Advisory Board

Conference co-chair bios

Gustavo Torres, Executive Director, CASA de Maryland

Gustavo Torres is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in the immigrant rights movement in the United States.  Originally a union leader from Colombia, Mr. Torres came to the U.S. to escape political persecution.  He joined CASA’s staff as a community organizer, and has served as CASA’s Executive Director since 1994.  Under his leadership, CASA has grown from a small organization with a budget of under $500,000, to a nationally awarded multi-service Latino advocacy and support agency with a $7 million budget.  Mr. Torres leads statewide advocacy for immigrant rights and has served on the transition teams for Governor Martin O’Malley, the County Executives of Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, and more. CASA is a co-founder of numerous national organizations and Mr. Torres served as a founding co-chair of the Partnership.  Among his many personal recognitions is the Ford Foundation’s prestigious "Leadership for a Changing World" and under his leadership CASA has received numerous awards and national recognition, including: the National Council of La Raza Affiliate of the Year, the Annie E. Casey Foundation “Families Count!” award, the Center for Community Change “Champions” Award, and Bank of America “Neighborhood Excellence Award.”

 
Randel K. Johnson, Senior Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

As Senior Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Randel K. Johnson is primarily responsible for labor, immigration, and employee benefits issues pending before Congress and the federal agencies. Johnson determines the Chamber’s position and sets strategy on a wide variety of issues such as civil rights and comprehensive immigration reform, including visa and border policy. Johnson regularly testifies before Congress and is widely quoted in the media on employment and immigration issues as a recognized expert in these fields.

Johnson serves on the board of directors of the National Immigration Forum and the Lutheran Immigration Refugee Services agency. Previously, he was a member of the Department of Homeland Security Data Management Improvement Act Task Force on border entry and exit issues, the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations Immigration Task Force and the Carnegie U.S.-Mexico Migration Study Group.

Benjamin Jealous, President and CEO, NAACP

Benjamin Todd Jealous is the President and CEO of the NAACP, and the youngest person to lead the century-old organization. Jealous began his career as a community organizer in Harlem in 1991 with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. A Rhodes Scholar, he is a graduate of Columbia and Oxford University, the past president of the Rosenberg Foundation and served as the founding director of Amnesty International's US Human Rights Program. As President of the NAACP, he has opened national programs on education, health, and environmental justice. He has also greatly increased the organization's capacity to work on issues related to the economy and register and mobilize voters.

Sheldon Caplis, Regional Director of Community Relations, Citi

Sheldon Caplis is the Regional Director of Community Relations for the South Atlantic Region of Citi. He is responsible for all Community Relation activities including grants and contributions for Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia and West Virginia. Caplis has a strong background in fundraising, particularly within educational institutions. Before joining Citi, Caplis served as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and also held several positions at the University of Baltimore. Caplis is also a trustee of the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) and Vice Chair of the National Capital Region board of College Summit, which helps steer young people toward college.

William Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, Adventist HealthCare

William Robertson is President and CEO of Adventist HealthCare, a faith-based, not-for-profit organization in Rockville, Md. that provides wellness, disease management and health care services to the community. Before joining Adventist HealthCare in 2000, Robertson served for four years as CEO of Shawnee Mission Medical Center in Kansas and as Executive Vice President and CFO of Huguley Memorial Medical Center in Texas from 1988-1996. Robertson is involved with a wide range of community organizations, including the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board, the Governor’s P-20 Leadership Council of Maryland, and Maryland Hospital Association’s (MHA) Executive Committee, among others. He was also a Leadership Montgomery Outstanding Leader of the Year honoree in 2010.

• Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Mayor of Baltimore City
• William Euille, Mayor of Alexandria
• Vincent Gray, Mayor of the District of Columbia
• Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett
• Howard County Executive Ken Ulman
• Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz
• Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker
• Arlington County Chair Mary Hughes Hynes
• Interim Secretary Scott Jensen - Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
• Ada Williams Prince - OneAmerica
• Ali Noorani - The National Immigration Forum
• Alie Kabba - United African Organization
• Ana Garcia Ashley - Gamaliel
• Angelica Salas - The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
• Ann Morse - National Conference of State Legislatures
• Arturo   Vargas Executive – The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
• Audrey Singer – Brookings Institution
• Cecilia Muñoz – The White House
• Christine Neumann-Ortiz - Voces de la Frontera
• Chuck Wexler - The Police Executive Research Forum
• Chung-Wha Hong - The New York Immigration Coalition
• Cynthia Brothers – Four Freedoms Fund
• Daniel Sherman - The Boston Foundation
• Dave Montez-The Gill Foundation
• David Lubell- Welcoming America
• Deepa Iyer - South Asian Americans Leading Together
• Deepak Bhargava – Center for Community Change
• Delia Pompa - The National Council of La Raza
• Dushaw Hockett - Safe Places for the Advancement of Community and Equity
• Eva Millona- The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
• Francisco Lopez- CAUSA Oregon
• Fred Mason - Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO
• Gerald Lenoir - Black Alliance for Just Immigration
• Howard Duncan - International Metropolis Project
• Israel Patoka – Maryland Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives
• Jaime Contreras- Service Employees International Union, Local 32BJ
• Jennifer Brennan - IMPRINT
• Joshua Hoyt - The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
• Julien Ross - The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition
• Julissa Gutierrez - NALEO Educational Fund
• June Dillard-White - CASA de Maryland
• Kay Bellor - International Rescue Committee
• Kim Turner – Maytree Foundation
• Manuel Pastor -University of Southern California
• Margie McHugh – MPI National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy
• Maria  Rodriguez- Florida Immigrant Coalition
• Michael Fix - Migration Policy Institute
• Morna   Ha - National Korean American Service & Education Consortium
• Nick Montalto - Diversity Dynamics
• Pablo Alvarado - National Day Laborer Organizing Network
• Patricia Loera - Gates Foundation
• Ramón Ramirez – PCUN
• Raul Gonzalez - National Council of La Raza
• Rich Stolz -  OneAmerica
• Robert Feldstein – Partnership for a New American Economy / City of New York
• Roxana Olivas - District of Columbia Office on Latino Affairs
• Sarah Curry – The National Immigration Forum
• Stacy Martin - Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
• Stephen Fotopulos - Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
• Steve Tobocman -  Global Detroit and Welcoming Michigan
• Suman  Raghunathan - Progressive States Network
• Susan Downs-Karkos - Welcoming America
• Suzette Brooks Masters - J.M. Kaplan Fund
• Teresita Wisell - Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education
• Westy Egmont – Boston College