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Servicemembers Legal Defense Network Announces New Board Members

WASHINGTON, DC - Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) today announced the election of eight new members to its board of directors. Chicago resident Jean Albright, a retired Air Force Master Sergeant, is among those joining the group�s efforts to repeal the military�s �Don�t Ask, Don�t Tell� ban on lesbian gay and bisexual personnel.

Albright has served as Manager of Public Affairs for the U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command at Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois, as the News Bureau Chief for Stars & Stripes in Bitburg, Germany and as the Print Media Coordinator for the National Committee for Employers Support of the Guard and Reserve. She has also acted as a contributing editor to Better Ways to Health and currently serves as the Editorial Manager and Director of New Media for Windy City Media Group.

Albright received her MS in Adult Education, with a concentration on grassroots, information education projects, from Northern Illinois University. She also holds a BA with dual majors in Journalism and Sociology from George Washington University and an AA in Public Affairs from the Community College of the Air Force.

�We are thrilled to have Jean onboard as part of the SLDN team,� said SLDN board co-chairs Zoe Dunning and Joe Tom Easley. �We are closer than ever to repealing �Don�t Ask, Don�t Tell.� Jean�s experience and expertise will be invaluable in our fight to lift the ban and end anti-gay discrimination in our armed forces.�

Other board members elected along with Albright, include:

Paul Alan Boskind, Ph.D, CEO and founder/owner of Deer Oaks-A Behavioral Health Organization, an organization which employs psychologists across 17 states. He is a clinical psychologist with a Ph.D. from Hofstra University in New York.

Former Major Jeff Cleghorn, USA, a partner in the Atlanta law firm of Kitchens New LLC, is a 1999 graduate of The George Washington University School of Law, and a 1984 graduate of North Georgia College. Following his completion of college, Cleghorn was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army�s Military Intelligence Corps. He served from 1984 through 1996, and his assignments included tours of duty in South Korea, Germany and at the Pentagon.

Jackie Gardina, an Associate Professor of Law at Vermont Law School, received her B.A. degree in political science from the University of Iowa in 1988 and her M.A. in social work from Boston University in 1993. Before attending law school, she worked as an outpatient clinical social worker. Six years later, she graduated magna cum laude from Boston College Law School.

Gardina is recognized as an accomplished teacher, receiving the VLS Student Bar Association Faculty Service Member Award in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 and is advisor to the Alliance student group. In addition to her teaching duties, she has spoken and written on a variety of topics including learning disabilities in higher education, bankruptcy, federal sentencing guidelines, and the Solomon Amendment. She has also served on the board of the Vermont Unity Project and is involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.

Chief Master Sergeant David �Dave� Lee Guy-Gainer, USAF (Ret.), a retired Air Force veteran of 23 years, his military career in secure communications systems took him to many locations and many key Air Force positions, including: combat communications in Vietnam, a full tour in Vietnam, a combat crew member at NORAD Cheyenne Mountain, Maintenance Superintendent at Hickam AFB Hawaii, and finally as a Chief Master Sergeant at the Air Force Military Personnel Center in San Antonio. Among his decorations are five Meritorious Service Medals and the Bronze Star.

Michael Magee, owner of MDM Company, a successful real estate holding company with assets in San Diego, Malibu, Ventura and San Luis Obispo. A longtime political staffer, Magee has been involved in California�s political culture for nearly 18 years, including having worked for Governor Pete Wilson, Bush/Quayle 1992 and at the 1996 Republican National Convention, held in San Diego. Magee also served as Senior Vice President for Public Policy of the Greater San Diego Chamber of Commerce.

Shannon McLaughlin, ANG, a founding partner in the firm of McLaughlin and Kim, who currently practices law in the areas of corporate law, trusts and estates. Prior to forming her own firm McLaughlin was an attorney at a large Los Angeles environmental law firm, specializing in environmental strategies and litigation. In addition to her private practice, McLaughlin is currently a Captain in the United States Army Judge Advocate Corps with the Massachusetts Army National Guard. She is a graduate of the Judge Advocate Corps Basic Course. Ms. McLaughlin is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and currently serves as the legal advisor to a brigade-sized element on her drill weekends. She is admitted to practice in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the Armed Forces Court of Appeals, United States District Court of Central California, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, and the Supreme Court of California.

Former Lieutenant Paula Neira RN, CEN, Esq., USN/USNR (1985-1991), graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy in 1985 and served as a Surface Warfare Officer on active duty and as a reservist. During Operation Desert Storm, she participated in mine warfare combat operations as a task group staff officer. After leaving the Navy in 1991, Neira became a registered nurse, specializing in emergency and trauma nursing.

For bios and photographs of board members, and more information on SLDN�s work, please visit www.sldn.org.

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