MISSION & PURPOSE
Feminists Choosing Life of New York is a human rights coalition that educates on the impacts and root causes of publicly sanctioned lethal violence, including abortion, war, assisted suicide and capital punishment.
Like the early feminist suffragists, FCLNY engages in grassroots activism and embraces the core principles of non-violence and non-discrimination.
We promote the consistent life ethic
and whole-life feminism.
POSITION PAPERS
FCLNY LEADERSHIP
MICHELE STERLACE, JD, LLM
Executive Director
Michele Sterlace-Accorsi grew up experiencing poverty and, at times, homelessness. She quit high school when she was 17. She later earned her GED and graduated magna cum laude from New York University, while working full-time. While a mother of four young children, at age 37, Michele’s experiences inspired her to advocate for vulnerable populations. She completed her Juris Doctor degree from the University at Buffalo School of Law.
Michele began her legal career as a trial attorney for those seeking custody of abused and neglected children. She continued this work at the Children’s Legal Center in Buffalo, serving as a children’s attorney. Seeing the needs of the community, Michele advanced her studies by attending the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine Law School. While a student at Pepperdine, she worked in the U.S. District Court. She assisted the mediation program director with prisoner rights cases and other civil litigation for the disenfranchised.
In 2017 she completed her studies and her youngest child, born during her first semester of law school, stood proudly by her, as she graduated with a Masters of Law in Dispute Resolution from the Straus Institute.
Michele is the paradigm of a pro-life feminist, a role model for equal opportunities for the poor, for women and their children, born and unborn.
EMILY
CAPPELLO,
BS
Operations Manager /
Outreach Coordinator
Emily is proud to call Western New York her home and was born in raised in Orchard Park. She began her involvement with FCLNY as a policy intern during the summer of 2021 and the passion and purpose behind the movement has stuck with her since.
Emily earned her Bachelor of Science in Marketing with a minor in Communication Arts from Franciscan University of Steubenville. She graduated magna cum laude in 2022 with the senior departmental award after 2 years of serving as officer and one year as president of the university’s business academic chapter.
Post-graduation, Emily spent many months in Orlando, FL working for Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom attractions and entertainment. However, she missed the Buffalo snow so much that she moved back in 2023 and began serving full time with FCLNY.
Emily has always been passionately pro-life, growing up with a family of 8 and being a 15 week premature baby herself. She believes strongly in the consistent life ethic and especially the work of FCLNY.
Marie Blair, BA
Chief Financial Officer
Marie Blair graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, from Empire State University. She has been seated on several non-profit boards and has worked with Pro-life Charities for the past 20 years.
Marie is the mother of four children, eleven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Family is a major part of her life
Pamela grew up in the suburbs and southern tier of Western New York and moved to Rochester in 2015. She began her involvement with FCLNY in December of 2021.
Pamela earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice in 1998 and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 2009 from Hilbert College in Hamburg, NY. She has been working in the accounting profession since 2003.
Pamela Bernardi, BS
Database Support
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Carol Crossed
President
Brighton, NY
Carol Crossed has played a leading role in the American Indian movement, promoting relations between native North American and Latin American indigenous peoples; in the Developing Countries Visiting Journalist Program; the Women’s Peace Encampment; the World Health Conference on Women and Children, and Bread for the World. Carol has spoken before the US Senate Judiciary on nonviolent civil disobedience; was awarded the World Food Day Stamp for the Food for People Network, and appears on the Women’s Wall of Fame in Seneca Falls, NY.
She is currently on the Board of Directors of Consistent Life International, Inc. (formerly The Seamless Garment Network) a federation of over 200 organizations that support the consistent life ethic and oppose war, abortion, capital punishment, euthanasia, economic injustice, and racism. Carol was a founding member of the Network in 1988 and was its Executive Director from 1992-1998. In 1999, she co-founded Democrats for Life of America.
She is currently owner and president of the Susan B. Anthony Birthplace Museum in Adams, MA. In 2009, she received the Woman of Achievement Award from the Berkshires Business Professional Women’s Association. In 2020, Crossed was a founder of the Harriet Tubman Museum of South Jersey. She has 6 children and 17 grandchildren.
Carrie Perham, BA
Secretary
Rochester, NY
Carrie Perham is a dedicated pro-life community activist and strategist in Rochester, NY. Originally from Chicago, IL, Carrie moved to Rochester mid-pandemic in 2020 to begin her career in activism as assistant to the President of Feminists Choosing Life of New York. She has a professional background in digital marketing, publishing, and content creation from her experience serving as Marketing Specialist for a nationwide family-owned lighting company based in Gurnee, IL.
Carrie received her Bachelor of Science Degree in International Business at Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2019. She was privileged to spend her semester studying abroad in Austria visiting international companies where she got first-hand multicultural experience in business management. For her Senior Thesis, Carrie chose to work with a local pregnancy center where she led career development seminars for poverty-stricken mothers. While serving as Senior Senator, she also contributed to a proposal emphasizing the need for a major geared towards Human Life Studies.
Carrie is involved with several pro-life organizations where she leads local campaigns aimed towards preventing the expansion of abortion facilities. She is a talented graphic designer, writer, and technical coordinator. Her passion is driven by her experiences as a child raised by a single mother of three and growing up in a small trailer of 4 girls. Her mother worked jobs day and night to support her family, and so Carrie's experience resonates with her understanding of true, real feminism.
Carrie got married in 2022 and enjoys city life with her husband. She loves to travel, write poetry, and craft. She looks forward to starting her family in the near future.
Clianda Florence, MS
Rochester, NY
Clianda Florence is a mother of three children Brianda, Ian and Malachi. She resides in Rochester, New York. She currently is an educator within the Greece Public Schools. She has served within the field of education since 2004. She is the founder of Strength 2 Say where she offers classes, book studies and professional development opportunities. She currently writes curriculum with the Rochester Science Museum and the Take It Down Team on anti-racist programming to schools’ grades 3rd -College,. She also offers classes to empower women to see their God given beauty and the Strength 2 walk in their Boldness.
Clianda holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Bennett College for Women, Master of Education grades 1st – 6th from Nazareth, and an advanced Master’s Degree in Education Administration from Brockport College, currently accepted to University of Rochester to obtain her Doctorate of Teaching & Curriculum with a focus on Literacy. Clianda has coined the term Let’s Get L.I.T. ( Liberating Individuals Through Literary Texts). She is a member of Central Church of Christ, the NAACP, serves as a board member of Feminist Choosing Life NY (FCLNY) , F.I.G.H.T. ,and The Reentry & Community Development Center of Rochester NY. Clianda is the host of the Let's Get L.I.T. Podcast on WDKX. She believes that writing opens the door to wonder and a deeper level of communication.
Amy Crossed, MA
Rochester, NY
Amy Crossed currently teaches Spanish and is a diversity officer in the Fairport, New York, School District. Before coming to Rochester, New York, she worked at The SHARE Foundation (Salvadoran Help and Research Education), assisting with Central American Refugee relocation. Amy holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish for International Service from Catholic University of America and a Master's Degree in Liberal Studies from SUNY Brockport. Amy is on the Board of Children Awaiting Parents. She has three adult children and when she is not correcting student papers, you will find her on the tennis court.
Cecelia Lester, BFA
VP & Social Media Director
Rochester, NY
Cecelia Lester is an art educator, designer and content creator for FCLNY and a working artist with a particular interest in textiles. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Illustration from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Cecelia is happily married and currently raising children. She is committed to creating a culture of life in NYS. Cecelia also serves on the board of the Margaret Home, a residential program for pregnant women and mothers facing homelessness.
Cecelia enjoys spending time with her children and husband, reading about the consistent life ethic and sewing her own clothes.