Dani has served as the Digital Media Manager for the OPBA since July 2022.
Dani has a Bachelors of Science degree in Journalism and spent roughly six years working as a TV sports reporter. Dani's sports journalism career has taken her all over the country, from New York and Pennsylvania to North Dakota and California.
In her current role, Dani manages all of the OPBA’s social media accounts and website. She also produces feature stories to highlight OPBA members and their accomplishments.
As a true Jersey girl, Dani loves Dunkin’, the beach and cheering obnoxiously for her New York sports teams.
Tom Austin is the OPBA Executive Director. Tom served as a Trustee and Executive Secretary on the OPBA Executive Board prior to being appointed to Executive Director in August 2014. Tom was unopposed in his current elected term.
Tom holds a degree in Criminal Justice and is a retired police sergeant. During his career, Tom was a field training officer (FTO), public information officer, member of the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force and a bike patrol officer.
Tom has lobbied on behalf of OPBA members in Washington D.C. and Columbus, Ohio. Tom also sits on the Executive Board of the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO).
Trish is the Office Manager for the OPBA and has been a vital part of its operation since 1993. She handles the day-to-day operations of the office including bookkeeping, payroll and member services.
Daniel has served as Chief Legal Counsel for the OPBA since 2015. Daniel served as a firefighter/paramedic from 1990-2008. During that time, he was president of the firefighter's union, where he successfully negotiated two collective bargaining agreements and handled the day-to-day activities.
Prior to joining the OPBA in 2008, he maintained a solo practice focusing on employment and labor law from the employee/union perspective. Since joining the OPBA, he has negotiated collective bargaining agreements, processed and arbitrated grievances and litigated in civil court. He is familiar with all aspects of the collective bargaining process, public sector labor issues and issues concerning FMLA and FLSA.
Education
Admissions
Professional Involvement
Joseph is an Ohio State Bar Association Certified Specialist in Labor and Employment Law with over twenty-five years of experience in all aspects of litigation and administrative practice concerning labor and employment related matters. Prior to practicing law, Joseph worked as a fire fighter/paramedic.
Joseph has extensive experience in representing OPBA members and other public sector unions in matters including litigation, arbitration of employment related issues, contract negotiations, civil service appeals, interest arbitration and unfair labor practice matters.
Joseph has handled matters dealing with Title VII, 42 U.S.C. Sections 1981 and 1983, Fair Labor Standards Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Family Medical Leave Act, Title IX and actions based on Chapter 4112 of the Ohio Revised Code.
Joseph has practiced before several Ohio administrative agencies, including the State Employment Relations Board, State Personnel Board of Review and the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.
Mark has been an attorney with OPBA since 1999, representing members in litigation, contract negotiations, mediation, fact-finding, conciliation, disciplinary matters, grievances and arbitration. Mark’s administrative practice includes representation before the State Employment Relations Board and State Personnel Board of Review.
Prior to joining the OPBA, Mark worked as an associate at Climaco, Lefkowitz, Peca, Wilcox & Garofoli Co. LPA, and served as an Assistant Prosecutor at the Huron County Prosecutor’s Office.
George is an independent practitioner working for the OPBA.
Prior to practicing law full-time, George served as a police officer in Ohio, where he was a patrol officer, detective and supervisor at the police academy. George also served as president of his department's union and as regional vice president of the International Union of Police Associations (IUPA – AFL-CIO).
George worked as an attorney with AFSCME and different police organizations before associating with the OPBA in 2015, where he services OPBA member units in all areas of labor and criminal law.
In his private practice, George works in the areas of labor law, estate planning/succession planning, criminal law, family law, and has served as Special Counsel for Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray.
Yvonne is an attorney in OPBA's Toledo office. Yvonne served as an intern at the Lucas County Common Pleas Court while pursuing her undergraduate degree. While in law school, Yvonne worked as a chief law clerk/bailiff for the Honorable Mary Grace Trimboli (Retired) of the Toledo Municipal Court. In 2005, she entered into private practice and opened her office in downtown Toledo.
In 2013, she was sworn in as the Assistant Deputy Prosecutor in Lake County, Indiana, and subsequently returned to Toledo, where she was appointed as the Prosecuting Attorney for the Village of Swanton, Ohio, appearing in the Eastern District Court, Fulton County, Ohio. In 2016, Yvonne joined the OPBA while maintaining a private practice in Toledo and is transitioning as General Counsel for the OPBA in 2024. In addition, Yvonne instructs for the Owens Community College Police Academy.
Yvonne enjoys volunteering for charitable events, working out, spending time with family and friends, and traveling.
Adam is an OPBA attorney in the Cleveland office. While in law school, Adam worked as a law clerk at the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. Additionally, he served as a legal extern for Supreme Court of Ohio Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor. Even with all of this practical experience during law school, he still consistently made the Dean’s List.
After law school and passing the bar, Adam immediately joined the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office as an assistant prosecuting attorney. Adam was first with the Appellate Unit and eventually left the office as a member of the General Felony Unit. During his time with the prosecutor's office, he prosecuted hundreds of cases ranging from drug possession to rape and murder, including high profile criminal trials involving police use of deadly force and public corruption.
In addition, he tried over a dozen cases, negotiated hundreds of plea deals, filed dozens of trial court motions and appellate briefs and presented oral arguments before the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, Eighth District Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Ohio. On top of his litigation responsibilities, he worked closely with the elected prosecutor on criminal justice reform projects, including drafting legislation, authoring a white paper for the Supreme Court of Ohio Rules Committee on better representation for indigent defendants and creating the employee evaluation system for the Prosecutor’s Office.
Adam lives in the Greater Cleveland area with his dog. He enjoys spending his time in the outdoors, working out and traveling.
Dominic has worked only for unions and union-side law firms. Before joining the OPBA, he was awarded a prestigious Peggy Browning Fellowship by the United Steelworkers of America. He advised the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association (OCSEA), AFSCME Local 11. He also organized and represented over 1,500 employees on the eastern side of Ohio with AFSCME Ohio Council 8, AFL-CIO.
In his current role, Dominic handles collective bargaining, mediation, arbitration, fact-finding and conciliation matters as a representative for OPBA members under Ohio's public sector bargaining laws. He leads contract committees through negotiations, helps union officials identify their priorities and concerns, carefully drafts specific language for proposals and counter-proposals and acts as the chief spokesperson for unions at the bargaining table. He has successfully defended the OPBA against difficult employers in state courts. He also counsels the OPBA's private-sector members under the National Labor Relations Act. Often, he appears before the National Labor Relations Board to protect their interests.
Dominic is no stranger to the labor movement. He grew up in rural Ashtabula County, Ohio, where his great-grandfather, grandfather and father were all members of the United Steelworkers.
In his free time, Dominic golfs, flies remote-controlled airplanes and umpires high school and college baseball games.
Jeff joined the OPBA in 1994. At the OPBA, Jeff works with various OPBA units in the Northern Ohio area.
In his free time, he enjoys watching sports, hiking, working out, listening to music and reading.
Danielle is an OPBA attorney in the North Royalton office. Danielle received her Bachelor’s Degree in Forensic Biology from Ohio Northern University, where she studied different forensic techniques, including fingerprinting, DNA processing, toxicology and crime scene analysis.
While in law school, Danielle worked as a law clerk at the Cuyahoga County Public Defender’s Office in both the felony and juvenile divisions. She graduated in the top ten percent of her class from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 2015.
After passing the bar, she began working at a medical malpractice firm, representing individuals that were the victim of abuse or neglect in numerous different counties across Ohio. Danielle has been with the OPBA since 2019. In April 2023, Danielle argued before the Supreme Court of Ohio on behalf of the OPBA and its members. Danielle has also argued before the Eighth District Court of Appeals on multiple occasions. She has experience in mediation, arbitration, negotiating collective bargaining agreements and handling discipline matters.
Recent Cases
Ron has been an OPBA member since 1995 and a director for over 20 years. Ron currently serves as a field services representative. His duties include responding to critical incidents and servicing the Cuyahoga County corrections officers. In his spare time, Ron coaches numerous high school sports and enjoys outdoor activities.
Amanda is currently a staff representative at the OPBA. She is finishing her JD degree at Case Western Reserve University and will take the Ohio bar exam in July 2024. She interned at the OPBA during her 1L summer in 2022. At the office, she assists the attorneys with various legal matters. She is looking forward to working full-time after the bar exam.
Ohio Wesleyan University, B.A., Summa Cum Laude
