As Director of the Division of Elder Advocacy, Gwen manages a staff dedicated to serving the interests of the New Jerseyans who are 60 years and over.  The division, which includes the Office of the Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly, focuses its efforts on fostering dignity, independence and self-direction for people as they age.

Gwen comes to the division with more than 15 years of experience working with low-income people, including people 60 and over.  After working at Ocean-Monmouth Legal Services in 1993-1994 where she practiced in the areas of housing and entitlement law, Gwen was a Clinical Associate Professor of Law and Visiting Professor in the Center for Social Justice at Seton Hall School of Law until 2002.

While at the Center for Social Justice, Gwen supervised a student clinic which focused on the legal needs of homeless clients and also worked closely with the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless.

Gwen was Of Counsel to the Clark law firm of Perrotta, Fraser & Forrester, LLC, between 2000 and 2002 and specialized in elder law and guardianship work.

In 2002, Gwen went to LSNJ (Legal Services of New Jersey) where she was a senior attorney and supervisor of both the Anti-Predatory Lending Project and the Senior Citizen Legal Rights Project.  In those capacities, she developed and maintained a docket of cases aimed at protecting homeowners who were victims of predatory home lending practices as well as a docket of Medicaid and nursing home cases aimed at securing access to long-term care benefits for those who needed the benefits in the least restrictive environment.

She was also responsible for policy development and advocacy, including work on the New Jersey Home Ownership Security Act of 2002.

Gwen has a 1990 law degree from Rutgers School of Law – Newark.  She graduated from Georgetown University in 1985.  Immediately upon graduating from Rutgers, Gwen served as a law clerk with the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, for the Honorable Erminie L. Conley.  Gwen is currently pursuing a master’s degree in theology for the College of St. Elizabeth.