R. Daniel Okonkwo, Executive Director
Eduardo Ferrer, Chief Operation Officer
Na’ilah Amaru, Policy Director

R. Daniel Okonkwo is a Senior Analyst in the Regulatory Practice Group at the EOP Group, Inc., a Washington, D.C. business and political consulting firm, where he represents green technology producers and manufacturers, investor-owned utilities, nuclear power generators, and oil/gas/chemical corporations. He has authored and edited the EOP Group publication Understanding the United States Government's Regulatory Policy and co-authored Understanding the Budget of the United States Government.  Prior to joining the EOP Group, Daniel was employed at the Office of the Public Defender in Miami, FL where he represented clients in the County Court Division and Felony Drug Court.

Daniel received his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.  Daniel has had extensive experience with youth in Washington D.C.  While at Georgetown University Law Center, he was a student attorney in the Juvenile Justice Clinic and the head basketball coach, and tutor at the Maya Angelou Public Charter School. Daniel's experience with the law and youth dates back to his undergraduate days at Yale University, where he graduated with a B.A in African-American Studies. At Yale, he was the head of the Black Undergraduate Law Association and was heavily involved as a tutor at the Connecticut Youth Detention Center in New Haven.

R. Daniel Okonkwo is the Executive Director of D.C. Lawyers for Youth and runs DCLY’s Youth Justice Project. He also sits on the board of directors for the D.C. Alliance of Youth Advocates and is a community advisory panel member of the Washington, D.C. Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative.

Eduardo Ferrer is the Chief Operating Officer of DC Lawyers for Youth and an associate at Howrey LLP. Since joining Howrey in the fall of 2005, Eddie has worked on a variety of pro bono matters involving juvenile justice, immigration rights, constitutional law, and habeas corpus. Eddie is a double Hoya, having graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2005 and the McDonough School of Business in 2002. During his time at the Law Center, Eddie served as a student attorney at the Georgetown Juvenile Justice Clinic and interned at the Georgetown Family Advocacy Clinic. Eddie also currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Campaign for Youth Justice and as the Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for ANC SMD 1B10. Eddie can be reached at eferrer@dcly.org.

Na’ilah Amaru is the Policy Coordinator for DC Lawyers for Youth.  Nailah joins the DCLY staff from her recent position as a legislative intern in the Office of Representative John Lewis. Prior to moving to D.C., Nailah was actively involved in the Atlanta political and social justice arenas. She interned as a policy analyst for current Atlanta mayor, Kasim Reed, researching crime and justice policies to support his mayoral election platform. Nailah has extensive experience as a citizen lobbyist and community organizer, having worked with the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta Community Investment Team, the Atlanta Urban League for Young Professionals, and several other civic organizations in evaluating programs focused on youth, underserved populations, and political awareness. After receiving an honorable discharge from the United States Army in 2004, Nailah returned to the United States to pursue undergraduate degrees in Criminal Justice and Political Science and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Texas-San Antonio. She also has a Master’s in Public Policy from the Andrew Young School of Public Policy at Georgia State University.   A long-time activist who is passionate about women’s issues, education reform, affordable housing, and juvenile justice, Nailah is a dedicated veteran of serving in the public sector.