Board of Directors

Raised in Lakeview, Long Island, Fred Brewington is a respected lawyer and community advocate with a distinguished legal career. After working at a number of prestigious firms and law offices, including a clerkship at the office of the Legal Counsel of the United States Senate, Fred Brewington began a private practice on Long Island. With his expertise in civil rights litigation, Fred has successfully challenged the 'at large' voting system in the Town of Hempstead and worked on preventing future unconstitutional and discriminatory purging of voters from the voting roll.

Lauren is a retired Certified Financial Planner. She has served on numerous boards including the Long Island Center for Independent Living, Sustainable Long Island, Meadville Lombard Theological School and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock (UUCSR). She has been involved in social justice work at both UUCSR and the 1^st Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Palm Beaches (1stUUPB), which includes LGBTQ+, reproductive, immigration, electoral and racial justice.

Professor Howard A. Glickstein started his legal career as an Associate with the New York law firm of Proskauer, Rose, Goetz & Mendelsohn, specializing in labor law. He served as a Staff Attorney with the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Appeals and Research Section, where he helped draft the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He was General Counsel, and later Staff Director, of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

Elaine Gross is Founder and President Emerita of ERASE Racism. She served as President of ERASE Racism for 21 years (2001-2022), during which time the organization was recognized locally, regionally, and nationally for its cutting-edge work.

Ms. Gross led the organization to prominence as a champion of fair housing, publishing research reports, undertaking litigation, advocating policy changes and heightening public understanding of the context of structural racism as it relates to housing discrimination and segregation. She similarly provided the vision and programmatic leadership for ERASE Racism’s Education Equity Initiative, which works collaboratively with educators, students and parents to take strategic actions to support the promotion of racially integrated schools and classrooms. Those actions center around the researched evidence of the benefits of diverse learning environments.

Dr. Lange attended Bridgewater State College, now Bridgewater State University, where she majored in English. Her graduate work in English was done at Harvard University. She completed her academic journey at Hofstra University where she was a doctoral fellow in educational administration.

Dr. Lorna Lewis has been a pioneer over her nearly 40-year career as an educator. In June 2018 she became the first woman of color to preside over the New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYCOSS), which represents more than 800 top education leaders statewide. She currently serves as the superintendent of Malverne UFSD, after having served as the superintendent of Plainview-Old Bethpage CSD and East Williston UFSD.

An outspoken voice for inclusion and equity in public education, Dr. Lewis is a founding member of NYCOSS' Commission on Diversity and Inclusivity, and also chairs their curriculum committee. As Secretary of ERASE Racism's Board of Directors, she is an invaluable resource for the Education Equity Initiative.

Edward Pichardo is Of Counsel to the Law Office of Edward Pichardo PLLC. He is an experienced labor attorney and government affairs and public contracting specialist with extensive experience as a union-side labor specialist.

Jim Smith is an active supporter of racial equity and justice. Motivated by a visit to the site of Michael Brown's shooting in Ferguson, MO, Jim helped to lead the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock's (UUCSR) Defy the Hate Task Force and continues to serve on its Racial Justice subcommittee.  Smith also is a member of the Healing Justice committee at the UU Fellowship of Boca Raton in Florida and an advocate at both congregations for the Unitarian Universalist Association's proposed 8th Principle which calls on congregants to dismantle racism in themselves and their churches. In 2017, his advocacy helped ERASE Racism's win a $100,000 UUCSR Large Grant, which made possible ERASE Racism's high profile How Do We Build A Just Long Island? initiative. He is a member of ERASE Racism's Education Equity Working Group and a frequent volunteer at ERASE Racism's workshops and activities. Earlier he led UUCSR programs related to affordable housing, immigrants' rights, bullying, corporate responsibility and domestic violence.

A native of Autaugaville, Alabama. She received her Bachelor's degree from Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama; Master's Degree from Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York; and Professional Diploma in Educational Administration from C.W. Post College, Greenvale, New York. In 1988, she was conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Monrovia College in Monrovia Liberia.

Christina Vargas is the Chief Diversity Officer and Title IX Coordinator at Suffolk County Community College. Throughout her career, she has displayed a passion for social justice, multiculturalism, equity, inclusion and diversity and has worked to bring various communities together in partnership. Her professional expertise includes strategic planning; training and organizational development; federal and state compliance; policy development; recruitment and selection; equity, inclusion, cultural competence; diversity programs; supervision and management; staff development; budgeting; and investigations. She is an adjunct lecturer for the Master's Program in Higher Education Administration at Stony Brook University and teaches a course on Diversity and Social Justice. In 2018, she was the recipient of the program's Faculty Excellence Award. In 2020, Ms. Vargas was selected as a Fellow of the SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute. Her many contributions have earned Ms. Vargas multiple awards and recognition including the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Professional Service.

Dr. Jarvis M. Watson (He, Him, His) is a change agent for diversity, equity, and inclusion. For over 22 years, he has dedicated his time, expertise, and creativity toward programs and initiatives for access, awareness, and opportunity. Dr. Watson is a results-oriented Higher Education Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility experienced in driving the DEIA strategy, action plan, and assessment, while serving as an advisor and influential strategist. He has been successful with conceptualing, developing, implementing, measuring, and evaluating cohesive DEIA initiatives. Dr. Watson dedicates his time and expertise toward ensuring that DEIA is centered in complete talent management cycles and practices.

Craig J. Wolfson, Esq. is the owner of Wolfson & Klein-Wolfson, PLLC, an employment law; estate planning; and residential real estate law firm located in Syosset, New York.  Mr. Wolfson was the Director of Human Resources for AHRC Nassau, a 3500 employee non-profit located in Brookville, New York that supports individuals with developmental disabilities.  Prior to that, for the past 20 years, Craig was the Partner in charge of Human Resources at the law firm of Rosicki, Rosicki & Associates, P.C. located in Plainview, New York. Craig received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts in 1992, and received a Juris Doctorate Degree from Widener University School of Law in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1996. He earned a Certificate in Strategic Human Resources Management from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations in 2008.