Meet Our Staff
The Economic Action staff is a team of passionate advocates, committed to securing economic rights and equity for all. We work together to meet the needs of our Maryland communities through our diverse perspectives and skill-sets. We take great pride in providing immediate services to our Maryland community members in need while simultaneously fighting for systemic change policies that heal the system for good.
Meet Our Board OF Directors
Marceline White, Executive Director
An award-winning, nationally-recognized consumer advocate, Marceline serves as the Executive Director of Economic Action Maryland (formerly Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition)where she leads the coalition’s 10,000 supporters in promoting economic rights, equity, and housing justice throughout Maryland. Marceline has led the coalition’s efforts in passing four first-in-the nation bills related to for-profit colleges, medical debt, and debtors prisons. She’s authored three first-in-the nation state-level reports on for-profit colleges, debt settlement, and debt collection practices and served as the co-chair of the Consumer Protection committee of AG Frosh’s COVID-19 Task Force.
In 2020, Marceline received the inaugural Woodside Award from the CASH Campaign, given to an individual for their work on addressing systemic economic equity issues. In 2017, Marceline won the National Association of Consumer Advocates’ “Advocate of the Year” award for her work advancing economic rights and consumer protection at the state level. In 2017, Marceline also received an Excellence in Advocacy award from the tri-state Common Cents Conference, as well as the Lorraine Sheehan Award for Excellence in Advocacy from the Community Development Network (with the CASH Campaign of Maryland ) for their work ending predatory payday loans in Maryland. In 2014, Marceline won a national award for best community film from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition for her work as producer of the consumer education film “Stealing Trust”.
She has served as president of the board of directors of the Consumer Federation of America and as a member of the board of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. An internationally recognized expert on gender and international trade, Marceline is has written widely on the topic including chapters in Trading Women’s Health and Rights: Trade Liberalization and Reproductive Health in Developing Economies, edited by Caren Grown, Elissa Braunstein, and Anju Malhotra; and, Global Issues, Women and Justice, edited by Sharon Pickering and Caroline Lambert. Marceline is also a published essayist, poet, and writer and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net for her poetry. She holds a Masters of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Jamila Blake, SOAR Financial Counselor
Jamila Blake provides support to older adults by connecting them to community resources and providing financial counseling and coaching. Prior to coming to the organization, Jamila worked in healthcare coordinating services for older adults throughout the area. She holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology/Human Services from Simmons College in Boston, MA. Her experience and education, enables her to effectively communicate and build a strong rapport with older adults. Outside of the office, Jamila enjoys spending time with her children, family, and friends.
Zoe Gallagher, Policy Associate
Zoe Gallagher assists in promoting Economic Action Maryland’s policy agenda through policy research, advocacy, and consumer education. She collaborates with the executive director to advocate for legislation that promotes economic equity and consumer rights in the state of Maryland and beyond. She recently graduated from The University of Maryland, College Park, with a degree in public policy and a concentration in gender and racial justice. With three years of experience in Annapolis as a Legislative Aide and Communications Director, she is excited to work on the advocacy side of the policy-making process. Outside of work, you can find Zoe cuddling up with her big orange cat (Marshall), trying out new recipes, or watching movies with her roommates.
Francine Hyman, SOAR Program Director
Francine Hyman provides support to older adults by connecting them to community resources. Her work with the SOAR program includes assisting older adults navigate the Renters’ and Homeowners’ Tax Credit application processes, as well as conducting benefit check ups and providing financial counseling. Prior to coming to the organization, Francine worked as a Direct Service Case Manager providing support to older adults, youth and families throughout Baltimore City. She holds a Masters Degree in Management of Aging Services and a Bachelor’s in Social Work, both from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Her experience, education, creativity, and sense of humor with a down-to-earth, realistic approach enables her to be an extremely effective social worker who is comfortable working with diverse groups of people. Outside of the office, Francine is either watching horror movies, at the basketball court with her son, or brunching with friends.
Latoya Mckay, Fair Housing Specialist
LaToya McKay provides education, advocacy and support to consumers, partners, and communities dealing with housing discrimination. LaToya received a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and Minor in Family Studies in 2017 from Towson University. LaToya has served in the human service field for over 10 years specializing in public housing and voucher programs. In her experience advocating for change, equality, and advancement in the housing community she has touched the lives of thousands of families. LaToya’s passion to help others drives her day-to-day commitment to service. She is valued for her professional skills in assessing confidential correspondence, customer service, as well as implementing training and development. Whether working on academic, extracurricular, professional, or personal projects she applies proven organizational, research, and creative thinking skills and has been consistently praised as hard-working by colleagues and peers.
Carol Ott, Tenant Advocacy Director
Carol Ott advocates for affordable moderate- and low-income rental housing, code enforcement, blight eradication, and economic development in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods in Baltimore. She also assists low-income renters with substandard housing issues, rent escrow, and other tenant advocacy matters. Carol has been writing about housing and advocating for fair and safe housing in Baltimore since 2008. Carol’s focus area has been Baltimore’s most vulnerable communities, most of which have been plagued with issues such as lead paint poisoning, vacancy, and substandard rentals for more than fifty years. In addition to her advocacy and policy work, she works with tenants and neighborhood/community associations to bring problem properties and landlords into compliance. When she is not working, she can be found in her kitchen cooking and baking, or outside on a long hike.
Savedra Scott, Accountant
Savedra Scott is an outsourced accountant and the owner of Savvy Financial Solutions. She has been in business for 10 years with 20 years of experience. She is a CPA, earned a Masters in Accountancy from George Washington University as well as an MBA from Frostburg University. Savedra loves working with non-profit clients and working with her clients to make their lives easier so they can focus on the work while she focuses on the numbers. When she is not working she loves hanging out with family and binging the latest show.
Emily Fader, SOAR Counselor
Emily Fader provides support to older adults by connecting them to community resources and providing financial counseling and coaching. Prior to coming to the organization, Emily worked at a skilled nursing facility and then at a nonprofit, coordinating services for older adults in Baltimore and the surrounding area. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is a Licensed Bachelor Social Worker (LBSW). She is passionate about the field of aging, specifically as it relates to housing and wealth inequality. Outside of the office, you might find Emily at a yard sale or journaling at a coffee shop.
Jennifer, Deputy Director
Vicki King Taitano, Vice President of the Board
Vicki King Taitano, Vice President of the Board, has spent her career advocating for justice for low income people. She is a supervising attorney in the housing unit at Neighborhood Legal Services in Washington D.C. She spent four years as program counsel at the Legal Services Corporation, the largest funder for civil legal services for low income people in the country. In that role, she advised legal services programs throughout the country on program management. She spent nine years at Maryland Legal Aid, where she was an elder law staff attorney, represented clients on consumer issues, and directed Maryland Legal Aid’s statewide foreclosure legal assistance project. She has also served as a staff attorney in general practice at Micronesian Legal Services in the Pacific. “In my work as a legal aid attorney, I partnered with MCRC on several projects and was very impressed with the impact MCRC has on consumer issues in the state. They fight hard every day for all of us and their emphasis on economic justice has made the state a more fair place to live. I am so happy to be able to continue to be a part of that work.”
Emanwel J. Turnbull, Treasurer of the Board
Emanwel J. Turnbull, Treasurer of the Board, is from the United Kingdom, where he earned his law degree at St Hugh’s College, Oxford University and a post-graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the College of Law in London. In 2011, Emanwel was among the first students to enroll in the University of Maryland School of Law’s graduate program, where he focused his studies on Consumer Law. In the course of earning his LL.M., Emanwel published articles in the Widener Law Review about consumer arbitration, and in the Vermont Law Review about the use of the “account stated” doctrine in consumer debt collection actions. He first met Peter Holland as a student in University of Maryland’s Consumer Protection Clinic, and they have worked together ever since. In addition to his practice, Emanwel teaches law and legal history in the Legal, Ethical and Historical Studies division at the University of Baltimore. He is also active in the legal technology field, volunteering his time to help the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service to build, maintain, and analyze a database of millions Maryland court records, in the Client Legal Utility Engine project. Emanwel also helps researchers interested in using the database for public-interest applications.
Claudia Wilson Randall, President of the Board
Claudia Wilson Randall, President of the Board, is the Executive Director of the Community Development Network of Maryland (CDN). Claudia comes to CDN with a long history in community development statewide. She recently was the COO of Southeast Community Development Corporation in Baltimore City, and prior to that worked for Maryland DHCD in the Neighborhood Revitalization Division. Before that, Claudia was the Deputy Director with the Maryland Center for Community Development, which was the precursor to CDN today. Claudia has her master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University, and lives in the Ten Hills community of Baltimore City.
Liz Briscoe
Liz Briscoe is the Coordinator, Affinity Group on Aging and Health Funders Affinity Group for the Maryland Philanthropy Network. Liz has worked in human services and healthcare throughout her career. Most recently, she was the Division Chief of Advocacy and Special Projects along with managing the Baltimore City Health Department Division of Aging & CARE Services MD Access Point (MAP), a no wrong door point of entry for older adults and their families to access support services. The prior eleven years, she was executive director of Action In Maturity (AIM), a Baltimore City senior center ‘without walls’, a unique model which provides activities, education, and senior-friendly transportation programs. Liz is a native Baltimorean and attended both Towson and Johns Hopkins Universities. She received Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry/Medical Technology and Mechanical Engineering. She recently graduated from University of Baltimore’s Certified Public Manager Program and is a Weinberg Fellow. She serves on the Boards of Maryland Gerontology Association, Baltimore Transit Campaign, Myerberg Senior Center, Keswick Multi-care; and the Board of Directors for Comprehensive Housing Association, Inc. (CHAI).
Alys Cohen
Alys Cohen is a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center’s Washington office, where she leads NCLC’s federal housing advocacy before Congress and the regulatory agencies. She also coordinates NCLC’s work on energy efficiency housing finance and disaster response. Prior to joining the NCLC staff, Alys served as an attorney in the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, Division of Financial Practices, where she focused on predatory mortgage lending and discrimination matters. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Alys is co-author of NCLC’s Truth in Lending, Consumer Credit Regulation, Credit Discrimination, and Mortgage Lending.
Sandy Comenetz
Sandy Comenetz is a financial services attorney. She has worked at federal banking agencies, where she held a variety of leadership positions, and in private practice. She has served on the board of the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau, worked with two state consumer protection divisions, and provided pro bono assistance to numerous individuals. She is committed to consumer protection and to making financial education available to everyone. In 2018, she co-founded the Anne Arundel Financial Education Coalition. She received her J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law, where she was Articles Editor of the Maryland Law Review, and was a law clerk to the Hon. Joseph C. Howard, U.S. District Court for Maryland.
Ricarra Jones
Ricarra Jones has a stellar track record of raising awareness for a multitude of social and economic issues through education, advocacy, and action. She is currently a Political Director at 1199 Service Employees International Union where she has directed a plethora of political and issue based campaigns including but not limited to Labor, Economic Justice, Healthcare and Racial & Gender Equality. Her creative strategies further develop social programs, manage projects and secure partnerships with a goal of increasing exposure and seizing opportunities, enabling organizational objectives to be met. Her career is supported by a Master of Public Administration and Bachelor of Art in Political Science.
Rev. Kobi Little
Rev. Kobi Little is President of the Baltimore City NAACP. Kobi Kobi Little is an experienced and trusted leader, problem solver and community builder. Kobi has broad and deep policy experience in a wide range of issues including education, community and economic development, international affairs, human rights, social justice, emergency management and law enforcement. Kobi’s passion is sharing his insights and experiences to empower individuals,
organizations and communities to reach their goals. Kobi started his career as an organizer in Washington, DC, participating in the Free South Africa Movement and marching in the snow for the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. Since that time, Kobi has managed and advised city council, mayoral, state legislative, congressional, senatorial, presidential and grassroots issue
campaigns across the United States. He has also participated in numerous community based organizations. A former SGA president, Kobi maintains a lifelong commitment to working with young people and developing student leaders. He is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, the University of Alabama, and Selma University.
Tracy McCracken
Tracy McCracken is the Director of Fair Housing of NCRC’s Center for Civil Rights. She has garnered extensive fair housing and fair lending testing experience as a project coordinator with DB Consulting Group, as a senior project coordinator with the National Fair Housing Alliance, and as the executive director of the Mobile Fair Housing Center. She has conducted testing in the areas of rental, sales, lending, insurance and public accommodations. She is one of the authors of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s “Study of the Fair Housing Initiatives Program”. She is a graduate of The University of Montevallo and Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law. She is a member of the Alabama State Bar Association. She has two daughters who reside in Mobile, AL.
Pokuaa Owusu-Acheaw
Pokuaa Owusu-Acheaw currently serves as the managing director of political and legislative affairs for the Maryland State Education Association. Prior to working for MSEA, Pokuaa worked as the Intergovernmental Affairs Officer for Prince George’s County Executive Angela D. Alsobrooks, in the United States Senate as a Regional Director for U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, and the Maryland General Assembly as Legislative Director and Chief of Staff for Maryland State Senator Joanne C. Benson. Pokuaa is a proud first-generation American, the daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, she graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, with a bachelor’s in political science and communication in 2012. In 2015, she graduated from the University of Baltimore School Of Law, with concentrations in public interest and intellectual property. She is an advocate for issues relating to economic justice, racial equity, reproductive justice, and voting rights. Pokuaa has been honored by Radio One’s WKYS as a 2016 DMV 30 Under 30 Honoree, the Prince George’s County Social Innovation Fund as a Forty Under 40 Honoree in 2018, and by The Maryland Daily Record as a 2020 Successful by 40 Very Important Professional(VIP).
Matthew Thomas Vocci
Matthew Thomas Vocci is a partner in the law firm of Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLC. He represents and advocates on behalf of low-income Marylanders and strives to provide high-quality legal representation for those who would otherwise not be able to afford an attorney. If there are landlords, property managers, lenders, debt collectors, employers, bail bondsman that are taking advantage of regular folks, Matt and his firm work to bring them to justice. The majority of Matt’s work relates in some way to housing. He represents tenants against landlords and property managers on a variety of cases such as consumer protection and consumer debt collection issues, habitability, Fair Housing Act violations, illegal evictions, and personal injuries. Matt has served as class counsel on several class actions, including a recent case that resolved favorably for tenants against a large, out-of-state property management company. Matt was an integral part of a trial team that represented a unit owner that suffered significant damages stemming from water infiltration and mold growth in a condominium unit. This case resulted in what is believed to be Maryland’s largest judgment against a condominium board for failure to maintain and repair common elements resulting in damages to a single unit owner. Matt graduated cum laude from Temple University, Beasley School of Law in 2006 and served on the Editorial Board of the Temple Law Review.
Roop Vijayan
Roop Vijayan is a legal professional with two decades of diverse experience. His legal career began in Baltimore City as an Assistant Public Defender, and he had a solo practice focusing on consumer law, bankruptcy, and tax controversies before his current role with the State. Currently, Roop is serving the Attorney General’s Office, as an Assistant Attorney General and Counsel, representing a wide range of legal matters including litigation, transportation, clean energy, land development, Bond law and economic development issues. Roop’s commitment to service extends beyond his legal work. He has served or continues to serve on the Attorney Grievance Commission’s Panel Committee, Neighborhood & School Boards. He also contributes his time as a Debate Judge for the Baltimore Urban Debate League for elementary and middle schoolers, and the Speech and Debate Association for high schoolers. From 1997 to 1999, Roop served as a US Peace Corps volunteer in the Sahel region of Ghana, West Africa, working for Ghana’s Cooperative Credit Union Association. Roop has earned his undergraduate degree (BS) in business from Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University, his law degree (JD) from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University and graduate law degree (LLM) from the University of Baltimore School of Law. Please note that all opinions and work for this Board are his own and do not represent the views or positions of the Attorney General’s office.