NEW YORK – The Vera Institute of Justice announced today the appointment of five new members to its board of trustees, each of whom brings invaluable experience, leadership, and a deep commitment to advancing Vera’s goal to promote justice and safety for all.

The new trustees are William Floyd, Debo P. Adegbile, Evan C. Guillemin, Dr. Amanda Heron Parsons, and Mylan Denerstein.

Retiring from the board are William P. Dickey, Richard G. Dudley, and Sheena Wright.

“Our new trustees bring new ideas, fresh perspectives, and remarkable energy to their service,”  - Vera President and Director Nicholas Turner said. “They will help shape and guide our work at a time when whispers for change have transformed into shouts for reform. They are the best and brightest in their fields, and I am confident that they will strengthen Vera’s ability to affect meaningful change in an increasingly dynamic world.”

“Being able to draw on the wealth of knowledge our new trustees bring in the legal, business, and healthcare fields will be extremely valuable to Vera,”  - Board Chair John F. Savarese said. “It will greatly enhance our ability to expand Vera’s reach and intensify its impact in the coming years.”  With regard to our retiring trustees, Savarese added, “I join the rest of the board and the Vera staff in wishing our former trustees well and thanking them for their many years of service and contributions to Vera’s mission.”

William Floyd is the head of external affairs for Google New York, where he is responsible for managing the company’s outward-facing presence in the state, including leading Google’s government and regulatory interactions, public affairs programs, and community affairs. Floyd has worked for nearly 30 years as a public policy professional, issues management strategist, and lobbyist in the government, private, and nonprofit sectors. He is a graduate of Columbia College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in urban affairs, economics, and education.

Debo P. Adegbile is a partner at WilmerHale and a former President Obama nominee to serve as the U.S. Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division. He was previously litigation director and interim director counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and senior counsel on the staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. He received his JD from New York University School of Law and bachelor’s degree in government from Connecticut College.  

Evan C. Guillemin is a principal at the Select Equity Group, a New York City-based investment manager. For four years, he was president, COO, and CFO at Delias, and worked previously at K-III Communications (Primedia) and the New York Observer. He earned his bachelor’s degree in English and biology from Yale University and an MBA in finance from Harvard Business School.

Dr. Amanda Heron Parsons is the vice president of community and population health for the Montefiore Medical Center. She is responsi­ble for the community and population health, health education, and wellness activities throughout the Montefiore Health System in the Bronx and Westchester. She previously served as the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s deputy commissioner for health care access and improvement. Dr. Parsons graduated from Boston College and received her medical degree and an MBA from Columbia University.

Mylan Denerstein is a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP where she handles a broad range of complex litigation, as well as white collar, legislative, and investigation matters. She most recently served as the chief counsel and principal legal advisor to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. She graduated from the University of Virginia and received her law degree from Columbia Law School. 

Full biographies for each member of Vera’s Board of Trustees can be found on Vera’s website.