Our Team

About Diane

Diane Cushman Neal is the founder and president of Justice Necessary, a Colorado nonprofit founded to fight hygiene and period poverty. Through more than 100 community partners spanning nearly all 64 counties, legislative advocacy, and educational initiatives, the organization has made a significant impact.

Since its inception, Justice Necessary has donated more than 5,100,000 million organic and sustainable period products, 279,000 diaper wipes, and more than 325,000 hygiene products.

Diane founded Justice Necessary, formerly known as “Donations for Dignity” in 2020 after she discovered Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) don’t support the purchase of hygiene products.

Born and raised in California, Diane came to Denver for life-saving medical care when she was given six months to live. Remarkably, that was thirty years ago. Despite the challenges of living with Cystic Fibrosis, and relying on a permanent oxygen tank, Diane continues to live life to the fullest. Her Colorado adventures include skiing, snowshoeing, participating in the Avon 3-Day walk from Boulder to Denver, and even competing in a sprint triathlon.

Diane has garnered recognition for her unwavering perseverance, resilience, determination, and resourcefulness.  She lives by the inspiring words of Dr. Jane Goodall, “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

About Emily

Emily is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker coming to Justice Necessary as a consultant with over 11 years of experience in the mental health field. Emily currently runs her own private practice where she provides therapy and advocacy to teens, college students, and adult women.

Previously, Emily worked as a school social worker in Greeley, Colorado. Emily met with students struggling with mental health and substance use concerns, developed and implemented Alternative to Suspension programming, obtained grants for wellness rooms, and trained students and staff in strengths-based suicide prevention models. Emily continues to use her school social work background to provide psychoeducation to students and families regarding their rights and the resources available to them in an academic setting.

It was her work at a 24/7 Crisis Center that Emily gained a wealth of knowledge in local resources, developed a foundation of skills in mental health care and client needs, and ultimately directed her to pursue a career in the field of Social Work. It is her belief that individual care is most effective when met with compassion, partnered with systems that bolster inherent strengths, all while bridging the gaps for needs not yet met. She’s also a firm believer that compassion and humor go a long way in someone's wellness journey.

When not wearing her social work hat (which Emily admits is hard to take off) you can find her by the water fishing or swimming with friends and family. Having grown up in the tiny town of LaPorte, Colorado, Emily is fond of the outdoors and spent many summers tubing the Poudre River and going to concerts at the Mishawaka Amphitheater. In the winter - you’ll find her indoors with a good book or watching nonsensical reality TV with her two dogs and wonderful partner.

Emily received both of her degrees from Colorado State University including a BS in Psychology, followed by a Master’s in Social Work.

About Dr. Michaels

Sharon Michaels, Ed.D. (she/her), is a visionary educational leader dedicated to racial and gender justice. As a teacher, coach, and elementary school principal, she founded Disrupt Forward in 2016. This consulting firm aids K-12 education organizations in refining their anti-bias and anti-racist policies, ensuring all students thrive.

Dr. Michaels earned her Doctorate in Leadership and Learning in Organizations from Vanderbilt University and a Master's in Curriculum & Instruction from George Mason University. Her expertise encompasses K-12 strategic planning, enrollment, retention, business development, and policy compliance. She has also pioneered technology integration in public schools, improved immunization compliance, and secured federal grant funding.

Her commitment to coaching and supporting teachers enhances the learning experience for educators and students.

About Esther

As a lifelong Denverite of Native Mexican descent, Esther is deeply involved with her community and actively engaged in local organizations and grassroots campaigns, especially in efforts centered around bison restoration and Native issues. After previously working as a Program Manager in public schools, she also continues to be a dedicated advocate for at-risk youth, providing mentorship and support to help them thrive. 

In her role as Justice Necessary's Administrative and Program Support Specialist, she brings her passion for initiatives that expand access to essential resources to our mission to address hygiene and period poverty. Her work reflects a continued commitment to creating supportive environments where everyone has access to the resources they need to thrive.

About Peter

Peter is a Community Engagement Liaison at Justice Necessary. Hailing from a background in education, Peter has overseen everything from sponsoring several student clubs such as National Honors Society and Key Club to build and foster a sense of student identity through community to developing college essay writing workshops, English tutoring, and teaching classes on his favorite subject, comic books.

A detailed and enthusiastic team member experienced in project management with a desire to make a positive impact, however small or large, Peter can't wait to build connections within the Colorado community to best serve the Justice Necessary mission of combatting period and hygiene poverty.  As HB24-1164,”Free Menstrual Products to Students” rolls out, Peter leads our comprehensive team assisting schools with legislation implementation. He devotedly believes in incorporating a focus on student engagement into this vital work, because nurturing the minds of the future generations is how we ensure the continuation of our mission.

In his down time, Peter enjoys catching up on comic books and novels, spending time with family and loved ones, exploring the state of Colorado, experimenting with new recipes, and working on his book. 

A former Schreyer Scholar from Penn State University, Peter holds a BA in Film-Video and a BS in Management with a focus in human capital. 

About Ara

As a Razor Sharp Strategist, Ara tries to help with every aspect of Justice Necessary’s work, supporting our administrative needs and much more. With 20 years of experience in a variety of industries from nonprofits to universities, engineering firms, and tech startups, Ara has built an impressive portfolio of skills in fundraising, customer service, and administrative and legal support. 

After earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in International Politics and Conflict Resolution from the University of Denver, Ara founded and continues to run a cooperative disability household in Northwest Denver. With an intentionally intersectional focus, she works to support local members of the LBGTQIA community who live with disabilities and chronic illnesses.

As a second-generation Denverite on one side of her family and a first-generation American on the other, Ara attempts to embody the divisions between micro and macro and local and international perspectives in her daily life. She comes to Justice Necessary with deep roots in Denver advocacy and direct aid and brings an energetic passion for caring for the individual as well as the community, which dovetails perfectly with our mission.

About Randia

A Puerto Rico Native, Randia began her advertising career in 2009 as a Traffic Coordinator at BBDO Puerto Rico. She managed prominent accounts, ensuring smooth project execution from start to finish and fulfilling client advertising contracts, all while maintaining daily status reports to meet strict deadlines. After more than a decade at BBDO, Randia moved to Kroma Advertising, a local Puerto Rican agency, where she worked as an Account Executive, overseeing project timelines and collaborating on the successful launch of a major TV campaign in 2016, assisting with casting and production planning. Following the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017, Randia relocated with her family to Colorado.

In Colorado, she joined the Colorado Press Network (CPN) in 2017 as an Advertising Coordinator, managing client order fulfillment. In 2019, she was promoted to Client Services Director, where she focused on exceptional customer service, expanding business relationships, and helping clients maximize the potential of CPN's products. Randia has played a pivotal role in growing CPN’s client base and revenue, establishing herself as a dependable and trusted partner for her clients.

Randia also has extensive experience translating documents between English and Spanish.  As a Latina, she recognizes the importance of translation services in supporting her community and ensuring equal access to information. She joined Justice Necessary as a Spanish Consultant because she is passionate about the organization’s work as an advocate for communities in Colorado struggling to access essential hygiene products.

In her spare time, Randia loves exploring the vibrant culture, beautiful landscapes, and rich heritage of the Caribbean with her family, cherishing the opportunity to reconnect with her roots and create lasting memories together.

About Karen

Karen Wick is a principal at Swift Strategies, a government relations firm in Denver, Colorado focusing on the Colorado General Assembly and state government agencies. She has more than 15 years of legislative and political experience honed while working for top advocacy organizations in Colorado and Washington, DC.

As Political Director and Lobbyist for the Colorado Education Association, affiliate of the National Education Association, she led strategic campaigns to advance their political and legislative goals and engage their 35,000 members across the state. Her previous experience also includes advancing rights for LGBTQ individuals nationally with the Gill Foundation, advocating for union members with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and advancing the rights of working women at Women Work! The National Network for Women’s Employment.

A native of New Jersey, Karen completed her bachelor’s degree at Montclair State University. She later earned her Master’s in Public Policy at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at George Washington University in Washington, DC.