March 3-6, 2025
Title IX Foundations Focus Week

Kayleigh Baker is a Senior Consultant with TNG Consulting, LLC and has extensive experience overseeing Title IX compliance and Civil Rights investigations for districts, institutions, and organizations. Kayleigh frequently serves in interim management roles for both higher education institutions and K-12 schools and districts and works with clients in need of short-term or long-term crisis management services.

Kayleigh has provided training to thousands of Title IX practitioners in the field and maintains her own caseload as an external Investigator and Decision-Maker for TNG clients. Prior to her work in Title IX, Kayleigh served as an Assistant District Attorney for the 6^th Judicial Circuit in Alabama. As a criminal lawyer, Kayleigh served as the attorney of record on thousands of cases and litigated dozens of trials in front of a jury. She regularly instructed law enforcement officers on, among other topics, civil rights issues. Kayleigh continues to collaborate with law enforcement and District Attorneys on the intersection between their obligations and Title IX regulations.

Prior to working with TNG, Kayleigh served as a Title IX Investigator at The University of Alabama and as the University of North Alabama’s first full-time Title IX Coordinator. As a Title IX Coordinator in a one-person Title IX office, Kayleigh was responsible for primary prevention programming and has conducted campus climate surveys and facilitated training opportunities for thousands of students and employees on Bystander Intervention, reporting obligations, consent, and more. In addition to performing a wide range of responsibilities related to Title IX Compliance, Kayleigh has a wealth of experience related to other compliance areas across higher education.

Kayleigh has experience creating and leading Clery Committees and drafting Annual Security Reports. She also worked with other campus administrators related to the SACSCOC reaccreditation process. As a Title IX Coordinator, Kayleigh was also heavily involved in an institutional transition to NCAA Division I athletics and led multiple working groups to comply with the NCAA requirements. She also has been tasked with working with Behavior Intervention teams and has completed dozens of trainings with the National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA) and is a Certified Mental Health First Aider.

In 2021, Kayleigh was appointed to serve on the Advisory Board for the Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA). She has also served as part of ATIXA’s legislative committee. Kayleigh has previously presented at and served on the planning committee for the annual NASPA Strategies Conference which addresses collegiate alcohol and drug abuse prevention, mental health, sexual violence prevention and response, and student well-being through a variety of comprehensive and integrative approaches. Kayleigh was also selected to serve as a member of the pool of IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility) practitioners who review Inclusion plans for NASA’s Astrophysics division.

Kayleigh holds a B.S. in Political Science and Business Economics from Ball State University in Muncie, IN, and a J.D. from The University of Alabama School of Law. During law school, she was a two-time recipient of the George Taylor award for Outstanding Performance in Trial Advocacy and earned the Order of Samaritan in recognition of her exemplary commitment to service in the legal profession. In 2019, Kayleigh earned the Alabama Black Law Student Association Certificate of Excellence.

Kayleigh currently lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama with her family and her never-ending pile of “to be read” books.

Amelia Barbadoro brings over 15 years of experience working in the field of civil rights, with extensive knowledge related to Title VII and Title IX investigations, ADA compliance, and alternative dispute resolution in K-12 and postsecondary schools. Her passion for equal rights was sparked by a law school internship at the New York City Commission for Human Rights, followed by a second legal internship at the New York State Division of Human Rights, in their Office of Sexual Harassment Issues. Those experiences laid the foundation of her career.

Prior to joining TNG, Amelia served as the Director of Equity and Compliance at SUNY University at Albany, as well as the Title IX Coordinator, Clery Officer, and Domestic Violence Agency Liaison. She has also served as Assistant Legal Counsel at Cambridge College and Assistant Commissioner of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Development and ADA Coordinator at the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. Before moving to Albany, NY, Amelia held several positions within the New York City Department of Education, including Investigator and Training Unit Chief in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management, Assistant Director of the Office of Special Investigations, and Chief of Staff to General Counsel & Director of the Special Investigation Unit in the Office of General Counsel.

Amelia has taught graduate and undergraduate-level courses at SUNY University at Albany, Northeastern University, Salve Regina University, and Brooklyn College. Courses have included Higher Education Law; Urban Education; Culture, Equity, Power & Influence; Education Law, Policy & Finance; and Labor Relations. She has also presented to thousands of students, faculty, and staff on topics related to Title IX and Title VII compliance.

Amelia was raised in Western Massachusetts, spent over a decade living in Brooklyn, NY, and is now settled in Albany, NY, with her husband and two children.

Dan Fotoples, J.D., M.A. has been with TNG since December 2021. Previously to joining TNG, Dan served in various roles in different areas of higher education, including Title IX, Enrollment, CARE Team, Case Management, and Residence Life. Dan’s focus areas at TNG include thought leadership, curriculum development, training, regulatory analysis, and case law analysis.

Dan has extensive experience navigating the intersections of law and education. His expertise leverages both fields, focusing on compliance and Title IX. Dan draws on his broad multi-disciplinary experience to create impactful, engaging content. He aims to make complex legal and compliance concepts as comprehensible as possible to those industry professionals and students without a legal background. Dan seeks to synthesize relevant, practical, and actionable takeaways to help practitioners overcome the compliance and equity challenges they face in their roles.

Dan holds a B.A. in history and philosophy from John Carroll University, a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame, and his M.A. in Student Affairs Administration from Michigan State University. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio, and his Bernese Mountain Dog, Fiona, is a frequent visitor on Zoom calls.

Mandy Hambleton is an educator with over fifteen years of progressively responsible behavior management experience, including roles in student conduct and academic integrity, behavioral intervention and case management, and Title IX compliance at multiple higher education institutions.

She has extensive experience in informal resolution and restorative practices, as well as a broad range of policy and process development, including both public-facing policies and internal standard operating procedures, templates, and forms. Mandy specializes in teaching courses on informal resolution; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and the intersection of BIT and Title IX, with a focus on balancing legal and compliance requirements with compassionate approaches to meeting individual and organizational needs.

She is frequently sought by her peers for her creativity in training curriculum development, applied learning exercises, and facilitation. Mandy has a breadth of experience in alternative dispute resolution/conflict resolution processes and practices and is a highly skilled informal resolution facilitator and trainer for all types of complaints, including those falling under Title IX. An accomplished writer, content developer, editor, and facilitator, she serves as the TNG Director of Content Development responsible for managing and contributing to the development and refinement of print publications, training materials, new course development, and member resources for TNG, ATIXA, and NABITA. As ATIXA Vice President, she supports the Association’s educational and advocacy efforts including thought leadership, training development and delivery, conference planning and execution, association partnerships, and legislative efforts. She informally shares her expertise by frequently fielding member questions through the ATIXA and NABITA listservs.

Prior to joining TNG, Hambleton served as the Title IX Director at Florida State University where she managed Title IX compliance strategies and programs for three domestic and four international higher education sites, as well as a K-12 charter school district. Hambleton has a proven capacity for developing new and restructuring existing staff teams and offices for building trust in people and processes, increasing effectiveness, and establishing brand recognition.

She holds a B.A. in English – Professional Communication from Winthrop University and an M.S. in Higher Education from Florida State University.

Mandy resides in Tallahassee, Florida; is an active foster parent for homeless dogs; and volunteers (virtually) as a facilitator for Community Justice Initiatives’ Revive Program, focusing on restorative practices for responding to sex- and gender-based harm.

Alisha Carter Harris is a Senior Consultant with TNG and has extensive experience in civil rights/equal opportunity compliance and implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives. Her experience is based primarily in higher education but Carter Harris is also well-versed in the financial services industry.

Prior to her arrival at TNG, Carter Harris served as an Employee Relations Partner at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. where she investigated employment-related complaints made by employees of all levels across the firm. She has also served as Associate Director of Equal Opportunity/Deputy Title IX Coordinator at the University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton, Texas. As Associate Director, Carter Harris assisted with the administration of the nondiscrimination program for UNT, most notably by conducting workplace and education investigations of alleged discrimination and harassment. As Deputy Title IX Coordinator, she assisted with Title IX compliance through policy development, oversight of student investigations, training, and advising faculty, staff, and administrators on matters related to sexual misconduct. Carter Harris has held similar administrative positions at the Community College of Allegheny County in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and California University of Pennsylvania in California, Pennsylvania.

Carter Harris holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice and an M.S. in Legal Studies from the California University of Pennsylvania. She also holds a certificate in alternative dispute resolution from the University of North Texas.

Kim Pacelli is a Partner with TNG who possesses substantial experience with the day-to-day challenges facing colleges, universities, and schools. She provides practical advice that empowers institutions to confidently manage high-risk issues on their campuses. Her practice includes:

• Policy and procedure development and consultation;
• Program review, assessment, and compliance consultations; and
• Tailored on-site training programs, among others.

She regularly trains and advises on Title IX policy and procedures, Clery Act reporting and compliance, student mental health interventions and policies, FERPA and student privacy issues, free speech issues for both public and private institutions, and student conduct issues, among others. She has also served as an invited speaker at regional and national conferences.

Ms. Pacelli’s solution-oriented approach to her work stems from her extensive experience as a student affairs practitioner. Kim served as Senior Associate Dean of Student Affairs at Bowdoin College, where she provided leadership, operational, budget, and personnel oversight to many central offices of the college, including the Dean’s office, Health Services, Counseling Services, Residential Life, and other student support offices. She also served as Associate Dean of Student Life for Harvard University.

Ms. Schuster is a recognized expert in preventive and civil rights law for education, notably in the fields of harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct and violence, ADA and disability issues and the First Amendment. 

Ms. Schuster has extensive experience and expertise in, and routinely advises clients on, the First Amendment and campus access issues; risk management and liability; behavior intervention and threat assessment; student discipline and campus conduct; intellectual property and employment issues. Ms. Schuster provides assistance nationally to both public and private educational schools and colleges in policy development, faculty handbooks and employee manuals, and training for state and federal compliance. She has provided extensive consultation to and training for the U.S. Justice Department, Office of Violence Against Women, the White House Task Force on Sexual Assault and the Futures Without Violence organization. She also provides litigation consultation, expert witness support, and conducts civil rights-based investigation for educational institutions. She provided contraceptive support and rape crisis counseling and served on the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood of Butler County.