Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience Welcomes National Legal and Policy Experts to Independent Advisory Committee

The Rutgers University Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience announces the addition of two nationally distinguished legal and public policy leaders – Kenneth R. Feinberg and William W. Vodra – to its independent advisory committee. 

Their expertise in dispute resolution, regulatory law and public service will further the center’s mission to promote democratic policing, community trust and public safety strategies rooted in equity and resilience, Miller officials said.

I am honored to join the Rutgers Miller Center at a time when fostering ethical leadership and trust in public institutions is more critical than ever.

Kenneth R. Feinberg

Feinberg, recognized as one of the nation’s foremost authorities on alternative dispute resolution and public compensation programs, has overseen many of the nation’s most sensitive and high-profile compensation efforts over the past several decades. These include serving as special master of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, the BP PLC-establish Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Fund and the General Motors Ignition Switch Program. He also was a court-appointed mediator in the bankruptcies of pharmaceutical companies Purdue Pharma and Mallinckrodt and was entrusted by the federal government with oversight roles in executive compensation under the Troubled Asset Relief Program, the Boeing 737 Max fund and numerous clergy abuse and terrorism victim compensation efforts.

“I am honored to join the Rutgers Miller Center at a time when fostering ethical leadership and trust in public institutions is more critical than ever,” Feinberg said. “I look forward to contributing to its work advancing fairness and accountability in policing and community safety.”

The Miller Center’s commitment to thoughtful, data-informed reform in law enforcement aligns with my long-held belief in responsible governance and regulatory integrity.

William W. Vodra

Vodra, a retired senior partner from Arnold & Porter, brings more than four decades of experience in legal policy and regulatory affairs. A former associate chief counsel for drugs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and assistant chief counsel at the Drug Enforcement Administration, Vodra has played a role in shaping national pharmaceutical policy, drug safety standards and public health regulation. He has served on advisory committees of the National Academies of Sciences, contributed extensively to FDA reform initiatives and held leadership roles on numerous editorial boards and public commissions focused on health care law and drug regulation.

“The Miller Center’s commitment to thoughtful, data-informed reform in law enforcement aligns with my long-held belief in responsible governance and regulatory integrity,” Vodra said. “I am proud to support its mission of public trust and resilience.”

Paul Miller, chair of the independent advisory committee for the center, welcomed the appointments.

“Kenneth Feinberg and William Vodra are thought leaders whose reputations and contributions span decades and disciplines,” Miller said. “Their insight into justice, accountability and public trust will strengthen the Center’s national impact on democratic policing and community resilience.”

As advisory committee members, Feinberg and Vodra will help guide the center’s initiatives, offer strategic counsel on research and training and advance partnerships across government, academia and civil society.