Executive Staff

Karen Ferguson has directed the Pension Rights Center since its founding in 1976. She initiates new activities and works closely with PRC project directors. Like them, she frequently testifies before Congress, often appears on radio and television, and is widely quoted in the press. She is the author of numerous articles, and is co-author of The Pension Book: What You Need to Know to Prepare for Retirement. Before starting the Center she worked as a lawyer for  the federal government, a law firm, a public interest group, and a large pension fund. Karen is a graduate of Harvard Law School.

Karen Friedman is Executive Vice President and Policy Director for the Pension Rights Center. Karen develops and implements strategies and solutions to protect and promote the rights of consumers – including developing more protective 401(k) policies, fighting for the preservation of older employees’ benefits, and promoting funding relief that is in the interests of workers and retirees. Karen regularly represents PRC and the perspective of consumers at conferences, and in the media and has testified before the key tax-writing and labor committees in the House and the Senate.

John Hotz is Deputy Director of the Pension Rights Center. As manager of the National Pension Assistance Resource Center, John provides legal training and back-up services to a network of pension counseling projects around the country, and is developing the PensionHelp America web site initiative. Before coming to the PRC six years ago, John directed the California Pension Rights Project. He has also served as an advocate for individuals with disabilities, and served as a human resources manager in private industry. John is a graduate of the University of San Francisco's Kendrick School of Law.  

Kathe Reusing is the Pension Rights Center's Administrator. She is responsible for all aspects of the Center's day-to-day management, including human resources and financial operations. She also serves as coordinator of the grassroots Coalition for Retirement Security, referral coordinator for the National Pension Assistance Resource Center, and is PRC's liaison with many women's organizations. Kathe has been with PRC for nearly ten years.

Staff

Barry Barth joined Pension Rights Center as its first full-time Development Director in October 2006.  Prior to that he served as the Development Director for the Advocacy Institute and for the Food Research and Action Center, an anti-hunger organization. In over 15 years of fundraising for national nonprofits, he has secured funding from a wide variety of foundations and corporations, through direct mail and benefit events. Barry currently serves on the Board of the Takoma Foundation.

Rebecca Davis is Legislative Counsel for the Pension Rights Center. She provides technical assistance to the Administration on Aging's Pension Counseling and Information Projects and serves as Coordinator of the Women’s Pension Project. She joined the PRC in 2005 after her graduation from law school at the Catholic University of America.

Kyle Garrett, the Pension Rights Center's Referral and Logistics Coordinator, serves as the first point of contact for many of PRC’s clients and provides them with much-needed assistance. He came to the Center in late 2005 after working with the Humane Society. Kyle is a graduate of Roanoke College with a major in political science.

Nancy Hwa is PRC's Communications Director. As PRC's liaison with the press, she helps the Center promote its programs and campaigns. Nancy joined PRC in early 2006 after extensive media experience with the National Wildlife Federation, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and Greenpeace. She is a graduate of Brown University.

Victoria Kanois has been the Pension Rights Center's Publications Manager for more than twenty years.  In addition to being the PRC's resident artist, Victoria also assists with phone answering and various administrative tasks.

Joellen Leavelle is Outreach Manager for the Pension Rights Center. Joellen oversees all of the Center's social media activities, including the Center's blog (PRC Perspectives), e- newsletters ( PRC News and Pension Action), Twitter feed, and Facebook account. Joellen also serves as Web Master for all of the Center's web sites and is responsible for PRC's outreach to other organizations. Before coming to the Center in 2005, she worked at a law firm that specialized in employee benefits. Joellen is a graduate of James Madison University and received a Master of Arts degree in Communications from Trinity University.

Jane Smith is the PRC's Policy Associate. Previously, Jane worked for the Labor Department's Division of Technical Assistance of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), answering questions concerning ERISA’s application to participant issues. Prior to Jane's work at EBSA, she was a volunteer research economist for the PRC. She is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and has a Masters degree in Economics from George Mason University.

Norman Stein is the Douglas Arant Professor of Law at the University of Alabama School of Law, where he teaches benefits and tax law.  As Senior Consultant to the Pension Rights Center, he provides legal guidance on many pension issues, authors legal briefs on behalf of the Center, and represents the Center before Congressional panels.