Metro Justice is entering 2017. In our 51st year we witnessed unprecedented political and social changes.  The challenges we face in the near and long-term future are significant.  However, Metro Justice is poised for resistance in the face of this latest wave of authoritarianism, fascism, racism, and xenophobia.

We have ambitious plans for 2017 and we need your help if we are to be successful. Please join us for this year's Annual Members Meeting. The meeting will take place Saturday, January 28th, at 10 am at the School Without Walls, 480 Broadway, Rochester, NY 14607. 

The meeting will provide critical updates from the past year, we will vote for the incoming Council and 2017 budget, and there will be a special presentation of our new Strategic Plan! Details of each portion, as well as a detailed agenda is forthcoming.

Annual Meeting Agenda:

TBD (check back for further details)

Proposed Council Slate:

Officers:

President - Denise Young

Denise Young has held a variety of jobs within the labor movement, on the staff of 1199/SEIU and now the NYS Public Employees Federation. This was preceded by numerous community organizing experiences, including MetroAct.   She is an adjunct faculty member in the Cornell ILR Labor Extension program and represents the United Steelworkers on the Rochester Labor Council Executive Board.   Denise is a proud co-founder of the Band of Rebels.  Sunday evenings find her rehearsing with the women’s choral ensemble, Concentus.

Vice President – Aaron Micheau (Personnel) (Membership) (Nominations)

Aaron has been a member of Metro Justice since 2003 and has served as Secretary and Personnel Chairperson during those years.  He also helped to draft contracts and assist with the incorporation of the 501(c)(4).

Treasurer – Open*

*John Keevert (Ciudad Hermana liaison), a Metro Justice member since the 1970's and past treasurer, will provide bi-monthly financial reports while the search continues.  This is a temporary measure while we bring other members up to speed who can take on the full role of the position for the longer term.

Secretary – Evelyn Evans

Evelyn is president emerita of the Federation of Social Workers; an IUE-CWA local, and currently holds the position of Women’s Committee Chair. She is a Trustee for the Rochester Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, the treasurer for the Rochester Finger Lakes chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, and a member of the Rochester Finger Lakes Chapter of Pride At Work.

At Large members (7):

Iman Abid

Iman is an Organizer for the Genesee Valley Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU), working specifically on policy, public education and advocacy in respect to civil rights and civil liberties. She serves as a Board of Director for the Center for Youth, and as part of the Civic Engagement Committee of the Islamic Center of Rochester. Iman is a member of the Community Task Force, and in that capacity has worked with members of the Education campaign.

Ana Casserly

Ana took a job in 2009 as a bilingual advocate with the Advocacy Center, helping secure rights for people with disabilities who don't speak English. Through that work, and because of her struggles in Gates Chili, she began attending school board meetings in other districts and soon met a number of poor Puerto Rican women who couldn't get their children the special education services they needed. She left the Advocacy Center last year and now dedicates all her time to helping those families for no pay. Along with her daughter Brianna, she attends meetings, drafts letters, visits schools and hectors Rochester School District officials.

Randi L. DiAntonio

Randi has been a NY Public Employees Federation, AFL-CIO union steward since 2004 and has been the Council Leader of Division 259 since 2006.  She is also a member of the PEF Executive Board representing the NYS Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) employees in PEF Region 3. Randi is a Licensed Master Social Worker for OPWDD, providing provided clinical services to individuals of varying ages and intellectual abilities with forensic and/or psychiatric histories, with a particular focus on sexual abuse and trauma.   She also has experience working with adolescents in the criminal justice system, and victims of domestic violence. 

Molly Farrell (Fundraising) (Nominations)

Molly Farrell grew up in Rochester and became involved with Metro Justice due to various influences including family, friends, and her involvement in the labor movement. Molly completed her Bachelor’s in Social Work at SUNY Fredonia and Master’s in Couple and Family Therapy at NDSU, a program which is committed to center all aspects of training in feminist and social justice principles. Prior to obtaining her Master’s degree, Molly spent time working as an Intern Organizer for Worker’s United, helping workers to form their unions in Rochester and Syracuse. She currently works as a therapist at The Healing Connection, Inc., providing therapy in a partial hospitalization program to people in recovery from eating disorders. Molly began serving on MJ council in 2016.

Larry Knox (CANY rep) (Personnel)

Larry Knox is currently a Political and Communications coordinator for 1199SEIU.  He was also the Regional Campaign coordinator for the Barack Obama campaign in 2008 and the WNY staffer for Organizing for America after the election. Married with four daughters, he got his start in politics while volunteering in high school for his State Senator.

Ken Traub (Finance) (Elder Justice Committee)

Ken Traub has been a member of Metro Justice since 1969.  He was a member of Council and a VP during the 1970s and chaired the Tax Task Force which sought to replace the educational portion of the real estate tax with a progressive State or County income tax.  He, along with other members was ordained a Universal Life Church Minister in a mass ordination. He applied for a property tax exemption for his home as the new Shalom Universal Life Church to bring attention to the problem of large numbers of tax exempt properties in the city. Ken had been active in the Liberal Party and WFP, was a draft counselor during the Vietnam War, and was a nursing home ombudsman for 10 years.  Ken is currently Co-chair of the Metro Justice Elder Justice Committee. 

Windsor Wade (Racial Justice Initiative)

Windsor has been a member of MJ since the 1980s’. He served on the Genesee Valley ACLU Board in the 1990s’ and has been a former participant in Rochester Against Racism. He currently teaches at School Without Walls and has taught in the Rochester City School District for 33 years.  He is a Vietnam War veteran, a member of the War Resistors League and the Downtown United Presbyterian Church’s Justice Team.