staff alumni
HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVE OF NORTH TEXAS, DISTINGUISHED STAFF ALUMNI Ms. Elizabeth (Betsy) A. Healy
Executive Director, 2000-2005 Ms. Healy, co-founder of Human Rights Initiative in December 1999, along with Serena Simmons Connelly. Ms. Healy served as Executive Director and Attorney for the organization until November 2005. Prior to her years with HRI, she was an associate with Cowles & Thompson, PC. She also completed a judicial clerkship at the Dallas Court of Appeals. Ms. Healy’s undergraduate work was at the University of Notre Dame, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, 1991. She then graduated from the University Of Cincinnati College Of Law in 1994 Ms. Healy remains firmly committed to the agency's mission and currently leads the Board of Trustees for the agency. Ms. Healy is currently a Program Officer with the Harold Simmons Foundation, Dallas, TX.
Mr. Bruce Budner Director, Legal Services 2001 - 2002 Mr. Budner served as Legal Director and managed all legal functions of HRI. He also was responsible for representing asylum seekers and overseeing and recruiting the HRI Pro Bono Attorney Program. Prior to joining HRI, Mr. Budner was a trial lawyer in Dallas, Texas for 25 years and managing partner of his law firm for a majority of that time. Mr. Budner currently serves as Executive Director of the Rockridge Institute (http://www.rockridgeinstitute.org) responsible for all facets of the Institute's operations and direction, including oversight of its intellectual work, fundraising, and long-range planning. The Rockridge Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank dedicated to strengthening our democracy by providing intellectual support to the progressive community. Rockridge partners with advocates, activists, and policy professionals to articulate the system of American values and ideas and reframe public debate. Mr. Budner is an honors graduate of both Tufts University and the University Of Texas School Of Law.
Ms. Lisa Normand
Legal Assistant 2002-2004 Ms. Normand began working at HRI as a legal intern in September 2002, then joined the staff as a legal assistant in January 2003. She supported the legal department by assisting with client intakes, case preparation for asylum-seekers and victims of human trafficking, and family reunification and permanent residency applications for asylees.
Ms. Normand graduated with honors from the University of North Texas with a B.A. in political science and Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. She currently serves as an Associate with Winstead PC practicing commercial litigation.
Mr. Gregory Barrett Administrator, HRI Client Services, 2004 - 2005 Mr. Barrett began working at HRI originally as a volunteer in 2002. Then joined as a staff member in 2004; responsible for redesigning the Client Services programs at HRI to the current case management and referral model. This model leverages the vast social services in the DFW area, so that these services do not have to be re-created at HRI. Mr. Barrett attended the University of Southern California, BA International Relations; senior year of the undergraduate program was spent at the London School of Economics (LSE). Mr. Barrett has returned to London, and is working on a masters program in International Relations at the London School of Economics.
Ms. Jara Carrington
Coordinator, Volunteer Attorney Program & Resident Anthropology Research Analyst, 2005-2007 Ms. Carrington joined HRI in February 2005 as general research analyst, agency administrator and later took responsibility as Coordinator of the Volunteer Attorney program; Ms. Carrington worked directly with the Director of the Volunteer Attorney program in recruiting and training volunteers. In this capacity, she also engaged in outreach activities to the North Texas community to raise awareness and encourage participation in the various volunteer programs. Ms. Carrington graduated with Honors from the University of North Texas with a B.A. in Psychology, and a Masters Degree in Applied Anthropology. Ms. Carrington’s practical thesis focused on undocumented Latino minors. This past research project is assisting HRI to outreach to the Latino immigrant communities in North Texas, enabling the agency to provide services to more youth in need. Ms. Carrington is continuing her studies and education at the University of New Mexico’s Ph. D. Program in Ethnology/Linguistics. This is a study of comparative and historical perspectives on critical social issues, human rights, social justice focusing on both the social and cultural aspects of class, gender, ethnicity, nationalism, and territoriality. Power and difference as they are expressed in language, the politics of representation, the cultural construction of identity, expressive culture, political economy, immigration, and tourism are key areas of concern.
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