BOARD OF DIRECTORS

staff-members-in-conference-room-viewing-a-slide-on-a-screen

Timothy Abeska, Esq.

President

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Dr. Clinton Pettus, Ph.D.

Vice President

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Ruth Thomas

Treasurer

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Holland Brownley, Esq.

Secretary

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Anthony Rodriguez, Esq.

Co-Chair, IDEA Committee

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Tanisha Armstrong

Co-Chair IDEA Committee

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Discover how you can get involved below



Volunteer as an attorney

Help us provide civil legal services to more individuals and families in need.



Provide additional volunteer services

Speak another language? Help provide translation services!



Intern with us

For those who are interested in law, social justice, and community service.



Partner with us

Help us provide civil legal services to more individuals and families in need.



Make a gift

With your help, we can continue making the law accessible and affordable.

CORE VALUES

Integrity	Service Oriented
Compassion	Professionalism
Respect	Collaboration
Dignity

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Access Goal

Shore Legal Access seeks to acknowledge and honor individual differences by fostering a culture of dignity, respect, and belonging for all service recipients, staff, volunteers, and leaders.

Tim Abeska

President

Tim Abeska is a retired attorney who practiced law in Indiana for nearly 35 years.The focus of Tim’s law practice was business and construction litigation and transportation law. He also represented banks and other commercial lenders.

In July 2015, his wife, Mary Ann, was diagnosed with ALS (often called Lou Gehrig’s Disease). In 2017, Tim accelerated a planned retirement so that Mary Ann could live her last days on her beloved Eastern Shore.

Tim began work as a volunteer attorney for Shore Legal Access (then named Mid-Shore Pro Bono) in March 2018 and has provided services to many clients. After Mary Ann died in January 2019, Tim expanded his volunteer work with Shore Legal Access, and joined the Board of Directors in late 2019. He is currently president of the board.

In addition to his work for Shore Legal Access, Tim serves on the Board of Directors of the Indiana Bar Foundation, is an Upper Shore Regional Council Small Business Mentor, and is a Volunteer Advocate with I AM ALS, an organization which is revolutionizing how we cure ALS by empowering and mobilizing patients, engaging with policymakers, and offering vital resources for people impacted by ALS.

Clinton Pettus

Vice President

Clinton Pettus is a former college educator and administrator. Throughout his professional career, he has made community service a significant part of his life. Since retiring and moving to Talbot County several years ago, he has served on committees and boards of local, regional, national, and international organizations. His approach to life supports efforts to focus less on differences and more on what human beings have in common.

Ruth Thomas

Treasurer

Ruth Thomas has over 30 years of experience in leadership and finance, along with prior work in the legal profession. She is currently the VP for Finance and Administration of SAT-7, a Christian nonprofit, headquartered in Easton, MD. Ruth brings to the board experience in finance, budgeting, HR, fundraising, legacy/planned giving, and nonprofit management.

Ruth is passionate about excellence and accountability in all aspects of her life and work and believes that transparency is key to gaining donor trust and support.

Ruth holds her B.S. in Business Administration from UMGC and a B.A. in Leadership from York University, along with a CCNL (Credentialed Christian Nonprofit Leader) through the Christian Leadership Alliance. Ruth is a member of the Tidewater Rotary of Easton.

Holland Brownley, Esq.

Secretary

Holland Brownley has called Queen Anne's County her home since childhood. After graduating from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, in Washington, DC, she clerked for the Hon. Thomas G. Ross, in the Circuit Court for Queen Anne's County. When her clerkship concluded, Ms. Brownley decided to stay local and opened her own practice in Stevensville with a focus on criminal defense and family law. She has provided pro bono service throughout her 15-year legal career, whether it was through Mid-Shore Pro Bono (now Shore Legal Access) as a volunteer attorney, or as a panel conflict attorney through the Office of the Public Defender.

In 2014, her firm was awarded Law Firm of the Year from Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service (MVLS) for its representation of pro bono family law clients. In 2017, Ms. Brownley joined the Office of the Public Defender in its Talbot County office so that she could devote her attention full-time to representation of indigent clients. In 2020, she was appointed to the Supreme Court of Maryland's Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services, and is now serving a second term. She has served on the board of Shore Legal Access since 2020.

Anthony Rodriguez

Chair, IDEA Committee

Anthony (Tony) Rodriguez has been a public interest attorney since 1986. Tony retired from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2021 and in 2022 he began representing and providing legal assistance to Shore Legal Access's clients on various housing and consumer debt issues. Tony joined the board in March of 2022.

Tanisha Armstrong

"If you are not a part of the solution, then you are a part of the problem.\" That is the guiding principle of Tanisha Armstrong’s life. She is an educator, advocate, and leader who has spent more than 30 years supporting nonprofits, faith communities, businesses, and individuals in moving their missions forward. She has served the community in many capacities and has been on the board of a number of local organizations.

Tanisha is a first-generation Caribbean-American, passionate historian, and writer. She can always be found pursuing opportunities to cultivate compassion and joy both professionally and personally. She relishes the sound of laughter, the experience of a communal meal, and the beauty of nature.

Arlette Bright

Arlette Bright, an Eastern Shore native, is the principal and owner of The Law Offices of Arlette Kelly Bright, P.C.; Bright Title and Settlement Services, LLC,; and has been practicing law for over 28 years, with a focus on real estate, corporate and business matters, estate planning and administration, and intellectual property. Arlette’s private law practice experience began with the law firms of Miles and Stockbridge, P.C. and Piper & Marbury (now DLA Piper) and Hyatt & Weber, P.A.

Arlette has been active in and volunteered for many civic organizations, including Worcester County Child Advocacy Center, Wicomico County Child Advocacy Center, Worcester County Department of Social Services Advisory Board, Salisbury PFLAG, Delmarva Zoological Society, FreeState Justice, and Shore Legal Access.

Arlette lives in Ocean City, Maryland with her husband, Bruce Bright, and has three children, Day, Wyatt, and Colin.

Rebecca Burner

Rebecca Burner was appointed to the board of Shore Legal Access in June of 2019. Ms. Burner has more than four decades of experience in the public and private sector, where she developed an expertise in fiscal policy and program administration. She served for over a decade as the director of governmental relations, working for the secretary of the Maryland Department of Budget and Management. Previously, Ms. Burner served as a government relations consultant for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. Earlier in her career she was the director of government relations for the Maryland Department of Environment and legislative liaison to the Maryland Department of Health. Prior to that she served as the city administrator for the town of Berwyn Heights and legislative assistant for State Senator Meyer M. Emanuel, Jr. She currently serves on the board and executive committee of the Chesterwye Center, Inc. She was previously appointed by Governors Schaefer and Glendening to two terms on the Queen Anne’s County Board of Education and served for two years as president. Ms. Burner, who holds a bachelor’s degree in government and politics from the University of Maryland, College Park, earned her M.P.A. from The George Washington University in Washington D.C.

Jenifer Goolie, Esq.

Jenifer Goolie has been practicing law in Maryland for 31 years and is currently a social services attorney in the Lower Shore where she works in child welfare, adult protective services, and adult guardianships. She holds a bachelor's degree in city planning, magna cum laude (1989); a juris doctor (1993); and master's degree in Divinity (2002), all while matriculating at Howard University, Washington D.C. She began her legal career working in small firms or in solo practice in the D.C. Metropolitan area concentrating in family law matters. She became an attorney to be able to "speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, and to defend the rights of the poor and the needy." She believes that folks have the right to have quality legal services even if they cannot afford it. Throughout her career Jenifer has been involved in pro bono work in some form, and this shall always be a part of her life and work. Jenifer is originally from the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in the West Indies and is the proud mother of three young children.

Hillary Lindeman

Hillary Lindeman has four decades of experience in the field of human services, serving in management positions with both the government and nonprofit sectors. Hillary served as a deputy director at the Prince George’s County Department of Social Services for 17 years, managing all of crisis intervention programs, including homeless services. Most of the county’s crisis programs were delivered by nonprofits, and Hillary worked closely with the nonprofit sector to ensure the services were provided in the best way possible. In 2014, Hillary started serving as the executive director of Nonprofit Prince George’s County and worked extensively to strengthen the county’s nonprofit sector until May 2020.

Angel Perez

Angel Perez is the Caroline Pride CEO/Founder, who has been recognized as the Caroline County Citizen of the Year 2020, Caliber Award Mary Beth Brennaman 2022, and Jefferson Award for Public Service 2022. For the past 13 years, Mr. Perez has dedicated his time to positively impacting his community, especially carrying the message of inclusion, respect, and equity. Mr. Perez created the Greensboro & Preston Connects Initiative and currently serves as president of the Rotary Club of Denton, the Caroline County Local Drug and Alcohol Abuse Council, Caroline Goes Purple Committee, Caroline County Public Schools Citizens Advisory Committee, Wellness Coalition, Caroline County Equity Committee, MD Rainbow Roundtable, Regional Behavioral Health Advisory Committee, Caroline Co. Extension Advisory Council, and Mid Shore Suicide Coalition.

Sean Seldon

Pastor Sean Seldon was born in Philadelphia, PA. to Melvin R. and Rev. Alexinia Seldon on April 17, 1972. Pastor Sean is married to Jacquelyn Bell Seldon and has three adult children; Meghin, Alexis (Londale), Joshua and four beautiful grandchildren, Caleb, Colbi, Colin and Seanie...aka "Big Shot." Sean earned a B.A. in sociology from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and a master's in post-secondary education from Salisbury University. Sean is a current adjunct professor at University of Maryland Eastern Shore and enjoys fishing and spending time tending his yard.

Mike Starling

Mike Starling is a retired D.C. and California attorney who spent 25 years at National Public Radio, retiring as vice president & executive director of the Technology Research Center & NPR Labs. In "retirement" Starling became the founder & general manager at Mid-Shore Community Radio's NPR Member Station WHCP-FM, 91.7 MHz.

Doncella Wilson, LMSW

As an Eastern Shore of Maryland native, Doncella completed her primary education in Queen Anne’s County and holds an associate's degree in human services from Chesapeake College, and a B.A. and a master’s degree in social work from Salisbury University. Ms. Wilson is a board approved and licensed master social worker with more than twenty years’ experience in the human services profession. She is currently the co-founder of Minary’s Dream Alliance, Inc. (MDA) where she serves as the executive director. The mission of MDA is \"to transform the lives of youth, families, and communities through education, resource development, and community engagement." Ms. Wilson was elected in 2017 to serve as a council member on the town council in Denton, Maryland to serve a five-year term. She volunteers her time on various local and state boards. Ms. Wilson is the current board president for the Caroline County Council of the Arts and also a board member for Mid-Shore Behavioral Health and Shore Legal Access. Ms. Wilson was appointed by Governor Hogan to serve on the Uninsured Employers Fund Board in 2019 and in 2021 she was appointed to the Commission on Trauma-Informed Care. Ms. Wilson was a co-chair for Comptroller Brooke Lierman’s Public Engagement transition team and is a current member of the Comptroller’s Financial Literacy Workgroup. Doncella seeks to live her life as the Maya Angelou quote states, \"When you learn teach, when you get give.\"

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Timothy Abeska, Esq.

Dr. Clinton Pettus, Ph.D.

Ruth Thomas

Holland Brownley, Esq.

Anthony Rodriguez, Esq.

Tanisha Armstrong

Arlette Bright

Rebecca Burner

Jenifer Goolie, Esq.

Hillary Lindeman

Angel Perez

Sean Seldon

Mike Starling

Doncella Wilson, LMSW

Discover how you can get involved below

Volunteer as an attorney

Provide additional volunteer services

Intern with us

Partner with us

Make a gift

CORE VALUES

Integrity

Service Oriented

Compassion

Professionalism

Respect

Collaboration

Dignity

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Access Goal

Email Signup

Tim Abeska

President

Clinton Pettus

Vice President

Ruth Thomas

Treasurer

Holland Brownley, Esq.

Secretary

Anthony Rodriguez

Chair, IDEA Committee

Tanisha Armstrong

Arlette Bright

Rebecca Burner

Jenifer Goolie, Esq.

Hillary Lindeman

Angel Perez

Sean Seldon

Mike Starling

Doncella Wilson, LMSW