NEW YORK COMMUNITY TRUST - Key Persons
Amy Freitag became president of The New York Community Trust in July 2022.
For the prior eight years, she was executive director of the J.M. Kaplan Fund, a 75-year-old family foundation based in New York City. During her tenure, she initiated the J.M.K. Innovation Prize and led grantmaking in criminal justice reform, climate change, democracy, and historical conservation, including several Civil Rights sites.
Freitag previously was executive director of the New York Restoration Project, which led a private effort to plant one million new trees in New York City. Prior to that, she was the U.S. program director for the World Monuments Fund and deputy commissioner for capital projects with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
She served on the NYC Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments, and Markers and currently sits on the board of the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation.
Freitag was raised in Akron, Ohio, and holds an A.B. from Smith College and master's degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing
- Media Inquiries
Amy manages advertising, public relations, digital strategy, marketing efforts, and many of the publications produced at The Trust. She also oversees the foundation's web and social media presence. Amy has a B.A. from Oberlin College and an M.A. in Media Studies from The New School. She is a board member of Cause Effective and a member of the Communications Network.
Job Titles:
- Trustee: New 42, Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Officer, Local, National and International Environment
Arturo manages The Trust's national and New York City environmental grantmaking program as well as our Appalachia grantmaking. He serves on the board of Friends of the Earth - US. He has a B.A. in International Affairs and Theater from the City University of New York, a J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he focused on international and environmental law, and an M.S. in Urban Policy and Leadership from Hunter College.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Administration & Chief Technology Advancement Officer
Ayanna manages the support of the foundation's information technology, facilities, and office administration operations. Ayanna has a B.A. from NYU.
Barbara administers several Trust initiatives, including grantmaking from the Brooke Astor Fund for New York City Education. She has a B.A. from Pace University and an M.A. in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University. She was a Revson Fellow at Columbia University.
Job Titles:
- Assistant to the President
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant and Paralegal
- Manager, Office of the Secretary and Executive Assistant to the General Counsel
Brooke is an executive assistant and paralegal who supports the General Counsel.
Job Titles:
- Senior Managing Director, Accenture / Senior Managing Director, Accenture Former Senior Partner & Managing Director, the Boston Consulting Group
Carrie Trowbridge is the General Counsel of the New York Community Trust. In addition to managing The Trust's legal affairs, Carrie helps charitable New Yorkers and their professional advisors create funds at The Trust. Prior to joining The Trust, Carrie served as Associate General Counsel and Director of Nonprofit Practice at New York University. Previously, she was an associate in the tax-exempt organizations practice group at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, which she joined after serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Charles S. Haight, Jr. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Carrie received a B.A. from Yale University, a doctorate in English Literature from Oxford University, and a J.D. from Yale Law School.
Job Titles:
- Program Officer for Community Development
- Program Officer, Community Development, Housing and Human Services
Chantella is the New York Community Trust's Program Officer for Community Development, Housing, and Human Services. Most recently, Chantella served as an executive director in the Office of Development at the NYC Department of Housing Preservation. Prior to this role, she held other public service positions, including a director of operations at HPD and a senior budget analyst for the Housing and Economic Development Taskforce at the NYC Mayor's Office of Management and Budget. Chantella has a master of science in social work from Columbia University and a bachelor of arts from Vanderbilt University and is a former Trust Fellow.
Job Titles:
- Research Chair and Director, Lupus and APS Center of Excellence at Hospital
Collette Kean Research Chair and Director, Lupus and APS Center of Excellence at Hospital for Special Surgery; Associate Dean, Faculty Affairs and Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine; Member: National Academy of Medicine, National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Board of Scientific Counselors; Scientific Advisory Board, Alliance for Lupus Research; Associate Editor, Annals of Rheumatic Diseases.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of LICF
- Executive Director, Long Island Community Foundation
David M. Okorn has been the executive director of LICF since 2010. He began his career at LICF in 2008 as the Foundation's director of advancement and donor relations. Previously, he was the senior vice president of development and external relations at Abilities, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of adults and children with disabilities. Prior to that he held positions as director of community relations at KeySpan and executive director of the KeySpan Foundation.
Dave received his B.S. and M.S. in Business Administration and Energy Management at New York Institute of Technology -Old Westbury. He is a member of the board of directors of the Long Island Volunteer Center and the Better Business Bureau Foundation. Dave was recently appointed as a Member of the Long Island State Park, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commission by NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Diana is here to help everyone learn how they can be a philanthropist! She has a BFA from the Ohio University and is a Certified Fundraising Professional (CFRE). She is a long-time member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and has served as a presenter at many national fundraising conferences, and as a grant reviewer for the National Endowment for the Arts. Currently, she serves on the board of the China-U.S. Women's Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating and Finance Officer
Dominick leads the departments handling finance, human resources, information technology, and administration. A core function of his is financial stewardship of The Trust's 2,000-plus funds, as well as guiding the investment in new systems, technology, and operations.
Prior to working at The Trust, Dominick was at the Rockefeller Foundation, where he was the treasurer and chief financial officer, overseeing the organization's financial planning and reporting, accounting activities, annual audit, as well as playing key roles in risk management, payroll, and benefits. He began with the Rockefeller Foundation in 2010 as controller. Before that, he was the audit senior manager for nonprofit organizations and universities with KPMG LLP. Dominick received a bachelor's degree from Iona College in 1996 and is a certified public accountant.
Job Titles:
- Director, Investment Reporting
Eileen supports the CIO and the Investment Committee in monitoring The Trust's large roster of money managers.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Communications & Donor Relations
Beth edits and writes content for Trust publications. She also works with donor relations on nonprofit governance review and philanthropic initiatives. Before joining The Trust, Beth served as artistic director for College and Community Fellowship's Theater for Social Change ensemble. She has a B.A. from Smith College and an M.A. from NYU.
Job Titles:
- Special Projects Assistant to the President
As the Special Projects Assistant to the president, Elizabeth assists with the development and execution of a variety of projects for The Trust. She previously worked in operations at the Success Academy Charter School network. Elizabeth received a B.A. from the University of Chicago.
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Officer, Education and Human Justice
Eve manages education and human justice grantmaking for The Trust. She received her B.A. from Brown University and her J.D. from Yale Law School.
Hallie S. Hobson is the Harlem-based founder and principal of HSH Consulting LLC, a boutique management consulting firm supporting nonprofit arts organizations. She created a fund in The Trust to honor her late father, Emmy award-winning television producer Charles Hobson, who, beginning in the 1960s, produced pioneering programs that gave a powerful voice to Black New Yorkers and helped dissipate racial stereotypes.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Vice President for Grants
Irfan directs the Healthy Lives grantmaking program at The Trust, and oversees health, behavioral health, and biomedical research grants. Irfan also oversees more than $10 million of grants to organizations nationally designated as grantees through donor bequests. He serves on the boards of Philanthropy New York and Grantmakers In Health. Irfan is a member of Philanthropy New York's Health Working Group, co-chair of the American Public Health Association's Public Health Funder Network, an elected fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and a member of the North American chapter of the International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership. Irfan has a B.Sc. from Northeastern University and a Master's in Public Administration from New York University's Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
Job Titles:
- Founder and Principal, Drake / Anderson
Job Titles:
- Collette Kean Research Chair and Director, Lupus and APS Center of Excellence at Hospital for Special Surgery
Job Titles:
- Grants Administrator & Office Manager, Long Island
Jeannie has over thirty years of corporate and not-for-profit experience, specializing in program administration. Jeannie's enthusiasm and commitment to community service was cultivated during her career with LILCO/KeySpan. Supporting a senior executive who managed the both the KeySpan Foundation and Environmental & Community Affairs, she got involved with many local organizations and various community improvement projects. Always seeking ways to help protect the environment, she implemented a corporate cell phone donation program and coordinated several beach and park clean-up projects.
Joan is responsible for the administration of health and pension benefits for The Trust staff. She holds a B.A. from Pace University.
Job Titles:
- Vice President for Donor Relations
John works directly with donors to help them deepen the impact of their philanthropy and identify the most effective strategies for their giving. He is a frequent speaker on donor trends, the philanthropic landscape, and has a special interest in the arts and humanities. John is a graduate of Bard College and has an M.A. in Urban Planning from New York University's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service.
Job Titles:
- Chairman, Playwrights Horizons
Job Titles:
- Philanthropic Initiatives Officer
Julia supports efforts that help donors achieve their philanthropic goals. She has a B.A. from Vassar College and an M.P.A. from NYU Wagner.
Job Titles:
- Co - Chair of the Trust 's Mosaic Network and Fund
- Vice President for Philanthropic Initiatives
Kerry works with donors to create philanthropic strategies to meet their charitable goals and make an impact. She also develops content and programming for donors to help guide their giving and oversees The Trust's marketing and communications department and other special projects.
Kerry is co-chair of The Trust's Mosaic Network and Fund; secretary of the board of the Billie Holiday Theatre, and a board member of the social service agency FPWA. She is the former vice chair of Grantmakers in the Arts and formerly led The Trust's arts grantmaking program.
Kerry has a B.A. from Sewanee: The University of the South, and an M.A. in Folk Art Studies from New York University.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of New York Community Trust Investment Committee
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, Westchester Community Foundation
Laura leads the Foundation's efforts to address community needs by bringing together donors, funders, nonprofit leaders, and other partners to better understand the root causes of persistent challenges and emerging needs and develop a shared approach to improving the quality of life in Westchester.
She began her career at WCF in 2007 as a program officer. She holds a J.D. from New York Law School and a B.A. from St. John's College in Santa Fe, NM. She is a graduate of Leadership Westchester. Prior to her career in philanthropy, she practiced law , worked for local and statewide nonprofits, and taught at local colleges.
Laura is co-chair of the board of directors of Sustainable Westchester, and a board member of New York Funders Alliance and the Support Center. In 2019 she was appointed to the Westchester Housing Opportunity Commission by County Executive George Latimer.
Job Titles:
- Program Officer, Westchester
Lauren Perkins joined the Foundation in 2023. She is responsible for the Foundation's grantmaking programs in the areas of early childhood education, Native American youth, access to legal services, basic human needs and self-sufficiency, and health. She also is responsible for managing the Westchester Index. Previously, Lauren served as Chief Operating Officer of the Great Oaks Foundation and held leadership roles at the Fund for Public Schools and the New York City Department of Education. Lauren received a B.A. from Hamilton College and a M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Job Titles:
- Program Officer, Girls & Young Women, Early Childhood Education, & Arts Education
Leigh manages The Trust's grantmaking for arts education, early childhood education, and girls and young women. Leigh received a BFA from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and an MA from Columbia University's Teachers College.
Job Titles:
- Senior Director, Grants Budgeting and Management
As part of the program department team, Liza is responsible for the management of the budgeting process for our competitive grantmaking program. Also, she manages scholarship programs that are outside of New York City. She volunteers with PEAK Grantmaking and the Xavier Mission, a community outreach organization. Liza received a B.A. from Bard College.
Lora manages the tax preparation and filing requirements of The Trust and provides accounting support for the James Foundation. She holds a B.A. in Economics from SUNY at Albany, and a B.A. in Accounting from Queens College.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Donor Services & Grants Management
Maggie works closely with donors to help them achieve their philanthropic goals and maximize their impact and experience as a vital part of The Trust community. She also supervises donor-advised fund grantmaking operations and the optimization of the foundation's grantmaking technology and data analysis, and provides strategic guidance in development operations. Maggie is a member of PEAK Grantmaking and ADNET, and is 21/64 Certified. Before joining The Trust, she was development director for The Catalog for Giving and the Park Slope Geriatric Care Center. She holds a B.A. from the State University of New York at New Paltz and an M.S. in gerontology from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University. She serves on the board of the Greenwood Lake Bark Park.
Job Titles:
- Private Investor Founder, Phoenix Collective Fund
Prior to joining The Trust, Marc worked at DePaul University in Chicago where he was a department assistant at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and previously at the College of Education. He held similar positions at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering and the New School University. Marc also worked as the Associate Director of Roy Boyd Gallery in Chicago. Marc earned a B.A. in Arts from the New School University and an M.A. in Cinema and Media Studies from DePaul University.
Job Titles:
- Senior Digital Media and Graphic Designer
Mariann "Mar" (pronounced Mare) designs the print and digital materials, as well as manages The Trust's social media and digital marketing. Mar has a BFA from Syracuse University and an MA in Design Studies from The New School.
Job Titles:
- Director of Donor Relations & Communications, Long Island
- Director of Donor Relations and Communications at LICF
Marie C. Smith has been the director of donor relations and communications at LICF since April 2011. Marie provides excellent service to donors while effectively promoting the Foundation's mission and activities. Prior to joining LICF, she was the section manager of strategic partnerships at Consolidated Edison where she led the company's corporate giving strategy, and managed community relations, charitable giving, volunteerism, and special events programs.
A graduate of Hofstra University, Marie has a B.S. in Business Administration and completed her Masters in Organizational Leadership with Mercy College in 2002. She is the former chairperson for the NYC Contributions Advisory Group (CAG), a 21/64 Certified Advisor and is certified in Planned Giving from Molloy College.
Job Titles:
- Chief Development Officer
- Vice President
Marie works with donors to create personalized philanthropic legacies. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York, Women in Development, the Advancement Network, and a Founder's Circle member of Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy. She has a B.A. in public relations and advertising, an M.A. in international relations, both from the City College of New York, CUNY, and is a 21/64 Certified Advisor. She serves on the board of the Gabriela Mistral Foundation and served on the board of BronxWorks.
Job Titles:
- Manager of Human Resources and Benefits
Marsha Corchado is the Manager of Human Resources and Benefits at The New York Community Trust. Prior to joining The Trust, Marsha served as HR Director for CanAm Enterprises, an immigration investment firm. Previously, she worked in the nonprofit sector as a development associate & events planner for Partnership with Children and a grant writer for Hamilton-Madison House. Marsha received a B.A. from Barnard College of Columbia University, a M.S. in HR Management & Development from New York University and is a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)-CP certified professional. Marsha is a member of the School Leadership Team at P.S. 396 in Morris Heights, Bronx, which develops and supports educational policies for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and underserved communities.
Job Titles:
- Program Officer, Long Island
Melissa is our team's newest member. As program officer, she supports the Foundation's competitive grantmaking, as well as our special initiatives and collaborative funds. Her grants portfolio includes the issue areas of Arts & Culture, Conservation and the Environment, Health, Mental Health, Hunger, and Technical Assistance. In her role, she is building on LICF's knowledge of our region's strengths, challenges, resources, and needs.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Melissa was Senior Staff Attorney at Pro Bono Partnership where she provided direct legal services to nonprofit organizations in New York (Long Island office), recruited and coordinated volunteer attorneys to assist clients, and presented legal workshops on topics relevant to nonprofit executives and board members.
Melissa previously served as the Pro Bono Innovator at Nassau Suffolk Law Services Committee, Inc. and combined teaching and public interest law while serving as Practitioner in Residence for the Mortgage Foreclosure Clinic and as staff attorney for the Civil Rights Litigation Clinic and Senior Citizens Law Program at Touro Law Center. She has served as a Small Claims Arbitrator in the Suffolk County District Courts and as the Associate Village Justice in the Village of Lake Grove. She teaches law and ethics courses at Suffolk County Community College. Melissa is a graduate of Dickinson College and Touro Law Center, and is admitted to the New York State Bar.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer, Tishman
Job Titles:
- Program Director, Thriving Communities
Patricia manages The Trust's grantmaking for community development, affordable housing, civic affairs, and technical assistance. She is chair of the New York State Census Equity Fund, co-chair of the Capital Change Fund, and serves on the advisory boards of Brooklyn Workforce Innovations, the New York City office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Fair Representation in Redistricting, and the Neighborhoods First Fund. She has a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a master's from Pratt Institute's Graduate School of Architecture and Planning. She was a Revson Fellow at Columbia University.
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Officer, Older Adults, People With Disabilities, Animal Welfare
Rachel oversees The Trust's grantmaking for older adults, people with disabilities, including the blind and those with visual impairments, and animal welfare. She has a B.A. in psychology from New York University and a Masters in Public Administration from New York University's Wagner School of Public Service.
Job Titles:
- Senior Investment Administrator
Raymond administers all non-cash contributions for The Trust. He also maintains and reconciles Trust investment-related market values and transactions. Raymond has a B.A. and an M.B.A. from Pace University.
Job Titles:
- Program Officer, Westchester
Robin Melén joined the Foundation in 2013. She is responsible for the Foundation's grantmaking programs in the areas of youth development, arts and culture, health, and technical assistance and capacity building for Westchester nonprofits. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Sing Sing Prison Museum. She holds a B.A. from Syracuse University, and an M.A. in writing from Manhattanville College. Professional certifications include a certificate in nonprofit management from Manhattanville College. She is a graduate of Leadership Westchester.
Job Titles:
- Program Director for the Trust
- Program Director, Promising Futures
Roderick is program director for The Trust's promising futures program and manages The Trust's grantmaking for youth and workforce development. He leads our work to prepare young people to organize and shape public policy; improve jobs through policy reform and advocacy; and promote a stronger, more effective system for young and adult jobseekers. Roderick also manages the Heisman Trophy Youth Leadership Fund, an advised fund established by the Heisman Trophy Trust; co-chairs the Trust's New York City Workforce Development Fund and is a board member of Harlem Chamber Players. He earned his undergraduate degree from LIU Global College (formerly Friends World College) and a master's in social work from Hunter College.
Roger Juan Maldonado is a trustee emeritus of The Trust, partner at Smith Gambrell Russell LLP, and a past president of the New York City Bar Association. He established a fund in The Trust in 2007 and is a member of our Legacy Society.
Job Titles:
- Program Officer, Arts & Culture
Salem oversees grantmaking in arts, culture, and historic preservation. She also manages the Mosaic Fund. Salem has a B.A. from Duke University and an M.A. from Parsons The New School for Design.
Job Titles:
- Vice President for Grants
Shawn oversees The Trust's competitive grantmaking program, which distributes approximately $50 million annually. Prior to this position, she served as The Trust's program director for Human Justice and Education grantmaking. She received her B.A. from Columbia University and her J.D. from Stanford Law School.
Job Titles:
- Senior Grants Administrator
Job Titles:
- Donor Relations Assistant
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Professor at Stony Brook University 's School of Social Welfare
- Program Director, Long Island
Sol Marie has been with the Long Island Community Foundation (LICF) since the Spring of 2009. As program director, she manages the Foundation's competitive grantmaking programs in the areas of Education, Youth Development, and Community and Economic Development. She also leads the Foundation's strategic initiatives, including ensuring an accurate census count, developing regional solutions to racial and economic inequities, advancing fair and affordable housing, improving the performance of minority-owned small businesses, and supporting an inclusive and representative democracy.
Sol Marie has more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit management, community building, program development, and evaluation. Prior to LICF, she worked at Sustainable Long Island where she directed the organization's community revitalization and brownfield redevelopment programs. She also served as director of the Fight for Families Coalition, an alliance of health and human service, community-based agencies working to enhance service delivery systems in Nassau County. Before her employ on Long Island, Sol Marie spent 17 years working in New York City: 12 years overseeing youth development programs at Sponsors for Educational Opportunity and five years as a community liaison in Governor Mario Cuomo's Office of Hispanic Affairs.
Sol Marie is an adjunct professor at Stony Brook University's School of Social Welfare. She is a Co-Chair of Engage New York, a network of foundation leaders across the State working to advance equity, social justice, and civic and community participation, and chair of the Funders Census Initiative, a working group of the Funders' Committee for Civic Participation that mobilizes philanthropic engagement towards a fair and accurate Census. Additionally, she is on the Board of Directors of the Regional Plan Association and served on its Steering Committee for the Fourth Regional Plan. In 2022, Sol Marie was elected to serve on the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council state panel on business aid. She also is a member of a NYS Health Foundation advisory committee that informs its grantmaking to community-based, BIPOC-led, nonprofits addressing institutional food and/or Food As Medicine programs.
A graduate of the University of Rochester, Sol Marie received a B.A. in 1987. She is a member of the Energeia Partnership's class of 2011, a leadership academy dedicated to identifying and addressing complex and multi-dimensional issues challenging the Long Island region.
Sol Marie lives in the hamlet of New Cassel with her husband and two daughters.
Job Titles:
- Communications & Philanthropic Initiatives Assistant
Job Titles:
- Senior Program Officer, Westchester
Tara Seeley has been with WCF since 2016. She is responsible for the Foundation's grantmaking programs in the areas of workforce development and job placement, community development, access to legal services, basic human needs and self-sufficiency, social justice, and conservation and environment. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was a program officer at the Central Indiana Community Foundation. She has held professional and volunteer leadership positions in Montgomery County, MD, and Indianapolis, IN, in community development, with a focus on affordable housing and economic and workforce development.
She holds a J.D./M.Div. degree from Vanderbilt University and a B.A. from Sewanee: The University of the South.
Tatiana works with the Investment Committee on strategies for investing The Trust's endowment. She previously worked for the Bureau of Asset Management in the NYC Comptroller's Office where she was the senior investment officer & group leader for global active management of the city's $30-billion, long-only equity strategies for municipal pensions. Prior to her time in public service she worked as an equity analyst at firms such as worked at Deutsche Bank, Independence Investments, and Schroders PLC. She received her B.A. from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a CFA charterholder.
Job Titles:
- Chairman, the New York Community Trust Managing Director, Tishman Speyer
Wen oversees the daily activities of The Trust's Finance Department. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Wen has a B.A. from Sun Yat-Sen University in China, and an M.B.A. from Baruch College.