Lesley Ann Friedland is a family law attorney, mediator, and lifelong public servant with more than three decades of experience supporting families through times of transition. In 2012, she founded FamilyKind to provide families with access to affordable education, mediation, and support services during separation and divorce. Prior to launching FamilyKind, Lesley served for over 25 years in the New York City Family Court as a Court Attorney and Referee, where she handled custody, visitation, and child protective matters across all five boroughs. She also helped facilitate and create several impactful parenting education programs, including the NYS Parent Education & Awareness Program and Children’s PACT—a program designed to help children cope with divorce and separation.

Lesley has received the Kathryn A. McDonald Award for Excellence in Service to the NYC Family Court, and under her leadership, FamilyKind was named the Outstanding Organization by the American University Public Relations Student Society of America.She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the New York State Parenting Education Partnership (NYSPEP) and is active in many professional organizations committed to supporting families and advancing best practices in family law and mediation.

Lesley holds a J.D. from Antioch School of Law and a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College. Her dedication to helping families find clarity, connection, and peace remains at the heart of FamilyKind’s mission.

Tausifa Haque first joined FamilyKind as an intern and has since become the Client Services Specialist. She is a graduate student pursuing her Masters in Social Work at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. She holds a BA in Sociology with a minor in interdisciplinary studies and a certificate in Dispute Resolution from John Jay College.

Her professional background reflects a strong commitment to client support, community engagement, and cultural fluency. Tausifa serves as a compassionate first point of contact for clients and ensures they are supported and empowered throughout their experiences with FamilyKind services.

Claudia Londono brings her experience in finance, operations, and organizational management in support of small businesses, law offices, and nonprofits. She currently serves as Manager of Finance at FamilyKind, where she enjoys using her skills to help families and communities thrive. Claudia also founded her own company to guide entrepreneurs and small business owners in growing and managing their organizations with confidence.

With an educational background in political science, legal studies, and finance, she combines hands-on experience with a passion for making a positive difference in the organizations and people she serves.

Naz Madani is the Chief Operating Officer at FamilyKind, bringing a wealth of expertise in operations, strategy, and customer experience. With a career spanning roles as Head of Service Operations, Strategy Consultant for enterprise companies, and years of experience in tech startups, she has worked with businesses and organizations of all sizes to drive efficiency, streamline processes, and enhance customer and client experiences. Her ability to create structure and implement seamless, scalable solutions that enhance both internal workflows and client experiences. With her diverse background she brings invaluable operational strength to the nonprofit sector.

In addition to her strategic leadership, Naz is a certified coach who integrates mindfulness practices and coaching methodologies to support families and individuals navigating transitions. She is trained in Parenting Coordination by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) and in Parenting Education by FamilyKind. With practical experience paired with understanding of conflict resolution, motivators and human dynamics, she fosters collaboration, clarity, resilience and motivation in the individuals and teams she supports. Passionate about driving meaningful change, Naz is committed to ensuring FamilyKind’s mission is carried out with both strategic precision and compassionate care.

Isabella Rodriguez began at FamilyKind as an intern and now serves as the Director of Services Impact and Consultant Success. She graduated with a master’s degree in counseling from Barry University in Miami, Florida, where she specialized in marital, couples, and family counseling. Isabella received her bachelor’s degree in forensic psychology with a minor in counseling and a certificate in dispute resolution from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Since 2005, when she initially trained to become a community mediator in New York, Isabelle Yeterian Wallace has been committed to helping individuals and families resolve their conflicts and disputes as peacefully as possible. A transactional attorney who later became Counsel in the risk management and ethics department of an international law firm, her passion remains working in service of others as they transition through difficult times.

Isabelle joins FamilyKind’s marketing and communications effort as a wordsmith with years of personal experience in the transformative power of mediation and conflict coaching. A French native born in the US, member of the NY Bar, and soon-to-be certified Florida Supreme Court Family Mediator, she is sensitive to the cultural contexts that can influence people as they deal with the challenges of separation and divorce. Guided by compassion and a deeply held faith in each person’s right to choose his/her path, she looks forward to contributing to changing the cultural narrative around conflict.

Bill Drewes works as Strategic Advisor – Partnerships and Community Engagement for FamilyKind where he develops and facilitates relationships with external partners such as corporations, professional firms, educational institutions, foundations, nonprofit organizations and government agencies. He facilitates outreach and engagements with the philanthropic population, employee volunteer groups, community based organizations and student cohorts.

Bill practiced law in the areas of business and procurement, employment, intellectual property and tax-exempt organizations.

He is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the City City College of New York (CUNY) and the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC-CUNY) where he is also the Strategic Advisor to the Office of Diplomatic Engagement and Training (ODET). He was a director of the NY Institute of Supply Management, the NYC Society for Human Resource Management and the National Minority Business Council.

Bill graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, Long Island University, New York University Graduate School of Business and Brooklyn Law School.

Bill lives in Manhattan with his cat, Josie and enjoys keeping up with his six grandchildren.

Prior to Barbara Mellor's retirement last March, she was a part of the property management office at One World Trade Center for over ten years, ending as the Property Coordinator. Her previous work experience includes over fifteen years with New York University Division/College of Nursing, working as Special Assistant to the Division Head, and Assistant Director Alumni Relation’s and Special Events. She was responsible for biannual production of the College magazine and assisted in the planning and implementation of the 75th Anniversary Gala.

Barbara met FamilyKind’s Director, Lesley Friedland, when her daughter attended middle school with Lesley’s son. Their shared participation in the school’s PTA helped form a lasting friendship and mutual respect that led to Barbara joining the FamilyKind team this year. She is assisting with development, gala and all things FamilyKind.