Empire Justice Center Welcomes New Board Members

August 13, 2009

The Board of Directors of the Empire Justice Center is pleased to welcome the following new members:

Hermes Fernandez is an attorney with Bond, Schoeneck & King in the firm’s Albany office.  He chairs the firm’s Health Law Group.  Prior to joining the firm, Hermes was Assistant Counsel to Governor Mario Cuomo, and served in the US Department of Justice’s Civil Division in Washington, D.C.  Hermes serves on the Executive Committee of the New York State Bar Association and chairs its Legislative Policy Committee.

Laura Gonzalez-Murphy is a Senior Research Aid at the NYS Research Foundation at the University of Albany.  In her previous tenure she worked for the New York State Office of Rural Affairs.  Laura currently teaches Latin American and Caribbean Politics at the University at Albany. 

Dave Munro is Deputy Counsel at the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority where he supervises NYSERDA’s litigation and renewable energy proceedings before the Public Service Commission.  Earlier Dave worked as an Assistant Attorney General in the NYS Environmental Protection Bureau and was an attorney with Neighborhood Legal Services in Buffalo.  Dave is a Clinical Adjunct Professor at Albany Law School.  

Christine C. Rutigliano is Legislative Director for The Roffe Group.  Prior to joining the firm, she held the position of Deputy Comptroller in the New York Office of State Comptroller.  Christine spent nearly 15 years working for the New York State Legislature, spending time in both the New York State Senate and Assembly focusing on fiscal management and budget analyst.

They join the current Board which includes the following members:

James C. Moore, Chair
(Harter, Secrest & Emery, LLP); 

John T. O’Connell, Vice Chair
(Nassau   University Medical Center); 

Tom Maligno, Treasurer
(Public Advocacy Center, Touro Law School);

Mary A. Lynch, Secretary
(Law Clinic and Justice Center, Albany Law School);

Andrea Phoenix
(Nassau County District Court);

Joseph Casion
(Harter Secrest & Emery LLP.