An organization’s personality and reputation start at the top. That’s why Free the Slaves is thrilled to welcome four astounding new members this year to our board of directors. Their diverse backgrounds and skills will shape the direction and effectiveness of our organization for years to come.
Juan Arteaga is a partner in the antitrust and white collar & regulatory enforcement groups in Crowell & Moring’s* New York office. His practice focuses primarily on advising companies, boards of directors and executives on a broad range of civil and criminal antitrust matters. From 2013 to 2017, Mr. Arteaga was a senior official in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Justice Dept. Serving as deputy assistant attorney general for civil enforcement, he worked on and oversaw investigations and litigation in various industries, including financial services, aviation, food and beverage, health care, technology, cable, manufactured products, transportation and telecommunications.
Lila Leno is a principal At Calibre CPA Group PLCC* in Bethesda, Maryland. She has decades of auditing and accounting experience, including working with nonprofit organizations and government entities. She specializes in organizations that receive federal and state government funding and has performed numerous compliance audits in accordance with Government Auditing Standards, prepared 990s and solved issues pertaining to tax exemption. Dr. Leno earned a bachelor’s in accounting and finance from the University of Tirana in her home country of Albania, then continued her studies to earn a law degree and doctorate in fiscal policy.
Wade Litchfield is vice president and general counsel for Florida Power & Light (FPL)*. As a member of FPL’s executive team, Mr. Litchfield has helped guide corporate strategy that transformed FPL into one of the cleanest power companies in the country, with rates among the lowest in the nation. Before joining FPL, Mr. Litchfield was senior counsel for Entergy Services Inc. in New Orleans, representing the electric and natural gas operating companies of Entergy Corp. in ratemaking, fuel cost recovery and other proceedings before state and other regulatory authorities.
Amy Wiwi is a partner is a partner at Lowenstein Sandler LLP in Roseland, New Jersey*. Long fascinated by the complex relationships among members of the workforce, managers and their employees, Ms. Wiwi translates a passion for problem-solving into strategic counsel and effective dispute resolution. Ms. Wiwi counsels employers on the myriad issues they face related to hiring, disciplining and termination of employees; family and medical leaves; disability leaves and accommodations; compliance with antidiscrimination and anti-retaliation laws; and workforce reductions.
We asked each new member why they wanted to join Free the Slaves.
Juan Arteaga: “I joined the Free the Slaves board because I wanted to take a stand against one of the most appalling crimes of our time: human trafficking. This corrosive and degrading practice violates the most basic standards of human dignity and typically targets the most vulnerable among us, such as migrants fleeing conflict, refugees displaced by natural disasters, women and children born into impoverished communities, and individuals struggling with drug dependence or a history of abuse. By joining Free the Slaves, I am not only helping to eliminate one of the worse forms of modern day slavery but I am also helping survivors reclaim their lives, rebuild their futures and regain their voice.”
Lila Leno: “I am interested in joining the Free the Slaves board because I would like to be part of its great mission, vision and history – and assist in any way possible with the organization’s accomplishments.”
Wade Litchfield: “Free the Slaves is engaged in bringing education and solutions to bear on one of the most distressing challenges that we continue to face as humankind., There are many great and worthy causes across the globe; however, it seems to me that few of these causes provide meaningful value independent of the basic or foundational right to be free from bondage in any of its current forms. The human and individual element of this affliction resonates deeply with me.”
Amy Wiwi: “Millions of individuals throughout the world are enslaved. While slavery is not lawful anywhere, it occurs almost everywhere in the world. It would be an honor to have the opportunity to assist Free the Slaves in fulfilling its mission of ending slavery. I particularly support the organization’s approach to empower and educate communities to eradicate the practice of slavery.”
We’d also like to thank longtime board member William Greenbaum, who has served two three-year terms, the maximum allowed under our bylaws. He is retiring from the FTS board, but not from helping us free slaves! Read his FTS Blog post about visiting a village in Ghana where we’re working to end child trafficking. “Our visit to Ghana was enormously encouraging,” he wrote, “we saw firsthand that educated and mobilized communities can become a bulwark against child slavery,”
See full bios of all our board members here.
*Organizational affiliations are for identification purposes only.
