Monica L. Reid serves as the Director of Advocacy for NACDL. In this capacity, Monica manages NACDL’s day-to-day grassroots advocacy operations and coordinates NACDL’s efforts to mobilize its members, individuals and organizations in support of NACDL’s policy objectives. This includes assisting in the preparation of advocacy materials for NACDL activists and affiliates; preparing and disseminating federal and state action alerts regarding pending legislation; monitoring and tracking state legislation on priority issues; initiating and coordinating lobby meetings between NACDL members and Members of Congress; coordinating other grassroots lobby events; facilitating state-level coalition building with influential community members and organizations; and coordinating state-level legislative reform campaigns.
Monica has fourteen years of professional experience in government relations and advocacy. Prior to joining NACDL, she served as a Legislative Assistant/Analyst for Fairfax County Government and Government Affairs Assistant for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
Within her community, Monica has worked to promote civic awareness, political engagement and advocacy throughout the Washington Metropolitan Region, having served as Convener for the Northern Virginia (NOVA) Coalition for Black Civic Participation, which is a coalition of over 30 nonprofit organizations created to register and educate African American voters in Northern Virginia through the “NOVA Votes: Educating and Encouraging the Black Vote” campaign. As Convener, she facilitated partnerships with statewide and local organizations and manages the Coalition’s voter empowerment efforts. During her tenure, the NOVA Coalition was awarded the Corporate Leadership Award by the Fairfax Chapter of the NAACP, as well as the Social Justice and Human Concerns Award presented by Russell Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal Church of Alexandria, VA.
In 2019, Monica was appointed by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to serve on Virginia’s African American Advisory Board.
In 2013, Monica was awarded the Marian Van Landingham Legislation & Public Policy Award by the Alexandria Commission on Women, the Excellence in Social Action Award by the Omicron Zeta Sigma Alumni Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and was a 2013 recipient of the Top 40 Under 40 Award presented by the EnVest Foundation.
Monica is a graduate of George Mason University with a Masters in Public Administration and a B.A. in Government & International Politics and Economics. She is also a 2014 graduate of the Minority Political Leadership Institute, a collaborative initiative of the Grace E. Leadership Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Legislative Black Caucus Foundation.
Maria Singh Amezcua assists the advocacy team with logistical planning of expungement clinics around the nation to help people receive a meaningful second chance through record clearing services. Maria secures partnerships with legal advocacy and social service organizations, on the ground, in the communities we are looking to serve. She is involved in the planning process through the day of the clinic. Maria also offers support, including recruitment and communications support, to partners and affiliates hosting similar events in their area.
In her role as Project Associate with the Return to Freedom Project, Maria receives, reviews, and tracks requests from people in prison and their families applying for the many initiatives in NACDL’s historic efforts to help those serving overly harsh sentences seek relief through compassionate release and clemency by recruiting, training, and supporting pro bono volunteer attorneys. She is responsible for maintaining webpages and resource libraries, drafting and editing documents and communications, and facilitating and managing applicant and volunteer outreach.
Maria graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2019. She studied Philosophy (Morality, Politics, Law) and received certificates in Human Rights and Socio-Legal Studies. During her undergraduate career Maria completed an externship with the Mitigation Specialist at the Maricopa County Office of Public Defenders and worked as a File Clerk for a private immigration firm in Phoenix, Arizona. Since graduating, Maria has moved to Washington D.C. where she has started her career in criminal legal reform work first with FAMM then at NACDL.
