Tzedek DC is proud to announce the expansion of our Board of Directors through the addition of two new members, Rahsaan Bernard and Willard (Will) Tom.
Rahsaan Bernard serves as the President of Building Bridges Across the River (BBAR), the nonprofit organization that manages three nationally recognized projects in Southeast Washington DC: Townhall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC), The Skyland Workforce Center, and the 11th Street Bridge Park. Before joining BBAR, Rahsaan served as the President and CEO of both the consulting firm Beyond Excellence LLC, specializing in health management and corporate wellness, and of Beyond Excellence Nursing and Therapy Services LLC, a licensed residential service provider of home health services. He also serves on the boards of Feeding America, Capital Area Food Bank, and the Catalogue for Philanthropy.
Will Tom is a Partner in the DC office of the international law firm Morgan Lewis. Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, he served in a series of senior government positions, including General Counsel of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Deputy Director of the Bureau of Competition of the FTC, and Counselor to the head of the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Will has been a member of the District of Columbia Federal Judicial Nominations Commission and the American Law Institute, where he currently serves as an Adviser on the Restatement of the Law, Consumer Contracts.
In a joint statement, Tzedek DC’s Board Chair Irvin Nathan, Board Chair-elect Rachel Kronowitz, and Founding President and Director-Counsel Ariel Levinson-Waldman, said:
With the rippling impacts that the pandemic continues to have across DC for vulnerable community members, the need for Tzedek DC’s work—legal, systemic, and educational—is greater than ever. We are honored to welcome Rahsaan and Will to the Board. Their unique past and present leadership roles, talents, experiences, perspectives, and public interest commitments will bring additional strength to Tzedek DC’s efforts towards justice.
About Tzedek DC
Drawing from the Jewish teachings of “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof,” or “Justice, justice you shall pursue,” Tzedek DC’s mission is to safeguard the legal rights and financial health of DC residents with lower incomes facing the often-devastating consequences of debt collection and credit-related obstacles. This mission responds to the massive wealth gaps in DC and nationwide. Tzedek DC serves a client base of 90% African American, 60% women, and 25% disabled community members. Our strategic approach combines three synergistic activities: (i) free legal representation and advice; (ii) working in coalition to make systemic change; and (iii) providing community legal education on debt collection, identity theft, and credit management. Since 2017, Tzedek DC has served over 2,200 client households in legal matters—saving clients an average of $2,151 per full representation case—and helped catalyze systemic reforms with substantial impacts for hundreds of thousands of DC residents.