscal management for the organization which provides legal aid services to twenty-two counites in northwest Minnesota covering 1/3 of the geographic area of Minnesota. Anne has worked on access to justice issues locally, statewide, and regionally including serving on the Legal Services State Support Legal Services Advisory Committee, Minnesota’s Access to Justice and as Chair of the Midwest Project Directors.

Before becoming Executive Director in 2014, Anne was a staff attorney and then supervising attorney at Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota. In those roles she advised and represented thousands of clients in district court and administrative hearings with critical civil legal needs including housing, family law, domestic violence, unemployment compensation, consumer law and public benefits issues. Anne is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Law and received her undergraduate degree from Grinnell College.

Josh Gaul has worked for Iowa Legal Aid since August 10, 2009. He has served in the role of Staff Attorney, Senior Staff Attorney, and was promoted to Managing Attorney in March of 2020. He currently manages Iowa Legal Aid’s Disaster Project and Rural Justice Project for Older Iowans. Josh has been involved in disaster work since 2015.

Shirley Peng has been at Legal Aid of Nebraska since December 2009. She is the Debt and Finance Unit Director and also manages the state-wide Disaster Relief Project since January 2015 and the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC) since January 2018. Prior to being a managing attorney, she was a staff attorney in both the Lincoln and Omaha offices handling public benefits and consumer law cases.

Shirley is licensed to practice in Nebraska, California and the US Tax Court. She graduated in 2006 from UCLA with a BA in Psychology and Chapman Law School with certificates in Tax Law and Environmental, Land Use and Real Estate Law in 2009. She can be reached at speng@legalaidofnebraska.org.

Ms. Kothari is the Disaster Grants Program Counsel III in the Office of Program Performance at Legal Services Corporation (LSC). She previously served as Project Manager of National Disaster Content and Resources and as a Staff Attorney in the Disaster Relief Unit at Lone Star Legal Aid in Houston, TX. She also served as a Subject-Matter Expert and Content Manager for LSC’s multi-partner Legal Aid Disaster Resource Center website and the Disaster Assistance Recovery Tool. Ms. Kothari is a member of the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Disaster Response and Preparedness and the Director of the ABA Young Lawyers Division’s Disaster Legal Services Program.

Dee Velasco comes with over 6 years of experience in law related fields and 20+ years in public relations/outreach. Dee began his law journey as a legal assistant at the 11th Judicial District Court in Gallup, NM, transitioned to working in non-profit shelter for battered families, Social Services for Pueblo of Zuni, and Navajo Housing authority legal department. Currently, he serves as the Community Justice Worker for DNA – People’s Legal Services, Inc. Window Rock, AZ., helps provide legal services, conducts outreach, and provide community legal education to individuals residing in Colfax, Lincoln, Los Alamos, Mora, Sandoval, San Miguel, & Valencia Counties affected by federally declared natural disasters in the seven-county areas in New Mexico. Dee holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts with emphasis in Native American Law. He also utilizes his first love in radio broadcasting in outreaches and currently studying for the Navajo Nation Bar.

Hayden Ramsey (she/her) is the Community Justice Worker for Montana Legal Services Association serving Carbon, Park, Stillwater, and Yellowstone Counties. She has lived in rural Montana for the last fifteen years. Prior to joining MLSA as a CJW, she was a community based advocate for a domestic and sexual violence services program as well as a violence prevention educator. In her previous position she had the opportunity to travel to school districts and communities all over south-central Montana promoting healthy relationships for school-aged children and ensuring all community members knew they had resources and were not alone.

Jenna McArthur is a community justice worker at Anishinabe Legal Services of Cass lake, Red Lake and White Earth Nations who specifically works with the disaster relief project. Jenna has prior experience with Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court with ten-plus years’ experience within the White Earth Behavioral Health/Courts departments. She also has experience in Addiction Counseling with both Adolescents and Adults along with Care Coordination and Peer Support. Jenna is a descendant of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota. Jenna McArthur is a community justice worker at Anishinabe Legal Services of Cass lake, Red Lake and White Earth Nations who specifically works with the disaster relief project. Jenna has prior experience with Juvenile Healing to Wellness Court with ten-plus years’ experience within the White Earth Behavioral Health/Courts departments. She also has experience in Addiction Counseling with both Adolescents and Adults along with Care Coordination and Peer Support. Jenna is a descendant of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota.

Izzy Williamson is the Disaster Relief Program Manager at Project 60 in partnership with the Community Justice Worker Resource Center (CJWRC) at Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC) since 2023. Izzy provides oversight and management to the five-state legal aid cohort with a mission to recruit new culturally appropriate Community Justice Workers throughout Indian Country. Izzy worked for DNA-People’s Legal Services for eight years overseeing the Partnering for Native Health (PNH) AmeriCorps project, a Medical-Legal Partnership collaborative starting in the Navajo Nation and expanding throughout tribal communities in the United States. Previously, Izzy served as the Elder Rights Program Manager for Northern Arizona Council of Government, as well as nine years at the Arthritis Foundation Great West Region as the Vice President of Programs.

Jason Susalla is the Managing Attorney of Bay Area Legal Services’ Disaster Relief Team, a team focused on community engagement, education, and the delivery of legal services to disaster survivors. He joined Bay Area Legal in 2009 as a part-time advocate for the Centralized Telephone Intake Unit while maintaining a full-time job as a dolphin and sea lion trainer. He has been a full-time attorney at the firm since 2013 and has since practiced in numerous areas of law. Jason began his supervisory role of the disaster relief team in 2018, initially as a project under the BALS’ Volunteer Lawyers Program and focused on the development of a dynamic panel of volunteer attorneys specializing in securing pro bono assistance for disaster survivors. In 2023 the Disaster Relief Team developed into a standalone direct service team, and Jason now focuses on numerous initiatives, including legal aid’s integration into the regional disaster relief community, innovative partnerships and outreach, the operation of the statewide Florida Disaster Legal Aid Helpline, and pro bono engagement to support disaster survivor recovery.

David has served as a Deputy Director in the Legal Services Corporation’s (LSC) Office of Program Performance since April 2023, where he oversees LSC’s Disaster Program and assists with the management of Basic Field Grants. Prior to this role, he was a Program Counsel with OPP’s Technology Initiative Grant (TIG) program, beginning in 2010. In that position, he supported LSC grantees in adopting new technologies and developing strategies to operate more effectively and efficiently. He also provides technical assistance to LSC grantees on using technology to strengthen their programs and services, offering guidance on topics such as website development, information security, online intake, and remote service delivery.

David has been actively involved in several LSC initiatives. He led an initiative to evaluate statewide legal aid websites and played a key role in launching the Legal Aid Disaster Resource Center and the Heartland Flood Help websites, in collaboration with the Disaster team. In addition, he has participated in approximately 20 Basic Field Grant Program Quality Visits at LSC, where he analyzes grantee management, intake systems, and the integration of technology.

Alison Paul has been the Executive Director of the Montana Legal Services Association in Helena, Montana, since 2011, and with the program since 1998. Alison attended law school at the University of Kansas, and was in private practice in Chicago, Illinois, primarily advising tax-exempt organizations on tax and corporate issues before moving to Montana. Alison is a founding member of the Montana Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission, a past member of the Board of Directors of the Montana Nonprofit Association, and the National Legal Aid and Defender Association. Alison is a frequent speaker on technology in legal aid and rural access to justice issues. In 2023, Alison was awarded the James I. Keane Award by the American Bar Association for her work promoting the use of technology to bridge the justice gap. In 2024, Alison was awarded the Pierce Hickerson Award by the Indian Law Section of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association for her advocacy in promoting justice for Native Americans.

Stephanie Hudson is a member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma. She is a fourth generation descendent of Chief Lone Wolf, and a descendent of Maun-kee (Kiowa Bill). She is the Executive Director of Oklahoma Indian Legal Services.

Before becoming Executive Director of OILS, Stephanie was a staff attorney for 15 years and provided legal assistance to tribal members in Oklahoma tribal courts as well as Oklahoma state district courts.

Stephanie is a graduate of the School of Law at Oklahoma City University. She currently teaches Tribal Law at the OCU School of Law. She also teaches the American Indian Estates Clinic at the University of Oklahoma College of Law.

She is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association, the Oklahoma Indian Bar Association, and numerous Tribal Court Bar Associations.

In 2023, Stephanie was awarded the Parent of the Year by the Oklahoma Indian Education Association and in 2024, she was named the Parent of the Year by the National Indian Education Association.

After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Multi-Disciplinary Studies from the University of Oklahoma (OU), Brian Candelaria worked nine (9) years as a legal assistant. Mr. Candelaria went back to school and earned a Master’s Degree of Legal Studies for Indigenous Peoples Law from OU Law School’s online program, while still working as a legal assistant. He then attended law school at Oklahoma City University School of Law graduated in Spring 2019. Mr. Candelaria was twice awarded First Place for the Oklahoma Sovereignty Symposium’s John B. Doolin Writing Competition (2018 and 2019). In 2023 he received the Hargrave Prize for Writing. Mr. Candelaria has also had two articles published in the American Indian Law Journal published through the Seattle University School of Law. His 2020 article is entitled Mapping a Way Through Disaster and Emergency Issues Involving Indian Country and The Importance of Legal Preparedness. His December 2023 article is entitled Seeking Higher Ground: Developing a Tribal Model Code for Disaster and Emergency Management in a Complex Jurisdictional Environment. A member of the Oklahoma Bar since April of 2020, Mr. Candelaria has worked as a staff attorney at Oklahoma Indian Legal Services (OILS) for almost five years but had previously interned with OILS for the previous three years. During this time, he has also represented OILS in the OK-VOAD, serving as Chair of OK-VOAD last year. He is currently Acting Chair of the Oklahoma Bar Association Access to Justice Committee, the Chair of the Oklahoma Bar Association Indian Law Section, and Ex-Officio Chairperson OK-VOAD Executive Committee member. Over the years, Mr. Candelaria has made multiple presentations and has been on multiple panels promoting the organizational mission of OILS and of the VOAD movement and advancing the legal needs of low-income enrolled tribe members residing in Oklahoma, especially in disaster-related issues. He looks forward to serving the Native American tribal communities for years to come. He happily lives with his wife, Kathryn, in Norman, OK.

Born and raised in Florida, Christa Figgins received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Florida State University (FSU) and Juris Doctor from the FSU College of Law. A member of the Florida Bar, she began her career as a legal aid lawyer assisting survivors of domestic violence and later served as a law clerk in the 4th judicial circuit of Florida before returning to legal aid. After accepting a position at Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc. (LASO), Christa moved to Oklahoma in 2012. Seven months later, a devastating EF-5 tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, destroying 1150 homes, causing billions of dollars in damages, and taking the lives of 24 people. From that day forward, Christa’s focus became disaster recovery as she served as the Chair of the Moore Long-Term Recovery Committee and coordinated LASO’s provision of legal services to survivors. In the years since, Oklahoma has been impacted by dozens of disaster events and LASO has continued to respond. Christa now leads LASO’s Disaster Legal Services Unit with a full-time staff of 6 and works with dozens of community-based long-term recovery groups and community partners regarding integrating disaster legal services into the continuum of services available to survivors in Oklahoma. Nationally, Christa speaks frequently on the topic of the critical role of post-disaster civil legal services in survivor recovery and consults often with other legal aid and community organizations regarding developing a disaster legal services program. Very involved in the VOAD movement, Christa is currently serving her third term as Chair of Oklahoma Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster and her second term on the National VOAD Board of Directors as a State/Territory Representative. Christa lives with her husband and two very opinionated Siamese rescue cats in Oklahoma City.

Rev. Mary Gaudreau Hughes is a licensed professional counselor, ordained United Methodist deacon, and nationally known disaster response specialist with more than 25 years’ experience working in crisis and disaster response. Rev. Hughes currently serves as the Executive Director for Crisis Care Ministries in Oklahoma and also serves as the faith-based liaison for the disaster services work of Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma.

A frequent teacher and presenter, she has authored and provided key leadership in developing numerous curricula, resources, webinars, and national operational and ethical guidelines for disaster spiritual and emotional care. She has provided training, consultation, and technical guidance in more than two dozen states and has facilitated the establishment of dozens of regional and local disaster emotional and spiritual care teams.

MaryLynn Lufkin is the Senior Director at Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma, where she oversees Disaster Response and Long Term Case Management, Outreach and Emergency Assistance programs across Tulsa and throughout the 31 counties within the Diocese of Eastern Oklahoma. With over 28 years of service at Catholic Charities, she has played a vital role in responding to both declared and undeclared disasters, working closely with a wide network of disaster partners.

Currently, her agency is actively engaged in two Disaster Case Management Programs (DCMPs) and is providing support for the March 2025 wildfires. Residing in rural Oklahoma, MaryLynn brings a deep commitment to serving underserved and remote communities with compassion and strategic care.

She will participate in the 2025 Midwest Capstone Disaster Conference as part of the panel session titled “Faith-Based Outreach, Relationship Management and Disaster Partnerships,” collaborating with Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma and other partners.

Maryn Olson (she/her) serves as the Director for Lutheran Disaster Response, the humanitarian and crisis response ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), a position she has held since November 2022. In this role, she oversees the LDR global (international and domestic) grants and programs. Internationally, she collaborates closely with the ELCA area desks in responding to disasters; domestically, Maryn works with synods, social ministry organizations, community-based groups, and tribal nations. She also represents the ELCA in various settings with ecumenical partners.

Maryn has always had a strong sense of justice, and this passion motivates her work. She has more than 20 years of nonprofit experience and has served in a variety of disaster related roles. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Valparaiso University and a Master of Science (MSc) in Public Health in Developing Countries from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Maryn and her wife, Angela, live in St. Louis, MO.

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.

Jennifer (Jen) Nieder is a Navy veteran and seasoned emergency management leader with extensive experience in disaster response, volunteer coordination, and community resilience. As Texas & Oklahoma Operations Associate for Team Rubicon, she leads statewide disaster operations, builds partnerships across agencies, and empowers volunteers to make a lasting impact in communities recovering from crisis.