Client-centered counselors and community advocates for your environmental needs.

Michael Parker - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND MANAGING ATTORNEY

Michael became the Executive Director and Managing Attorney at Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services in April 2022.  Michael was born and raised in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a small city nestled in the Laurel Highlands.  He received his Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and then moved to Pittsburgh in 2000 to attend the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.  Michael graduated from Pitt Law in 2003 with a Juris Doctor with a Certificate of Advanced Study in Environmental Law, Science, and Policy. 

Putting his law practice on hold, Michael spent the next year in Baghdad, Iraq serving with his U.S. Army Reserve Combat Engineer Battalion as the Intelligence Sergeant.  After returning from deployment in 2005, Michael began his law practice as a Staff Attorney at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law’s Environmental Law Clinic where he spent much of his time working on air quality permit appeals before the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board.  After his time at the clinic, Michael then worked for the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP) from 2006 to 2008 as the Outreach Coordinator and then as the Legal Director.  While at GASP, Michael continued to work on air quality appeals, conducted community outreach and education, and advised their board of directors on all legal matters. 

In 2008, Michael joined the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) Legal Section as the Assistant Solicitor for the ACHD’s Air Quality Program.  While with the air program, his practice included prosecuting air quality enforcement actions, defending air quality permit appeals, and counseling the air program on regulatory and policy development.  In 2012, he was awarded a Certificate of Commendation by the U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental and Natural Resources Division, for his work on a joint county-federal air quality enforcement case.

After rising to ACHD Solicitor in 2016, Michael’s practice shifted to public health law, environmental health law, Right to Know Law compliance, Sunshine Act compliance, and regulatory development.  During his time as the ACHD Solicitor, Michael also more than doubled the ACHD’s legal capacity, managed prosecution of environmental health violations, helped to develop new enforcement policies, drafted regulations for universal blood lead level testing, helped to revise several environmental health regulations, and managed the ACHD’s legal response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michael currently lives in Pittsburgh’s east end with his wife, children, three cats, and a bearded dragon.  He enjoys live music, hiking, camping, gardening, cooking, mountain biking, and skiing. 

Meagan Niebler - community democracy program manager

Meagan Niebler, MPH, (she/her) has been creating, implementing, and evaluating community-based programming since 2008.  Her career started as a birth doula and home visitor, which led her path and passion toward reproductive and sexual health education.  Her work has included developing and implementing sexuality-education curriculums for families, including the evidence-based Linking Families and Teens; facilitating community-based breast and cervical health education; and directing a support program for postpartum families with complex needs.  Since coming to Fair Shake in 2021, Meagan has seen how the same systems that impact reproductive justice impact environmental justice, and loves connecting with communities to support as they move their vision to action.  Meagan lives in the South Hills of Pittsburgh with her two kids, husband, and dog, and loves finding a good bakery and hike on the weekends.  

Tim Fitchett - PA & WV staff attorney, residency program director

Tim grew up in Southeastern Pennsylvania and received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Pennsylvania State University. After graduating Tim spent 6 months in Alaska as an Americorps member, building trails and rehabilitating wetlands. Before law school, Tim worked as a caregiver at a group home with developmentally disabled adults, and with disabled veterans, taking them to medical appointments and on other outings.

Tim moved to Portland in 2008 and quickly became invested in the city. Tim was an active volunteer with Friends of Trees, at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), with Friends of the Columbia Gorge, and as Neighborhood Emergency Team member. In 2013, after volunteering with the lawyers at Friends of the Columbia Gorge, Tim decided to go to law school. In addition to his studies, Tim spent two years as the Vice President of Student Affairs for the student government, spending many hours working to make the lives of his fellow students better. Tim was an intern at OPAL Environmental Justice helping to ensure equal access to public transit for all Portlanders. He also externed at the Oregon Supreme Court under former Justice Virginia Linder. Tim also externed at Crag Law Center and continued helping them with cases after graduation. Tim has also been a research assistant under two esteemed professors, Prof. William Funk and Prof. Michael Blumm.

Tim received the Pro Bono Honors award for his volunteer work two years in a row. Tim graduated cum laude in 2016 before passing the bar exam and starting Staterra Law with Jason Polen. Tim is admitted to practice law in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Oregon (inactive) and Washington (inactive).

Tim recently moved to Pittsburgh with his wife and young daughter and is excited to bring the skills and passion he developed in the Pacific Northwest back to his home state. In his free time, Tim enjoys volunteering, running, biking, gardening, cooking, and home improvement.

Shawn Reed - Community Democracy Program Coordinator

Shawn (She/Her) is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania joins Fairshake as the Community Democracy Program Coordinator.  She earned both her BA in Criminology & Criminal Justice and MA in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.  In her new role, she hopes to uplift and amplify the voices of those most adversely impacted by environmental inequities in the Appalachian Basin.  

While attending Slippery Rock University, Shawn was involved and held various student leadership roles on campus.  As the Vice President of Cultural Diversity for the University Program Board, Shawn collaborated with other organizations and departments to bring diverse programs and lectures to campus such as Maya Angelou, Herman Boone and Bill Yoast (Remember the Titans), and Frank Warren (Post Secret). As a Graduate Assistant at Slippery Rock University, Shawn worked in the Center for Student Involvement & Leadership. In this role, Shawn coordinated the Compass Leadership Program, a campus wide initiative that engages students in involvement and leadership opportunities.  Shawn also served as an intern for the Cross-Cultural Leadership Development office at the University of Pittsburgh, where she facilitated leadership and diversity workshops for students in the Emerging Leaders Program. 

Shawn is a proud member of the Youngstown Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority Incorporated. She has participated in annual activities such as Martin Luther King Jr. Diversity Breakfast, Eyes for Africa, Caring for Kenya, and Delta Days in the Nation’s Capitol. 

Shawn has worked in community mental health for over 10 years. After graduating with her MA, Shawn has served as a therapist for various levels of care and diagnoses. Shawn currently resides in Beaver County PA with her husband and 2 daughters.Shawn enjoys traveling and exploring different places with her family, learning new things. Shawn in a self-proclaimed Cupcake Connoisseur. She and her daughters love to find local bakeries in search of the best cupcake in the world.

emily freeborn - pro bono program staff attorney

Emily was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and has roots in northeastern Ohio where she spent many summers on the shores of Lake Erie. Emily became interested in the law as a child, when her family worked closely with the neighborhood’s community council to try to prevent a treasured park from being converted into a parking lot. She earned her undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the Ohio State University in 2008 and graduated Cum Laude from New York Law School in 2013. After law school Emily moved to Texas to begin her legal career. 

Emily initially joined the Office of Attorney General of Texas Child Support Division, covering six counties in east Texas, where she witnessed the impacts of unchecked petrochemical industries on the community and the environment. She went on to represent unaccompanied immigrant youth as an attorney for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, where she worked closely with victims of human trafficking. She continued to advocate for victims of human trafficking as a Staff Attorney for the Center to End the Trafficking and Exploitation of Children at Child At Risk, a Houston nonprofit organization, and with the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Anti-Trafficking. In 2019 Emily joined the Harris County Attorney’s office, in Houston, Texas, where she prosecuted cases in the Children’s Protection Division before transitioning to the Environmental Division. As an environmental prosecutor Emily pursued air, waste, and water violations through administrative regulation and civil litigation.  

After returning to her home state of Ohio, Emily joined Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services in May 2022 as a Pro Bono Staff Attorney where she focuses on regulation of the petrochemical industry in the Ohio River Valley. Emily is currently authorized to practice law in Ohio while her application for admission is pending and she maintains a Texas law license.

andrew earley, west virginia staff attorney

Andrew was born and raised in Parkersburg, West Virginia. He developed a deep care and admiration for the natural world through formative experiences in West Virginia’s wilderness. The C8 water crisis in his hometown showed him that the law was a tool that could be used to protect people and the environment. His work at Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services centers around regulation of the petrochemical industry.

Andrew believes that everyone deserves dedicated and compassionate legal representation, regardless of their income. He started his legal career with Legal Aid of West Virginia, where he primarily represented tenants in housing disputes against their landlord and assisted clients in family law matters. He also has experience with public and private nuisance issues and civil rights issues related to fair housing laws. Andrew continues to volunteer some of his time as an attorney with Legal Aid of West Virginia doing pro bono housing work.

Before becoming an attorney, Andrew graduated summa cum laude from West Virginia University, where he studied Philosophy. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law and served as president of the College’s Environmental Law Society. Andrew is admitted to practice in West Virginia’s state courts.  

Andrew resides in Charleston, West Virginia. When he is not representing clients and sharpening his skills as an advocate, Andrew can be found walking his dog, exploring West Virginia’s many outdoor activities, cooking (and eating), and spending time with his friends and family.

Corinne ogrodnik - development director

Corinne joined Fair Shake in Spring of 2023 with over twenty years of fundraising experience in the public, private, and academic sectors. She is a third generation Southwestern Pennsylvania local whose passion for Appalachia developed after leading wilderness excursions in the region many years ago. Corinne holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. She is an avid cross-country skier, local foods advocate, and loves spending time in the outdoors with her family, friends, and pup.

A-Nya Badger - Community Democracy program Coordinator

A-Nya (She/Her) is a passionate advocate for social justice and a West Virginian native. She is the Community Democracy Coordinator, focused on PFAS education and community empowerment in the Ohio Valley and West Virginia. A-Nya holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Peace and Social Justice from Berea College, where she actively promoted gender inclusivity and spiritual care on campus. Her commitment to uplifting marginalized voices led her to co-found the Spiritual Youth For Reproductive Freedom, organizing trainings and webinars on reproductive health and spirituality. While in college, she served her campus community as a student chaplain, providing pastoral care and peer counseling. 

Engaging deeply with her community, A-Nya serves as a Steering Committee Member for Stay Together Appalachian Youth and an Advisory Board Member for Black Appalachian Young and Rising. Through these roles, she has coordinated institutes, facilitated educational gatherings, and developed curricula addressing systemic issues affecting Appalachia's youth. She’s hopeful that she can bring all these experiences to all the communities she has the privilege of working with. In her free time, she loves playing Stardew Valley, Tabletop Simulator, Dungeons and Dragons, Crocheting, and Cooking.  

Brooke Christy, Equal Justice Works Fellow

Brooke Christy (she/her) is passionate about combining her ten years of community organizing experience and legal education to foster equal access to environmental justice. Brooke has a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law where she received the Dick Thornburgh Prize for Legal Service for her work to provide legal support to marginalized communities.

At Fair Shake, Brooke is responsible for a wide variety of tasks, including direct representation of tenants with lead exposure, collaborating with community organizations to better support their existing efforts, and promoting increased capacity of pro-bono lead litigation. In her free time, Brooke can be found volunteering with reproductive justice organizations, hiking trails with her rescue dogs, and refining her new hobby of water color painting.