Welcoming Four New Members to our Board of Directors

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of four new members to the CS&S Board of Directors. Our new members will work alongside our current board members, some of whom will term off in late 2026. With about a year of planned overlap, our senior board members will support onboarding and culture development on the CS&S Board. Our new class of board members brings financial expertise, human resources leadership, legal and policy perspective, and experience as part of the fiscally sponsored project program to the CS&S Board of Directors. Board Chair, Shannon Dosemagen, notes of our new members, “As we look to the future of CS&S, my board colleagues and I are delighted to welcome new members whose experience and expertise will be invaluable as the impact of CS&S’s work continues to grow.” Read on for the biographies of our new board members, and please join me in welcoming them to CS&S!

Laura Acion is the co-founder of MetaDocencia, one of our fiscally sponsored projects, and is also an Adjunct Research Scientist at the National Research Council in Argentina (CONICET) at the University of Buenos Aires, where she leads the Responsible Use of Data Co-Laboratory. She has over 50 peer-reviewed academic publications, and has received funding from organizations including NASA, NIH, and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Since 2017, she has held leadership positions at or co-created local, regional, and international open-science-related collective projects, including R-Ladies Global, LatinR, and useR!. Her appointment to the board continues a tradition of leaders from fiscally sponsored projects serving as CS&S board members, an important role that brings this unique perspective to the overall governing of CS&S. Laura holds a Ph.D. in Biostatistics, and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Iowa.

Susan Au, CPA, CGMA is a Chief Financial Officer with over 20 years of non-profit finance leadership, and substantial private sector and public accounting experience. Susan currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the Zellerbach Family Foundation (ZFF). ZFF is a catalytic funder for constructive social change by initiating and investing in efforts that strengthen families and communities. Previously, Susan was the Chief Financial Officer at Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH), a nonprofit coalition that advocates for affordable health insurance. Prior to this, Susan served as the Director of Finance and Accounting at the Public Library of Science (PLOS), an open access medical and science research publisher that supports open science. Prior to PLOS, Susan was Director of Finance at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation that advances science discovery, environmental conservation and the special character of the San Francisco Bay Area. Susan held various corporate roles in the telecommunications and technology industry and cut her teeth in public accounting at Deloitte. Susan holds a B.S. in Accounting from San Francisco State University, and a M.B.A. in Finance from Santa Clara University. She recently wrapped up ten years of service on the Board of Phoenix Bioinformatics. Susan is an active California CPA, and holds a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) certification.

David Brody was the Director of the Digital Justice Initiative at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, before embarking on a sabbatical earlier this year. He has litigated and advocated on issues related to the intersection of technology and civil rights, such as consumer privacy, algorithmic bias, discriminatory advertising, election disinformation, voter intimidation, free speech, hate crimes, and government surveillance. David founded the Digital Justice Initiative at the Lawyers’ Committee in 2019. David previously served in the Federal Communications Commission, clerked for the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and was a fellow at the Electronic Privacy Information Center. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School. 

Janie Payne currently serves as the Vice President of People and Culture for the Council for Professional Recognition. In this role, Janie is responsible for envisioning, developing, and executing initiatives that strategically manage talent and culture to align people strategies with the overarching business vision of the Council. Prior to this, she held the position of Vice President of Administration at Equal Justice Works, where she was responsible for leading human resources, financial operations, facilities management, and information technology. She was also accountable for developing and implementing strategies to attract diverse talent, and the creation of an inclusive work environment. Janie has held executive positions in the private, federal, and not-for-profit sectors. In these roles, she has received recognition from management, industry publications, peers, and staff for driving the development and execution of programs that created an engaged and productive workforce. Janie was one of the first African American women to be featured on the cover of Human Resources Executive magazine. Janie received her Master of Arts degree in Organization Development from American University. She completed the year-long Maryland Equity and Inclusion Leadership Program sponsored by The Schaefer Center for Public Policy and The Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. She is a trained mediator and a Certified Professional Coach.