Equity & Civil Rights Assessment

Advisory Review Board

The review board consists of five independent members with relevant expertise in fields such as civil rights, inclusion, diversity and equity, legal, law enforcement, public policy, and youth development.

Former Attorney General Thurbert Baker – General Baker serves as Partner and Global Vice Chair at Dentons and co-leads Denton’s nationally recognized U.S. State Attorney General practice. His practice focuses on corporate compliance and investigations, complex state legal and legislative matters, public policy and regulatory affairs, multi-state litigation, public sector procurements and regulatory matters. General Baker has served as Co-lead for Dentons’ U.S. Diversity & Inclusion Committee and serves on the Denton’s Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council. Attorney General Baker served as the attorney general for the State of Georgia for 13 years under three different governors. Expertise: civil rights, legal, law enforcement, ID&E and public policy

Rhonda Mims – Mims most recently served as ICMA-RC’s (now MissionSquare Retirement) Senior Vice President, Chief Legal and External Affairs Officer where she led and directed the company’s legal, risk, and compliance activities. Previously, Mims served as Executive Vice President and Chief Public Affairs Officer for WellCare Health Plans, Inc., and Managing Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Paul Hastings, LLP. Mims’ previous legal career is extensive and includes roles with the U.S. Department of Justice, the National District Attorney Association’s American Prosecutor’s Research Institute, and the South Carolina Office of the Attorney General. She serves on the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Expertise: civil rights, ID&E, legal, public policy, corporate social responsibility and community organizations

Stephanie Murphy – Murphy is a three-term member of Congress (2017 to 2023), where she served as co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of House Democrats focused on fiscal responsibility, a strong national defense, and a principled and pragmatic approach to legislating. She also served as a Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus and on the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. Murphy has served as an executive at an investment firm and a national security specialist. Expertise: public policy

Patrick Tolan – Tolan is the Emeritus Charles S. Robb Professor at the University of Virginia (UVA) in the School of Education and Human Development and Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois. His work on youth well-being and development has spanned theory, methods, practice, and policy during his 40-year career. He shifted to focus on positive youth development in the early 2000s and for his tenure at UVA. He retired from UVA in 2022, where he also held an appointment as Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences. Mr. Tolan is the founding director and now emeritus director of Youth-Nex: The UVA Center to Promote Effective Youth Development. Expertise: youth development

Tonya Veasey – Veasey spent more than 10 years in the public affairs industry, working for a state senator, a large nonprofit organization and a Fortune 500 company. As the CEO and President of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Veasey collaborated with her Board of Directors and the representatives of the Congressional Black Caucus to amplify and ultimately expand the Foundation’s impact. Veasey led change management initiatives, historic fundraising campaigns and built a collaborative culture amongst the industry’s top leaders that drove landmark wins in the racial reckoning and unprecedented activism in 2020-2021. Expertise: ID&E, public policy and community organizations