Welcoming New Board Members
The Legal Council Board of Directors is a dynamic, engaged group of people who are deeply committed to our work. At the March meeting, we were thrilled to vote on four new board members: Dr. Kim Dell’Angela, Jonnsebastian Orozco, the Hon. James Snyder, and Charlie Wysong.
Kim Dell’Angela (she/her) is a licensed clinical psychologist and Professor in the Doctoral program in Clinical Psychology at The Chicago School where she teaches courses in Primary Care, Interdisciplinary Practice, Lifespan Development, and clinical practice.
A health and pediatric psychologist, she spent 18 years on the faculty of Stritch School of Medicine of Loyola University on interdisciplinary clinical and research teams focused on chronic illness, pain, developmental disabilities and child advocacy.
Dr. Dell’Angela brings extensive experience in behavioral health, and has served on state and local boards and committees related to health and advocacy: “As a Health Psychologist who has spent my career focused on health equity as a clinician, teacher, and researcher, I am excited to join this Board of likeminded professionals as Legal Council for Health Justice enters a new chapter in its long history of impactful advocacy, outreach and education to eliminate unjust health disparities for the people of Illinois.”
Jonnsebastian Orozco (he/him) works at Advancing Health Equity: Leading Care, Payment, and Systems Transformation (AHE). He leads training and hands-on technical assistance to healthcare provider organizations and care teams, payer organizations, government agencies, and the specialists working within them to reduce and eliminate disparities in health and healthcare.
Jonnsebastian previously worked at Legal Council as an attorney on our Children & Families Project, and is excited to be returning to the team in this new role as a board member. “Legal Council’s work has always resonated with me because it recognizes the importance of a holistic approach in working to reduce, and eliminate, health inequities and disparities. I know that health equity is the cornerstone for a safe and dignified life, and I look forward to supporting the team in its mission to achieve health equity and justice.”
Jim Snyder (he/him) served as a Judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County and as General Counsel of the Illinois Human Rights Commission. He is an arbitrator, mediator and special master with JAMS alternative dispute resolution services.
Jim is a former president of the Illinois Judge Association and the Alliance of LGBTQ Judges. He is a frequent lecturer and writer on judicial ethics, employment and housing human rights and complex civil litigation. Judge Snyder serves on the faculty of the National Judicial College. Jim has a long track of service in Human Rights and LGBTQ communities.
On joining the Legal Council board, Judge Snyder said “Legal Council for Health Justice has provided life-saving vital service to real people in need for a generation. I am honored to be part of moving that forward to new initiatives and the next generation of service leaders.”
Charlie Wysong (he/him) is a shareholder at Hughes Socol Piers Resnick and Dym, Ltd, where he represents whistleblowers in qui tam lawsuits, employees in pay and discrimination cases, and other plaintiffs pursuing significant litigation.
He shared that joining the Legal Council board aligns with the work Charlie does every day. He has an active practice in disability, LGBTQ, and education law—both assisting individuals and families who have experienced discrimination and partnering with leading non-profit advocates on major lawsuits: “I have tremendous respect for the talent and expertise of the Legal Council Staff. I look forward to supporting the critical legal advocacy they provide to the Council’s clients.”
Charlie argued and won multiple appeals in the Illinois Supreme Court, including most recently the M.U. v. Team Illinois case, which secured broad protections against disability and other discrimination in public accommodations under the Illinois Human Rights Act. Charlie was previously a legal aid attorney at Equip for Equality on a Skadden Fellowship that focused on disability rights in education, and a clerk for former Judge Richard Posner or the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
Please join us in welcoming our new board members! If you are interested in more information on our Board of Directors, contact Liesl Pereira (she/her), Senior Director of Development.