Jeff Bergman and Sarah Frudden are quiet heroes for youth Justice. Jeff has served on the Moran Center Board of Directors since 2013 and his wife Sarah has been a volunteer since 2015. Jeff is a business trial attorney at Mandell Menkes LLC and has had many successes in litigation, arbitration, and mediation. Sarah, also an attorney, supports the Moran Center by volunteering a couple of days a week. Both Jeff and Sarah are concerned with how the shifts in both the national and state-level government might trickle down and impact youth in our community. Jeff states that: “In both 2015 and 2016, Illinois saw bipartisan support for new legislation that made the juvenile justice system more fair, and increased opportunities for rehabilitation. Now that there is a new administration in Washington that campaigned on a ‘law and order’ platform, we need to work to make sure that this positive momentum for reform at the state level does not stall out.” Sarah adds, “I see how hard the Moran Center’s staff works every day to support and protect Evanston’s youth. In this uncertain time, when so many of our kids are feeling threatened by their own government, it’s more important to me than ever to support the Moran Center’s work.”
You can follow Jeff on twitter @JeffRWLawyer. To follow Sarah, your best bet is to head to the lakefront – where you can find her out for a run most mornings. We are lucky to have both Jeff and Sarah on our team!
On January 27, 2017, the Moran Center hosted an event at the Stone Terrace Bed & Breakfast to announce the Justice Challenge. We are thrilled to go public with the exciting news that the Evanston Community Foundation (ECF) selected the Moran Center as the recipient of their Partners for the Future Challenge Grant. Through this grant, ECF will incentivize greater investment in the Moran Center by matching new or increased gifts of $5,000. The Moran Center will use this transformative opportunity to “go deeper” in meeting critical, unmet needs within our community – dramatically increasing our impact. 
Earlier this year, the Moran Center welcomed Krenice Roseman to our Board of Directors. We are so excited to have her join our team. Ms. Roseman is an Assistant Attorney General in the Special Litigation Bureau of the Office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. She previously worked as a Litigation Associate at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and graduated summa cum laude from Spelman College with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, and then received her law degree from New York University School of Law. Ms. Roseman was born and raised in Evanston and maintains strong ties to the community through her work with youth organizations like the Dajae Coleman Foundation. She joined the Moran Center’s Board because the staff is dedicated to helping Evanston’s most vulnerable youth. Ms. Roseman believes this organization is a critical resource to the Evanston community and is committed to support and further their mission.
The excitement of the new school year was elevated to a feverish pitch when Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) visited Evanston Township High School on Aug. 29th. Rep. Lewis discussed his graphic novel series “March,” along with his co-author Andrew Aydin. Rep. Lewis also reflected on his experiences during the civil rights movement and encouraged youth to get informed and engaged. Despite physical attacks, serious injuries, and more than 40 arrests, Rep. Lewis has remained a devoted advocate of the philosophy of nonviolence.
More than 100 people joined us at our July Justice Jamboree. It was a special night to honor our donors, partners, and friends who so generously support our clients and invest in our mission. We also honored Kathy Lyons, who served as our Executive Director for the past 4 years, and Victor Grimm, for his service as Board Chair for the past 3 years and as a member of the Board of Directors for more than 30 years. We welcomed Patrick Keenan-Devlin as the new Executive Director and Betsy Lehman as the new Chair of our Board of Directors. We appreciate our many partners committed to ensuring that all kids receive justice in the courtroom, access to the classroom and support in our community.
On Saturday, March 19, 2016, the Moran Center hosted an Expungement Clinic at the Evanston Public Library to educate the public on the importance and process of clearing criminal records. Too often, a criminal record, even for a single offense that occurred long ago, can make securing a job or obtaining an occupational or professional license nearly impossible. Attendees learned about the process to seal or expunge criminal records, as well as other avenues to overcome the barriers of a criminal record when applying for jobs, housing or educational opportunities. The Expungement Clinic included an educational presentation followed by an opportunity for attendees to meet with Moran Center staff to begin the record-clearing process.