On May 1, 2023, International Workers' Day, the NYS Workers' Compensation Board is hosting a free, virtual conference for NYS workers' advocates, featuring special guests from the NYS Department of Labor, NYS Office for New Americans, New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH), and more!

This online conference will bring together workers' advocates and organizations who fulfill the common mission of supporting New York's workforce. Participants will learn more about, and engage in collaborative discussions on, worker rights, protections, and resources to help. Our goals are to educate and build stronger cross-organization partnerships to continuously enhance services and support our workers across the state.

Please see the agenda below for full details and registration information. Watch this page for more information as we get closer to the event. We hope you can join us!

Clarissa Rodriguez
Chair, NYS Workers' Compensation Board

Clarissa M. Rodriguez, Esq. has been with the NYS Workers' Compensation Board since 2016. In 2017, she was confirmed by the Senate as Chair and is a member of the Governor's cabinet. During her tenure, Mrs. Rodriguez has led the agency through a number of important legislative reforms and implementations, including the launch of New York's landmark Paid Family Leave, while also working to make significant improvements to the workers' compensation system.

Prior to joining the Board, Mrs. Rodriguez accumulated extensive legal experience in the New York City metropolitan area courts, the New York State Attorney General's Office, and a number of other NYC agencies and organizations, with a distinct bent toward serving disadvantaged populations. Mrs. Rodriguez has been recognized by many professional organizations and publications for her body of work. Most recently, Mrs. Rodriguez was nominated for the Schneps Media's 2022 Leaders of Labor Award and City and State's 2022 Law Power 100. She is a graduate of the City University of New York School of Law and holds a BA in Political Science and Women's Studies from the State University of New York at Purchase College.

Joe Cavalcante
Advocate for Injured Workers, NYS Workers' Compensation Board

Joe Cavalcante has worked at the Board for more than 15 years, first as a spokesman, then as ombudsman and advocate for injured workers since 2018. He has prior experience at FEMA, as a college instructor, and in the software and health insurance industries. He's also written professionally for decades, including many Board publications. He holds an MA in English from the University at Albany.

Juanita Perez-Williams
Director of Integrated Services and Return to Work, NYS Workers' Compensation Board

Juanita Perez-Williams, Esq. is the Director of Integrated Services and Regulatory Affairs at the Workers' Compensation Board. Juanita has been with the Board since 2018 and has over 20 years' experience with New York State. While at the Board, Juanita has prioritized Return to Work efforts ensuring a proactive approach to supporting injured workers challenged with barriers to employment and a positive quality of life. Previously, Juanita was a Regional Commissioner for the NYS Department of Labor supporting local workforce initiatives and employer-employee relations. Juanita has served as Central New York's Governor's Representative and Intergovernmental Counsel for the NYS Attorney General. Juanita attended the University of California, San Diego and California Western School of Law.

Taniqua Hunter
Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, NYS Workers' Compensation Board

Taniqua Hunter is the Board's Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. Joining the Board in 2022, she has over 20 years of experience in vocational rehabilitation. Taniqua transitioned to the Board after serving 17 years as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor and Business Relations Representative at Adult Career and Continuing Education Services - Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR). Taniqua has helped over thousands of individuals with disabilities attain and maintain employment. She's served the business community regarding hiring, reasonable accommodations, disability etiquette, and worker retention services of individuals with disabilities. Taniqua is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and holds a master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Hofstra University. She was recently joined the Disability Advisory Council of the NYS Division of Human Rights. For the past 7 years, Taniqua has been a member of the ADA Trainer Network via Cornell University and the Northeast ADA Center.

Kerry Cunningham
Licensed Master Social Worker, NYS Workers' Compensation Board

Kerry Cunningham is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) for the Workers' Compensation Board. Joining the Board in 2022, she has over 25 years of experience working as a Social Worker. Kerry transitioned to the Board after serving 8 years as a Social Worker at Brookwood Secure Center- Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). Kerry has had extensive training in Dialectal Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Kerry has assisted many individuals throughout her career in various social work settings and helped them to navigate difficult systems and issues while providing counseling and support. Kerry has worked with stakeholders in the community to assist claimants in navigating the claims processes. Kerry is a strong advocate for the claimants she works with. Kerry received her Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Psychology from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. Kerry is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) and holds a master's degree (M.S.W.) in Social Work from the State University of New York at Albany. Kerry received a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the State University of New York at Albany. Kerry also has received her New York State Provisional Teaching Certification. In addition, Kerry worked for 5 years as a clinical care manager for a 24/7 clinical referral line managing New York State mental health and substance abuse benefits.

Dr. James Tacci
Medical Director, NYS Workers' Compensation Board

James A. Tacci, MD, JD, MPH (FACOEM, FACPM), is the Medical Director of the NYS Workers' Compensation Board. His focus is ensuring timely, appropriate and high-quality care for injured workers, to optimize their clinical and functional outcomes.

Prior to joining the Board, Dr. Tacci was a medical director and residency program director at the University of Rochester, where he still holds part-time clinical (non-workers' compensation) and teaching appointments. Previously, he directed occupational medicine programs or served as a senior medical consultant in such industries as healthcare, technology, automotive, defense, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. He also worked extensively with municipalities, school districts, utilities, and local police and fire departments. Dr. Tacci earned his BS in Biology from Cornell University, MD (with distinction) from the University of Rochester, MPH from SUNY Albany, and JD (magna cum laude) from Syracuse University. He completed residencies in General Preventive Medicine & Public Health (NYS Department of Health) and Occupational Medicine (Harvard).

Audrey Cunningham
Deputy Director of the Medical Director's Office (MDO), NYS Workers' Compensation Board

Audrey Maiello Cunningham serves as Deputy Director of the Medical Director's Office (MDO) for the NYS Workers' Compensation Board. In this role, Ms. Cunningham is responsible for the operation of the MDO, providing leadership and oversight of all functions within the MDO.

Ms. Cunningham previously served as Deputy Inspector General for Workers' Compensation Fraud, Office of the New York State Inspector General, managing legal operations and investigations of workers' compensation fraud. Her legal career also includes roles as a prosecutor for the New York State Attorney General's Office Criminal Prosecutions Bureau, Assistant District Attorney in Bronx County, and associate attorney in civil litigation firms.

Prior to entering the legal arena, Ms. Cunningham worked in health care public relations in New York City, where she specialized in managing and developing public relations strategies for pharmaceutical companies.

Ms. Cunningham received her Juris Doctor from Loyola University College of Law and her Bachelor of Science from Boston University. Ms. Cunningham also completed coursework at Moscow State University School of Law in Moscow, Russia and Eötvös Loránd University School of Law in Budapest, Hungary. She is admitted to practice law in New York and Virginia.

Missy Stewart
Director of Public Information, NYS Workers' Compensation Board

Missy Stewart is the Director of Public Information at the Workers' Compensation Board. As the head of the communications team, Missy works to promote the Board's efforts to protect the rights of NYS workers and employers and raise awareness of the critical benefit programs administered by the Board.

Prior to joining the Workers' Compensation Board, Missy was the Senior Director of Internal Communications for Reuters News, the world's largest multimedia news provider. Before that, she led internal communications for several organizations within Thomson Reuters. Missy holds a BA from the Ithaca College Roy H. Park School of Communications, where she majored in Advertising and Public Relations.

Maura McCann
Director of Labor Standards, NYS Department of Labor

Maura McCann began her DOL career as a field investigator almost 20 years ago and moved through the ranks until she became Division Director in 2016. Maura has led groups of staff in industry-wide investigations, implemented numerous laws and regulations, and has conducted public presentations around the state. As Director of Labor Standards, Maura directs all Division operations, including enforcement and administrative functions. Before coming to the Department of Labor, Maura worked throughout the United States as a labor organizer. Ms. McCann has a master's degree in Spanish from the University at Albany, and graduated from Binghamton University with a Bachelor's degree in History.

Jenny Munoz
Senior Manager, Policy and Strategic Partnerships, NYS Office of New Americans

Jenny Munoz is a Senior Manager for Policy and Strategic Partnerships at the New York State Office for New Americans and serves as a Deputy Language Access Coordinator for the New York Department of State in Albany, NY. She has been working in New York state government for six years. Prior to joining state government, Jenny worked in affordable housing and community development. Jenny is a former AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer. She has also served as an English Teaching Assistant in Turkey through the U.S. Fulbright Program. Jenny has a Master's in Public Administration from Baruch College and Bachelor of Arts in History from Williams College. She is the proud daughter of Ecuadorian immigrants.

Nina McDermott
Counsel, NYS Office of New Americans

Nina McDermott is Counsel to the New York State Office for New Americans (ONA). Founded in 2012, ONA is the nation's first statutorily created immigrant services office. ONA assists all new Americans with accessing and navigating a variety of free services and support through its statewide network of community-based providers. Ms. McDermott joined their team in June of 2022 to provide ONA with legal assistance and guidance on immigration law and policy. She brings with her over seven years of immigration law experience, as well as a six-year period working for the State of Utah in an unrelated field making her uniquely qualified to take on this new and exciting role within New York State.

Charlene Obernauer
Executive Director, NYCOSH

Charlene Obernauer became NYCOSH's executive director in January 2014. In her role as director, she oversees and develops the NYCOSH's campaigns and advocacy work; bringing an innovative vision to NYCOSH that incorporates research, education, training, coalition building, and member development in order to create healthier jobs in New York State. She is the co-founder of the New York Healthy Nail Salons Coalition, a project founded by NYCOSH and Adhikaar; which successfully advocated with NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo for the passage of statewide legislation to combat wage theft and mitigate safety and health hazards in nail salons. The coalition continues to organize for a Nail Salon Minimum Standards Council to ensure that the legislation that they fought to pass is truly implemented in nail salons.

Charlene heralded the release of NYCOSH's annual report, "Deadly Skyline" on construction fatalities in New York and is an advocate for safe construction. She has served on Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's Construction Safety Task Force and has worked closely with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office to increase reporting of unsafe worksites among immigrant workers. Most recently, legislation that she spent nearly a decade advocating for, Carlos' Law, was signed by the Governor.

Prior to joining NYCOSH's staff, Charlene served as executive director of Long Island Jobs with Justice. During her seven-year tenure at the organization, she tripled its budget and initiated a number of organizing projects including a bus riders' union and a campaign to organize Wal-Mart workers. She got her start in organizing through solidarity work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a group of farmworkers in Southern Florida.

Charlene sits on the advisory councils of the downstate occupational health clinics and is the Chair of New Immigrant Community Empowerment. Charlene has been featured in numerous publications, including MSNBC, the New York Times, ABC, CNN, Fox News, and many more. She received her B.A. from Stony Brook University and her M.A. in Liberal Studies from the Graduate Center at CUNY.

Geraldine T. Stella
Director of Health and Safety, NYS Public Employees Federation

Geraldine Stella has been with PEF since 1992, and currently leads the Health and Safety department at PEF. She is responsible for the coordination and oversight of the direct outreach to and training of members and NYS agencies on a variety of health and safety issues including research and development of effective national, federal, and statewide safety and health laws, standards, policies and programs; hazard identification, prevention and remediation; and recruitment and mentorship of new health and safety activists. Geraldine also assists injured workers and PEF leaders and staff with complicated worker's compensation issues.

Patricia Campos-Medina
Senior Extension Associate and Executive Director of the Worker Institute, School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University

Dr. Campos-Medina is a researcher and labor educator focusing on the intersection of race, immigration status and worker's rights. She currently serves as a Senior Extension Associate and the Executive Director of the Worker Institute at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University where she leads research, policy innovation and training to advance worker justice, collective bargaining rights and the interest of workers in today's economy and society.

She is a political scientist and expert on workplace and labor issues, women rights, voting rights, immigrant worker justice and US trade relations. She holds a PhD from Rutgers University and a BS and MPA from Cornell University. She is a member of the Diverse Solidarity Economies (DISE), a collective of Black and Brown Feminist Scholars focused on research that decolonizes and diversifies the field of political economy. She is a Visiting Fellow at the Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

Prior to joining the Worker Institute at ILR Cornell, Dr. Campos Medina spent 20 years leading labor organizing and collective bargaining campaigns of behalf of American workers and unions such as UNITE, UNITEHERE, Workers United and SEIU. She served in many public policy positions including working for NJ Governor Jon Corzine, a member of the Labor Committee for the US Office of Trade (USTR), and later in the Transition Team for USTR under President Barack Obama.

Dr. Campos-Medina is recognized as an influential labor and community leader. She is the President of Latina Civic Action, and an Advisory Committee Member for ELLA Wins, a program of the Center for American Women in Politics, Rutgers University. She is the host of the podcast #ActivistaRiseUp. You can follow her work on social media @DrCamposMedina.

Yesenia Mata
Executive Director, La Colmena

Yesenia Mata is an immigration and veteran activist. As the daughter of formerly undocumented immigrants, Yesenia has been advocating for immigration reform. She has written on The Hill, Huffington Post, and Univision. She was the former National Latino Outreach Strategist for Bernie Sander's Presidential Campaign, where she organized the Latino communities in Chicago, Arizona, New York, Pennsylvania, California, and Florida. She also was the Political Director for the Dream Action Coalition, a national organization that advocates for immigration reform. She has been recognized by City & State as top 100 in Labor and top 100 Staten Islander and by New York State Hispanic Coalition as a “40 under 40 Rising Star '' and received a prestigious Proclamation from the City of New York for her work in the Latinx community. She was appointed by Mayor DeBlasio to serve as commissioner for the NYC Racial Justice Commission, appointed by Mayor Eric Adams to serve in the immigration transition team, is Executive Director of La Colmena an Immigration/Day Labor Rights Organization, and serves in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Specialist.

Melissa Buckley
NYS Department of Labor - Division of Immigrant Policies and Affairs

Melissa Buckley joined New York State Department of Labor in 2013 as an Agriculture Labor Specialist. In that role, she visited farms to educate workers on their rights and provide employers with compliance assistance. She also resolved complaints and recovered wages for workers. Her prior work included translating for the Federal government, teaching Spanish, development for non-profit agencies, and working in county government. She has a bachelor's degree in Spanish from Virginia Wesleyan University and a master's degree in Creativity and Change Leadership from Buffalo State's Center for Applied Imagination. During the pandemic, she led initiatives to ensure compliance with worker protection regulations such as Covid Paid Sick Leave and the New York HERO Act, while also supervising staff in several programs. Currently, she is the Supervisor for the Foreign Labor Certification Unit where she oversees the processing of all H-2A and H-2B job orders in New York State. To foster fair and safe employment, Melissa is deeply invested in educating employees on their workplace rights and assisting employers to achieve a compliant workplace. Melissa lives in western New York with her husband and two children.

Agata Bednarska
Outreach and Education Administrative Manager, Mount Sinai Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health

Agata Bednarska is an Outreach and Education Manager for the Mount Sinai Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health. With over 10 years of experience leading her team in successful community outreach efforts for the WTC Health Program, Agata has established collaborative partnerships with various 9/11 community groups, labor and law enforcement unions and other stakeholders, while also bringing an extensive knowledge of the WTC Health Program requirements, benefits and services available to all 9/11 responders. In addition, as part of Mount Sinai Selikoff Centers' affiliation with the NYS Occupational Health Clinic Network (OHCN), over the years, Agata has been leading outreach and education efforts in NYC and MHV region aimed at building community awareness about occupational health issues and promoting safe and healthy practices in the workplace.

Most recently, along with her colleagues from the Mount Sinai Health System, she has been focusing on outreach to workers from various immigrant communities. Agata has championed many of the health equity efforts that make up the aforementioned initiative by raising awareness about the field of occupational health, increasing access to information and clinical services offered through OHCN clinics, empowering individuals to pursue their rights, and cultivating greater community trust.

In 2018, Agata received ‘The Doctor Chandler Award' presented by the NYS Troopers PBA union for outstanding medical expertise and dedication to NYS Troopers and their families. She holds a social work master's degree in community organization, planning and development from Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College.

Nilbia Coyote
Executive Director, New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE)

Nilbia Coyote is the Executive Director of New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), which organizes immigrant workers & newly arrived immigrants to fight for their dignity, worker rights & labor justice in NYC. NICE operates in immigrant-rich Jackson Heights and offers a range of programs from financial literacy and support services to skills-based training and collective job searches. From 2020-2022, Nilbia was the Director of Training & Education at NICE leading a successful program of workforce development during the peak of the Pandemic.

Prior to joining NICE, Nilbia developed & led Know Your Rights as well as skills-based training projects for immigrant communities after the 2016 election at different non-profit organizations and participated for many years in community-led efforts to organize the Mexican immigrant community at the Mexican Consulate. She executed immigrant & worker's rights programs after Hurricane Sandy among the day laborer population, and conducted education, legal services and labor opportunities for DACA beneficiaries from 2012 to 2015.

Nilbia is a community builder, advocate, and organizer for immigrant communities. She is an immigrant from Mexico and has over 18 years of experience building the individual and collective power of immigrant workers by recognizing their humanity, organizing with them through community education and enabling them to contribute to their communities while becoming self-sufficient. Nilbia believes in the strengths and skills of all workers regardless of their immigration status, creates programs to hone these, and fights for the dignity, well-being and belonging of our immigrant siblings.