CVLC Staff By Department
Leadership & Administration
Alison Weir, Executive Director
Felix Chaoulideer, Chief of Staff
Don Tutson, Director of Pro Bono Legal Services
Landon L. McKinney, Legal Intern
Screening & Referral Team
Karen Gargamelli-McCreight, Screening Attorney
Juliet Taylor, Intake and Program Access Specialist
Jeanine Avitabile, Legal Screener
Vanesha Warden, Screening Receptionist
Development & Communications Team
Shannon Mykins, Director of Development and Communications
Patrick J Dunn, Deputy Director of Development and Communications
Alex McCulloch, Data Analyst
Ash Carrington, Development Assistant
Legal Team
VA Benefits and Discharge Upgrade Unit
Chelsea Donaldson, Supervising Attorney, VA Benefits
Sharon Fialkovich, Attorney, VA Benefits and Elder Law
Alden Pinkham, Staff Attorney and Policy Analyst
Eva Puorro, Attorney, VA Benefits
Ali Walker-Burr, Howard R. Udell Staff Attorney, Discharge Upgrades
Janice Wolf, Attorney, VA Benefits
Whendi Cook Broderick, Paralegal, VA Benefits and Discharge Upgrades
Civil Legal Unit
Darren Pruslow, Supervising Attorney, Civil Legal
Christy Fisher, Senior Counsel, Civil Legal
Tucker McWeeny, Attorney, Civil Legal
Brendan Murphy, Attorney, Civil Legal
Cyd Oppenheimer, Attorney, Civil Legal
Barbara Beaujour, Paralegal, Civil Legal
Meet the Team of CVLC
Listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Jeanine Avitabile
Legal Screener
Jeanine Avitabile joins CVLC’s Screening & Referral Team after over twenty years of experience in the mental health field, most recently as part of the team at the Veterans Intensive PTSD Residential Program. She is a proud advocate of mental health initiatives, particularly for Veterans, and feels that her purpose is to support Veterans, serving those who served us.
Jeanine is a Connecticut Native and graduate of the Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven. When not at CVLC, she enjoys taking walks, spending time with her family and friends, and sunrises and sunsets. She considers her greatest blessing in life to be her four children and three granddaughters with whom she shares a birthday month with.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Barbara Beaujour (she/her)
Paralegal, Civil Legal
Bio coming soon.
Ash Carrington (she/her)
Development Assistant
Ash Carrington (she/her) is a Development Assistant for Connecticut’s Veterans Legal Center. She brings to the position seven years of experience working with local and national nonprofits in education and the arts. She earned her degree from the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Connecticut and will be receiving her Master’s in Education from the University of Bridgeport in May. She is excited to serve the veteran community, drawing inspiration from her family’s background in the military, which has been a foundational influence throughout her life.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Felix Chaoulideer
Chief of Staff
Before joining CVLC, Felix worked at the Cook County Jail in Chicago, Illinois, where he taught and organized classes for detainees.
Felix recently graduated from the University of Chicago with a B.A. in Philosophy and German and may pursue a legal degree in the future.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Whendi Cook Broderick
Paralegal, VA Benefits and Discharge Upgrades
Whendi joined CVLC following several years as a psychology professor, social justice educator, and collaborative action researcher. She cultivates emancipatory programs that facilitate sustainable transformation through the integration of critical pedagogy, popular education, Theater of the Oppressed, therapeutic art, music, outdoor education, and service learning.
Earlier in her career as a paralegal, Whendi worked in environmental litigation, corporate law, real estate, and family law. She earned a PhD in Applied Social Science and Liberatory Education from Lancaster University in the UK, an MA in Oral Traditions from The Graduate Institute, and a BS in Communications from Southern Connecticut State University. She brings a deep dedication to serving the veteran community.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Chelsea Donaldson (she/her)
Supervising Attorney, VA Benefits
Passionate about access to justice and trauma-informed practice, Chelsea has chosen to dedicate her life to serving the community that requires legal aid the most: low-income individuals struggling with mental illness and trauma. Her primary practice at CVLC is heavily focused on Veterans struggling from severe mental health diagnoses accessing the healthcare and services that they need to heal. Her recent access to justice advocacy includes authoring testimony in support of the rights of incarcerated people and working to expand access to healthcare for Veterans wrongfully discharged with “bad paper.”
Chelsea began her career at CVLC as a Connecticut Bar Foundation Singer Fellow representing survivors of military sexual trauma in VA Benefits cases. Prior to her Singer Fellowship, Chelsea worked as clerk for the Connecticut Judicial Branch. Her graduate career includes clinical experience as a social worker for incarcerated people reintegrating into society. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from Western New England University School of Law and her M.S.W. from Springfield College. She is admitted to the Connecticut State Bar and Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims (CAVC). She is also a licensed Master Social Worker through the State of Connecticut.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Patrick J Dunn (he/him)
Deputy Director of Development and Communications
Patrick joined the team at CVLC in 2023 and is the Deputy Director of Development and Communications. He originally moved to Connecticut from Ankara, Turkey in 2003 to attend the University of Hartford where he studied creative writing and arts management. For the past 15 years he has dedicated his life to the nonprofit sector, working for both arts & culture and human service nonprofits. In addition to his nonprofit work, Patrick has helped raise thousands of dollars in volunteer roles for community organizations and social justice causes and worked as an advocate for underserved populations.
Separate from his nonprofit work, Patrick is also a professional performance artist.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Sharon Fialkovich
Attorney, VA Benefits / Elder Law
Sharon Fialkovich is CVLC’s Staff Attorney focusing on Veterans Benefits for seniors. Prior to joining CVLC, she worked as an Agency Attorney for the City of New York Department of Social Services. Before her time at DSS, she worked as a Staff Attorney at Womankind (former New York Asian Women’s Center), where she headed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Project and assisted trafficking and domestic violence victims seeking immigration remedies. Sharon received her J.D. from the City University of New York School of Law and her B.A. from the State University of New York Binghamton. She is admitted to practice law in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York.
Photo by Desirea Stott-Rodgers.
Christy Fisher
Senior Counsel, Civil Legal
Christy has a long-term commitment to public interest law, working in Connecticut and Washington, D.C. as a legal services attorney, clinical law instructor, and consultant on the provision of legal services. Before joining the CVLC staff, Christy worked in the Lower Naugatuck Valley and New Haven as part of New Haven Legal Assistance Association (LAA), and served as a Program Officer with the Legal Services Corporation in D.C. As a clinical instructor of law, she has conducted programs ranging from consumer bankruptcy and community lawyering to her most recent position with the Veterans Clinic at Quinnipiac University’s School of Law. In 2022, Christy received the Connecticut Bar Association’s Charles J. Parker Legal Services Award, in recognition of her “abiding interest in and dedication to the delivery of legal services to the disadvantaged in Connecticut.”
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Karen Gargamelli-McCreight
Screening Attorney
Karen began her legal career at Common Law Inc. working with community organizers to increase access to legal services in low-income NYC neighborhoods.
At Common Law, Karen co-created an innovative model to address the foreclosure crisis through pro se training. This model worked to bridge the access to justice gap for low-income individuals and their families facing home foreclosure.
She also co-founded and co-directed Benincasa Community, a small non-profit offering hospitality and supportive services in NYC and—most recently—therapeutic farming and eco-education in Guilford, CT.
Karen earned her J.D. from the City University of New York School of Law and a B.A. in English Literature from Loyola University Chicago. She is admitted to practice in Connecticut and New York.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Alex McCulloch
Data Analyst
Alex started working as a data analyst at CVLC in 2024, where he is responsible for tracking, organizing, and drawing insights from the data collected by the organization. He also serves as a liaison for research teams CVLC partners with.
Alex earned a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with an M.A. in Political Science. During his time in Milwaukee, he assisted faculty with research on judicial behavior in the Supreme Court and pursued his research on the development of ideological identity among American voters.
Prior to joining CVLC, Alex worked as a case manager at the Family and Children’s Center, where he coordinated and supervised parent-child visitation. He has previous experience working with attorneys, having completed internships at the public defender’s office and New Horizons Outreach Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. At New Horizons, he interned with the legal advocate, helping to support survivors of domestic violence and abuse.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Tucker McWeeny
Attorney, Civil Legal
Tucker joined CVLC in 2023 and is a staff attorney with the Civil Legal Unit focusing primarily on housing issues.
Tucker is a proud graduate of Hartford Public High School; St. Andrews College – Dublin (I.B.); University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (B.A.); and the UCONN law (J.D.).
Tucker began his career as an investigator with the Housing Unit of the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. Tucker left the public sector in 2009 and joined Silvester & Daly as an associate and became a partner in 2016. He handled a variety of insurance defense claims: premise liability; liquor liability; professional liability; fire liability and both private and public Fair Housing defense.
In 2020 Tucker opened a solo practice focused on Plaintiff side civil rights litigation and consulting. He has represented clients in State and Federal Court as well as State/Federal agency investigations.
Tucker lives in Windsor, CT with his wife, three children, three dogs and a turtle.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Brendan Murphy
Attorney, Civil Legal
Brendan Murphy is honored to be CVLC’s Howard R. Udell Fellow. Attorney Murphy’s practice covers a wide range of civil legal matters, including housing, child support, and VA benefit claims. He serves Veterans in northern, central, and eastern Connecticut. He uses an interests-based approach and mediation to promote multi-party cooperation and address client needs.
Prior to joining CVLC, Brendan started a solo law practice through the Connecticut Community Law Center (CCLC) incubator. During and after his time with the CCLC, Brendan’s practice focused on ‘low bono’ services aimed to bridge the access to legal services and conflict resolution gap.
Brendan has been named a Connecticut Mediation Association board member . He is also a member of the Sustainable CT Windham town committee. He earned his J.D. from the Western New England University School of Law and a B.A. in English from the University of Connecticut.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Shannon Mykins (she/her)
Director of Development and Communications
Shannon Mykins joined Connecticut Veterans Legal Center in early 2023, where she is proud to connect people and organizations to the incredible work of the organization. Shannon began her career as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with the Department of Health and Human Services in the state of Montana before arriving in New Haven, CT in 2011. Over the past decade, she has worked with the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut, Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven, and International Festival of Arts & Ideas and has dedicated her life to meaningful community impact and social change.
Shannon is a graduate of Thomas Nelson Community College (Hampton, VA) and the College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, VA). She lives in New Haven with her dog, Levon, and son, Charlie.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Cyd Oppenheimer
Attorney, Civil Legal
Cyd Oppenheimer is a staff attorney with CVLC’s Civil Legal Unit.
Prior to coming to CVLC, Cyd worked with the Yale Law School Project on Prosecutorial Accountability. From 2007-2016 she was a Senior Policy Fellow at Connecticut Voices for Children, where she engaged in research, data analysis, and legislative and administrative advocacy on issues related to child welfare, juvenile justice, early care and education, and K-12 education. Over the course of her legal career, Cyd has also represented defendants in criminal court and children in special education and disciplinary proceedings. As well, she taught eighth grade English in Raymondville, Texas, as a Teach for America corps member.
She holds a J.D. from Yale Law School, where she was awarded an Arthur Liman Public Interest Fellowship, and a B.A. from Williams College. She lives in New Haven with her husband, four daughters, two dogs, and one son.
Alden Pinkham
Staff Attorney and Policy Analyst
Alden Pinkham joined CVLC in 2020 as the Connecticut Bar Foundation Singer Fellow focused on improving Veterans’ access to their mental health benefits. She continues to focus on assisting Veterans who experienced mental health conditions or faced discrimination during service as a Staff Attorney and Policy Analyst.
Before deciding to become an attorney, Alden worked as an advocate for victims of human trafficking on the National Human Trafficking Hotline and as a consultant and trainer for anti-trafficking non-profits. She also worked for Central Virginia Legal Aid Society as a migrant outreach worker, educating migrant farmworkers about their employment and housing rights. Alden received her J.D. from Yale Law School and her M.A. and B.A. from the University of Virginia.
Photo by Joel Callaway.
Darren Pruslow
Supervising Attorney, Civil Legal
As a Supervising Attorney at CVLC, Darren Pruslow’s practice covers a wide range of areas from civil legal issues (housing, child support, debt issues, public benefits) to various VA Benefit claims. In addition to representing clients, he is a lead on working with our VA partners and strengthening CVLC’s Medical Legal Partnership (MLP). Darren is also currently serving as the Vice Chair of the State of Connecticut Commission for Child Support Guidelines.
Prior to CVLC, Darren created a small ‘low bono’ practice focused on bridging the gap between legal services and traditional representation. He continues an over 20-year career as an educator as the co-founder of the Quinnipiac University School of Law Veterans Clinic and as an adjunct in the University of New Haven’s Legal Studies and Political Science Department.
Darren has his J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law and MS in Education from Hofstra University. His undergraduate degree is from the College of the Holy Cross where he majored in Sociology with a concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Eva Puorro
Attorney, VA Benefits
Eva Puorro has had helping Veterans on her radar for quite some time. She is an experienced litigator, having practiced in New York and Connecticut for many years in securities arbitration and litigation, labor and employment law and general civil litigation. She learned the basics of VA benefits practice in 2014 when she began working with CVLC in 2014 as a pro bono attorney. When she was offered a chance to work at CVLC as a Staff Attorney, she jumped at the opportunity. Her work with CVLC initially involved exposure cases and most recently involves helping Veterans with PTSD and other mental health conditions, and military sexual trauma. Her experience with CVLC has provided her with a deep understanding of the unique challenges that Veterans face. Eva is admitted to practice in Connecticut and New York and resides on the shoreline with her husband and son. She received her J.D. from New York Law School and her B.A. from Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus.
Juliet Taylor
Intake and Program Access Specialist
Juliet Taylor is a decorated Army Veteran having served for over eleven years, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. She brings to CVLC’s screening team extensive experience as a Veterans advocate, having worked tirelessly with several Veteran and community organizations across Connecticut. Juliet has completed her Licensed Professional Counselor degree at the University of Bridgeport and she is currently the State Commander for the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Don Tutson
Director of Pro Bono Legal Services
Don joins CVLC after serving the organization as a volunteer attorney for over a decade. He took his first pro bono case in 2011 and worked closely with CVLC leadership as a member of the organization’s Board of Directors from 2016-2019. As CVLC’s new Director of Pro Bono Legal Services Don is very much in tune with both the needs of CVLC’s volunteer attorneys and the core issues that most impact our clients.
Don received his J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law and earned his B.A. in Political Science from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship. He is admitted to practice law in Connecticut.
After decades representing all-star professional athletes and various Connecticut sports organizations in his private practice, Don still enjoys teaching sports law & ethics to graduate students as an adjunct professor at Quinnipiac University and Southern Connecticut State University. Don is also an accomplished triathlete who you can find training for CVLC’s annual cycling event, The Ride For Vets, throughout the year.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Ali Walker-Burr
Howard R. Udell Staff Attorney, Discharge Upgrades
Ali Walker-Burr is CVLC’s Staff Attorney focusing on Discharge Upgrades. Prior to joining CVLC, Ali worked as a Legal Research Clerk for the Connecticut Judicial Branch, as a Graduate Fellow for the Connecticut Office of Legislative Research, and as a judicial intern for the Honorable Sarah A.L. Merriam.
Ali earned her J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law and her B.S. from Western Connecticut State University. She is admitted to practice law in Connecticut.
Ali resides in Litchfield County with her husband, one dog, and two cats.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Vanesha Warden
Screening Receptionist
As the Screening Receptionist at CVLC, Vanesha Warden is often the first point of contact for many of our veterans seeking legal assistance. She brings a unique blend of skills and experiences to ensure a warm and efficient welcome for all clients and visitors. With a background as a special education teacher for children with Autism and ADHD, she has honed her abilities in communication, patience and problem solving. Vanesha has a keen ability to anticipate the needs of others around her and takes great pride in serving the community.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
Alison Weir
Executive Director
Alison Weir joined Connecticut Veterans Legal Center after serving as the Benefits Policy Advocate and a staff attorney at Greater Hartford Legal Aid. Prior to her legal career, Alison was a career active duty officer in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a lieutenant colonel after serving 20 years. Her duties in the Air Force included program management in national security space programs, instructor duty at the Air Force Academy, speechwriting for the Chief of Staff, and other assignments. In addition to her post-Air Force work at GHLA, she was at the National Diaper Bank Network for seven years where she developed and implemented the diaper distribution network programing and advocacy agenda for a network of 300+ diaper banks across 47 states. Alison has also worked as an attorney at the Wiggin and Dana law firm in New Haven; she was a clerk to the Hon. José A. Cabranes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; and she was a Supreme Court Fellow with duty at the U.S. Sentencing Commission. She earned her B.A. (English) and B.S. (Electrical Engineering) at Cornell University, her Ph.D. (English) from the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, her J.D. from Georgetown University (magna cum laude), and her LLM (Insurance) from the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Photo by Studio DUDA.
Janice Wolf
Attorney, VA Benefits
Janice Wolf is a staff attorney with CVLC’s VA Benefits and Eligibility. Prior to coming to CVLC, Janice worked for the Connecticut Public Defender’s Office for over 17 years in various offices including Manchester G.A., Middletown G.A., New London G.A., and the appellate unit. She also taught general and business law classes at several local colleges/universities. Her most recent position was as a staff attorney with Tang & Maravelis, PC in the area of civil defense law specializing in insurance defense.
Over the course of her legal career, Janice has represented hundreds of clients during some of the most difficult periods in their lives. She is a strong advocate for coordinating any needed mental health and/or addiction services into resolutions for her clients with the goal of giving her clients the tools they need to succeed on their own.
She is admitted to practice law in Connecticut and is a certified mediator. Janice resides on the shoreline with her husband and two children.
Photo by David Apuzzo.
CVLC Fellows and Interns
Landon L. McKinney
Legal Intern
Landon L. McKinney is a Certified Information Privacy Professional for Europe (CIPP/E) and a J.D. Candidate at Suffolk University Law School. As Founder and Secretary of Suffolk Law’s Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Law Association (DPCLA), Landon focuses on the legal complexities surrounding privacy and cybersecurity. Before law school, Landon worked for the CVLC on a pro bono basis and was thrilled to get further involved in the organization as he remains committed to leveraging his knowledge and skills to advocate for veterans and their rights.
Anna Nowak
Legal Intern
Bio coming soon.
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(bottom of page) Hector Alicea, Veteran and former client (left) and April Pearson, Veteran and former client (right). Photos by Desirea Stott-Rodgers Photography.