Above & Beyond
The 2025 Above & Beyond: Social Services
New Yorkers dedicated to serving those in need.
City & State presents the 2025 Above & Beyond: Social Services. NCheng; Akira Veintidos; Carey & Co.
A quarter of New York City residents now live in poverty, according to a recent Robin Hood report, a rate nearly double that of the nation as a whole. Across New York, homelessness continues to rise. And nearly 7 million residents of the state are enrolled in Medicaid, the joint federal-state health care program for people with limited resources, and many are at risk of losing coverage under new federal tax legislation.
Fortunately, hundreds of nonprofit organizations provide a safety net for the most vulnerable New Yorkers, delivering such basic necessities as food and shelter. These nonprofits offer services at every stage of life, from early childhood development to elder care, and reach a wide range of clients, including those dealing with developmental disabilities, chronic diseases, substance use and other challenges.
City & State’s second annual Above & Beyond: Social Services highlights notable figures in this critical sector: innovators tapping into groundbreaking research, identifying better practices and adopting technological innovations; strong, experienced leaders guiding their organizations through political winds; public officials in key oversight and policymaking roles; and advisers and consultants allowing nonprofits to focus on carrying out their core missions.
We’re pleased to introduce the 2025 Above & Beyond: Social Services honorees.
Profiles by John Celock, Yunior Rivas, Amanda Salazar & Erica Scalise
Valerie Agostini
When New York City budget cuts loomed earlier this year, Grand St. Settlement’s early childhood program was on the chopping block.
But families enrolled in the program rallied and submitted letters of support to save the nonprofit’s Bushwick Child and Family Center – and it worked.
“City officials came in and they saw the engagement of families in our program, they saw the level of high-quality learning that was happening in this program and the families themselves sold the program based on their own feedback,” Valerie Agostini says. “I found that to be an incredible win for us.”
The organization’s educational director serves vulnerable populations, including children with special needs, who are facing housing instability or other challenges.
She began her career at Grand St. as a pre-K student teacher, and teaching is still at the core of her work.
“I live, love and breathe early childhood,” Agostini says. “It’s very important to me that families feel welcome and they feel part of this initiative.”
The nonprofit also offers youth services, benefits assistance and food pantries. It’s now expanding to the Bronx, with more programs in the works.
“We’re here to be able to support that child that doesn’t have the voice to express themselves to demonstrate the need that they have, and that family that really doesn’t have the tools or the skills to know how to navigate the systems here,” she says. “We’re here to support them. We’re here to be their voice. We’re here to be their strongest advocate.”
– Amanda Salazar
Leslie Armstrong
Leslie Armstrong always knew she wanted to live her life helping others.
As the assistant vice president for emergency housing and shelter services at Volunteers of America-Greater New York, she does just that.
“I’ve always had a passion for working with people,” Armstrong says. “That has always been my goal from childhood. I always knew that I wanted to be able to help people.”
In her current role, she oversees six transitional shelters across the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan, plus two men’s shelters on Wards Island, and she tailors services to meet her clients’ ever-changing needs.
Her work fits into the larger organization’s goal to end homelessness. To that end, Armstrong’s staff provides 24-hour case management for families dealing with generational poverty, episodic homelessness and other challenges.
“Going into shelter doesn’t mean that you gave up, it means that you have an inner strength that sometimes people just don’t understand,” she says. “That’s what keeps me going. These are people that, despite what they have been through, just want to keep striving.”
Recently, she said, all of her programs met or exceeded the state’s targets for permanent housing placements. Meanwhile, the organization’s Schwartz Shelter secured a grant to start a garden in the building’s courtyard to grow fresh fruits and vegetables.
“One of the reasons that I do the work I do is because at any point in time, any human being, any person, any family, can experience a tragedy or crisis that results in them being homeless,” Armstrong says.
– A.S.
Nina Bahazhevska
For Nina Bahazhevska, working with nonprofits isn’t just a specialty – it’s a careerlong commitment. “My work has always been about supporting and partnering with nonprofit organizations,” she says. From her earliest role at NCheng LLP to her return as a partner years later, that mission has remained central.
Now an audit partner, Bahazhevska advises nonprofit clients across New York City on accounting, compliance and government reporting, translating regulations into practical guidance. “We’re here to help them navigate the money part of it,” she says. “So they can focus on the work they do.”
Bahazhevska has carved out a niche in federal compliance audits, especially regarding complex and shifting funding streams. She is also deeply engaged with the broader nonprofit accounting field, serving as vice chair of the Nonprofit Committee of the New York State Society of CPAs and chairing its annual nonprofit conference. “It’s a great group of professionals,” she says. “We discuss the latest developments, share best practices and bring those lessons back to our clients.”
Beyond technical expertise, Bahazhevska emphasizes patience, empathy and trust. “Many nonprofits don’t have the resources to invest in their financial teams,” she explains. “They need a partner who listens, helps them navigate compliance requirements, and makes their life easier.”
Her advice to others entering the field is to prioritize people. “The goal isn’t profit – it’s to keep great programs going. And we’re here to help them do that,” she says. “It’s really a fulfilling, incredible environment. Very different from the commercial world.”
– Yunior Rivas
Natalie Bashner
Natalie Bashner is a descendant of Holocaust survivors, and that history has driven her in her professional work. As she supports New York City nonprofits, especially those serving Jewish and older adult populations, she honors her late grandmother, who was a survivor from Austria.
Bashner is a senior associate on the nonprofits team at Kasirer, the city’s top lobbying firm, advising clients including Hot Bread Kitchen, the Institute for Community Living, JCCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Project Renewal.
Her advocacy recently helped Big Brothers Big Sisters maintain New York City Council funding for youth mentoring and positioned Hot Bread Kitchen to expand its reach.
“The nonprofit sector as a whole is really great at pivoting and meeting the needs of New Yorkers,” Bashner says. “They’ve really been able to adapt to different administrations, different outside factors.”
Bashner also works with clients that align with her personal interest in uplifting Holocaust survivors and their stories, such as the Museum of Jewish Heritage and Selfhelp Community Services, an older adult services organization with roots in working with Holocaust survivors.
Her family even donated some of her grandmother’s collection to the Museum of Jewish Heritage, tying the personal to the professional.
“We, as the third generation, now bear the responsibility of keeping their stories alive,” she says. “It’s more important than ever that the second and third generation are able to keep their stories alive and in the conversation.”
– A.S. & John Celock
Renée Bonilla
Nonprofit organizations do critical work serving communities across New York – and many rely on outside firms to improve their mission-driven work.
BTQ Financial is one of those businesses. It carries out functions that can be outsourced, allowing nonprofits to focus on helping communities. Examples of these services include financial and accounting assistance, revenue cycle management and handling grants and contracts.
Renée Bonilla is BTQ’s managing partner, bringing invaluable experience in building and leading large teams and navigating periods of transition as she oversees the entire operation.
“We believe that our organizations’ mission is to create a better world and ours is really to help,” she says. “My job is to ensure that we are living our vision and our mission and our values every single day as an organization and continue to serve the nonprofit sector.”
Bonilla says that BTQ, and other firms like it, can help nonprofits weather the storm of uncertainty brewing in Washington, D.C. Her team can help organizations plan for situations in which their funding gets cut and also determine how to make operational changes as needed.
The way Bonilla sees it, helping nonprofits by taking these administrative and financial responsibilities off their hands allows the organizations to create a greater positive impact on those they serve.
“Our vision is to empower organizations, enhance and expand their impact by providing finance and accounting services that are just better, faster and really more cost effective for them through a dedicated, specialized team, tech and services,” she says.
– A.S. & J.C.
Katie Bower
Katie Bower’s philosophy is simple: Housing should be a right, not a privilege. As chief housing and shelter officer at Project Renewal, she oversees a portfolio of seven emergency shelters and 13 housing programs, serving over 2,100 New Yorkers every night. But for Bower, it’s not just about providing beds – it’s about fulfilling people’s basic needs as the foundation for transformation.
“There’s so much inequity in our country,” she says. “You can’t expect someone to thrive if their basic needs are not being met.”
That belief has guided her practice and leadership over a career spent helping people reconnect to stable resources. She credits Project Renewal’s model – with on-site services that include substance use treatment, medical care and occupational therapy – as key to long-term success. “We have substance use treatment services on-site, occupational therapy, primary care services, so we’re able to engage people in services pretty early,” she says. “That’s what leads to stability.”
A licensed social worker by training, Bower keeps her focus on client-centered care: meeting people where they are, honoring their goals and practicing trauma-informed care. “To make an impact, you have to stay connected to individuals,” she says. “You can’t work with people unless you know what their goals are.”
Even with the emotional weight of the work, she finds strength in her colleagues. “I’m continually inspired by my team,” she says. “From the residential aides to the vice presidents, they’re just really committed to the work. That’s what keeps me going.”
– Y.R.
Jeffrey Brenner
Dr. Jeffrey Brenner continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in social services by drawing from his decades of experience in health care. At The Jewish Board, Brenner is focused on delivering evidence-based care across behavioral health, addiction and foster care.
“There’s an enormous amount of high-quality research in this field,” Brenner says. “But it’s not reaching the public. In order for that to happen, we need a highly trained workforce and a robust operating infrastructure that supports great care every day.”
That approach is taking shape through a first-in-the-nation residency for new masters of social work graduates, which was launched two years ago. Residents choose between tracks like cognitive behavioral therapy or parent-child psychotherapy and spend three years becoming certified in their chosen model, a training model not typically available in graduate programs. The response has been overwhelming, with more applicants than spots available, and new partnerships emerging to expand the model beyond The Jewish Board.
The nonprofit is also driving infrastructure reform: centralized call centers as well as streamlined appointments and IT systems that relieve social workers of administrative burdens. “It’s about creating an environment where therapists can focus on care, not friction,” he says.
The Jewish Board’s latest development on Staten Island has just been certified as a community behavioral health center with integrated licenses for both mental health and addiction services – another innovative model that Brenner hopes to replicate elsewhere. “We want to be a place where great care happens every day, for everyone,” he says.
– Y.R.
Travis Carey
Travis Carey has occupied nearly every seat in the nonprofit finance world: consultant, auditor, board member and chief financial officer. “By sitting in a lot of seats, I saw how to connect dots and solve problems,” he says.
But it was when he founded Carey & Co. LLC – once a small accounting firm – that he realized his greatest impact. “We were offering CFO services to charities, and it just grew,” Carey says. “We could help these organizations stabilize, grow and focus on their mission.”
Over time, Carey & Co. expanded to offer fundraising, human resources and other essential back-office services. But the heart of the work, Carey says, is about playing a catalytic role in an organization’s success. “We’ve worked with groups that started out floundering,” he says. “Over five years, they strengthened their finances, invested in programs, measured their outcomes – and now they’re serving more people.”
His approach is grounded in connection-building and long-term thinking. “It became a networking thing – I’d meet folks on boards or at organizations, and I’d stay in touch,” he says. “I’d hire the best people I met, and we’d work with the best missions we could find.”
Carey’s philosophy also reflects a blend of accountability and compassion. “Hold yourself to a high standard,” he says. “But give others the benefit of the doubt. Everyone in this sector is trying to do the right thing, even if they go about it differently than you.”
For Carey, seeing those long arcs of growth is what keeps him going.
– Y.R.
Barry Clark
At The Arc Westchester Foundation, Barry Clark is focused on mobilizing private funding to support the nonprofit organization. “My primary roles are raising funds to support The Arc Westchester’s efforts and to raise awareness of the important work of the organization and elevate the profile of the organization and the people in its community,” he says.
The Arc Westchester Foundation is the oldest and largest organization in Westchester County serving individuals with developmental disabilities. “We support nearly 2,000 people and their families with a very wide array of different kinds of services, both children and adults,” Clark says. “We have over 700 employees, most of them working directly with the people that we support.”
While many of those services are funded through Medicaid or other government programs, Clark notes that the organization’s most innovative, leading-edge work is rooted in philanthropy.
“You have to deeply care and commit to the outcomes for the people that are supported,” he says. “It is a mission focused area of work."
What drives him is ultimately the human impact. “We support people with developmental disabilities, and we work very hard to make sure their voice can be heard,” he says. “We advocate for them and we give them opportunities to advocate for themselves.”
Clark brings decades of experience in nonprofit fundraising into the human services space and sees a critical need to invest in its workforce. “There is a career ladder here,” he says. “And it’s one of the most important that needs more visibility.”
– Y.R.
Lindsey Cosgrove
Lindsey Cosgrove is the new executive director of The Children’s Storefront, a Harlem-based nonprofit providing free services for parents to play and learn with their young children between the ages of 3 months and 3 years old.
The group’s goal is to show parents how to support their babies’ brain development through play during their first 1,000 days of life. Parents participate alongside their kids, creating opportunities for connection and friendship.
“It’s as much of a program for caregivers as it is for children, if not more,” Cosgrove says. “They talk about how they met their best friends and their children’s best friends through this program, in what could be a very isolating time when you’re having your first child and you don’t really know anyone else in your community that has children.”
The organization’s classes are so beloved that there are waiting lists to get into them. To accommodate the demand, Cosgrove is planning to open new locations as families travel from all over the city to attend.
Cosgrove joined The Children’s Storefront just a few months ago. She had spent her career in the nonprofit sector and was trained in education.
“This is kind of a dream job for me,” she says. “The opportunity to lead this organization, which is already making such a big difference in its community and has really big aspirations to grow and the solid bones and foundation to do that, is a dream come true for me.”
– A.S.
Nadine Daley
Nadine Daley brings decades of experience to her role supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and an unwavering belief in every person’s right to be heard. “Everyone has a voice, even if someone doesn’t use words to communicate,” she says. “Our job is to make sure they’re seen, heard and included.”
Daley started out investigating sex crimes with the New York City Administration for Children’s Services. Since joining The Center for Family Support in 2007, she has taken on increased leadership responsibilities.
Her work is rooted in self-direction, dignity and inclusion. “We design a plan with you, for you to help you achieve the goals that you want throughout your life,” she says. From community-based and day habilitation services to peer-led advocacy, her goal is to create spaces where people are seen and supported.
Equally important is educating those providing care. “My role is to help people feel like they belong,” she says. “To teach the people supporting why that sense of belonging is essential to quality service.”
Daley’s motivation has been shaped partly by her experience as a parent. “She is both my professional and personal motivation,” she says of her daughter, who has deepened her commitment to building a more inclusive and caring system.
For those interested in the field, Daley offers honest encouragement. “This work will stretch you,” she says. “It will also shape you and help you grow into the professional you’re meant to be.”
– Y.R.
Meaghan de Chateauvieux
About 18 months ago, a mother of four young children called Willow Domestic Violence Center’s hotline needing a place to stay. They were experiencing violence at home, and it got to the point they no longer could remain there.
They moved into Willow’s shelter, which the kids said felt like a hotel. All the family members attended programs that helped them start healing, and after two months the mother found a job and moved them into their own apartment.
Stories like this keep Meaghan de Chateauvieux, the nonprofit’s leader, inspired.
“The strength and courage of survivors to make the choices they’re making, to find safety, it can be incredibly difficult, but they’re amazing,” de Chateauvieux says.
The organization began in the 1970s as a hotline and expanded to include a shelter, along with court advocacy and prevention programs. The shelter houses about 500 people annually, while the hotline receives around 13,000 calls each year. Willow also recently launched its Family Justice Center, which brings together partners to provide wraparound services in one location.
De Chateauvieux is driven by the impact of her work. When survivors are given shelter, she sees them have increased security – and hope.
“Part of what I love about this work is that you can see the difference that your work is making in people’s lives in our community pretty much instantly,” she says. “That is such a powerful motivator to keep doing the work every day, knowing that we are helping so many people find those steps toward safety.”
– A.S.
Erin Drinkwater
Erin Drinkwater is the first-ever chief of government and strategic partnerships at MetroPlusHealth, which provides health insurance for many low-income New Yorkers.
The role involves developing relationships with elected officials and government relations strategies to ensure MetroPlusHealth’s clients have access to high-quality, affordable care.
“We’ve been working to build out the government relations team since I joined the organization two years ago,” Drinkwater says. “It’s so important to have this public option and our relationship to Health + Hospitals, making sure that the city safety net hospital is well resourced and strong.”
The team has been preparing for potential adverse impacts from federal cuts to Medicaid. She said recent legislation adds administrative barriers, putting benefits at risk.
Drinkwater has had a long career in public service. Her first job out of college was working with young people with behavioral health diagnoses, which showed her how systemic many issues are. This prompted her to begin working in government and nonprofits.
She ran the Brooklyn Community Pride Center, was director of compliance and legislative development at the New York City Human Resources Administration and the deputy commissioner of strategic partnerships at the city Department of Social Services.
“A quote that really ignited something in me was (by) Martin Luther King,” Drinkwater says. “When he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, he stated that he has ‘the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.’”
– A.S. & J.C.
Rose Duhan
As the leader of the Community Health Care Association of New York State, Rose Duhan has spent the past eight years arguing that primary care is not a privilege, but a human right.
“This is both the most challenging and rewarding work I’ve ever done,” she says. “The mission and vision of the organization is to really make sure that every person’s health and well-being is being addressed in a comprehensive way.”
As “one-stop shops” for health care, New York’s more than 80 community health centers provide primary care, dental and behavioral health services to 2.4 million people seeking care in medically underserved areas across the state, regardless of their insurance coverage or ability to pay.
Duhan was offered the top post at CHCANYS after serving as assistant secretary for health in then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo administration and director of government programs for the New York Health Plan Association. Her dedication to CHCANYS’ mission is evidenced by a lifetime spent working in social services.
At a time where health care is facing budget cuts, Duhan’s not backing down. She recently denounced the federal budget reconciliation bill, calling its passage a “profoundly sad day” and insisting that despite a challenging path forward, CHCANYS remains “steadfast” in its “commitment to protecting access to care for all.”
“Really just the resiliency, the creativity and the commitment of community health centers and how they just continue to rise to meet the moment has been an inspiration,” Duhan says. “It just keeps me going every day.”
– Erica Scalise
Saeeda Dunston
Growing up, Saeeda Dunston’s family taught her to always give back to her community and to bring her best to whatever she does.
“One of the things that inspires me is people and community, and wanting to really lean into our collective humanity,” Dunston says. “That kind of inspires me to deal with some really rough times.”
She remembers this advice every day as the CEO of Elmcor Youth & Adult Activities, a venerable Black-founded and led human justice organization in Queens. The nonprofit offers a range of services, including early childhood care, HIV testing, substance use prevention and older adult services.
As the organization’s antiracist leader, Dunston ensures that its work aligns with its mission to promote self-sufficiency, accountability and community empowerment. She examines policies and systems to see how they’re impacting people and what needs to change.
“We know that community heals community when they’re together and not siloed and separated,” she says.
Elmcor has recently expanded into housing, with its first supportive and affordable housing development being completed last year. The building brings together people who face challenges addressed by Elmcor’s other services, such as substance use and mental health.
The team just broke ground on another project that will bring 55 affordable units to Sunnyside, Queens.
“We know we can’t help people with substance use disorders or young people who are being detached from their families or anything if we don’t address that housing issue,” Dunston says.
– A.S.
Eileen McDonald Egan
Eileen McDonald Egan’s decadeslong career in social services began in New York City at a major turning point when rising public awareness was shifting social services toward more community-based support and oversight.
“At the time that I started working, agencies like ours were just starting the first group homes,” Egan says. “In the meantime, Geraldo Rivera was making public the horrors of people living in institutions, so I became really committed to creating homes for people so that nobody had to live in an institution and they could all live in their home communities.”
Egan has spent nearly 13 years with Community Mainstreaming Associates, a Long Island nonprofit organization that offers a range of day and residential programs, community habilitation and services intended to empower individuals. On her watch, the nonprofit has quadrupled its revenue and the number of people served.
As executive director, she spends her days advocating for the organization’s workers, spearheading fundraising efforts, driving government advocacy efforts and promoting internal collaboration to ensure the nonprofit’s values are being upheld.
She says it’s the “warrior moms,” or women who’ve founded organizations for the betterment of their families and others, who keep her inspired.
“I have a lot of concerns about what’s happening with support for these services,” she says. “I think we have to be innovative in creating new ways to support people. There’s a great need for this. People are living longer. We have a lot of work ahead of us.”
– E.S.
Monika Estrada Guzman
The period during and right after a pregnancy is often a difficult one for new mothers. As a behavioral health social worker at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Monika Estrada Guzman provides short-term psychotherapy to patients, particularly mothers and caregivers.
At the hospital’s Maternal and Child Integrated Mental Health Program, she helps clients navigate mental health stigmas, develop coping mechanisms and prepare for motherhood.
“Just being able to show up for them, so they can show up for their kids,” Estrada Guzman says. “We see that if the mother’s well-being and mental health is as healthy as can be, it’s going to also impact her family and her baby in a positive way in the long run.”
Estrada Guzman is also the education chair of the Latino Social Work Coalition, where she leads its scholarship review and co-created its mentorship fellowship. She aims to create pathways for young social workers to complete their education and start their careers.
“By investing in the next generation of bilingual social workers, we’re helping and shaping to build a more inclusive and responsive system,” she says.
Her motivation comes from her mother, who had immigrated to the U.S. and had to adapt to a new culture and language while raising her young child.
“My mother has been like a great inspiration,” she says. “I feel like my mom is like my first definition of social work, in the way that she has helped and … created opportunities for others. I often tell her she is my honorary social worker.”
– A.S.
Alexandra Francis
When Alexandra Francis met Lantern Community Services Executive Director Diane Louard-Michel through the mentoring program Readying Emerging Leaders in Supportive Housing, a bond was forged.
“I served as a mentor from its inception, and Diane is one of the founding members, so I became aware of Diane,” Francis recalls.
As Lantern Community Services’ chief program officer, Francis managed supportive housing and shelter programming and demonstrated a commitment to providing stable pathways for New Yorkers facing homelessness.
She has aimed to be entrepreneurial in addressing homelessness through the nonprofit’s services, which provide access to food, support physical and mental well-being, engage in creative expression and improve financial stability and job readiness.
Francis, whose long career at the Center for Urban Community Services built her a robust network, is now embarking on a new chapter: joining BronxWorks, a Bronx-based social services nonprofit, as executive vice president for supportive housing and homeless services.
She cites her experience commuting in the city as formative in forcing her to reckon with the city’s homelessness crisis.
“I always felt drawn to populations that were underserved, and I also love stories. I was drawn to a profession where I could listen to people’s stories all day and figure out how I could add to their next chapter,” Francis says. “At this point in my career, I feel like it’s give-back season. I’m really committed to giving back to an industry where so many underrepresented communities are trying to survive.”
– E.S.
Francesca Frederick
Francesca Frederick knows that for many grassroots nonprofits, funding can often feel out of reach.
She saw firsthand the time and effort it takes to identify funding opportunities, let alone apply. “Small nonprofits are doing some of the most important work, but they’re often stretched thin,” she says. “They don’t have the bandwidth to chase every dollar.”
While working with a small nonprofit securing less than $100,000 a year in grants, she saw how slow and inefficient the process could be. “If we could do this faster,” she remembers thinking, “we could apply for more – and win more.”
That inspired Frederick to co-found Grantyd, a tech platform making grant discovery and application more accessible, particularly for small and midsized nonprofits.
“We wanted to create something that could bring equity to the funding process,” she says. With the help of her husband, a developer, she began building a tool that would automate and streamline grant writing. That prototype became the underpinning of Grantyd, which recently received a patent for its core process.
The platform is already being used by organizations across the country, from the Michigan Child Advocacy Center to grassroots teams in Georgia. Frederick sees Grantyd as a way to expand capacity without draining energy.
Frederick is also building community, hosting virtual coworking sessions and offering one-on-one support. “I always say, ‘Don’t look past your headlights,’” she says. “It’s easy to get overwhelmed. But just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Remember the work you do matters.”
– Y.R.
William Gettman
William Gettman has worked for five governors, held important roles in the private sector and led systemic change across New York. But it all comes down to a singular focus: building stronger futures for children and families.
“What really motivates me is trying to make a difference for kids and families,” he says. “Kids are our future. Children are our future. We’ve got to invest in them early.”
As CEO of Northern Rivers Family of Services, Gettman oversees programs that span more than 40 counties, providing mental health care, foster care and special education to about 19,000 youth and families every year. “We just graduated 22 kids from high school,” he says. “We’re very proud of that.”
Originally founded as an orphanage in the 1800s, the organization has transformed into a modern, community-based care network. “We’re always changing,” he says. “We’re trying to balance the needs for community-based care and mental health supports along with the need for some short-term residential.”
That responsiveness is essential, especially now. “One in five kids will have a mental health crisis in their lifetime,” he says. “We need to address those at the community level.” He’s also focused on policy – including how federal decisions affect Medicaid and local service funding. “We have to come up with options and try to mitigate the negative impact where we can.”
For Gettman, the work demands resilience. “If you have the caring gene,” he says, “you end the day thinking, ‘I’ve made a difference and I’ve made an impact.’”
– Y.R.
Joseph Glazer
In recent years, a homeless encampment cropped up under a bridge in Port Chester, and the state Thruway Authority became aware of the situation.
Rather than just send in the cops to forcibly clear out the camp, Thruway Authority staff reached out to the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health for help. Over the course of three to four months, everyone was relocated and provided services.
To Joseph Glazer, a deputy commissioner in the department, this is why he does this work.
“In my mind, that’s what this is all about,” he says.
A mental health attorney for over 25 years, Glazer now oversees a portion of the department’s 200-plus programs, including those dealing with adult mental health, housing, criminal justice and co-occurring disorders. His work involves ensuring people in need of psychiatric care do not end up in prison.
“We’ve worked really hard to redirect those individuals to various diversion models so that we help individuals who should be treated in the mental health system get out of the criminal justice system and get into the system where they belong,” he says.
Previously, Glazer was the president and CEO of the Mental Health Association in New York State and then a staffer for George Latimer when he was a state senator and later, Westchester County executive.
“We have a wonderful staff here,” Glazer says. “When we collaborate to build things out, by the time it hits the street, we have a pretty high confidence level that it’s going to succeed.”
– A.S.
David Goldstein
David Goldstein is a licensed psychologist who has spent nearly four decades working in child welfare with a clear mission to deliver the highest quality health care to children with complex needs.
“I’ve always wanted to deliver the best health care to children who deserve it,” Goldstein says. “We really owe it to them, especially those removed from their homes, to provide high-quality services, great education and all the things that matter.”
As executive director of New Alternatives for Children, Goldstein leads a multidisciplinary nonprofit serving medically complex children and their families. “Our population is almost all children with special needs and co-occurring mental health issues, as well as the social determinants of poverty, poor housing and education,” he says. The organization provides integrated services across health, mental health, home and community support and foster care – all under one roof.
His leadership is grounded in equity and access. “The goal is to have the same quality care that my family would get or middle-class families would get,” he says. That approach has led to tangible wins, from expanding Medicaid’s model contract to securing support for essential tools like multiple eyeglasses or nebulizers for children in need. “It makes all the difference in their ability to learn,” he says.
Goldstein began his career in residential care and has worked at nearly every level of the system. That perspective makes all the difference. “I know how difficult this work is,” he says, “and how joyful and rewarding it can be.”
– Y.R.
Javier Gomez
Javier Gomez leads HANAC’s Legal Immigration Assistance Program with a singular purpose: to help immigrants get legal protection without fear. “One of the main concerns that we have – and that I have as a program director – is helping the community in such a way that they don’t have to be afraid to ask questions,” he says.
The program offers free phone consultations and case preparation for low-income families navigating complex immigration issues. Clients only need to reach out. “They have the service just as close as having a phone in their hands,” Gomez says.
Amid heightened enforcement and fear in immigrant communities, Gomez and his team noticed requests for help decreased, not because the need isn’t there – quite the opposite.
“At some point during this year, ICE and other authorities were going to organizations and churches standing outside waiting for people to come in,” he recalls. That presence has had a chilling effect. “People are scared,” he says. “They don’t want to expose themselves. That’s why they’re not coming.”
Gomez and his team quickly adapted, keeping pandemic-era systems in place, including phone consultations, but the larger concern remains. “We should have more cases, not fewer,” Gomez says. “That tells us something is wrong.”
For Gomez, the work is about more than legal assistance – it’s about empathy. “If you are not compassionate, then it’s very hard for you to understand what the other person needs,” he says. “You need to be empathetic with the needs of others that are in a difficult situation.”
– Y.R.
DaMia Harris-Madden
DaMia Harris-Madden’s mother, a social worker, advised her to steer clear of the social services field, as the work can come with a lot of headaches and not a lot of money.
Despite these warnings and an early career in the private sector handling human resources, Harris-Madden wound up working in social services anyway.
Today, she is the commissioner of the state Office of Children and Family Services, where she focuses on the juvenile justice system, childhood poverty, early childhood care and more. She says it’s important to her to create an ecosystem within the state “that’s anchored in trust, compassion, resilience, efficiency.”
“Somewhere there’s been a breakdown in the family and in the community, so this frayed fabric requires partnership,” Harris-Madden says. “I hope to increase the partnerships that the state has and leverage my ability to bring people together to address some of the most salient needs.”
Harris-Madden previously worked with juvenile offenders at the nonprofit New York Urban League and in workforce development for Mount Vernon, where she served under four mayoral administrations in different roles.
What ties her experiences together is a focus on addressing the root causes that lead young people down troubled paths, so that families and youths can become empowered and rely less on governmental support.
“Looking at the financial cost when we don’t invest in young people, but also the social cost when we don’t invest, has been the common thread for me throughout my career and even till today,” Harris-Madden says.
– A.S. & J.C.
Jen Hensley
At Con Edison, Jen Hensley is focused on transformation – both inside the company and across the communities it serves. “I was hired to help the company prepare for where energy will be in the next 30 years and evolve my team and the company for where the industry is heading,” she says.
Con Edison is one of the oldest and largest energy providers in the country, powering more than 10 million people across New York City and Westchester County. As senior vice president of corporate affairs, Hensley leads communications, government and community relations, marketing and philanthropy. “My role is to ensure that every New Yorker benefits from the clean energy transition,” she says. “And that Con Edison continues to support the communities we serve.”
Since joining the company three years ago, Hensley has helped reframe the strategic vision for corporate affairs, introducing a new mission, values and leadership approach.
Her team has advanced enterprisewide alignment, new business partnerships and community impact initiatives – including a $4 million climate justice grant program and a $3 million multiyear investment to strengthen climate resiliency in underserved neighborhoods. “We advocate for Con Edison’s core services of reliability, safety and resilience, and proactively communicate our work to all stakeholder groups,” Hensley says.
She advises those pursuing careers at the intersection of energy and public service to lean into risk and ambition at every stage. “Take those big swings,” she says. “Embrace change and let challenges fuel your journey to success.”
– Y.R.
Yurilka Hernandez
Yurilka Hernandez has a lot on her plate.
She’s the founder of Psychotherapy & Consultation Group Services, a mental health clinic serving English, Spanish, Portuguese and French-speaking clients in New York, Florida and Massachusetts. She’s also the secretary and compliance officer of the Latino Social Work Coalition and Scholarship Fund, which supports Latino and bilingual social workers and mental health professionals.
Providing mentorship to younger social workers and linguistically inclusive services are top priorities. At the Latino Social Work Coalition and Scholarship Fund, she closes educational gaps for social work students. Her multilingual clinic was born out of a need for affordable, bilingual therapists in her home of the Bronx. She also worked at Acacia Network, a major Hispanic-led human services nonprofit, developing bilingual programs for underserved communities.
“Knowing that the programs that I helped develop are going to be serving a very targeted population that is much needed, it creates tremendous joy for me,” she says.
Hernandez is driven by the desire to help others. She explained that at the outset of her career, she wanted to change the world – but has come to realize that it’s actually about changing just one person’s life for the better.
“One of my biggest motivations,” she says, “is knowing that the people that I’ve worked with, the people that I mentor, are going to go into the spaces and create beautiful things, not only for themselves for career purposes, but for the population that we serve.”
– A.S.
Liz Hitt
When Homeless and Travelers Aid Society teams arrive at a home, there’s often next to nothing – people are sleeping on air mattresses on the floor with their clothes in garbage bags. When HATAS leaves, the unit is usually completely furnished.
This support is made possible by the nonprofit’s Capital Region Furniture Bank, which collects lightly used furniture, often from college dorms, to donate to residents in need.
It’s efforts like these that HATAS Executive Director Liz Hitt is passionate about. The furniture bank is one of several of the organization’s initiatives, along with the Homeless Emergency Services hotline and Feed & Read, which provides kids with food to last through weekends without school meals.
“There’s a tremendous amount of need, and we’ve all seen it,” Hitt says. “Understandably, homelessness, hunger, poverty make people uncomfortable, and I would propose that it should at some level, because as a state, as a city, as a county, we certainly have the resources to assist people.”
Hitt, who’s been executive director since 2010, develops HATAS’ vision and ensures the team is executing it. She entered the nonprofit sector as a volunteer, after hearing the local shelter needed someone to fill in making meals. She stepped up and was taken by how it felt to be of service to others.
“As I was making sandwiches, it just struck me that this work is what I should be doing,” Hitt says. “I just found it extremely moving, and have been doing this ever since.”
– A.S.
Heather Hogan
When Heather Hogan took over as director of the JCC Mid-Westchester’s Toward Tomorrow preschool in 2022, the program served 75 students at a single site. Today, it spans three locations, serving families across Westchester and Putnam counties, including a new campus in New Rochelle – a sign of how fast the program is growing under her leadership.
But Hogan isn’t solely focused on expansion. She has helped build an environment where children with special needs make meaningful developmental gains – and where staff find purpose and professional growth. “We’ve created a place where our students can thrive – and so can our staff,” she says.
Under her guidance, paraprofessionals are earning teaching assistant certifications, teaching assistants are pursuing degrees and teachers are working toward principal credentials. “There’s a trajectory for a lot of our staff who didn’t see one before,” she adds. “They’re growing too.”
Hogan didn’t originally plan to work in special education. “At 21, it was about getting a job,” she says, but the connection was immediate. “I loved seeing what might seem minor – making eye contact, following a direction – become huge for them and for their parents,” she recalls. Later, as a parent of a child with autism, the work took on even deeper meaning.
Her advice for those entering the field: Stay open-minded. “I went into teaching thinking I knew my path,” she says. “But you don’t know what’s going to hit right. Try new things. Be open.”
– Y.R.
James Hollywood
James Hollywood has been in the social services sector for more than three decades – not because it’s easy, but because it’s essential. “It’s amazing to see how transformative it can be,” he says. “Seeing those wins, righting the injustice, providing people with paths, just to be there as a support or sometimes just as a witness and cheerleader.”
As vice president of residential treatment at Samaritan Daytop Village, Hollywood oversees substance use recovery programs built around real-world support. “The focus really is on functioning,” he says. “Helping people not just with cessation of drugs, but more importantly, in reassembling their lives.”
That holistic view extends all across his portfolio: recovery services, housing supports, training programs and peer-led community care. “We treat not just addiction and mental illness and health concerns, but also those social determinants of health needs that really make not just recovery possible, but a sustained life outside of an institution possible.”
For Hollywood, recovery is personal and collective. “We engage and meet people where they are and help them navigate recovery in their community,” he says. “And that recognition, from another, that someone has power and potential, it enlivens and allows that person to bring forth what was already there to begin with.
Hollywood is clear-eyed about what the work demands. “You have to pace yourself,” he says. “This work is never done. Resilience comes from finding ways to reencourage yourself and staying aligned with your values.”
– Y.R.
Syrena Huggins
At the national housing and homeless services nonprofit HELP USA, Syrena Huggins has been combating homelessness among military veterans – which has been on the decline in recent years.
She now oversees a range of housing programs and services in New York City and Philadelphia. Huggins, who has been with HELP USA for nearly a decade, has also worked closely with the organization’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families program. In her current role, she still oversees the program’s operations, which provide support to veterans at risk of becoming homeless. The program also provides services to previously homeless veterans to prevent them from reentering the shelter system.
“We have to look at the crisis not just at the front door of a shelter, but what can we do in the community to shore up the resources that they have access to so that they don’t continue to cycle through the system,” Huggins says.
HELP USA recently was selected for a grant through the Citi Foundation Global Innovation Challenge, which will help Huggins launch a prevention accelerator project to benefit home-based clients.
She was drawn to the social services field as an undergraduate, since she was initially planning to study nursing. She always wanted to help others, but the medical field wasn’t the right pathway for her.
“Always having a drive and a want to help people navigate very complex and complicated systems, I found my niche in social services once I had an opportunity to really work in the field,” Huggins says.
– A.S. & J.C.
Michelle Jackson
For Michelle Jackson, taking a position as a policy analyst at the Human Services Council was just supposed to be a starter job. Seventeen years later, she’s still with the organization and has moved through the ranks to become its executive director.
“I fell in love with what our members are doing,” she says. “The absolute creativity and passion that they have for problem solving really kept me in the job.”
The Human Services Council represents 180 human service providers that team up on issues regarding child care, homelessness, mental health, eviction prevention and other related matters. HSC advocates for city and state policy changes on behalf of nonprofits and strives to get government contracts paid on time.
A key initiative for Jackson is the #JustPay campaign, which seeks higher salaries for human service workers, who are often women and people of color. So far, the campaign has seen $2.5 billion in wage enhancements at the city and state levels.
“The real success story in advocacy is there isn’t a straight path to victory,” she says. “You have to be really dedicated. You have to stay united. You have to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.”
Jackson’s passion for justice is what motivates her to keep advocating for social services organizations and their teams.
“This is our one turn around the Earth and it needs to be a good one,” she says. “It needs to be better for everybody who’s on it.”
– A.S.
Jade Lee
When Jade Lee started out in social services, she planned to stay for a year. Sixteen years later, she’s still going – and still motivated. “It brings me joy to see people coming out of situations, chronic homelessness, mental health and substance use disorders,” she says. “I know that they can do this.”
As a longtime staff member at HousingPlus and now, as a program manager, Lee works with women and families navigating reentry, trauma and housing insecurity. She helps oversee placements in permanent supportive housing and scattered site apartments as well as services tailored for veterans, mothers with children, and gender-expansive individuals. “We do it all here,” she says. “We do a lot of great projects.”
Lee’s work is rooted in presence and dignity, often in everyday gestures that help restore dignity. From summer barbecues to art therapy workshops and even theater programs for veterans managing PTSD, she believes in healing through community.
Under her leadership, two U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-funded HousingPlus programs earned the highest rankings in the NYC Continuum of Care evaluation, reflecting the quality and effectiveness of their work. Recently, she helped open a 75-unit building in Brooklyn and launch a 70-unit program serving women veterans.
But for Lee, the greatest impact comes from making personal connections and showing up for people in shelters who are often stereotyped. “Of course, I’m going to sit with you. I’m going to talk with you. If you need a hug, I’ll provide that as well,” she says. “It’s about letting them know they are somebody. That’s what social work is about.”
– Y.R.
Elinor Litwack
Elinor Litwack doesn’t run social service programs – she makes sure they run better. As a CPA and nonprofit technology expert, she helps organizations stabilize their infrastructure and maximize their impact from behind the scenes.
“My team does outsourced accounting for nonprofit organizations,” she says. “We work with organizations in the social sector to make sure that their infrastructure is sound and that they can maximize their impact.”
Litwack’s motivation has long been mission-driven. “I’ve always been passionate about making a positive impact in the community,” she says. “Even as an accountant, it’s easy to say, ‘Oh, I’m just stuck in the numbers all day,’ but I get to be part of that community using my expertise and the gift that I was born with.”
Through her leadership at GRF, she has helped countless organizations modernize their systems. “There’s a big opportunity to maximize resources by investing in tech and digital transformation to impact nonprofits,” she says.
She has also served for a decade as treasurer of I Support the Girls, a nonprofit that collects and distributes bras and menstrual hygiene products. “We had our 10th anniversary and we’ve been able to donate 40 million products since we started,” she says. “That’s been incredible.”
Litwack believes the real value of her work lies in bridging the gap between data and people. “The people part is so important, help others understand how to translate the numbers and use them to make big decisions quickly,” she says. “And always keep the mission in mind.”
– Y.R.
Maria Lizardo
Maria Lizardo’s work isn’t just professional, it’s personal. Long before she became a social worker or the executive director of Northern Manhattan Improvement Corp., or NMIC, she and her family were helped by a similar community-based organization. “Had it not been for their intervention, I know I would not be where I’m at today,” she says.
Lizardo’s mother arrived in the U.S. in 1965, working in Garment District factories. A local nonprofit hired her mother as a cleaner, got her GED diploma and a driver’s license, and became a tenant organizer with an organization that ultimately hired her at 14 to work in its after-school program. “It changed the course of my life,” she says.
Now as executive director of NMIC, she oversees a multifaceted organization that supports more than 32,000 New Yorkers each year across northern Manhattan and the Bronx. “We do this by focusing on six core areas: housing, immigration, benefits access and finance, health and holistic service, and education and career services,” she says.
She’s driven by the impact and the people whose lives change because of that support. “It is the families that receive their housing through the eviction prevention work. It’s that undocumented community member or that survivor of domestic violence,” she says. “That’s what keeps me going.”
Her message to others in the field is rooted in belief: “Don’t lose the hope that we are making a difference and that the world can be better.”
– Y.R.
Leardo Lopez
After a decade of waiting for the legal system to finish processing their applications, three of Safe Horizon’s clients received their green cards in the mail – on the same day that Senior Supervising Attorney Leardo Lopez spoke to City & State about his efforts.
Outcomes like this are the reason for the work Lopez does with Safe Horizon’s Immigration Law Project, which advocates for immigrants who are victims of abuse.
“We get results for the clients,” he says. “That’s what drives us, that’s what keeps us going.”
In his role, Lopez, who is from Panama, leads cases and guides younger attorneys through their cases. Safe Horizon works with people who are victims of domestic, partner and criminal abuse. Their legal work includes criminal cases, family-based immigration, work permits, naturalization and anything else clients need assistance with.
From time to time, he gets to see the long-term effects of his work.
Three months ago, Lopez bumped into a woman who his team secured political asylum for a decade ago after experiencing abuse in another country. When he first met her, she was not doing well, emotionally or physically. Now, she looks healthy and is a U.S. citizen and the owner of her own beauty parlor. Lopez also got to meet her son, who is also doing well. Ten years ago, she had been struggling to bring her children to New York.
“The fact that I can help people, with my immigrant experience, is very rewarding, satisfying,” he says.
– A.S.
Zakariah Malik
Zakariah Malik sees his job not just as representing clients, but as unlocking access. As a government relations associate at Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, Malik helps nonprofits navigate the political landscape and fight for access to resources they need to thrive.
“Lobbying is bridging the gap between government and different community organizations,” he says. “From my first day at Cozen, I was interested in working with the Nonprofit Practice, I felt like I could do a lot of great work with those organizations.”
Malik and his team helped secure a whopping $72.5 million in New York City budget funding for clients this fiscal year – a total that surpassed the firm’s previous high. “It’s grown basically year over year since I joined seven years ago.”
From an early age, Malik understood how uneven the playing field could be. “I noticed a lot of disparities growing up, a lot of inequity,” he says. “You’re a kid, so you don’t really know how to define it but you kind of have an idea of what you’re seeing.” That awareness led to his studies in government, teaching special education through Teach for America and ultimately to his shift to policy work through the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs.
Today, Malik is driven by a simple purpose: “To make this the best city possible for all New Yorkers.” That mission has newfound personal meaning as he is expecting a daughter this fall. “A professional goal would just be to do work that would make her proud,” he says.
– Y.R.
Elizabeth Martin
When Elizabeth Martin took the helm at Living Resources in 2020, she brought with her a bold vision for change. “I wanted to take what I had learned about disability rights and the right to live with dignity, independence, purpose and bring it to Living Resources,” she says. “When you see a social problem and you’re helping to change it, there’s nothing more exciting than being part of that.”
Based in Albany and serving communities for over 50 years, Living Resources supports nearly 2,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as individuals with brain injuries. The organization provides residential services, day programs, employment supports, self-direction options and even college programs designed to help young adults gain independence and prepare for a career.
One of Martin’s proudest accomplishments is helping longtime group home residents transition to supportive apartments. With state grant funding and a focus on enabling technology, her team has helped individuals who lived in 24/7 staffed homes for decades move into more independent, self-directed housing. “They’re happier now and they’re doing great,” she says. “We’re showing what’s possible when you try something different.”
Martin’s journey into disability services was shaped by mentorship and the example of a strong leader who modeled what it meant to lead with purpose and integrity. That influence continues to guide her work today. Her advice to others considering the field is simple: “Follow your heart and your passion,” she says, “because that will always lead you down the right path.”
– Y.R.
Katherine Martinez
Growing up in East Harlem, Katherine Martinez knew from a very young age that she wanted to serve older adults.
She recalls her grandmother, a deacon who “opened her door to anyone and provided meals,” as the mentor that inspired her interest in social work and service.
“It was something that was introduced to me coming up in the church and working in the community,” she recalls. “My whole career has always been in aging – it’s about seeing the resilience of an older person and seeing that aging is timeless, aging is something that we’re all doing.”
After working in nursing homes, at NYC Health + Hospitals and with various community-based organizations and long-term care programs, Martinez became the president and CEO of Neighborhood SHOPP in 2018.
She refers to the community-based Bronx nonprofit as a “one-stop shop” designed to support older adults, individuals with disabilities and caregivers. Operating four adult living centers as well as offering supportive care and safety programs, Neighborhood SHOPP is endeavoring to prevent hospitalizations and institutionalization, while supporting the whole aging cycle.
For Martinez, what keeps her going is knowing that there’s always more information to be shared.
“I think that’s the beauty of being a social worker. For so many individuals as you’re getting older, you don’t know the benefits you’re able to receive,” she says. “It’s important to us to ensure that people are safe, educated on scams, fraud and abuse. Having a program like Neighborhood SHOPP allows individuals to find peers, socialize and stay connected.”
– E.S.
Gary Milchman
Gary Milchman recently became the acting CEO of YAI, a nonprofit in New York, New Jersey and California that serves young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
YAI runs residential and day programs, camping services, community habilitation services, the Premier HealthCare medical corporation, employment services and two schools, Manhattan Star Academy and International Academy of Hope, for special needs students and students with disabilities.
“My responsibility, first and foremost, is making sure that the mission of YAI and what we do every day is a living, breathing thing throughout our organization, at every single level, our mission being with all people with disabilities, living, loving, learning and working, and whatever makes individuals happy and helping them fulfill their dreams,” he says.
Milchman is passionate about creating a more just society for people with disabilities.
“Basic human rights is really what drives me,” he says. “Making sure in different facets of life that everybody’s included in the world around us, and that the world can accommodate and level the playing field for everybody.”
Milchman was previously YAI’s chief program officer. He stepped up when longtime CEO Kevin Carey died in June. Carey had established a mission for the organization and brought it fiscal sustainability and success.
“It’s an honor to hold this role in his shadow,” Milchman says. “He was just a great person that we were all honored to work with. He always said, ‘Eat everything, try everything, do everything. Life is great. Go enjoy it.’”
– A.S.
Peggy Morton
For Peggy Morton, the director of NYU Silver School of Social Work’s undergraduate program, the highlight of her work is mentoring the next generation of social workers.
“When I see that they have the values and the ideals to pursue a helping profession and to go out there and do something really meaningful that benefits not only themselves but the society, it’s very, very rewarding,” she says. “It’s inspiring to see that young people really want to give back and create a better world.”
Morton oversees a class of 175-180 students, directly advising 30, as well as 30 to 40 adjunct faculty. As a professor, she also develops and teaches service-learning classes, in which students must volunteer with an organization as part of the course.
Classes have partnered with University Settlement, Publicolor and the NYU Langone Dementia Center. Students have tutored middle schoolers and provided companionship to the elderly – and some continue volunteering after the class ends, which Morton says is the best-case scenario.
“These have truly been the highlight of my career at NYU,” she says, “because I feel like we have introduced so many students to the value of volunteering and helping and being a mentor.”
When Morton first entered the field, she planned to do clinical work, but was sold on education after teaching her first class in 1990.
“I hope the legacy I eventually leave is that I taught and trained all these students who want to create a better world,” she says. “That’s my mission.”
– A.S.
Shyvonne Noboa
An older woman in Sunnyside Community Services’ Caregiver Support group was taking care of her husband, who was grappling with memory loss. When her husband died, she started attending programs and volunteering at SCS’ Center for Active Older Adults, where she flourished. Now, she is a spokesperson for the settlement house, sharing the value of its work and even advocating at City Hall on behalf of the organization.
“We are really intent on supporting people, to give them the tools that they need to thrive in their community,” Shyvonne Noboa says.
She started at the nonprofit as a social worker and program director, moving up to be the director for the Caregiver Support program and then a division director. She’s passionate about empowering seniors and educating them on their rights, which they may not always know.
This passion can be traced back to her lived experiences, being raised by an immigrant single mother and her grandparents. Reflecting on her family, she sees a lot of them in the clients she serves.
“I’ve always been invested in supporting aging, older adults – and not because they can’t support themselves, but because sometimes they need someone to amplify their voices,” Noboa says. “They have a voice, they just need access and support to know their rights, to be educated on the systems.”
– A.S.
Margaret Nunziato
What drove Margaret Nunziato to a life of advocacy was growing up in a family that advocated for the needs of her brother, who has developmental disabilities.
“Just because they have a disability, a door should not be closed,” Nunziato says. “It is such a detriment, not only to the person, but to the community. We all lose out on strengths, ideas, possibilities by excluding people because of a disability they may have.”
She now leads the Westchester Independent Living Center, which helps people with disabilities live “self-directed” lives. It aims to break down barriers in clients’ lives, so they can remain at home while still accessing the support they need.
In the past year, the organization established a program with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs serving military veterans. Its Peer Integration Program, which matches participants with peers to help meet their educational and vocational goals, also expanded.
Nunziato highlights stories like that of a man with a brain injury who wanted to become a brain surgeon, like the surgeons who saved his life. The team helped him set attainable goals. He earned his GED diploma and college degree, and while he didn’t become a surgeon, he found a passion for teaching and started a family.
“That story shows, starting where the person is, not letting them give up their hopes and dreams, not pushing them aside because they have a disability,” Nunziato says, “but instead working with them and assisting them and hearing them and listening to them.”
– A.S.
Thomas Panek
Before he took the reins at Lighthouse Guild this year, Thomas Panek was already familiar within the organization through his work leading another nonprofit for the blind. But a personal connection made his move into the CEO role feel that much deeper.
“I lost my vision in my early 20s and really wanted to help other people who are going through this, understanding what it’s like,” says Panek, who went to a clinic at Lighthouse Guild years ago and learned he would eventually lose his vision.
Now, 25 years later, Panek finds himself back to where it all began, leading a premier organization helping people adapt and adjust to blindness.
From vision rehabilitation to assistive technology training, behavioral health services and educational programs, Lighthouse Guild offers training on how to use a cane for the first time, how to cook while experiencing vision loss and navigating supportive technology like Ray-Ban Meta glasses, all to enhance independence and accessibility.
He’s especially proud to have partnered with Google on the development of Project Guideline, which enables people who are blind or low-vision to run independently using only a smartphone with artificial intelligence-driven technology.
Recognizing that vision loss is often accompanied by depression and anxiety, Panek views Lighthouse Guild’s behavioral health programs as vital support systems to address these challenges.
As for his biggest sources of support, he cites his guide dog, Ten, named after former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, whom he also feels lucky to call a mentor and friend.
– E.S.
Amie Parikh
Amie Parikh’s vision for health care in the Hudson Valley is expansive and deeply inclusive. “Our true north is creating communities of health and wellness for all,” Parikh says. “And we emphasize all because there are so many different communities in the Hudson Valley.”
As CEO of the Hudson Valley Care Coalition, Parikh is working to dismantle fragmentation across the health care system. “We’re really trying to create a community-based ecosystem of health care, trying to get rid of the silos,” she says.
Through a merger with the Behavioral Health Independent Practice Association and the region’s designation as a social care network, she’s helping build a model where government, hospitals and community groups work together. “We feel that between these three areas, we will be able to create this community-based ecosystem of health care,” she says.
Her commitment to equity stretches back to her childhood. “Since I was old enough to understand inequity, whatever I’ve done in my life, both personal and professional, has always addressed inequities, be it immigration, health care, mental health care, addiction,” she says.
Due to recently passed federal legislation, the stakes are higher than ever. “What I’ve estimated is over 100,000 people will lose insurance in the Hudson Valley area,” she says. “And on top of that, SNAP benefits have also been cut, literally taking food out of people’s mouths.”
For Parikh, it’s a moment to unify. “We have to come together in partnership,” she says. “We need to fight for justice and equity, together.”
– Y.R.
Molly Wasow Park
Molly Wasow Park is the commissioner of the largest municipal social services department in the country – the New York City Department of Social Services, which is made up of the Department of Homeless Services and the Human Resources Administration.
In the post, she oversees the nation’s largest shelter system, which provides refuge to around 86,000 people on any given night. The agency’s homeless services team focuses on providing services to help homeless New Yorkers transition into permanent housing. The HRA is the primary benefits processor for the city, meaning it manages Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, rental assistance vouchers and Medicaid. When asked what drives her, Park says, “New York City is an amazing place, and part of the reason it’s really amazing is because of its diversity. But if people can’t afford to live here, the city is going to suffer, so I am really thinking about how I can best support low-income New Yorkers to make sure that they have the same opportunity to not just survive, but also to thrive that other people do.”
Park’s work involves setting goals and determining a broader vision for the agency as well as problem-solving at the highest level. She spent a large portion of her career at the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development, where she fell in love with government.
She drew inspiration from grandmother, who served meals on the streets of Los Angeles well into her 90s. “I’ve been driven to the notion of public service for a very long time,” Park says.
– A.S.
Perry Perlmutter
Perry Perlmutter leads Services for the UnderServed, or S:US, a nonprofit dedicated to eradicating homelessness and keeping New Yorkers healthy by bringing those in need into transitional, supportive and permanent housing.
“Our real goal is to allow everybody to have a home, to live in a place that they can call home, because that changes your whole life,” he says. “You can live a life with dignity.”
Perlmutter oversees the organization’s strategy, brand, fundraising and shelter real estate to maximize its impact. This year, S:US will open 1,000 units of supportive and affordable housing in New York City, and the nonprofit recently raised $1.5 million – its biggest haul at a single event.
The reason for all this fundraising and real estate expansion is simple: It means reaching more people, especially those who are chronically homeless, veterans, mentally ill, developmentally disabled or are dealing with substance use.
“We’re making a difference in people’s lives in this city,” Perlmutter says. “I deeply care about what we do. It’s really important work that this city needs.”
He shared the example of a woman with developmental disabilities who attends adult day programming and lives in the organization’s housing. She took note of hungry, homeless people in her community and decided the organization needed to do something to help these people – which led to the Community Refrigerator Program that’s now operating in two boroughs.
“Even someone we serve can come up with an idea and we run with it,” Perlmutter says.
– A.S.
Brian Perrotto
Brian Perrotto has dedicated over three decades to St. Catherine’s Center for Children, an Albany-based nonprofit. Now, as its interim executive director, he’s leading the organization that built his career.
Supporting over 20 human services programs, St. Catherine’s offers foster care, housing and homeless shelters, special education and mental health support, among other initiatives, in the tristate area.
“I’ve had the great fortune and opportunity to work in almost every one of our programs,” Perrotto says. “I’ve been here 30 years because I’m motivated by our mission. I’m motivated to assist the most vulnerable people in our community.”
On Perrotto’s watch, the organization successfully transitioned to a Medicaid managed care funding model, a shift he helped spearhead by developing the backend billing infrastructure to support the major undertaking.
One key objective that he has long been addressing is the social care needs that influence and shape health outcomes.
“There’s been a big push to recognize how factors like housing, food insecurity and transportation impact health care,” he says. “Agencies like ours, who have been addressing things like this for years, are now in a position to achieve better health care outcomes.”
Perrotto is especially proud of St. Catherine’s homeless shelter, which exemplifies the organization’s dedication to keeping families together when they’re often separated by age and gender.
“We can house around 24 families at a time,” he says. “Every individual, every staff person here goes above and beyond to help children and families in need.”
– E.S.
Roxanne Persaud
As a young girl, Brooklyn state Sen. Roxanne Persaud took an oath as a Girl Scout Brownie to always do her best to help others – a pledge that has stuck with her to this day.
“I was always doing things for community organizations and helping people to elevate their love in life,” Persaud says. “When I became the chair of Social Services, I felt it was like the perfect fit … for helping people who were desperately in need, helping them to elevate themselves.”
Persaud has been addressing a number of issues facing New Yorkers, including through the creation of diaper banks throughout the state for parents who can’t afford diapers for their children.
Another key focus for Persaud has been protecting and expanding New York City’s Summer Youth Employment Program, passing legislation that prohibits a child’s summer wages from counting against a family applying for social service benefits.
She is also making housing access vouchers accessible to people facing homelessness, as well as fighting to increase salaries for nonprofit-employed human services workers through a cost-of-living adjustment.
Persaud has been in the state Legislature since 2015, and she’s become a quiet but influential leader in her chamber.
“I am looking for solutions and how do I get things done and make it have a lasting impact on the lives of the people whom I represent,” she says. “I want to make sure I’m doing the right thing and that it has a meaningful impact on a lot of people.”
– A.S. & J.C.
Alexandria Regan
Alexandria Regan didn't plan on spending her entire career in the nonprofit sector – but three decades in, she hasn’t looked back. She first came in close contact with nonprofit organizations while working for a small firm after college. “It was that hands-on, early experience right out of college that gave me an appreciation for the importance of the missions to the communities they served,” she says. “I just developed a love for the industry.”
Regan is an audit partner at Citrin Cooperman, where she provides critical support to nonprofit organizations through regulatory and consulting services, often acting as a trusted adviser to executive directors and boards. “I’ve spent my entire career in public accounting working with nonprofits, from children’s and family services to a wide variety of missions,” she says. “The people I work with, I feel like I am helping, even in my professional capacity as an auditor.”
She ensures nonprofits stay compliant, sustainable and mission-focused. But it’s the connection to their purpose that makes her work most fulfilling. “It’s really important to work with organizations that resonate with you and that you have an affinity for,” she says. “It makes the work that much more meaningful and enjoyable.”
Regan encourages others to follow that same instinct. “Nonprofits are technically one industry, but they offer so many different missions, programs and initiatives,” she notes. “Find the ones that align with your values, it’s definitely what’s kept me doing this for 30 years.”
– Y.R.
Americo Reyes-Santiago
Americo Reyes-Santiago’s advocacy runs deep. As a vice president at Social Service Employees Union Local 371, he represents thousands of front-line workers across New York City working in shelters, hospitals, parks and every corner of New York’s social infrastructure.
“We’re the pulse that keeps all of the constituents in New York City happy (and) able to get the programs and resources that they need,” he says.
His work centers not only on contract enforcement and worker protections, but also on pushing for civic accountability. Through the union’s Vote Equals Hire campaign, he educates members about the power of their vote.
Reyes-Santiago is known for his straight talk, especially when politicians come looking for endorsements without understanding the labor movement. “When people ask you to vote for them, they’re asking you to hire them for a job,” he says he tells members. “If they don’t know the name of our union, they haven’t done the homework.”
Beginning his public service at a community center at just 14 years old, he first saw what it meant to advocate and serve. “It was never about where we’re from, or what cultural background we have,” he says. “It was about recognizing one another as human beings.”
That principle still fuels him. “This work requires you to do it not because of what you might get out of it, but what you can provide to someone else,” he says. “If that’s your mindset, then you’re good.”
– Y.R.
Petra Scully
When Petra Scully was a teenager, she interacted with a social worker who treated her poorly and made her feel badly about herself. From then on, Scully told herself if she was ever in the social services field, she would not do the same.
“The one thing that she taught me that if I was ever in a position of being in control of someone’s life and guiding them and in a helping role, I would not treat them the way that she treated me,” she says. “I would always treat people with respect and not impose my morals and values on anyone.”
Scully, who started out in finance before making a career change, is now able to do social work the right way as the director of crisis intervention at the Met Council, a New York City nonprofit serving those living in poverty and near poverty. She helps people in crisis situations like facing eviction or the termination of household utilities to access needed resources.
Scully has also helped build a cohesive team of professionals who are strong advocates and experts in the field. This team meets clients wherever needed to help.
“It makes me feel good to know that I have an impact on individuals that are in some type of crisis and that I can guide someone to self-sufficiency,” she says. “The reason I work hard is because I want to ensure that anyone that comes to the crisis department does not fall through the cracks.”
– A.S. & J.C.
Frederick Shack
The housing nonprofit Urban Pathways had been working with a man who had been living on New York City’s streets for 25 years and didn’t want to live in a shelter.
The team introduced him to their Safe Haven model, which offers people a safe place to sleep, get meals and store their belongings, without the rigid requirements around curfews, addiction and mental health treatment. Without imposing expectations on clients, it allows them to ask for help at their own pace. Intrigued, the man gave it a chance.
Within six months, he had his own apartment with continued services from Urban Pathways, ending his decades of homelessness.
“We basically were responding to what people were asking for,” Urban Pathways CEO Frederick Shack says. “They don’t want to be in large institutions. They don’t want to have their autonomy totally stripped away. They want to have access under their own terms.”
The organization also offers drop-in centers and permanent supportive housing, focusing on single adults found in public spaces. Shack spends a lot of time trying to understand the driving causes of homelessness and how to best address those issues through the nonprofit’s services.
“It pains me when I see our fellow citizens struggling and living in squalor on the streets of the city,” he says. “I believe that eventually we’ll get to a stage where every individual has access to a housing option that is decent and affordable and surrounded by the services necessary for them to reach their full potential.”
– A.S.
Renée Skolaski
Renée Skolaski leads MercyFirst, a nonprofit child welfare organization serving Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Long Island founded in 1894.
Around 3,000 children and families are served annually by the organization, which provides foster care, prevention services, family support services and services for unaccompanied refugee minors.
“We’re always looking at innovative, creative and efficient ways to serve our kids and families in new ways, helping children and families have the stability that they need so that kids can thrive and achieve their full potential,” Skolaski says.
Recently, Skolaski and MercyFirst have found a new way to support the kids they work with by creating two new group homes. This allowed the nonprofit to “step down” some teens to a lower level of care and give them a homier environment. The teenagers being transitioned into the group homes have faced many struggles but are showing improvements in their school attendance, class credit accumulation and more.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization had to modernize and adapt to greater technology needs and decreased in-person work, all while continuing to provide high-quality service. But Skolaski, who took over in 2021, was prepared for the challenge.
“In my role at MercyFirst, I really feel like I’ve come home,” she says. “All my experiences across my career really led me to this role and I really enjoy the ability to lead an organization, grow programs, inspire staff and work in the field of child welfare.”
– A.S.
Julia Tedesco
Julia Tedesco is on a mission to create a healthier community.
She is the CEO of Foodlink, a food bank in Rochester and the Finger Lakes region that offers a number of food-related programs to address hunger and ensure residents have healthy food options.
“The common denominator of everything we do is food and making sure that everyone in our community is able to feed themselves and their families in dignity,” Tedesco says.
Foodlink runs a food bank that distributes 25 million pounds of food annually; a community kitchen that prepares more than 2 million meals a year; the Foodlink Community Farm, the largest urban farm in Rochester that is farmed by new American families; a curbside mobile market that visits more than 80 stops in Monroe County weekly; a nutrition counseling program; and a certified culinary apprenticeship. A new education center and greenhouse are also being built at the organization’s farm.
Tedesco notes that her nonprofit is investing $15 million into its own infrastructure, which will help expand its reach. A new industrial cooler will increase the storage of perishable foods by 70%, while $2 million is going toward farm upgrades.
The point of all this work: Food is everything.
“Food has so much meaning in our lives, physically, economically, spiritually,” Tedesco says. “The work we do is always relevant in our community. Food is connection between people and the work that we do, even though it’s about food, it’s really always about people and driving connection and meeting basic needs.”
– A.S.
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