Ellen Ostrow – Board Chair, Washington. DC
Ellen is a psychologist, consultant and Certified MentorCoach and the founder of Lawyers Life Coach LLC, a firm providing executive coaching services to attorneys, with an emphasis on enabling women to succeed in their legal careers without sacrificing those things that give their lives meaning. Lawyers Life Coach LLC also works with legal employers to create inclusive work environments, free of biases that block the retention and advancement of women and attorneys of color. When Ellen and her husband, a psychologist with an adult psychotherapy practice, became parents, they arranged their work schedules to minimize the need for other child care. Once their son, Matt, started school, one or the other left work to be home to greet Matt, help him with homework and take him to after-school activities. Matt’s bedtime was typically the beginning of the third part of Ellen’s day during which she wrote many published articles about the unconscious biases and “ideal worker” norms that undermine the advancement of women in law firms. Matt will be 23 this summer and is finishing his fourth year at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Ellen also has a step-daughter, Angela, and through her a son-in-law Kevin, and two grandchildren; Jake who is 7 and Ashley who is 5.
Jane Foster, Philadelphia, PA
Until January 2007, Jane was a Partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, where she was a member of the litigation department and Managing Partner for more than six years as well as a member of its Management Committee and Board of Directors for more than ten years. When she joined Stradley in 1979, her children were 5 and 3 years old and 4 months old, and for the first 7 years, she worked 3/5 time. She is especially interested in, and has worked extensively within her firm, on issues of work life balance. Since her retirement, Jane has increased her activities with a number of non-profit boards.
Brett Goldblatt, Los Angeles, CA
Brett is a partner in the Global Corporate Department of Milbank’s Los Angeles office. He represents investment funds, fund sponsors, companies and investment banks in a wide variety of business matters, including restructurings, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, fund formation, debt and equity offerings in the public and private markets, and general corporate and contractual matters. Brett specializes in transactions involving partnerships and limited liability companies as well as restructurings of distressed companies in and out of bankruptcy. He chairs a Milbank Work-Life Balance Committee and is the head of mentoring in the Los Angeles office. At Milbank LA, Brett’s attempting to create an environment where associates can be passionate about both work and their outside activities through formal and informal measures. He completed at BA in Philosophy & Psychology at Rutgers and his JD at University of Pennsylvania. Brett also has been teaching corporate transactions as an Adjunct Professor at UCLA Law School since 2002. While he accepts the proposition that “something’s gotta give,” he refuses to let it be his son, daughter or his wife – so he delegates more and sleeps less. His wife is an ex-labor attorney who currently is a stay-at-home mom.
Nina Madoo, Germantown, MD
Currently, Nina is working in human resources consulting specializing in issues that face working families in the hospitality industry. She retired from Marriott International after 20 years of service in May of 2010. Her most recent position with Marriott was Senior Director of Workplace Strategies, responsible for the strategy, design and development of work life effectiveness programs that help managers and hourly associates manage their complex lives. While at Marriott, Nina gained expertise in supports for the lower wage workforce, aging workforce challenges, flexibility and innovative scheduling, work redesign, women’s leadership, diversity and multi-generational workforce. She has a BS degree from the University of Delaware, is a member of several work life organizations, and has maintained a position on several committees since leaving Marriott. Since having children, Nina and Chris have utilized numerous flex options to manage their busy lives. They’ve both teleworked, reduced schedules at times, and flexed work around work and life schedules. They’ve switched roles in which one parent is more of the “primary” care giver and have had periods of time in which they’ve had to share care equally. Nina’s husband also works for Marriott and travels frequently on business. Their two school age children are involved with a variety of sports and they enjoy skiing/snowboarding as a family when time permits.
Noriko Gamblin, Minneapolis, MN
Noriko works full time as a development officer in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota. She entered the field of fund raising in 2006, when she and her husband, Steven, and their daughter, Natalie, moved to Minneapolis from Los Angeles, in conjunction with Steven’s becoming chair of art history at the U of M. Noriko, who has a B.A. from the College of William and Mary and an M.A. from the University of Delaware, spent nearly two decades in museum work and art consulting, and the latter she undertook in order to spend more time at home with Natalie when she was small. The sharing of domestic responsibility is fundamental to their family life–and greatly facilitated by Steven’s deep interest in cooking. Life in their home revolves around the kitchen and family meals, 16-year-old Natalie and her busy schedule, and tending their three pets. Noriko is actively training Carlos, a French Bulldog puppy, to become a therapy dog, raising orchids under lights, and contemplating her next career.