Executive Director Dennis Parker Announces Retirement
NCLEJ Begins Search for New Executive Director
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 30, 2025
Contact: Patrick Fowler, Communications Strategist | fowler@nclej.org
New York, NY – Following six years of service to the National Center for Law and Economic Justice (NCLEJ), Executive Director Dennis Parker announced his retirement for Summer 2025.
Dennis joined NCLEJ in January 2019. Under his tenure, NCLEJ continued to secure legal victories benefiting the lives of hundreds of thousands of low-income people across the country. Such highlights include ending debt-based driver’s license suspensions in New York through the passage of state legislation; expanding access to public benefits for disabled residents in Suffolk County, NY; combating ICE’s illegal retaliation against immigrant workers; ending Kentucky’s unconstitutional medical debt collection practice; launching a groundbreaking partnership with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to expand human rights in global supply chains; expanding access to SNAP benefits in Missouri, Alaska, Georgia and New York City; relaunching the Federal Practice Manual for Legal Aid Attorneys to assist public interest practitioners in navigating their way through federal litigation; and securing more than $110 million in additional State expenditures for Michiganders with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
His strong leadership ensured that NCLEJ weathered the difficult years of the pandemic to continue its mission to advance economic, racial, and disability justice in the face of strong headwinds. Despite this challenging environment, Dennis oversaw growth in NCLEJ’s staff, and a very strong roster of professionals and cases. As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of NCLEJ in 2025, a strong NCLEJ is delivering important legal victories for low-income people and will continue to do so in the coming years.
“I’d like to give my heartfelt thanks to Dennis for his incredible leadership and to congratulate him on his retirement,” said Board of Directors Chair Sandra Hauser. “NCLEJ’s work had an incredible impact under Dennis’ guidance, and he leaves the organization with an amazing team and strategic approach as we look ahead to the future.”
“My service as Executive Director for NCLEJ was one of the great honors of my legal career,” said Executive Director Dennis Parker. “For such a small staff, NCLEJ has punched well above its weight. The team we have assembled is among the best in the legal services field, and I can enter retirement knowing that over these last six years, we’ve made an incredible impact on so many people through our work. I’m excited to capstone my tenure on a high note as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of NCLEJ and begin our search for my successor.”
NCLEJ has partnered with Sandler Search to recruit the organization’s next Executive Director. The search is now live. You can view our open job posting at this link.
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