Chad Dion Lassiter is a nationally recognized expert in the field of American Race Relations. Lassiter has worked on race, peace, and poverty-related issues in the U.S., Africa, Canada, Haiti, Israel, and Norway, and is called upon frequently by media outlets to provide commentary on race relations and potential solutions.

Lassiter is the current Executive Director of the PHRC, where he has legislatively delegated authority to investigate filed complaints alleging the occurrence of unlawful discrimination in the areas of employment, housing and commercial property, education, and/or regarding public accommodations.

During his tenure in this position, he has developed and launched a "No Hate in Our State Townhall" to address the surge of White Nationalism in Pennsylvania and a "Social Justice Lecture Series" to provide an outlet for Pa. communities to discuss imperative issues. He also serves on a Racial Reduction Response team for those communities impacted by hatred.

He oversees a staff of 87 with three Regional Offices that serve the 67 counties in Pennsylvania. He also manages an annual budget of $12 million. Under his appointment, Mr. Lassiter has developed programs, such as a "Global Social Justice Initiative," "Black and Jewish Beloved Community Dialogue," and the "College Race Dialogue Initiative."

Lassiter received his master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Social Work, where he was the A. Phillip Randolph Award winner in 2001. He received his bachelor's degree in Social Work from Johnson C. Smith University in 1995.

Lassiter is a Co-founder and the current President of The University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy & Practice's Black Men at Penn, the first Ivy League black male group of social workers. This transcendent group seeks to recruit black males into the profession, provide anti-racism and violence-prevention training to urban and suburban schools around the country, and offer diversity and inclusion training for corporate entities and penal systems.

Lassiter has been recognized by the Philadelphia Tribune as "The Most Influential African American Leader from 2010-2020," as the "Young Leaders of the Future Under 30" by Ebony Magazine in 2003, and "Who's Who among African-Americans" 17th edition in 2004 with such notables as Colin Powell and Michael Jordan. On November 18, 2019, Lassiter was inducted into the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy and Practice Alumni Hall of Fame. In 2021, Lassiter was named Social Worker of the Year by the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, and in 2022 was named to City and State's "The Power of Diverstiy Black 100" list.

Lassiter's previous work includes Executive Director of the Red Cross House with the American Red Cross of Eastern Pennsylvania and a Visiting Scholar at West Chester University in the Undergraduate School of Social Work. He was also a former contributing Professor at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy and Practice, where he was the 2008 recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Involvement Award. He is a former research fellow at the W.E.B. DuBois Collective Research Institute at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, where he worked on two National Research Projects, P.L.A.A.Y. (Preventing Long Term Anger and Aggression in Youth) and H.I.P.P. (Health Information Providers and Promoters).

Lassiter has also held several Board of Trustees positions, which include his appointment as a member of the Board of Governors at St. Christopher Hospital for the Children (five years), Board of Trustees for the Philadelphia Prison System (eight years), and Board of Trustees for the Community College of Philadelphia (five years).

Lassiter is a pioneer in the fields of social work, social justice, and race relations where he hopes to continue to impact and empower.

Email: classiter@pa.gov

In her role as Special Assistant to the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, Zulay Rojas is a member of the Beloved Community. This role affords her the opportunity to listen intently and assist those in need with empathy. 

During a selfless service to our nation in the Armed Forces, her boots were stationed in the Mesopotamian sands of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. After nine years of serving in the military, she hung up the uniform and started her journey into civil service. 

As a Criminal Justice Scholar, she discovered the importance of equal rights for all and joined the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. 

It is here that she can live out Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s realistic vision of the Beloved Community, one in which "caring and compassion drive political policies that support worldwide elimination of poverty and hunger and all forms of bigotry and violence. A state of heart and mind, a spirit of hope and goodwill that transcends all boundaries and barriers and embraces all creation."

Email: zrojas@pa.gov

​As Chief Counsel for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC), Meredith Millard, Esq. oversees the Office of Chief Counsel, part of which is responsible for providing legal advice and representation to the Commissioners and the Executive Director on a multitude of issues, and part of which is responsible for advocating on behalf of persons pursuing complaints of unlawful discrimination at public hearings in cases where probable cause is found. 

Prior to joining the PHRC, Ms. Millard served as an attorney for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) for more than six years, where her primary focus was Labor and Employment Law.  In that capacity, she provided legal representation to the PLCB in employee disciplinary appeal and grievance proceedings, unemployment compensation claims proceedings, and proceedings involving complaints of unlawful employment or public accommodation discrimination brought before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and/or the PHRC.  Among other things, she also provided legal advice to PLCB staff responsible for investigating internal complaints of unlawful discrimination and responding to disability or religious-based accommodation requests.

Ms. Millard also previously served as an attorney for the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA) for several years, where she was responsible for providing legal representation to the Association and its members in various employment-related and other administrative and court proceedings.

While serving as an attorney for PSEA and later for the PLCB, Ms. Millard also assisted with litigating several important cases involving the interplay between Pennsylvania's open records laws and personal privacy rights protected by the Pennsylvania Constitution.

Having represented an employer, as well as a union and its members, at different points in her career, Ms. Millard has extensive knowledge of federal and state laws which are intended to prohibit unlawful discrimination and promote workplace equality.  She is also well versed at identifying and distinguishing between workplace disputes or general dissatisfaction with working conditions and unlawful discrimination, and she understands the importance of considering both sides of an issue when providing legal advice or recommendations to the PHRC to maintain fairness and impartiality. 

Ms. Millard holds a Juris Doctor Degree from Widener University School of Law in Harrisburg, where she served as the Business/External Managing Editor for the Widener Law Review.  She also holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Elizabethtown College, where she was a College Scholar and graduated with honors majoring in Political Science and minoring in Philosophy.

Ms. Millard is a lifelong Pennsylvanian and the proud mother of three wonderful children who bring much joy to her and her husband, while also keeping them very busy in their spare time.

Email: memillard@pa.gov 

​As Deputy Chief Counsel, Morgan Williams supervises a team of attorneys and works with Chief Counsel to manage the Commission's legal department. She strives to streamline the litigation process and improve outcomes for victims of discrimination. 

Prior to serving in her role as Deputy Chief Counsel, Williams was a senior prosecutor with the Commission and has handled complex litigation and appeals. Williams came to the Commission in 2014 after spending some time in private practice and after working with our partners at the Philadelphia Human Relations Commission. 

She is a graduate of Widener University School of Law in Delaware.

Deputy Chief Counsel Williams serves the people of the Commonwealth out of our Pittsburgh Regional Office.  

Email: morganwill@pa.gov 

​Darlene Hemerka, Esquire brings a passion for equity and inclusion to her role as a Hearing Examiner for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC). Hemerka became an attorney to enforce civil rights laws. Part of her passion stems from the fact that she was born with Cerebral Palsy and uses a walker to ambulate.

Prior to joining the PHRC, Hemerka was a staff attorney at the Legal Clinic for the Disabled. Her responsibilities included overseeing the intake line, educating families and practitioners on alternatives to guardianship for adults with disabilities and representing tenants in municipal court and in front of the Philadelphia Fair Housing Commission.

Hemerka also worked at the Public Interest Law Center (Law Center). She began her time at the Law Center as an Equal Justice Works Fellow. As a fellow, she designed a project to ensure that students with disabilities ages 14-21 received appropriate "transition services;" activities designed to prepare the student for employment and further education. After completing her fellowship, Hemerka became a staff attorney at the Law Center and worked on education cases.

Before joining the Law Center, Hemerka was a judicial law clerk at the Superior Court of New Jersey. She conducted mediation in small claims cases, drafted orders in family matters and communicated with attorneys and self-represented litigants. 

Email: dhemerka@pa.gov

Tamara Shehadeh-Cope, Esq. comes to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) with a passion for human rights advocacy and furthering social justice causes. Shehadeh-Cope has dedicated much of her career to the practice of immigration law and serving particularly vulnerable noncitizens throughout the Commonwealth. She has worked diligently to provide trauma-informed advocacy to crime victims and to facilitate access to free legal services, both of which are very important to her.

Prior to joining the PHRC, Shehadeh-Cope worked at Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center (PIRC) in various capacities. In her role as Supervising Attorney for PIRC's Community Programs, Shehadeh-Cope represented undocumented and noncitizen survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and similar crimes before the United States Citizenship and Immigrant Service (USCIS) and the Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR). She worked closely with clients in obtaining legal relief under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act while supervising a team of attorneys and Department of Justice (DOJ) Accredited Representatives doing the same.

Additionally, Shehadeh-Cope worked as a staff attorney with the Removal Defense Program, where she provided Know-Your-Rights presentations and information to detained immigrants throughout the Commonwealth as part of the Legal Orientation Program (LOP) at the Department of Justice. Through her work in removal defense, Shehadeh-Cope successfully represented many asylum-seekers and noncitizen detainees in immigration court.

Shehadeh-Cope also worked as Managing Immigration Attorney at Community Justice Project (CJP), a part of the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN), where she served immigrant domestic violence survivors in their immigration cases before USCIS and EOIR. Shehadeh-Cope engaged in extensive outreach, connecting with domestic violence shelters and service providers throughout Commonwealth to provide educational trainings to staff and community stakeholders.

A graduate of the City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law and Fordham University, Shehadeh-Cope looks forward to contributing to the PHRC's continuing work towards a diverse, just, and inclusive Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

E-mail: tshehadehc@pa.gov

Ashley N. Walkowiak serves as the Director of Policy & Intergovernmental Affairs. In this role, she develops and implements policy, as well as legislative and community-sensitive strategies, to further civil rights protections for Pennsylvania citizens. Additionally, she oversees the Mediation Services Division.  

Prior to joining PHRC, Walkowiak served as the Special Assistant to the appointed Commonwealth Victim Advocate (2018 – 2023) where she worked to advance the rights and services provided to crime victims. She developed training on the impacts of trauma, led sensitive initiatives, directed strategic planning, and served as agency spokesperson.

From 2006 to 2018, she held various executive positions in the Governor's Office of Administration, the state agency dedicated solely to policy and implementation.

Walkowiak is passionate about restorative justice and creating a just and safe Pennsylvania for all citizens. She is a published author and holds an Art Therapy Life Coach certification. When she's not at PHRC, you can find her serving on the Cumberland County Commission for Women, writing her next book, and promoting the power of art to transform lives. 

​Desireé Chang serves as the Director of Education for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. She has been with the PHRC for three years. Prior to becoming the Director of Education, she worked as a Civil Rights Mediator with the Mediation Division. During her tenure at the PHRC, Chang has received the Director of Excellence Award (2020) and PHRC Social Justice Team Award (2021). She is a graduate of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Institute (2021) and has been recognized for her participation on several committees and community social justice collaborative efforts. 

Chang's educational acquisitions include an Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice, summa cum laude, obtained from HACC Lancaster. As well as, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Legal Studies from Drexel University, both magna cum laude. She is a member of several academic honor societies.

Prior to the PHRC, she worked as an adult Probation and Parole Officer with a specialized caseload of individuals with developmental and mental health disabilities. In addition, she has a background in substance abuse counseling. She has served as a facilitator for trauma informed responses and has been a certified trainer in Motivational Interviewing and Moral Recognation Therapy. She enjoys public speaking and volunteering at women's shelters.

Much of Chang's professional career has been in roles that include assistance for, or advocating of, special interest groups. Her passions are married at the PHRC with the ability to educate Pennsylvanians and actively work towards eradicating discrimination both inside and outside of the Commonwealth.   

Email: dchang@pa.gov

Adrian Garcia serves as PHRC's Director of Fair Housing and Commercial Property Division and has enjoyed a long career focused on assuring equal consideration and representation at every level. Experience in human relations, advertising, marketing, insurance and financial products and his degree from Palmer Business Institute have allowed him to serve his community locally and beyond -always with a focus on markets of inclusion.

As Specialty Marketing Manager for Advance Auto Parts (AAP), Garcia chaired the Diversity and Inclusion Work Group which worked on ensuring fair representation in the hiring and promoting of a diverse staff in their retail and corporate divisions.

After 5 years with AAP, Garcia returned to Lancaster, PA where he worked as Development Officer for the local Hispanic Public Radio Station, SACA Broadcast Station Corporation. Garcia was subsequently hired as an Intake officer of the Lancaster County Human Relations Commission, and later became an investigator working on employment discrimination cases and assisting as an interpreter for housing cases, which included translating complaints and other documents. He translated the Landlord/Tenants Rights and Responsibilities Manual, which is now known as the Know Your Rights Landlord and Tenant Guide. Garcia was the Education Committee Liaison working with over 15 school districts throughout Lancaster County. 

In 2016, Garcia joined Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership (LHOP) as its director of Housing Equality & Equity Institute, where he led the effort of Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing through programmatic advocacy where Garica sought ways to breathe life into the AFFH.

In 2018 Garcia applied for and secured the Fair Housing Initiatives Program designation from HUD. This was a game changer as it allowed LHOP to expand its fair housing education and outreach initiatives in York county including The Rental Advantage Course and the Eviction Prevention Network. For these programs Garcia received the 2019 Innovator Award from Fine Dinning Lancaster Magazine. The Eviction Prevention Network model has become the framework for addressing COVID19 evictions.

For his work in various communities across the nation and here at home, Adrian has received the following awards:

• NAACP Image Award for Business, Roanoke, VA
• Frank C Sumy Award from the Urban League of Lancaster.
• LULAC Leadership Award, Memphis, TN
• Compañeros Award, Atlanta, GA
• Community Stewardship Award, AUSA, Roanoke, VA
• Innovator Award, Lancaster, PA
• City and State's 50 Over 50 2021 PA Power List
  

Email: adrgarcia@pa.gov

Lauren Curtis Daman is the Director of Human Resources for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC).  As a Senior Manager, she is responsible for direct strategies, initiatives, and operations for the human resource services program for PHRC. This includes personnel and position management, labor relations, staff development, and complement management.

Daman's educational background includes an Associates and Bachelor's degree in an  accelerated Corporate Communications program obtained from Elizabethtown College.

Prior to coming to the Commission, Daman worked for the Commonwealth, where she held positions as a Labor Relations Analyst, Employee Training Analyst, and an Human Resources Analyst in corrections, beverage, and education. Her passion is helping people with information that is needed. Her favorite quote for and in life is, "treat people the way you want to be treated."

Email: ldaman@pa.gov