Prior to joining LDF in June 2014, Ms. Nelson was Associate Dean for Faculty Scholarship and Associate Director of the Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development at St. John’s University School of Law where she is also a full professor of law. Ms. Nelson received the 2013 Derrick A. Bell Award from the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) Section on Minority Groups and was named one of Lawyers of Color’s 50 Under 50 minority professors making an impact in legal education. Prior to joining St. John's faculty, Ms. Nelson was a Fulbright Scholar at the Legal Resources Center in Accra, Ghana. She began practicing law as the 1998 recipient of the NAACP LDF/Fried Frank Fellowship, following federal district and appellate court clerkships. Ms. Nelson later became Director of LDF’s Political Participation Group, overseeing all voting related litigation and matters, litigating voting rights and redistricting cases, and working on criminal justice issues. Ms. Nelson has published a scholarship in leading law reviews and writes for popular press. She has appeared in various media as an expert on race, civil rights, constitutional law and election law, and regularly speaks at conferences and symposia nationwide. She is a graduate of New York University and received her J.D. from UCLA School of Law. 

Errin Haines is a Founding Mother and Editor at Large for The 19th, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom covering the intersection of women, politics and policy, and an MSNBC Contributor. 

An award-winning political journalist focused on issues of race, gender and politics, Errin was previously the Associated Press' National Writer on Race and Ethnicity. She has also worked at The Washington Post, The Orlando Sentinel and The Los Angeles Times. 

Errin was a Fall 2019 Ferris Professor at Princeton University, teaching a class on black women and the 2020 election. She joins Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics as a fellow in their fifth anniversary class in Fall 2020.

Originally from Atlanta, Errin is based in Philadelphia with her dog, Ginger.

Reverend Shavon Arline-Bradley serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), bringing more than two decades of dynamic leadership and expertise across the fields of healthcare, diversity, equity, inclusion, government affairs, and executive strategy. With over 21 years of professional experience, Rev. Arline-Bradley is a respected voice at the intersection of public health and social justice.

She is also the Founding Principal and Chief Executive Officer of R.E.A.C.H. BeyondSolutions, a consulting firm specializing in public health, DEI strategy, political and organizational development, risk management, government relations, and technical assistance. Under her leadership, the firm has become a trusted resource for institutions and organizations seeking transformative change rooted in equity and impact.

Rev. Arline-Bradley’s commitment to public service was exemplified during her time in the Obama Administration, where she served as Senior Advisor and Director of External Engagement at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the 19th U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vice Admiral Vivek H. Murthy. Prior to that federal appointment, she held key leadership roles at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) headquarters, serving as Executive Vice President of Strategic Planning and Partnerships and previously as Chief of Staff. Her work there focused on national health equity initiatives and strategic advocacy partnerships that mobilized communities across the country.

A passionate community advocate, Rev. Arline-Bradley serves in numerous leadership and advisory roles, including with Deltas for Women in Action, the NAACP Board of Directors Health Committee, the National Social Action Commission of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the Oprah Winfrey Network’s “OWN Your Health” initiative. She is also an active member of the American Public Health Association, The Links, Incorporated, and Jack and Jill of America, Inc., among other civic and professional organizations.

A proud native of southern New Jersey, Rev. Arline-Bradley holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and a Master of Public Health from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. She earned her Master of Divinity from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University, where she was also ordained as a minister. Her pursuit of continued professional development led her to complete an Executive Certificate in Business Management from Howard University and an Executive Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University.

Rev. Arline-Bradley’s leadership and powerful voice have garnered national recognition. She has been invited to speak before distinguished figures such as President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Barack Obama, and Bishop T.D. Jakes. In 2024, she made history as the youngest keynote speaker for the Martin Luther King Jr. Beloved Community Commemorative Service, an annual celebration hosted by The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia, honoring Dr. King’s legacy.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Rev. Arline-Bradley is deeply grounded in her faith and family. She is a devoted wife to Andrew Bradley and a loving mother to their two children. She also enjoys all things sports, music, and traveling—especially to relaxing resort destinations.

Her life’s work is a testament to her belief in service, justice, and creating a more equitable world for future generations.

Ashley K. Shelton is the Founder, President, and CEO of the Power Coalition, a statewide 501(c)3 table in Louisiana. The Power Coalition uses a broad-based strategy that combines community organizing, issue advocacy, and civic action all while increasing the capacity of community organizations throughout the state to sustain and hold the work. 

Our integrated voter engagement approach has changed policy at the municipal and state level as well as move infrequent voters of color to vote at the same levels as chronic voters in the communities where we run a full get out to vote program.

She also was the former Vice President of Programs at the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation (LDRF), now the Foundation for Louisiana. In her role at the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation, Ms. Shelton managed a system of integrated, value-added programs in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In her role at LDRF, she designed, initiated and coordinated a comprehensive policy strategy, which led to a systemic, multi-pronged approach to equitable policy development on a local, state and national level. She utilized a participatory model that engaged local, state, and national partnerships to develop and nurture civic engagement throughout the state.