CITIZENS DISABILITY - Key Persons
Andrew is President and CEO of Citizens Disability, and is responsible for the design, implementation and execution of business strategy. Prior to Citizens Disability, Andrew has held roles with Internet Venture Works (private equity firm), Lesley University (private education provider) and for Marakon Associates (leading strategy consulting firm). Andrew currently sits on the board of directors of Bluedrop Performance Learning (TSX-V Symbol BPL) a St. John's, NL based advanced learning technologies company.
Andrew received an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Economics from Northwestern University. He is a non-advocate representative eligible for direct payment from the SSA (EDPNA), a member of the National Association of Disability Representatives (NADR), a member of the National Organization of Social Security Claimant Representatives (NOSSCR) and is a member of the Young President's Association.
Tony oversees all aspects of accounting, tax, finance and budgeting for the Company. Prior to Citizens, Tony has over 40 years of experience in the accounting industry with international, national, and regional firms, as well as private industry. Tony joined Citizens from his accounting firm Provanzano & Marchesiani P.C. and has been involved with the Company from its inception as its independent auditor. Tony is a CPA and graduated from Suffolk University with a degree in Accounting in 1972.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Hearing Operations
Christine oversees the scheduling, assignment, and delivery of claims at the hearing level, ensuring a streamlined and efficient process for clients. In her role, she leads a dedicated team who coordinates hearing preparation and representation for our clients.
Christine holds a Bachelor of Arts from the College of the Holy Cross and a Juris Doctor from New England School of Law.
Chris oversees client advocacy at Citizens Disability. Chris has been a trial advocate for 20 years, having tried cases in all levels of state court and represented thousands of injured people before various administrative agencies that assess disability, including the Social Security Administration.
Chris came to Citizens Disability from Rainer & O'Connor, LLP, a medium-sized personal injury, workers' compensation and Social Security Disability Firm outside of Boston. In 2010, O'Connor founded Social Security Lawyers of America focusing entirely on representing SSDI and SSI claimants throughout New England and the United States.
Chris received a JD from Quinnipiac University School of Law and a BA from Bates College. He has been admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts since December 1994 and in the Federal District Court of Massachusetts since 1996. He is a member of the National Association of Disability Representatives (NADR) and the National Organization of Social Security Claimant Representatives (NOSSCR).
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Co - Founder
Jim Hensel is a seasoned entrepreneur. At Citizens, he builds processes, creates partnerships, and develops systems to grow the business. He is particularly adept at creating lead generation systems and streamlining workflows, often via the creative use of technologies and vendor partnerships. Prior to Citizens Disability, Jim worked in direct marketing, medical manufacturing, technology services, and fixed income finance.
Jim earned a BA in Economics and Entrepreneurship from Johns Hopkins University.
Job Titles:
- Director, Hearing Delivery & Post - Hearing Execution
Advocate Dunn is the Managing Associate responsible for post-hearing execution and post-hearing case development and appeals. Prior to Citizens, Jen was a Senior Associate at Rainer & O'Connor, LLP, a medium sized personal injury, workers' compensation and Social Security Disability firm outside of Boston. Advocate Dunn has tried cases in District and Superior Court and has represented many injured people before various administrative agencies that assess disability, including the Social Security Administration and Department of Industrial Accidents.
Jennifer L. Dunn, Esq. received a JD from New England School of Law and a BA from The College of William & Mary. She has been admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and in the Federal District Court of Massachusetts.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Operations
Laura is the Vice President of Operations at Citizens Disability, and is responsible for day-to-day operations of the New Client Intake and Client Services Departments. Laura has had extensive experience in the Customer Service field, and prior to Citizens worked as a Manager for Cricket Holdings, where she was responsible for overseeing the Operations functions of Customer Service and Supply Chain Management.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Disability Policy & Strategy
Linda focuses on evaluating disability sector trends, threats, and opportunities to drive strategic planning and implementation of improved operational processes. She identifies and refines the actions and activities that we perform for clients by blending disability law with analytics.
Linda brings a unique multifaceted perspective that includes experience with the Disability Determination Services (Initial, Reconsideration, Continuing Disability Review, and Quality Assurance), SSA's Office of General Counsel (Federal Court), program expertise from the Disability Quality Branch (pre-effectuation and targeted case reviews), and the Appeals Council (reviewing ALJ decisions, policy assessments, and data analytics). On the advocacy side, Linda has represented clients at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia and in private practice at every level through the Courts of Appeal. She provides pro bono services to national stakeholders.
Linda received a JD from Saint Mary's University School of Law in San Antonio, TX, Master's degree in Management (Webster University), Master's in Psychology (University of West Georgia), and Bachelor's degree. She is admitted to practice law in Arizona, Georgia, and in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Matt oversees all strategic technology, software engineering, and information technology at Citizens Disability. His background is in hands-on software engineering management, data warehousing, and technology consulting. Prior to joining Citizens Disability, Matt directed a software development team for a major online lead generation company located in Massachusetts. As part of that effort, he ran several high-traffic, high-availability consumer websites, and his role as a key member of the product development team helped lead his company to a successful acquisition.
Matt earned a BA in Computer Science from Boston College.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Strategic Partnerships
Melissa oversees all aspects of corporate partnership management and strategic alliances for Citizens Disability. With over two decades of experience marketing to and working with insurance companies and attorneys in the LTD, STD and Social Security space, she is uniquely positioned to match client needs to Citizens Disability's capabilities, allowing us to deliver high-impact solutions for firms that need to integrate SSDI into their operations.
Job Titles:
- Controller
- Vice President, Finance
Mike is responsible for overseeing day-to-day financial matters and opportunities, establishing internal controls, managing the period close process and ensuring accurate and timely financial reporting. In addition, Mike provides overall financial planning and analysis to help support Citizens' growth initiatives and financing activities.
Prior to joining Citizens Disability, Mike worked in the professional services, financial services, and manufacturing industries. Mike has an extensive background in accounting and finance operations, including monthly closings, audits, budgeting and financial reporting. He is licensed as a CPA and CMA, and received a MSA from the McCallum Graduate School of Business at Bentley University. Mike has a BA from Westfield State College.
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Vice President, Hearing Execution
Pamela is a Vice President in our Hearing Execution group. During her tenure she has represented claimants locally and nationally before Administrative Law Judges at the SSA. Pamela has also worked closely with our Medical Writing department and began development of our new Citizens Disability training curriculum. She enjoys finding opportunities to improve client advocacy throughout our organization.
Before joining Citizens, Pamela worked as a trial advocate at Rainer & O'Connor, LLP, where she primarily focused on personal injury, consumer protection, discrimination, and employment law. She represented individuals in District and Superior Courts across Massachusetts, in Federal District Court, and at various administrative agencies, including the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Department of Industrial Accidents, and the Social Security Administration. Pamela received a B.A. from Boston University, and a J.D. from New England School of Law.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Technology
Bob is responsible for the networking, hardware, internal support, and software systems. Additionally, Bob develops and automates our custom computer systems, and is the support and development team liaison. He is responsible for the implementation of enhancements and the maintenance of our Technology platform. Bob has extensive experience in IT systems, network administration, and software engineering.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Marketing
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Human Resources
Talia is responsible for maintaining operations in the Human Resources department including full life cycle staffing support, administering employee benefit programs and employee relations. Talia is focused on partnering with staff to create an environment conducive to collaboration and growth.
After working in the healthcare and hospitality industry, Talia gained a solid background in compliance which she pairs with an employee oriented approach to help staff achieve the best possible experience working at Citizens. Talia earned a BS in Management from Bentley University and is a certified Professional in Human Resources.