Signaling the next chapter in legal services for migrant and immigrant low-wage workers across Pennsylvania, Justice at Work (JaW) announces that Anton N. Andrew is joining the organization as its next executive director, effective August 1st. The son of working-class immigrants, Mr. Andrew has spent the past 25 years in public and nonprofit service, giving voice to people and issues that have been historically marginalized. He brings a wide range of leadership experience, including a deep understanding of nonprofit administration and governance.

Mr. Andrew most recently served as the inaugural Education and Advocacy Fellow for The Pennsylvania Prison Society, an independent monitor of prisons and jails, where he worked to increase the organization’s visibility in legislative offices, support education and advocacy efforts, and raise public awareness of issues affecting the Commonwealth’s increasingly sick and elderly prison population. Mr. Andrew further evidenced his strong commitment to public service as the Democratic nominee for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 160 in 2018 and 2020, each time securing the highest number of votes for a Democrat in the district’s history.

Previously, Mr. Andrew spent 12 years as a facilitator, trainer, and board member for Open Connections, a nonprofit educational resource center, before assuming the role of board chair in 2021. His past positions also include serving as Special Assistant to the President for Internal Relations at Cheyney University (the nation’s oldest Historically Black College or University or “HBCU”), where Mr. Andrew launched an incubator for small businesses―the Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Supportive Services Center―and co-created a peer mediation program that has served as a model for several Philadelphia-area high schools.

Mr. Andrew began his career as a Specially Appointed Public Defender in Miami, providing legal counsel to juvenile and adult clients facing a loss of liberty. In this role, he was part of an innovative unit funded with public/private dollars, working with investigators, social workers, and medical professionals to develop holistic sentencing alternatives to incarceration of juvenile offenders.

As a community volunteer, Mr. Andrew has served on the Board of Trustees for the Kennett Area Community Services, one of the Greater Philadelphia Region’s fastest growing food cupboard and emergency assistance organizations. He also helped scale up the organization’s response to the devastating economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to reach more individuals and families in need.

Equally passionate about environmental justice, Mr. Andrew has served on the Board of Trustees for the PA/DE Chapter of The Nature Conservancy since 2015. He also has been the Chapter’s DEIJ Ambassador since 2022, working closely with the Executive Director and Director of People and Operations to operationalize his belief that diversity is as essential to the organization’s survival as biodiversity is to the planet’s. Previously, Mr. Andrew was a Trustee with The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County, where he helped the organization receive national accreditation.

Mr. Andrew received his BA in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania, and his JD from Hofstra University School of Law. He also maintains certifications as a Strategic Financial Planner (Independent School Management) and Mediator (Center for Resolutions).

Friends of Farmworkers, Inc., d/b/a Justice at Work, has been advancing the rights of immigrant and low-wage workers across Pennsylvania for more than 45 years. Originally focused on agricultural workers, JaW pursues economic and social justice by providing free legal representation, community education, and advocacy across industries.