Staff

Danielle Anderson-Castro
Policy Advocate
(415)513-5166, dcastro@transgenderlawcenter.org

Danielle works primarily on expanding our health care access advocacy into different counties around California, but also on projects related to leadership development, safe bathrooms, and student safety.

Danielle serves as Human Relations Commissioner in Santa Clara County, CA, and has been involved with the GLBT movement since the age of 15 when she was involved in fundraising for HIV/AIDS projects. She co-founded the Transgender Youth Group at the Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center in San Jose, CA, and, as a member of TransPowerment of Santa Clara County, educated healthcare workers on transgender issues and providing sensitive and inclusive care. Her vision is to create long lasting positive changes for the multicultural transgender and gender variant community to ensure equal access to healthcare, education, and any other services needed.

Masen Davis
Executive Director
(415) 738-6168, masen@transgenderlawcenter.org

Masen Davis is a native Midwesterner who has lived the California Dream since 1995. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Transgender Law Center, a civil rights organization advocating for transgender communities. Prior to coming to TLC in 2007, Masen spent six years at United Way of Greater Los Angeles where he managed allocations for 194 agencies, oversaw education/youth grantmaking; and raised more than $5.8 million through foundation and corporate giving.

Masen has been an activist in the movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality since 1990. His experience includes advocating for LGBT survivors of hate crimes, domestic violence and police misconduct; consulting with education and social service providers to help develop and implement best practice standards for transgender youth; and presenting diversity trainings for police departments in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

In 2002, Masen co-founded FTM Alliance of Los Angeles, the first Southern California nonprofit dedicated to advocacy within the female-to-male transgender community. He has served in leadership roles for many organizations, including FTM Alliance (Board President, 2002-07); City of West Hollywood’s Transgender Task Force (Vice Chair, 2001-03); National Center for Transgender Equality (Vice Chair, 2005-2007), and Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues (Board Member, 2007-Present). His work on behalf of transgender equality has earned him awards from the National Association of Social Workers, International Foundation for Gender Education, and UCLA. Masen received his Masters of Social Welfare with a concentration in Nonprofit Management from UCLA, and Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University.

Ben Lunine
Staff Attorney
(415) 865-0176, ben@transgenderlawcenter.org

Ben is a transgender rights attorney. Ben is admitted to practice in California and before the Ninth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals. Since joining TLC in February, 2007, Ben has provided direct legal services and “know-your-rights” trainings to hundreds of transgender individuals and their families throughout California, technical assistance to attorneys serving transgender clients across the country, and trainings to government agencies, private employers, and community-based organizations.

While in law school, Ben was a member of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission’s Intersex Task Force; initiated a clinic to represent people seeking a name and/or gender change court order; and received a scholarship from the Foundation of the State of California in recognition of his public interest work.

Ben is a native of Berkeley, California and currently resides in San Francisco. Ben is a female-to-male member of the transgender community who believes in the rights of all people to self-identify their gender and express their gender identity freely and safely.

Mila Pavlin
Operations Manager
(415) 865-0176, mila@transgenderlawcenter.org

As Operations Manager, Mila oversees office administration, including; accounting, human resources, computer technical assistance, and volunteer co-ordination.

When Mila moved to San Francisco to attend college, she immediately fell in love with the culture and openness the city provided.   Mila brings to the Transgender Law Center a diverse background of skills in business administration, network engineering, digital art and creative “New Media”. 

Prior to working for TLC, Mila provided office administration to a nonprofit organization that provides services for artists who are developmentally disabled.  Working for a nonprofit inspired her and her partner to start their own online media company Trans-Ponder, and provide assistance to members of the transgender community in need of information and support.  As a dedicated activist, Mila spends her free time working with local transgender support groups and media allies to provide a positive perspective on the transgender community.

Morgan Weinert
Policy Intern
(415) 424-2455, intern@transgenderlawcenter.org

Morgan Weinert is a genderqueer social justice activist from Seattle, WA. He is in his fourth and final year at UC Berkeley where he majors in Latin American Studies. His extracurricular activities include teaching a class on Female Sexuality, facilitating the transgender group on campus, and acting as social manager at his co-op. In his spare time, Morgan is a photographer (nakedeyephotography.com), performs as a drag king, and enjoys music and art.

In his internship at TLC, Morgan will be assisting with safe bathroom and school access, transgender leadership development, and planning for the 2009 Leadership Summit. He plans on making social justice activism into a career and dedicating his life to creating an inclusive, equitable society for all.  

Kristina Wertz
Legal Director
(415) 865-0135, kristina@transgenderlawcenter.org

As Legal Director Kristina provides legal counsel to transgender people and their families throughout California as well as providing technical assistance to lawyers assisting transgender clients. Kristina oversees many of TLC’s public policy advocacy programs, including, leadership development, health care access, economic empowerment, student safety, and bathroom access. She conducts trainings for community members, employers, attorneys, social service providers, health care providers and other institutions.

Prior to her role at TLC, Kristina practiced as a civil rights litigator at the Epstein Group in San Francisco. During her time there, she focused on employment discrimination and housing rights for a diverse clientele. As an attorney, Kristina has worked as a legal advocate for people with disabilities, workers, victims of domestic violence, renters and recipients of public benefits.

Kristina has a B.A. from New York University and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. During her law school years, Kristina was awarded an Edward V. Sparer Public Interest Fellowship and a fellowship from the Brooklyn Law Students for the Public Interest and served as the chairperson of Outlaws, Brooklyn Law School's LGBT student organization.

Board of Directors

Shane Caya
Board Vice-Chair
Community Activist

Susan Christian
Board Member
San Francisco District Attorneys Office

Alex Cleghorn
Board Member
Minami Tamaki LLP

Lisa Dummer
Board Chair
WLD Consulting

Victoria Kolakowski
Board Member
Administrative Law Judge, California Public Utilities Commission

Allison Laureano
Board Member
(additional information coming)

Justin Louie
Board Treasurer
Blueprint Research & Design

Dragonsani Renteria
Board Secretary
DeafVision, Inc.