Erin Kemple, Executive Director. Ms. Kemple joined the Connecticut Fair Housing Center in 2003. Prior to joining the staff of the Center, Ms. Kemple was a founder and executive director of the Housing Discrimination Project located in Holyoke, MA. She was admitted to practice in Massachusetts in 1985 where she specialized in representing low income individuals and families with housing and benefits complaints. She is a 1985 graduate of Suffolk University Law School and a 1981 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross.
Greg Kirschner, Enforcement Director. Mr. Kirschner is a Hartford native who joined the Center in 2005. He is responsible for overseeing all of the Center’s enforcement work including investigations and actions filed with administrative agencies, as well as in state and federal court. Prior to joining the Center, Mr. Kirschner represented tenants with Legal Services of Northern Virginia and was involved in a civil rights class action on behalf of farmers. He graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 1999 and received a B.A. from George Washington University in 1996.
Erin Boggs, Deputy Director. Ms. Boggs is the Deputy Director of the Connecticut Fair Housing Center. Ms. Boggs began work at the Center in 2005, initially concentrating on addressing increased incidences of predatory lending and foreclosure in communities of color. Since joining the Center, Ms. Boggs’ responsibilities have expanded to include the organization’s systemic testing, policy and advocacy initiatives. Prior to joining the Center, Ms. Boggs worked at the Connecticut Civil Liberties Union as a staff attorney and then interim legal director. She came to the Center from private practice. Ms. Boggs is a 2000 graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center and a 1993 graduate of Wesleyan University. A native of Washington, DC, she is a product of the District’s public schools.
Jeff Gentes, Foreclosure Staff Attorney. Mr. Gentes focuses on foreclosure prevention and predatory lending. Prior to joining the Center, Mr. Gentes spent two years as a Staff Attorney with the Homeowner Defense Project at Staten Island Legal Services. Mr. Gentes has worked at Proskauer Rose LLP and Pfizer, and has done pro bono work in the areas of Social Security, retirement benefits, civil disenfranchisement, criminal law, and immigration law. While in law school, he interned for the New York Capital Defenders Office and Supreme Court of New York Justice Abraham Gerges. He was born in Hartford, raised in Lebanon, CT, and received his B.A. from the University of Connecticut and his J.D. from New York University School of Law.
John McGrath, Staff Attorney. Mr. McGrath joined the Center after serving as a legal intern for nearly three years. His work concentrates on assisting the victims of foreclosure rescue scams and investigating claims of discrimination in the lending industry. He received his BA from Johns Hopkins University and his law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Timothy Bennett-Smyth, Staff Attorney. Mr. Smyth works with the Center’s fair housing enforcement team to represent the victims of housing discrimination in administrative actions as well as in state and federal court. Prior to joining the Center, Mr. Smyth was a litigation associate at Bingham, McCutchen, LLP. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree with Honors from the University of Connecticut, a Master’s Degree in History with honors from the University of Connecticut, and a law degree with honors from the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Monique Muller, Senior Fair Housing Specialist. Ms. Muller has more than five years of fair housing experience. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven in 1999 and completed her masters degree in June 2007. Since beginning work at the Center, Ms. Muller has performed rental tests, completed an accessibility survey project as well as conducting more than 50 home sales tests.
Mikell Brown, Fair Housing Specialist. Ms. Brown’s role at the center is to assist the legal staff with investigating housing discrimination complaints as well as organizing and coordinating systemic and complaint based testing for the Center. Ms. Brown, an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Inc., graduated from Central Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Communications. Prior to working at the Center, Ms. Brown spent several years case managing low income youths and juveniles involved with the CT State Justice System. In addition Ms. Brown has had the opportunity to manage cases of young adults and children committed to CT State Department of Children and Families.
Catherine Blinder, Communications Director. Ms. Blinder is a long-time resident of Hartford having worked for the Commission on the Status of Women, Real Artways, and the Hartford Public Library. Ms. Blinder is responsible for working on publicity and outreach to the general public about the Center and its work, fundraising, Board development, publications, and coordinating special events. Ms. Blinder will be working with the staff of the Center to ensure that Connecticut residents know and understand their rights under the fair housing laws.
Letty Ortiz, Administrative Assistant. Ms. Ortiz, who is bi-lingual in Spanish, is the Center’s office manager and receptionist. She is responsible for completing intakes and referring cases to staff members. In addition, she schedules fair housing trainings and provides general information about the Center and its work.