Carol Robles-Román to Join ERA Coalition as Co-President and CEO

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Date: 

February 28, 2018

Media Contact: 

Jean Gazis
Legal Momentum
212-413-7558
jgazis@legalmomentum.org

Nicole Bestard
InkHouse PR
646-975-5142
era@inkhouse.com

New York, NY, February 28, 2018—Carol Robles-Román will become Co-President and CEO of the ERA Coalition and the Fund for Women's Equality. She will take up the position in March of this year. Carol has led Legal Momentum as its President and CEO. During Carol’s tenure, Legal Momentum has worked as a Lead Organization with the ERA Coalition on advocacy for an equal rights amendment to the United States Constitution, and she co-chaired its Legal Task Force.

“To be equal in the U.S. Constitution may be the oldest #MeToo Movement, and the ERA Coalition aims to get us there. Carol Robles-Román is a national leader with the vision and experience to explode the myth of equality, and make it a Constitutional reality at last," said ERA Coalition Board member Gloria Steinem.

At Legal Momentum (formerly NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund), Carol spearheaded legislative, legal and policy efforts to ensure equal rights for women and girls, combat human trafficking and violence against women and to protect women’s economic security. Prior to joining Legal Momentum, Carol was Deputy Mayor for Legal Affairs and Counsel to NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg for 12 years. She oversaw 13 city agencies and led reform in access to justice, judicial administration, domestic violence, enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, and human trafficking. As a top executive for the NYS judiciary, she served as its first Special Inspector General for Bias Matters, appointed by Chief Judge Judith Kaye, and later as Special Counsel to the Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman. She served as a NYS assistant attorney general for civil rights.

“Carol and I have worked together for years promoting legal equality for women. I am thrilled that she will now join me as Co-President at this critical moment in time when our country is looking how to best ensure women are equally protected and respected under the law. We know that constitutional equality is the answer and we have great hope for the year ahead (including mid-term elections this fall).  Carol is exactly the leader we need,” said ERA Coalition Co-President Jessica Neuwirth.

“Our time is now to unify around the passage of a constitutional amendment that speaks to equality for all. I am thrilled to be soon at the helm of the ERA Coalition and Fund for Women's Equality at this time in history, working on this mission that will better the lives of all Americans,” said incoming ERA Coalition Co-President and CEO Carol Robles-Roman.

“We are deeply grateful for Carol’s contributions as our outgoing CEO and we are thrilled that she will be continuing our mission to advance the cause of women’s rights. The two organizations together will be stronger with Carol's leadership at the helm of the ERA Coalition.  We look forward to working together to support the movement for gender equality," said Chair of Legal Momentum Elaine Wood.

A nationally known public speaker appearing regularly in the media, Carol’s recognitions include the American Bar Association Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence 2017 Sharon L. Corbitt Award, the National Women’s Political Caucus 2015 Women of Courage Award, the SmartCEO 2014 Brava Award, and designation as one of the “100 Most Influential Hispanics” by Hispanic Business Magazine. Carol is on the National Organization for Women (NOW) Advisory Board, and the boards of the Women’s Forum of New York and Veteran Feminists of America.

Carol Baldwin Moody, who is an Aiming High honoree, and who served on the Board of Legal Momentum, will step in for Legal Momentum as interim President and CEO, and will also continue to serve as Chief Operating Officer. 

About the ERA Coalition and the Fund for Women’s Equality

The ERA Coalition and the Fund for Women’s Equality are sister organizations, founded in 2014 to work respectively for passage and ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and for greater public understanding of the need for comprehensive, fair and equal treatment of women and girls under the law. The ERA Coalition is made up of 76 lead and member organizations, serving as an umbrella for a broad national constituency in support of constitutional equality.  Efforts to advance the missions of the organizations include working with and lobbying members of Congress, developing tools for constituent outreach, organizing and speaking at awareness raising events and the creation of innovative programmatic initiatives, such as the nationwide Campus ERA Day. Board members include Gloria Steinem, Marcy Syms (Chair), Jessica Neuwirth (co-founder and President), Carol Jenkins (Secretary), Liz Young (co-founder and Treasurer), Ron Baldwin, Lauren Embry, Antuan Johnson, Serene Jones, Kimberly Peeler-Allen, Diana Revson, Maria T. Vullo (co-founder), and Teresa C. Younger. For more information visit www.eracoalition.org.

About Legal Momentum

Legal Momentum is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1970 to advance the rights of women by using the power of the law and creating innovative public policy in three broad areas: economic justice, freedom from gender-based violence and equality under the law. Successful initiatives include judicial education programs on the realities of sexual assault, domestic violence, and their intersection; successful advocacy for the Violence Against Women Act; and representing women who have been subjected to workplace discrimination, human trafficking, and sextortion with precedent-setting litigation. For more information visit www.legalmomentum.org.

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