• Jo Astrid Glading, Assistant Public Advocate

    Jo serves as a key advisor to the Public Advocate and assists him in all aspects of the policies, strategic planning and management of the Department.
    During the past year, she has worked closely on litigation and policy issues affecting individuals with disabilities, individuals with mental illness, the elderly and individuals in institutional settings such as nursing homes, developmental centers and psychiatric hospitals.  She also manages internal legal and regulatory affairs for the Department.  During the early months of the Department’s existence, she provided leadership in building the new Department.

    Prior to joining the Department in April 2006, Jo Astrid served for four years as a Deputy Attorney General handling all aspects of trial and appellate litigation in child protection proceedings involving the termination of parental rights so that abused or neglected children could be legally freed for adoption.  She litigated more than 90 trials and approximately a dozen appellate matters, and provided counsel to the Division of Youth and Family Services in many other matters impacting the lives of abused or neglected children.Previously, she served as Chief of Policy and Communications for former Governor James E.  McGreevey.

    As the Counsel for the Senate Minority Office from 1999 until 2001, she coordinated legal and legislative research and was lead staff for the 2000 Senate Judiciary Committee investigation into racial profiling.  She previously worked in the legal publishing industry, served in the administration of former Governor James Florio, and spent the first decade of her career as a journalist for several New Jersey publications.  She has served as a Contributing Editor for the Center for Analysis of Public Policy Issues and frequently authored articles on legal issues and public policy, including divorce reform, child support and parental rights.

    She is an active member of the Mercer County Big Brothers Big Sisters program, and is a mentor for several children in the Trenton area.

    Jo Astrid Glading is a 1997 graduate cum laude of Rutgers University School of Law Camden, where she received the National Association of Women Lawyers Award and the M. Donald Kepner Award for Excellence in Federal Jurisdiction.  She received her Bachelor of Arts from New York University.  She holds a number of journalism honors and was the 2002 recipient of the Women’s Political Caucus “You Make a Difference” award and the 2002 “Women of Achievement” Award.
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  • Laurie Facciarossa Brewer, Communications Director





    Contact Information:


    609-826-5054 (office)
    609-417-0038 (cell)



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  • Carmen Calvimontes, Special Assistant to the Assistant Public Advocate

    Carmen serves as the liaison between the Assistant Public Advocate and the public as well as all staff within the department. She also coordinates the translation of the department's materials into Spanish, coordinates ethnic press outreach, assists with the development and maintenance of the department's website, and also serves as an interpreter.

    Prior to joining our team, she worked as an Outreach Specialist and Program Assistant for the New Jersey Human Services Department, at the Division of Disability Services.

    Carmen has 20 years of experience working as a journalist in Bolivia, Mexico and the United States. She also has volunteered as an interpreter and advocate for domestic violence victims, and helped to launch the Emergency Hotline for the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund of Mercer County.

    Carmen graduated from the School of Political And Social Sciences at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, with major in Communication Sciences, and moved to the United States in 2001.

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  • Connie Karch, Special Assistant to the Public Advocate

    As Special Assistant to the Public Advocate, Connie serves as the direct liaison between the public advocate and the public as well as all staff within the department. She coordinates his schedule and briefing materials.

    Connie also serves as Office Manager, and is the liaison between the Department of Treasury and the staff within the Department of the Public Advocate by assisting the seven divisions with fiscal, human resource and other related matters.

    Having worked in State government for over twenty-five years, Connie has worked for the Department of Corrections, Department of Human Services and Office of the Governor under former Governor James McGreevey.


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  • Misty Lammons, Assistant to the Chief of Staff

    As Assistant to the Chief of Staff, Misty is responsible for scheduling and coordinating briefing materials, as well as managing correspondence related to outreach and legislative affairs.  This includes assembling the Department’s budget materials as well as assisting with special projects. Most recently, Misty helped with the coordination and planning of the Governor’s Immigrant Policy Panel’s third and final public hearing in Jersey City, NJ. Misty is expected to receive her Bachelor of Arts degree in General Business Management in the Fall 2008.

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  • Lana Lee, Staff Assistant
    Lana Lee assists with internal and external communications within the Department. She is also responsible for the development and maintenance of the department's website. In addition, Lana coordinates the department internship program and assists with staff recruitment for full-time positions.

    Lana graduated from Douglass College, Rutgers University, majoring in Journalism and East Asian Studies, with a minor in Political Science. Her related experience includes internships with the Governor Corzine Gubernatorial campaign, and also, with a major NJ lobbying firm. Prior to joining the department, she worked at a recruitment firm for major investment banks in the New York area.

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  • Nikiah Nixon, Staff Assistant
     
    Nikiah Nixon is an assistant within the Office of the Commissioner. She is involved in special projects including the Public Advocate's Tenants' Rights education campaign.

    Prior to joining our team, she worked for the Department of Corrections at New Jersey State Prison as a quality assurance assistant in health services and for the Department of Human Services at Ann Klein Forensic Center in Nursing Services. Nikiah has an Associate’s degree in Social Science from Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania.

    Nikiah recieved her Bachelor of Science degree in Social Science in December 2008 from Thomas Edison State College.
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  • Clarisa Romero-Cruz, Outreach Director
     

    As the Director of Outreach, Clarisa oversees the Department's efforts in reaching out to the advocacy organizations and constituency groups.  Outreach efforts concentrate on making sure that the Public Advocate and the entire Department is in touch with the needs and concerns of the people of New Jersey.

    Clarisa served as the Director of Development and Community Outreach for Multicultural Community Services, a multi-service non-profit social service agency. Clarisa has also served as a Government Relations Specialist for the Department of Personnel's, Division of Equal Employment Opportunity & Affirmative Action and as the Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of the Attorney General's, Division of Highway Traffic Safety.

    She earned a Bachelor's degree from Montclair State University in 1999 and is currently a candidate for a Master's in Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
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  • Nicole Sharpe, Counsel to the Public Advocate

    As Counsel, Nicole provides legal advice to the Public Advocate and handles a growing number of legal issues that the department is currently researching.  In addition, Nicole is the designated Ethics Officer for the department.

    Nicole served as director for the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action for the state Department of Community Affairs the last three years.  In her role as director, Nicole was responsible for handling all discrimination complaints filed by the Department employees, producing and implementing the Department’s annual Workforce Development Plan, and serving as ADA Coordinator in all aspects of the administration of the Americans with Disabilities Act, including providing reasonable accommodations for the Department’s employees who have disabilities. She also developed and implemented training programs to educate Department employees about State’s policy prohibiting discrimination. In addition, Nicole also sat on the New Jersey Human Rights Council as the Commissioner’s designee.

    Nicole also served as staff attorney for New Jersey Protection and Advocacy Inc. until 2003.

    During her tenure as a staff attorney, Nicole represented children in special education matters at mediation and OAL hearings, conducted legal clinics trainings, and represented clients seeking vocational/rehabilitation services at administrative review. She also managed the voter’s rights project involving polling site accessibility surveys, voter education, and Election Day legal representation. Additionally, she developed and provided training on election law and voter’s rights for residents in developmental centers and mental hospitals.

    Nicole is a graduate of University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University Law Center.

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  • Mija Smith-Fulwood, Staff Assistant
    Mija Smith-Fulwood is an assistant with the Office of the Public Advocate. Mija serves as a direct liaison between the public and the Department. She is responsible for formatting and designing Department newsletters and reports, in addition to special projects. 

    Prior to joining our team, she worked with the Department of Law Public Safety with the State Ethics Commission as an assistant to the ethics training officer. Mija was previously employed at the Ann Klein Forensic Center within the Department of Human Services and served as an assistant to the training department and to the acting associate hospital administrator. In 2005, Mija successfully completed the Career Ladder Program, which is offered through the Mercer County Community College.
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  • Debbie Sullivan, Special Assistant
     

    As Special Assistant, Debbie manages the Department’s technology needs and coordinates special projects for the Public Advocate and Chief of Staff.  She also serves as the Department’s Ethics Liaison Officer, as well as the Open Public Records Custodian.

    Prior to joining the Department, Debbie worked with the Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc., a volunteer women’s organization, where she worked with the Board of Directors and the Nominating Committee.

    She also served as Chief of Staff for state Assemblyman Craig Stanley.

    Debbie has more than 15 years of experience working in government and for nonprofit organizations and has also worked on a number of political campaigns in New Jersey.

    Debbie has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from Trenton State College and a Master’s in Public Administration from Baruch College.

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  • J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo, Senior Counsel to the Public Advocate

     

    J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo serves as Senior Counsel to the State Public Advocate, after most recently serving as Director of the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, where he was the State's head anti-discrimination official ensuring enforcement of the NJ Family Leave Act and the NJ Law Against Discrimination. At Civil Rights, Frank was recognized for his work to protect children of color from discrimination in workplaces (L.W. v. Subway) and pool clubs (Director v. Le Terrace Swim Club), and for issuing a groundbreaking legal decision involving student peer harassment (L.W. v. Toms River Regional Schools), which was unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court.  He is known for successfully using little-known provisions of state law to protect the rights of persons with hearing loss, visual impairments and other disabilities and for bringing attention to cutting-edge legal issues on behalf of religious, ethnic, racial, gender and sexual minorities.   He also established  significant new outreach and community relations functions-including the creation of the Employer Diversity Council, Civil Rights/NAACP Ambassadors  Program-and the development of the Disabilities and Public Accommodations Unit and the Housing Discrimination Unit.

    Having served as Chair of the New Jersey Civil Union Review Commission, and as a member of the Governor's Ethnic Advisory Council, Arab Heritage Commission, Commission on Bullying in Schools, Disparities Study Commission, and the Human Relations Council, Frank brings experience and leadership in the areas of education, election, labor, employment and civil rights law.  He has been a frequent lecturer, panelist and author, and has served on the Board of the International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies and on the Executive Committee of the NJ State Bar Association's Labor and Employment Law Section and GLBT Rights Section.  Frank recently co-founded Proud2WorkNJ, the only statewide employee resource group for public sector gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees and their straight allies.

    A native of Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, Frank is also a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association, and PRIMER, and was a 1999 Leadership New Jersey Fellow.  A recipient of numerous local, national and international awards from a wide range of organizations, most recently he was named as one of 2009's "40 Under 40" promising young attorneys by the New Jersey Law Journal.

    Frank is a graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and Boston University School of Law.  He is a member of the bars of the United States Supreme Court, United States District for the District of New Jersey, New Jersey Supreme Court, and the District of Columbia.  Currently a resident of Essex County, Frank and his husband were married in California in June 2008.

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