ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN OF NEW YORK (AFC) - Key Persons

Kim Sweet is the Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), where she is responsible for AFC's overall direction, operations, and effectiveness. Since coming to AFC in 2007, Kim has made significant changes to the board of directors and dramatically increased the organization's revenue from individual donors and events, which has enabled AFC to strengthen programs for students in need. She started the ARISE Coalition (the Action for Reform in Special Education Coalition), comprised of more than 80 member organizations and individuals working together to compel systemic reform to benefit students with disabilities in the New York City public schools. She also collaborated with the former Chief Judge of New York State, Judith Kaye, and the New York State Permanent Judicial Commission on Justice for Children to form the School-Justice Partnership Task Force, which brought together leaders from government agencies, the judiciary, research institutions, and advocacy groups to address the problem of too many children growing up in the courts and eventually dropping out of school. In addition, Kim has been active in matters of school governance, serving as an appointee of former New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum to the Commission on School Governance, which issued an influential report in 2008 on the issue of mayoral control for the city's schools. Kim currently serves on a number of governmental committees and task forces focused on the NYC public schools, including the Mayor's Leadership Team for School Climate & Discipline, the Community Schools Advisory Committee, and the School Diversity Advisory Group. Prior to joining AFC, Kim worked at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI) for ten years, most recently serving as Associate General Counsel. She spearheaded NYLPI's special education advocacy work, oversaw and ran the special education pro bono project, served as one of NYLPI's senior managers, conducted litigation on disability rights issues, and led a number of policy initiatives. One such initiative Kim co-founded is Parents for Inclusive Education (PIE) -- a group of parents, educators, and advocates who press for more inclusive educational options in New York City's schools. After more than fifteen years, PIE continues to make a unique and valuable contribution to the formation of special education policy in the City. In 2010, Kim received the Felix A. Fishman Award for Excellence in Advocacy from New York Lawyers for the Public Interest for her exceptional commitment to equal education opportunities for all children. She was also awarded a fellowship with the Tenenbaum Leadership Initiative of Milano the New School for Management and Urban Policy in 2008, and in 2003, she received a Legal Services Award from the New York City Bar Association for "extraordinary dedication and outstanding work in providing civil legal assistance to the poor in New York City." Kim holds a B.A. from Brown University and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. She also taught for two years as an adjunct professor in the Urban Law Clinic of New York Law School. Kim serves on the Board of Directors of the Cahn Fellows Program at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Kimberley D. Harris

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President of the Board of Directors

Kimberly Madden

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Director of Family Support

Lilliana Díaz-Pedrosa

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Director, AFC Parent Center

Lisbeth Guzman

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Project Manager, Technical Assistance Center for Students in Temporary Housing

Lucy Fato

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Member of the Board of Directors

Maggie Moroff

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Senior Special Education Policy Coordinator

Malika Harris

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Director of Equity and Impact

Marcia Flores

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Education Partnerships Manager, Project LIT

Maria Acosta

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Member of the Leadership & Staff
Staff Attorney, Immigrants Students' Rights Project

Matt Berke

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Member of the Board of Directors

Matt Darnall

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Member of the Board of Directors

Matthew Lenaghan

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Deputy Director
Member of the Leadership & Staff

Matthew Lenaghan has been the Deputy Director of Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) since December of 2006. In his twenty years at AFC, he has become a recognized leader in New York City's education and special education law fields. As Deputy Director, he works with the Executive Director to coordinate the day-to-day operations and program management of the 50-staff organization. Matthew also supervises the staff in case work and participates in AFC's ongoing class action lawsuits seeking education reform. Matthew is a longtime member of AFC's staff, joining the agency in 1999 as a NAPIL (now Equal Justice Works) Fellow. Prior to becoming Deputy Director, Matthew served as AFC's Director of Legal Services, where he was responsible for the supervision of all direct legal services provided to hundreds of clients each year. Matthew was profiled in the June 2011 issue of The National Law Journal for his exceptional longstanding commitment and achievement in education reform. Matthew's supervision and coordination of AFC's internship program earned the organization the ‘2011 Best Places to Intern' Vault Award. Matthew was a high school teacher and baseball coach with Teach For America in the Houston Independent School District in Houston, Texas. Matthew holds a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.