UFE Staff
Brenda Cotto-Escalera, Interim Co-Executive Director
Prior to becoming Interim Co-Executive Director, Brenda coordinated the work of UFE's Tax Team, collaborating closely with the General Education Team. She brings to UFE her experience in community organizing at the intersection of social movement building and artistic creation. She is applying this experience to UFE's core focus of making policy relevant and accessible to grassroots groups and individuals, with special attention to constituencies of color.
Brenda is a Puertorriquena activist, artist, and educator with extensive experience in the areas of cross-cultural community organizing, multicultural education, and anti-oppression work. She taught for ten years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she was instrumental in the creation of a student-led Latino Cultural Center. She also taught at Lesley University's Creative Arts in Learning Division where she developed courses on Multicultural Education and Critical Pedagogy, and led efforts to organize faculty and students of color and their allies in various anti-oppression projects.
Brenda holds a PhD in Popular Theater and Popular Education from the University of Texas at Austin.
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Email Brenda at brenda
faireconomy.org
Mark Schmitz, Interim Co-Executive Director
Prior to becoming Interim Co-Executive Director, Mark was Director of Finance and Administration, leading the Operations Team in finance, technology, human resources, and office management operations.
Mark has over 20 years of leadership experience in operations and administration management. During this time, he has been responsible for internal operations, organizational development, human resource management, staff supervision and development, and budget and financial management.
Before coming to UFE, Mark served for 11 years as the Director of Campus Services at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where he also served a 3-year term on the College's budget committee. He holds a BS in Leadership and Organizational Studies from the University of Southern Maine. He also holds an AAS in Business Administration and an AAS in Food Service Administration.
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Email Mark at mschmitzfaireconomy.org
Adrián Boutureira, Education Specialist
Adrián conducts outreach and bilingual popular education for the Tax Fairness Initiative. He also works with the Education Team, adapting and designing workshops for our various programs, and networking with Spanish-speaking, grassroots, and immigrant groups. He helps develop UFE's global analysis and facilitates points of convergence between global economic justice and our other focus areas and programs.
Prior to joining UFE, Adrián worked nationally and internationally at the service of various organizations on issues that include Latin America solidarity; immigrant, indigenous and human rights; racism and white supremacy deconstruction; and social, economic, and environmental justice.
As an activist, Adrián supports non-hierarchal, horizontal, bottom-up models for social and economic development and movement building and aims to establish political relationships that humanize us in our struggle, not ones that turn us into political commodities. "Para vivir una cultura diferente," to live a different culture, he believes we must continue to actively shift away from paradigms of classist, racist, sexist and vanguardist oppression still entrenched in large sectors of our movement, to those of revolutionary love, reciprocal respect, collectivism, accountability and radical trust that will bind us closer together as social beings and enable us to better sustain the struggle "For Humanity And Against Neoliberalism."
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Email Adrián at adrianfaireconomy.org
Lee Farris, Senior Organizer on Estate Tax Policy
Lee organizes individuals and organizations to win permanent and responsible reform of the estate tax, which is the most progressive tax in the U.S. She develops actions to support the estate tax. Lee identifies and builds connections with key partner organizations, activists, and spokespeople, and frequently speaks with the media about federal tax issues. Lee is a co-author of the report Spending Millions to Save Billions: The Campaign of the Super-Wealthy to Kill the Estate Tax.
Lee has more than 20 years of experience in organizing. In the 1980s, Lee worked as Southern Africa Coordinator for Boston Mobilization for Survival, winning passage of anti-apartheid state pension divestment and purchasing legislation. In the early 1990s, Lee worked for the Women's Statewide Legislative Network, which won passage of state legislation to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Lee then worked as Director of Community Organizing for the Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation, where she organized tenants on housing legislation and funding, and coordinated a participatory economic development planning process.
Lee has been active in the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, the Cambridge Community Preservation Act Board, and the Area 4 Coalition in her Cambridge neighborhood. She was raised in Gainesville, Florida.
Lee graduated from Yale University with a degree in Political Science.
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Email Lee at lfarrisfaireconomy.org
Jeannette Huezo, Education Coordinator
Jeannette coordinates UFE’s popular education work and facilitates many workshops, in particular for Latino groups.
Originally from El Salvador, Jeannette came to the US in 1989. She has spent her life working for justice and social change. By developing confidence and leadership skills in others, she has increased the number of activists in the struggle for social change, and has empowered women, immigrants and others facing injustice to participate in the decision-making process around issues that affect their lives.
Jeannette's first organizing job in United States was with the Latino Parents Association. She then went on to spend four years at the Coalition for Basic Human Needs (CBHN), organizing low-income women to fight for their rights. Then, Jeannette went to work for the Women's Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) as the Program Director / Trainer / Organizer. Following that, she worked as a Union Organizer for Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 254, organizing immigrant workers like herself to find their voice as members of the labor movement.
Jeannette is an Advisory Board Member of the Center to Support Immigrant Organizing (CSIO).
Jeannette is the mother of nine children, two of whom still live in El Salvador.
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Email Jeannette at jhuezofaireconomy.org
Christina Kasica, Communications Manager
Christina helps make connections to media and shape messages that bring UFE’s key education and research in the area of taxation to as wide an audience as possible.
She has worked in communications since 1990, most recently in Robert Reich’s political campaign and before that in the technology industry. In 2003 she served as director of a workforce development program in Chelsea for IBA/STRIVE.
Christina studied languages and history at Harvard University and holds an M.A. in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.
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Email Christina at ckasicafaireconomy.org
Bob Keener, Communications Director
Bob leads all communications activities for UFE, including member communications, press relations, publications and the Web.
An economic refugee from the high-tech industry, he spent more than 15 years learning the best marketing and communications practices in American capitalism, working with global PR agencies and computer companies. When the high-tech bubble burst in 2000, he decided to dedicate his skills and career to furthering economic justice.
Bob believes that aggressive use of private sector communications tools, combined with viral, guerrilla and activist tactics, will help UFE achieve its mission of supporting a social movement for a fair economy. Prior to joining UFE, he spent five years learning about the non-profit and social change worlds through consulting and board work.
Bob studied Social Thought and Political Economy at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
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Email Bob at bkeenerfaireconomy.org
Karen Kraut, Coordinator, Tax Fairness Organizing Collaborative
Karen coordinates the newly formed Tax Fairness Organizing Collaborative, a network of fair tax coalitions in sixteen states that are working to increase the fairness and adequacy of the state and federal tax systems. She also works with state coalitions to develop a popular education workshop curriculum that explains states? fiscal systems and mobilizes people to advocate for progressive tax reform.
Karen authored the article High Stakes: Why and How Nonprofits
Must Engage on State Tax Policy
Prior to coming to UFE, Karen worked as a public housing community organizer in northern California and as a legislative assistant for Congresswoman (now Senator) Olympia Snowe in Washington, DC. She holds a Masters degree in public health from the University of California, Berkeley.
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Email Karen at kkrautfaireconomy.org
Mike Lapham, Responsible Wealth Director and Acting Development Director
Mike coordinates UFE’s Responsible Wealth project, a network of business leaders, inheritors and other wealthy people who believe the economic rules are too tilted towards the rich at the expense of everyone else. RW members use their unexpected voice to push for rule changes that will lead to a fairer and more democratic society.
Prior to joining UFE in 1996, Mike was AIDS Housing Project Director for the City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development and a Housing Specialist for the law firm of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo, P.C. He is a member of the Social Venture Network.
Mike graduated from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in Urban Studies and Public Policy in 1986. He also holds an M.A. in Community Economic Development from New Hampshire College (1991).
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Email Mike at mlaphamfaireconomy.org
Amaad Rivera, Racial Wealth Divide Initiative Leader
Amaad directs UFE's Racial Wealth Divide Program, conducting workshops and presentations, writing for and speaking to the media, doing curriculum development, and developing and overseeing demonstration projects throughout the country.Amaad brings to UFE a wealth of experience in education, curriculum development, group facilitation, community organizing, community empowerment, diversity and inclusion issues, and public policy. From founding the KidsVote Initiative in Holyoke, MA to participating in a delegation to Puerto Rico of academics and community leaders in exploring contemporary and historical barriers to economic mobility of Puerto Ricans in Holyoke, Amaad has been deeply involved in the community. He has created and participated in coalitions of citizens, corporations, and community organizations that improved the lives of young people and people of color.
Before coming to United for a Fair Economy, Amaad served as AmeriCorps Program Officer, co-managing their grants process and portfolio at the Massachusetts Service Alliance.
Amaad serves on several boards, including GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight
Educators Network). He has bachelor's degrees in Marketing, Psychology
and Information Technology from Bentley College, and is currently pursuing his
masters' degree in Education, with a concentration in Social Justice, at
the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
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Email Amaad at ariverafaireconomy.org
Steve Schnapp, Education Coordinator
Steve helps design and develop UFE’s popular economics education workshops and materials, and leads workshops and presentations around the country.
Steve has more than 30 years experience as a community-based organizer, educator, and activist in New York City and the Greater Boston area. He has studied popular education and led numerous training of trainers workshops for organizers, community educators, and social justice activists. Steve also taught Community Organizing at the Boston University School of Social Work and Springfield College/School of Human Services, in the 1990s.
Before coming to UFE in October 1998, Steve directed the Management and Community Development Institute at the Lincoln Filene Center for Citizen Participation at Tufts University.
Steve earned a B.A. in anthropology from the City College of New York in 1969 and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Boston University in 1981.
Steve gets support and encouragement from his lifelong partner, Honey Schnapp and his daughters, Tania and Jessie.
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Email Steve at sschnappfaireconomy.org
Jonathan Silverman, Technology Coordinator
Jonathan is an Apple-certified Macintosh specialist with a background in non-profit technology support and operations management. He enjoys providing systems, networking, and end-user training and support in an accessible, inclusive style. He has helped to engage coworkers and clients at a variety of skill levels with technology as an employee at organizations and as an independent Macintosh consultant to home, school, and business users for many years.
After graduating from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a B.A. In English in 1988, Jonathan worked in the fields of education and human services while developing his interest in the use of technology to support the work of non-profit organizations.
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Email Jonathan at jsilvermanfaireconomy.org
Tim Sullivan, Acting Annual Giving Coordinator
Tim recently graduated from Roxbury Community College as the valedictorian with an Associate’s degree in Business Administration. He intends to seek a degree in economics while working to further the goals of United for a Fair Economy.
He was born and raised in the Greater Boston area and now makes his home in Roxbury where he lives with his wife Suzanne.
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Email Tim at tsullivanfaireconomy.org