OGC Mediator List
Colleen A. Baird, Assistant Counsel
Department of Human Services
Colleen A. Baird joined the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services as Assistant Counsel in December 2021. Colleen works primarily with DHS' Office of Long-Term Living and the Bureau of Program Integrity. Prior to joining OGC-DHS, Colleen was in private practice for almost a decade where she focused on general liability, estates & trusts, real estate, and insurance defense. Colleen received mediation training through the Office of General Counsel and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Colleen graduated from the University of Richmond with a B.A. in Criminal Justice & Psychology and received her Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University School of Law. Colleen lives in Boiling Springs with her husband, four children, and four pets.
Thomas A. Blackburn, Hearing Examiner
Department of State
Thomas A. Blackburn is a hearing examiner with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Office of General Counsel, assigned to the office of hearing examiners within the Department of State. In addition to hearing matters for the various professional licensing boards of the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, he conducts hearings and prepares adjudications for various other Commonwealth agencies. Prior to beginning this position in 2018 he was part of the counsel division of the Department's office of chief counsel. For the first 10 years he represented various professional licensing boards as a line attorney and then for the next 10 years he supervised staff board counsel. Since 2014 he has served as counsel for the State Board of Property. From 2007 through 2018 he provided legal counsel to the Department concerning the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law and represented the Department before the Commonwealth's Office of Open Records and the appellate courts. A graduate of The Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University, Mr. Blackburn is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and OGC's litigation (including the appellate law and administrative law subcommittees) and licensing and certification practice groups.
Adam Bram, Supervisory Counsel
Department of Environmental Protection
Mr. Bram is a Supervisory Counsel in the Department of Environmental Protection's Southeast Region Office of Chief Counsel. His counseling duties focus on the Environmental Cleanup and Brownfields Program, including hazardous sites response, storage tanks, and Act 2-Land Recycling. He has had extensive experience with the Clean Water Program, which includes sewage facilities planning, discharge and water quality permitting, antidegradation, pollution prevention, enforcement, and cleanup. He has also represented the Commonwealth in its Air Quality Program, Solid Waste, and the Dams, Waterways, and Wetlands Program with issues concerning land development, erosion and sedimentation controls, best management practices, post-construction controls, stream obstruction and encroachments, and wetlands protection and restoration.
Mr. Bram has practiced with large and medium-sized law firms, counseling and litigating in areas of municipal law, environmental law, real estate, commercial transactions and litigation, personal injury, motor vehicle law, and trusts and estates. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar, New Jersey Bar, the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and an inactive member of the District of Columbia, Court of Appeals. He formerly served as a law clerk for the Honorable Justice Sandra Schultz Newman of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Bram served his country as a volunteer in Bulgaria with the U.S. Peace Corps, where part of his work involved facilitating between local and regional governmental officials, private enterprises, and community groups.
In addition to having represented private and public clients, Mr. Bram has served as an arbitrator in several civil cases pending in the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas. He is a current member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association (P.B.A.) and a member of the P.B.A.'s Environmental and Energy Law Section, a past chair of the Montgomery County Bar Association's Environmental Law Committee and was an active member of that committee and the Montgomery County Bar Association's Real Estate Committee. He has lectured on a variety of environmental topics and was published as an editor of the Temple Civil and Political Rights Law Review and other publications. He received intensive mediation training from the Good Shepherd Mediation Program in Philadelphia and participates in ongoing training. He is a past Director of the Office of General Counsel's Mediation Program, a past chair of the Office of General Counsel's Mediation Practice Group, and he has mediated a variety of disputes pending before Commonwealth agencies, including many employment discrimination claims. Mr. Bram holds a J.D. from the Beasley School of Law at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA and a dual B.A. from the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA.
Erin G. Burlew, Department Counsel
Department of Insurance
Erin G. Burlew began her career with OGC in April 2023 as Department Counsel with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. She serves as the Right to Know Law Legal Liaison where she represents the Department before the Commonwealth's Office of Open Records and the Commonwealth Court. In addition, her other areas of practice include enforcement and procurement. Prior to joining OGC, Ms. Burlew was a Senior Appeals Officer with the Office of Open Records where she issued Final Determinations and served as a Mediator. Ms. Burlew was a law clerk in the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas. She graduated from Penn State with a dual B.A. in History and Political Science and she is a 2009 graduate of Widener University School of Law. Ms. Burlew has received mediation training through the Office of General Counsel and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, as well as the Good Shepherd Mediation Program.
Thomas J. Car, Assistant Counsel
Department of Human Services
Thomas J. Car joined the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS), Office of General Counsel in June 2013. Since that time, Thomas has worked with and supported the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) regarding Medicaid, known as Medical Assistance (MA) in Pennsylvania, nursing facility provider audit appeals, MA waiver program provider appeals, quality of care issues, participant clinical eligibility issues, general provider reimbursement issues, MA financing issues, and other legal matters involving OLTL's administration of the MA program. Thomas has also worked closely with OLTL in the development and administration of the Community HealthChoices (CHC) program, which delivers long-term care services and supports through a managed care delivery system for MA-eligible participants in Pennsylvania.
In addition to his duties advising OLTL, Thomas also advises DHS' Bureau of Human Services Licensing, which licenses personal care home and assisted living residences throughout the Commonwealth. Thomas has also advised the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) on child care center licensure issues. Other duties include advising DHS' Adult Protective Services program, which serves adults aged 18-59 that need protective services to mitigate imminent abuse and neglect. In 2018, Thomas graduated from DHS' Leadership Development Institute (LDI), which recognizes and develops up and coming servant leaders to grow and influence others in their professional and personal lives.
Prior to his current position, Thomas was an associate at a mid-sized Hershey, Pennsylvania law firm. In that role, Thomas practiced commercial litigation with an emphasis on construction law, general civil litigation, and general dispute resolution.
In 2006, Thomas graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, summa cum laude, with a B.A. in Criminology/Pre-Law and minors in Economics and Political Science. He earned his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2009. Thomas resides in Dauphin County with his wife and three children.
Sarah Castillo DiRito, Chief Counsel
Department of Education
Sarah Castillo DiRito was appointed Chief Counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Education in January 2023. Ms. DiRito joined the Department's Office of Chief Counsel as an Assistant Counsel in 2012 and since July 2014, has served as Assistant Chief Counsel, overseeing the Educator Discipline Unit. The Educator Discipline Unit, with a team of attorneys, support staff, and investigators, is responsible for investigating and prosecuting professional misconduct complaints made against Pennsylvania educators. Along with her team, Ms. DiRito administratively prosecuted complaints through any appeals. In addition to prosecuting complaints, Ms. DiRito worked with Commonwealth agencies and educational partners to implement Pennsylvania's teacher misconduct laws and regulations, and to inform the educational field of their responsibilities.
Prior to joining the Department of Education's Office of Chief Counsel, Ms. DiRito served as an Assistant District Attorney in Adams County, Pennsylvania, where she specialized in prosecuting child abuse cases and crimes against women. Ms. DiRito received her Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University School of Law, where she received the Louis L. Manderino Honor Society for Distinguished Achievement in Moot Court. She holds a B.A. in Communication Disorders and has a Master's degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Pittsburgh. In addition to her legal work, Ms. DiRito has worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist in a variety of settings.
David A. Clay, Jr., Assistant Counsel
Department of Human Services
David Clay is an Attorney with the Office of General Counsel for the Department of Human Services (DHS) in the Western Region. Mr. Clay came to DHS in 2019, after serving two and a half years on active duty with the National Guard Bureau. Mr. Clay handles administrative litigation, and appellate work in the areas of Child Protective Services, Licensing, and Employment Law. Mr. Clay defends the DHS's interests before the State Civil Service Commission, DHS's Bureau of Hearings and Appeals; as well as related appellate work in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Clay received a B.A. degree in Political Science from Virginia Tech in 2002, and a Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh, PA in 2012. Mr. Clay has been a member of the United States Army since 2002, and currently serves as a Judge Advocate in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.
Andrea L. Costello, Prosecuting Attorney
Department of State
Andrea L. Costello works as Assistant Counsel with the PA Department of Environmental Protection, Southeast Regional Office, where she has been employed since November 2023. Prior to that, Ms. Costello spent seven years as a prosecuting attorney for the PA Department of State, Bureau of Professional and Occupational affairs, where she prosecuted cases before various state boards with her main focus being the State Board of Massage Therapy. She attended West Chester University of PA where she earned her bachelor's degree in 2012. Ms. Costello earned her J.D. from Delaware Law School (Widener University School of Law – Wilmington, DE) in 2016.
Jonathan J. Curtis, Assistant Counsel
Department of Human Services
Jonathan L. Curtis is an Attorney with the Office of General Counsel for the Department of Human Services (DHS). Mr. Curtis has been with DHS since 2013 and handles state court and administrative litigation, as well as related appellate work, in the areas of Employment, Right-to-know Law, and Long-Term Living. Mr. Curtis defends DHS's interests before the State Civil Service Commission; Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission; DHS's Bureau of Hearings and Appeals; as well as related appellate work in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Curtis received a B.S. degree from the Pennsylvania State University, a M.B.A. degree from the Pennsylvania State University, and a Juris Doctorate degree from the Duquesne University School of Law, Pittsburgh, PA. Mr. Curtis received his mediation training through the Office of General Counsel at the Widener University School of Law.
Morgan C. Davis, Assistant Counsel
Pennsylvania Parole Board
Morgan C. Davis began her career with OGC in June 2016 as an Assistant Counsel with the Pennsylvania Parole Board. Ms. Davis currently represents the Board in claims in state and federal courts and administrative tribunals. Ms. Davis also serves as the Right to Know Law Legal Liaison where she represents the Board before the Commonwealth's Office of Open Records and the Commonwealth's appellate courts. She also advises the Board, the Board Secretary, and the Board Hearing Examiners on various mattes related to parole law. Additionally, she provides quarterly training to state parole agents from across the Commonwealth. Ms. Davis also handles all agency transactional matters.
Prior to employment with OGC, Ms. Davis was an attorney at the Law Offices of Silliker & Reinhold (Harrisburg, Pa), where she focused her practice on family law, wills, and estates. Ms. Davis is a 2011 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh where she received a B.S. in Marketing and a Certificate in Leadership and Ethics. She received her Juris Doctorate from the Widener University School of Law (Harrisburg Campus), where she serves on the Dean's Diversity Council. Ms. Davis received her mediation training through OGC.
Lindsay Dearing Szymanski, Prosecuting Attorney
Department of State
Lindsay Dearing Szymanski is a prosecuting attorney for the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs. Ms. Szymanski has prosecuted professional licensure cases for the State Boards of Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Social Work, Psychology, Dentistry, and Nursing. Additionally, she supervises the Department's legal interns. Ms. Szymanski received her B.A. degree from the University of Pittsburgh and her J.D. from Widener University School of Law. Ms. Szymanski is a member of the Dauphin County Bar Association and OGC's litigation and mediation practice groups.
Eric J. Delio, Assistant Counsel
Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board
Eric Delio joined the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board as an Assistant Counsel in 2013. He counsels the Board on complex issues in environmental law involving air quality, water quality, solid waste management, brownfield cleanups, mining, and oil and gas, among others. He also advises the Board on revisions to its rules of practice and procedure in the Pennsylvania Code, which govern practice before the Board. Eric completed the Office of General Counsel's Mediation Training Program in 2019. He received his B.A. in English, Professional Writing from Mercyhurst University, and his J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Jessica N. Erdman, Assistant Counsel
Department of General Services
Jessica N. Erdman joined the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS) in March 2021. Since that time, Ms. Erdman has served as an Assistant Counsel in the Department's Bureau of Procurement where she provides legal guidance on materials, services, and IT procurements and negotiates contracts on behalf of the Commonwealth.
Prior to her appointment with DGS, Ms. Erdman worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) where she negotiated settlement agreements and prosecuted educator misconduct cases. Prior to PDE, Jessica was a law clerk for the judges of the Perry County and Juniata County Court of Common Pleas where she assisted with a variety of civil and criminal cases.
Jessica graduated from Shippensburg University with a B.A. in Political Science and Psychology and a minor in International Studies and received her Juris Doctorate from Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law. During law school, Ms. Erdman was a Certified Legal Intern with Philadelphia Legal Assistance where she represented victims of in protection from abuse and custody matters, and was an intern with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and Insurance Department.
T'rese M. Evancho, Prosecuting Attorney
Department of State
T'rese M. Evancho is a prosecuting attorney for the PA Department of State, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, where she has been employed since 2013. Ms. Evancho prosecutes before the Pa State Board of Nursing. She attended Susquehanna University for her undergraduate degree and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 2010. Ms. Evancho earned her J.D. from Widener University School of Law in 2013. Ms. Evancho resides in Berks County with her husband.
Denise H. Farkas, Assistant Counsel
Department of Transportation
Denise H. Farkas became an Assistant Counsel for the Department of Transportation in 2001. Prior to working with the Department of Transportation she worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry from 1999-2001 writing decisions for Pennsylvania Workers Compensation Judges.
While earning her JD from Capital University Law School, she worked as a Hearing Representative for Third Party Administrators adjudicating workers compensation cases throughout Southwestern Ohio. While working with the Department of Transportation, she has gained extensive litigation experience. She has represented the Department at hearings/trials regarding motor vehicle and driver licensing issues as well as condemnation issues. She has represented the Department in state and federal courts and in administrative proceedings which include litigating employment law cases before the Pennsylvania Civil Service Commission, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Board. Denise Farkas has received her mediation training through OGC at the Widener University School of Law.
Keith B. Fickel, Senior Counsel
Department of Health
Keith B. Fickel is Senior Counsel with the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Mr. Fickel received his B.S. (cum laude) from Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York in 1983 and his J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law, Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1986. He began his legal career in private practice, working seven years for a mid-sized firm in Harrisburg. Mr. Fickel worked for the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission from 1993 through 1994, in both the administrative and prosecutorial divisions. Mr. Fickel joined the Department of Health in September, 1994 and serves as counsel for the Bureau of Health Promotion and Risk Reduction, the Health Research Office, the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), the Office of Rural Health and the Pennsylvania Indoor Tanning Regulation Program. He also assists in providing counsel to the Bureau of Health Statistics and Research, the Bureau of Family Health and the Bureau of Labs. He previously advised the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs, the Division of Drug and Alcohol Program Licensure & Certification, and the Drug, Device and Cosmetics Program. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the Office of General Counsel's Transactions Practice Group.
Mary Friedline, Special Counsel
Department of Corrections
Mary Friedline is an attorney with the Governor's Office of General Counsel assigned to the PA Department of Corrections. She came to the Department of Corrections in November of 2018 to establish a new risk mitigation/legal review function, where she coordinates legal reviews of sentinel events in order to identify areas of significant legal risk and potential mitigation/solutions. Prior to joining the Department, Ms. Friedline headed up the Attorney General's Civil Litigation Section for the Western Region of Pennsylvania. In that role, she defended State agencies and employees in federal civil rights suits involving employment disputes and claims under the First, Fourth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.
Before coming to the Attorney General's Office, Ms. Friedline spent over 18 years in private practice with the Pittsburgh law firm of Rose, Schmidt, Hasley & DiSalle, specializing in personal and commercial litigation, and contract disputes. Ms. Friedline is a member of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County. She resides in Somerset, Pennsylvania, where she volunteers in 4-H and in her church Women's Ministry Outreach program. She also helps with her family's Maple Syrup operation and is a member of the Somerset County Maple Producers Association Board.
Jason C. Giurintano, Hearing Examiner
Department of State
Jason C. Giurintano currently serves as an Administrative Hearing Officer for the Department of State Office of Hearing Examiners where he presides over administrative proceedings for numerous Commonwealth agencies, commissions, and boards. Mr. Giurintano has recently been appointed to a third term as a panel hearing officer for the Attorney Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and is also a certified federal mediator for the U.S. Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Giurintano previously served a two-year term on the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas Civil Arbitration Panel. Before his present role as Administrative Hearing Officer, he was a Deputy Attorney General for the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and he spent more than a decade in a private multi-state law firm where he practiced intensive civil litigation. Mr. Giurintano has also served as Investment Counsel for the Pennsylvania State Employee Retirement System (SERS).
Ana Paulina Gomez, Chief Counsel
Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority
Ana Paulina Gomez was appointed as Chief Counsel of the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority, d/b/a/ Pennie® in January of 2023. As Chief Counsel, she oversees Pennie's legal matters and provides legal advice to Pennie's senior staff. Prior to her appointment, she worked for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department where she represented the Department in litigation before administrative tribunals and appellate courts. She also provided the Department with legal advice regarding complex insurance issues, legislation, and regulations. Ms. Gomez is also an Adjunct Professor at Penn State Dickinson Law where she teaches Insurance Law. Prior to joining the Insurance Department, she worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Education where she litigated educator misconduct cases at the administrative and appellate level.
Prior to joining the OGC, Ms. Gomez was an Assistant District Attorney at the York County District Attorney's Office from 2012 until 2015. Prior to her work as an ADA, Ms. Gomez clerked for the Hon. Thomas Kelley in York County immediately after graduating from law school. Ms. Gomez attended the Penn State Dickinson School of Law where she interned for the Hon. Yvette Kane, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and served as a Senior Editor for the Penn State Environmental Law Review and a Miller Center for Public Interest Fellow. Ms. Gomez is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Nikki L. Harrison, Assistant Counsel
Department of Labor and Industry
Nikki L. Harrison is Assistant Counsel with the Department of Labor and Industry in the Workers' Compensation Appeal Board (WCAB) division. Ms. Harrison has been an attorney with the WCAB since 2016, where she is responsible for advising and assisting the Board with the disposition of administrative appeals from workers' compensation decisions. Prior to joining the Department of Labor and Industry, Ms. Harrison worked in the private sector, implementing wills and trusts. She began her career with the Commonwealth originally as an intern with the Department of Education, and then at the Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC).
Ms. Harrison graduated summa cum laude from Gettysburg College in 2009, with a B.A. in Political Science. She graduated cum laude from Widener University Commonwealth Law School in 2015, with a J.D.
Aaron S. Haynes, Assistant Counsel
Department of Human Services
Aaron S. Haynes is an Assistant Counsel with the Office of General Counsel for the Department of Human Services (DHS). Mr. Haynes has been with DHS since 2016 and handles administrative and federal litigation, as well as related appellate work in the areas of Medical Assistance and Right-to-Know Law. Mr. Haynes has represented the Department in administrative appeals before the Department's Bureau of Hearings and Appeals, and the State Civil Service Commission, as well as related appellate work in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.
Prior to his current position, Mr. Haynes clerked for a judge in the Dauphin Court of Common Pleas, and worked in private practice specializing in employment law, special education law, complex litigation, and real estate transactions.
Mr. Haynes is a graduate of the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University and received a B.A. degree from St. John's University (NY), and a M.A. degree from the University of Houston. Mr. Haynes is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and the United States District Courts for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of Pennsylvania.
Dawn Herb, Regional Counsel
Department of Environmental Protection
Dawn Herb is the Regional Counsel in the Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Chief Counsel's Southcentral Regional Office. Since joining the Office of Chief Counsel in 1994, Ms. Herb has primarily practiced in the areas of air quality and water quality, including point and non-point source matters. Her work involves counseling, negotiating and litigating matters on behalf of the Department of Environmental Protection. In addition to her work for the Commonwealth, Ms. Herb represented pro bono clients in protection from abuse matters referred by the North Penn Legal Services office from 2001 through 2017. Ms. Herb received her B.A. cum laude and Certificate in Environmental Studies from Dickinson College, and J.D. and Master of Studies in Environmental Law magna cum laude from Vermont Law School. She has taken the three-day mediation training offered by the Office of General Counsel and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and has attended the majority of the mediation continuing legal education courses offered by the Office of General Counsel since 2010. Ms. Herb was also involved with the mediation program that was previously offered by the Department of Environmental Protection.
Brandylynn J. Macierowski, Assistant Counsel
Department of Human Services
Brandylynn J. Macierowski is an Attorney with the Office of General Counsel for the Department of Human Services (DHS). Ms. Macierowski has been with DHS since 2019 and handles administrative, federal litigation, and related appellate work for the Bureau of Program Integrity, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, and the Office of Long-Term Living. Ms. Macierowski has represented the Department in administrative appeals before DHS's Bureau of Hearings and Appeals, in county courts of common pleas, as well as appellate work in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.
Ms. Macierowski earned her J.D., cum laude, from Widener University Commonwealth Law School in 2019 where she externed with Judge Brobson on the Commonwealth Court, served as the Business/External Managing Editor of the Widener Commonwealth Law Review, and participated in the Gabrielli National Family Moot Court Competition. Ms. Macierowski received a B.S. Degree, magna cum laude, from Duquesne University in 2016.
Ms. Macierowski is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Kip Portman, Assistant Counsel
Pennsylvania State Police
Kip Portman worked as a prosecutor in the Bucks County District Attorney's Office, and the Office of Attorney General. He started his career with the OGC in 2011 with the Department of Environmental Protection and moved to the Pennsylvania State Police in 2018. He also has experience in the private sector. His non-lawyer experience includes serving as a manager with a vendor for the Pennsylvania Lottery.
Kip is married to Kellie Portman, an assistant counsel with the Department of General Services. Kip and Kellie have two amazing daughters Ilana, and Lila, who are pharmacists.
Sharon K. Rogers, Senior Counsel
Department of Revenue
Sharon K. Rogers is an attorney assigned to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue where she has been employed since 2021. She represents the Department in tax appeals, and she also advises on Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) matters. Prior to this, she worked for two years at the Commonwealth Court in the Office of Chief Legal Counsel. Prior to Commonwealth Court, she spent 8 years in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (OAG) where she first worked on complex civil litigation in the Tobacco Section of the Public Protection Division. Then, she moved into the Civil Litigation Division where she defended the Commonwealth in lawsuits brought against it. In addition, she also served as the RTKL officer for the OAG. As for her education, she graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and then spent 5 ½ years serving in the Army in overseas and stateside assignments. She earned her J.D. from the University of Maryland. She and her husband have three daughters and they reside in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Maureen J. Rostad, Assistant Counsel
Department of Labor and Industry
Maureen J. Rostad is an Assistant Counsel with the Department of Labor and Industry, the Workers' Compensation Appeal Board (WCAB) division. Ms. Rostad has been an attorney with the WCAB since 2017. In this role, she assists the Board in adjudicating administrative appeals of workers' compensation decisions. Prior to the joining the Commonwealth, Ms. Rostad externed with Judge Brobson on the Commonwealth Court and Judge Placey on the Court of Common Pleas, Cumberland County.
Ms. Rostad received her J.D. from Penn State, The Dickinson School of Law, a Master's in Creative Writing and Literature from Harvard University's Extension School, and a B.A. in Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University.
Megan Rubenstein Robbins, Senior Counsel
Department of Human Services
Megan Rubenstein Robbins is Senior Counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services in Wilkes-Barre, PA. She has been with the Department since 2006. Her areas of practice include guardianship, licensing of human services facilities, child abuse, mental health and intellectual disability law. She represents the Department in administrative appeals before the Department's Bureau of Hearings and Appeals, in county courts of common pleas, and state and federal appellate courts. She also negotiates settlement agreements, reviews proposed legislation, and provides legal advice and counsel as the lead licensing attorney to the Department's Office of Child Development and Early Learning. She also provides legal advice to the Department's northeast regional program offices and state-operated facilities. Ms. Robbins graduated from Susquehanna University, magna cum laude, with a B.A. in Sociology in 2002. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from Widener Law Commonwealth in 2006.
David J. Schertz, Prosecuting Attorney
Department of State
David J. Schertz graduated from the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University in 1998 and worked at the Harrisburg firm of Krevsky and Rosen, P.C. practicing in family and criminal law. In 2005, David became a clerk for the Honorable Lawrence F. Clark, Jr. of the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas. After completing his clerkship in 2007, David became an associate in the Harrisburg office of Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott, LLC where he practiced civil litigation. In 2012, David became a prosecuting attorney for the Department of State in the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs where he still practices today.
Gina Thomas, Assistant Counsel
Department of Environmental Protection
Gina Thomas is an Assistant Counsel in the Pennsylvania Governor's Office of General Counsel. She is assigned to the Department of Environmental Protection's ("DEP") Southeast Regional Office in Norristown, PA. Her practice focuses on issues related to stormwater management, remediation of hazardous waste sites and environmental bankruptcy litigation. In September, 2012, Ms. Thomas received a Governor's Office of General Counsel Commendation for her work as the Regional Coordinator for the Philadelphia Disaster Relief Center related to Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee.
Before joining the DEP's Southeast Regional Office, she was an associate in the Environmental Law Group of Fox, Rothschild, O'Brien & Frankel, from 1997-1998 and was an Assistant Counsel in the DEP's Southcentral Regional Office (Harrisburg) from 1992-1997. She clerked for James Gardner Colins, former Chief Judge of the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court and interned for the late A. Leon Higginbotham, former Chief Judge of the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Thomas earned her J.D. from Temple University School of Law in 1990 and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University in 1987. Since 2000, Ms. Thomas has been a member of the Princeton University Executive Precept in Philosophy. In 2015, she received mediation training from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Ms. Thomas is a member of the Boards of Directors for the Awbury Arboretum and Holy Cross Independent Mission School. In addition to her law practice, she is a part-time voice student at the Settlement Music School in Germantown and sings as a soprano soloist and member of the Choir for Our Mother of Consolation Church in Philadelphia. Ms. Thomas is member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women – PA Chapter and the Pennsylvania Bar Association.
Nicole M. Werner, Chief Hearings Examiner
Insurance Department
Nicole M. Werner currently serves as the Chief Hearings Examiner for the Insurance Department's Administrative Hearings Office. Previously, Ms. Werner served as Senior Counsel in the Department of Education's Educator Discipline Unit, where she prosecuted educator licensure cases from inception to appeal. Prior to her career in public service, Ms. Werner was an associate attorney with a small local law firm where she concentrated her practice in the areas of insurance defense litigation and family law.
Ms. Werner is the Program Director for the OGC Mediation Program. She received her mediation training through the Office of General Counsel in collaboration with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Ms. Werner earned her B.A. in Communications from Duquesne University and her J.D. from the Widener University School of Law. She resides in Mechanicsburg with her husband and three busy children.