Kristin Morse | Executive Director
Kristin brings a decades-long commitment to poverty reduction to her leadership role at the Center. Before joining the Center she led New York City’s Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO), an incubator of cutting-edge anti-poverty initiatives in the Mayor’s Office that won the prestigious Kennedy School Award for Innovations in American Government. She had a major role in developing programs that doubled the community college graduation rate, dramatically increased services for disconnected and justice- involved youth, and changed the way poverty is measured. She previously worked with local government leaders in Russia and co-authored a textbook on public policy in economies in transition, piloted education reforms in Brooklyn that were adopted by the New York City Department of Education, researched housing and homelessness issues, and developed and administered programs for battered women. Kristin holds a bachelor’s degree from Simon’s Rock of Bard College and is a proud alumna of Milano’s urban policy graduate program at The New School.
Prisca Agombe | Budget and Policy Analyst
Prisca focuses on city and state budget issues with an emphasis on education and human services. She is currently pursuing a master’s in public administration degree in public and nonprofit management and policy at New York University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and public policy from Rutgers University and a master’s degree in quantitative economics and econometrics from Binghamton University (SUNY-Binghamton), where she was also a teaching assistant.
Kevin Aportela-Flores | Operations Manager, Institute for Transformative Mentoring
Kevin Aportela-Flores is a New York native, born and raised in Jackson Heights. He worked at his father’s coffee shop in Long Island City throughout high school before completing an internship, and then accepting a job, at a small immigration law firm in Manhattan. After completing his undergraduate studies in political science and economics at Syracuse University, Kevin returned to New York City to continue his professional and academic career at The New School, where he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in politics. He has worked with the Provost Office and the Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) team, most recently as CPE’s Outreach and Engagement Coordinator.
Bruce Cory | Editorial Advisor
Bruce provides editorial advice for all the Center’s projects and events. He has written for and about New York City government for more than 30 years. From 2002 until 2014 he was senior speechwriter for Mayor Michael Bloomberg and, briefly, Mayor Bill de Blasio. Before that, he was chief speechwriter for Manhattan Borough Presidents Ruth Messinger and C. Virginia Fields. His extensive knowledge of New York City and its government is rooted in his work for the 1987-89 New York City Charter Revision Commission, for which he wrote and edited newsletters, op-eds, and other publications explaining the most extensive overhaul of City government in a generation. He is a graduate of Northwestern University, with a bachelor’s degree in history.
Lennox Dietz | Manager, Home-Based Child Care Research Project
Lennox, who previously worked as a housing rights organizer with the Justice Center en el Barrio and spearheaded educational initiatives on sustainable food practices in Harlem, will lead collaborations with organizations supporting home-based child care providers. While playing a critical role in New York City’s child care infrastructure, these providers also are threatened with the potential failure of their businesses due to low pay and other issues of economic precarity. The project will enable providers to produce evidence intended to inform policies sustaining family-based childcare and improving the quality and accessibility of early care and education for low-income families. Lennox holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health from the University of Texas at Austin.
William M. Evans | Director at the Institute for Transformative Mentoring (ITM)
William is the director of the Institute for Transformative Mentoring. A restorative justice practitioner, William works to heal, develop, and lead systems-impacted individuals on a journey to rebuild community and decrease tviolence and incarceration.
He is the founder of Neighborhood Benches, an organization focused on youth violence and incarceration. Before that he provided re-entry and counseling support at Rikers Island and with the Fortune Society. He serves on the advisory boards of Public Allies NY, New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, PS x18 in the Bronx, and as a member of the Restorative Roots Collaborative. He is a graduate of ITM and a 2019 Echoing Green Fellow. He received his master’s degree in nonprofit management from Fordham University and has started doctoral studies in social work at Yeshiva University.
Tracee Harvey-Addison | Child Welfare Watch Project Manager
In addition to managing the Center’s Child Welfare Watch program, Tracee, helps manage the work of the Narrow the Front Door (NTFD) project, a coalition of parents, activists, academics, and others with which the Center is affiliated and which seeks to end harsh and racially discriminatory practices and policies in the child welfare system.
Tracee is a longtime professional in child welfare and juvenile justice services. Before coming to the Center, she worked for New York Foundling as a resource parent coordinator and for the New York City Administration for Children’s Services as a child protective specialist. She has a master’s degree from Empire State College and a Ph.D. from Walden University; her doctoral dissertation looked at the effectiveness of reentry services and the lived experiences of formerly incarcerated African American males.
Gigi Hernandez | Partnerships and Spanish Project Lead at InsideSchools
A public school parent and alumna of New York City's public schools, Gigi Hernandez is the Partnerships and Spanish Project Lead at InsideSchools, where she conducts outreach and helps Spanish-speaking parents navigate public schools, college access and beyond through offering classes, workshops and online community forums. Before joining InsideSchools, Gigi worked with parents at Make the Road New York in Queens as a Parent Leader, supplying educational material and policy information. Gigi is a graduate of Brooklyn Tech High School and CUNY Hunter College, where she completed her BA in Sociology and is currently pursuing another BA in English with a focus on Linguistics and Rhetoric.
Talib Hudson | Founder of The New Hood and Visiting Fellow
Talib Hudson is the Founder of The New Hood. He is currently a PhD candidate in Public and Urban Policy at the Milano School for Policy, Management, and Environment at The New School. As a community-based scholar and advocate, Talib is driven to promote public policy for the advancement of metropolitan Black communities. His career experience includes grassroots anti-violence activism, criminal justice reform, policy
Natasha Quiroga | Director of Education Policy and InsideSchools
Natasha Quiroga is Director of Education Policy and InsideSchools at the New School’s Center for New York City Affairs. She brings almost 20 years of experience advocating for children, youth, and families to these roles. Most recently, she was Director of the Parental Readiness and Empowerment Program (PREP) and Senior Counsel in the Educational Opportunities Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, where she developed and successfully expanded national initiatives fostering parental leadership in education. Over the course of more than 10 years’ leadership at the Lawyers’ Committee, she provided extensive and expert analysis for parents, educators, and legislators on issues impacting the education of students of color, immigrant children, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities. Natasha also served as the first full-time Executive Director of Escuela Bolivia (now Educación Para Nuestro Futuro) in Arlington, Virginia, and advised state and local education agencies on compliance with federal education laws at an education law firm.
Natasha received her J.D. from American University’s Washington College of Law and her Master's in International Politics with a concentration in Children and Youth Development from American University’s School of International Service. She received her B.B.A. in Marketing and B.A. in Plan II Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a 2017 Presidential Leadership Scholar.
Seth Moncrease | Director of Operations
As the Director of Operations, Seth manages grant funds and expenses, oversees independent and vendor contracts, and supervises the Center’s events and design teams. He started his career in the student activities and alumni relations/corporate development fields, and has worked in a variety of specialized areas including, but not limited to, student affairs and engagement, developing high school academic curriculums, departmental operations/budget management, student philanthropy, special events, and organizing constituent groups, with a focus on engaging new and diverse communities of alumni and students. Seth is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus, where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in history. He has a master’s of business administration from Stevens Institute of Technology.
Lauren Melodia | Director of Economic and Fiscal Policy
Lauren Melodia is an economist with research interests in feminist economics and the interaction between macroeconomic and local economic policy. She brings over 15 years of experience in policy advocacy and research, organizing, and coalition-building to her role at the Center. Prior to joining the Center, she worked at the Roosevelt Institute, providing research and data analysis on the Covid-19 economic recovery, inflation, and fiscal and monetary policy at the national level. Lauren has presented her work to the US Joint Economic Committee, the House Financial Services Committee, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, the New York Legislature, and the New York City Council. Her writings on the state of the economy have been published in Washington Post, New York Daily News, The Nation, and Ms. Magazine. Prior to working as an economist, she organized criminal justice campaigns in New York State, including a successful end to New York’s exploitative prison telephone contract. She designed and promoted cooperative and regional economic development projects to maintain and create jobs for marginalized New York workers – from formerly incarcerated people to residents in rural areas. Lauren holds a BS in foreign service from Georgetown University and an MA in economics from CUNY John Jay College. She is currently a PhD student in economics at the New School for Social Research.
Joyce McMillan | Visiting Fellow
Joyce McMillan is a thought leader, advocate, activist, community organizer, and educator. Her mission is to remove systemic barriers in communities of color by bringing awareness of the racial disparities in systems where people of color are disproportionately affected. Joyce leads child welfare family engagement and advocacy efforts at Sinergia. She sits on several committees, is an active member of The West Harlem Democrats, and a board member of New York State Families Together. As a visiting fellow at the Center, Joyce is leading a series of public events and exploring ways to further strengthen parent voices in the child welfare system.
Kim Nauer | Education Fellow
Kim founded the Center for New York City Affairs Schools Watch Initiative, a project focused on creating a more effective school system for the city’s most disadvantaged students. She also assists InsideSchools with research and data analysis. Kim has co- authored major reports on New York City school administration and accountability, high school reform, chronic absenteeism, college preparation and Common Core implementation. She is the lead author of “FAFSA: The How-To Guide for High School Students,” which has been distributed to more than 85,000 students in New York City and nationwide. Before joining the Center, Kim directed strategic initiatives at The Nation Institute. She was also executive director of City Limits magazine and of the Center for an Urban Future and an award-winning journalist for many years prior. Kim earned her bachelor's degree at the University of Connecticut and a master's degree at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
Mohamed Obaidy | Senior Quantitative Analyst and Economist
Mohamed Obaidy is a senior quantitative analyst and economist at the economic and fiscal policies unit. Mohamed brings over seven years of experience in economic policy, research, and international diplomacy. Prior to joining the Center for New York City Affairs, Mohamed worked as a consultant at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UNICEF, UNDP, and the New Development Bank.
Mohamed has also taught macroeconomics and international finance as an adjunct lecturer and teaching assistant at Florida International University, The New School, Columbia University, and Borough of Manhattan Community College.
Mohamed holds a bachelor’s degree in law and economics from the University of Paris Ouest Nanterre, and a master’s degree and an M.Phil. in economics from The New School for Social Research. He is currently a PhD candidate in economics at The New School. His research focus is on economic growth, inequality, multidimensional poverty, and international finance.
James Parrott | Senior Advisor and Fellow
James brings to the Center over 30 years of experience in New York City economic and fiscal issues from positions in City and State government and the private sector. Most recently he was deputy director and chief economist of the Fiscal Policy Institute. He regularly analyzes the city’s economy and job market and has written extensively on topics including income inequality and the City and State budgets and tax policies. His research helped bring over $20 million in federal funds to New York following 9/11 to aid dislocated workers, and he coordinated the economic research in support of New York State’s $15 minimum wage policies adopted in 2015 and 2016. He has been one of the leaders in the citywide campaign to raise wages for nonprofit workers providing services under government contract. James is a frequent media commentator on economic and fiscal issues, and his writing has appeared in The New York Times and The American Prospect. He has served on various city and state task forces and advisory bodies, including on Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Tax Reform and Fairness Commission. James received his B.A. in American Studies from Illinois Wesleyan University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He has taught public policy and labor economics at CUNY institutions.
Melanie Quiroz | Education Policy Data Analyst
Melanie is an education policy data analyst at the Center’s InsideSchools project. She is currently pursuing her BA in Urban Studies through BPATS and an MS in Public and Urban Policy through Milano, through the Bachelor’s Master’s program at The New School. Prior to her arrival at The New School, Melanie studied at Columbia University and is a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy. She worked at the New York City educational non-profit Prep for Prep as a student advisor, helping high-achieving, disadvantaged, minority middle school students socially and academically transition to independent day and boarding schools, and is an alumna of the program herself. Melanie is currently a respite service coordinator at the non-profit Human First, providing in-home support services to adult individuals with developmental disabilities, and to their families.
Lydie Raschka | Writer and Reporter, Insideschools.org
Lydie reviews schools and writes for the InsideSchools blog. She is a graduate of Bank Street College and is interested in education in all its forms. With Clara Hemphill, she co- authored a 2015 report called “Conquering Teachers’ Math Anxiety.” Lydie is a former public school teacher (grades 1-3) and continues to work as a Montessori teacher-trainer during the summers. Her son attended public school in Manhattan. As a teacher, parent, writer and consultant she has been inside hundreds of New York City schools.
Keyonn Sheppard | Education Coordinator, Institute for Transformative Mentoring
Keyonn Sheppard leads ITM’s Youth Program. Before joining ITM he was the lead mentor at the Harlem Justice Community Program (HJCP) and with the ARCHES/Next Steps programs in the South Bronx, both of which focus on anti-recidivism. Keyonn’s career spans 30 years, beginning as a founding member of the Citykids Repertory Company; he also is the former Leadership Training Coordinator for the IMPACT Repertory Theatre Company in Harlem. He serves as the assistant pastor of the New Beginnings Tabernacle of Deliverance in Brownsville, Brooklyn. When Keyonn isn’t mentoring youth in his programs or at his church, he is a proud husband and father of three beautiful children.
George Sweeting | Senior Fellow
As a Senior Fellow at the Center for New York City Affairs, George’s work focuses on New York’s state and local fiscal policy and budgetary conditions. Prior to joining the Center, he worked at the New York City Independent Budget Office, serving as deputy director, managing the agency’s research, analysis, and forecasts for over two decades, and then as IBO acting director for over a year. He is the author of numerous IBO reports on education finance, economic development, and tax policy.
Before joining the IBO, Mr. Sweeting worked at the New York City Department of Finance. From 1986 to 1993 he was an analyst and later co-director of the Tax Statistics Unit in its Office of Tax Policy, working in the area of personal and business income taxes. From 1993 through 1996, Mr. Sweeting was a manager in the department’s Real Property Division responsible for assessment quality review, market value modeling, and policy analysis.
Trained as an economic historian, Mr. Sweeting received a Ph.D. in U.S. History from Columbia University, as well as his B.A. and M.A.
Isabella Wang | Lead Designer
Isabella’s responsibilities with the Center include working on communication material and website management. She is an aspiring illustrator and curator, passionate about social justice and immigration inequality. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Parsons School of Design in Illustration, with a double minor from The New School in Politics and Art History. She also holds positions in Walking on the Wall Corp., as a lead designer, and in Reinnervate Magazine as external art director. She has held intern and volunteer positions in Athenaeum Music and Arts Library, and Prima Materia Institute.
Laura Zingmond | Senior Editor, Insideschools.org
Laura reviews schools, writes for the InsideSchools blog, advises parents on school choice, and contributes to policy research for InsideSchools and the Center. She has visited hundreds of schools across the city and led the research on middle and high schools for a multiyear project evaluating science and math instruction. Previously, Laura worked as a litigation attorney and administrative law judge. Since 2014, she has served as Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer’s appointee to the New York City Panel for Educational Policy. Laura is a lifelong New Yorker and her two children are the fourth generation in her family to have attended the city’s public schools. She holds a bachelor’s from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.