Publisher's Section
Tomorrow’s Leaders
New Yorkers to watch in the coming decades
City & State presents the 2026 Tomorrow's Leaders. Greg Lopez; Nicolás Manassi; White Plains Hospital
Twenty years ago, the City Hall newspaper was launched, providing in-depth coverage of New York City politics and government. A sister publication, The Capitol, began publishing a couple years later. The two publications, which have since merged into City & State, filled a void in coverage and quickly caught on with political insiders and policy wonks across New York. An early feature was the popular 40 Under 40 Rising Stars list, which paved the way for the dozens of lists City & State now produces each year.
To mark City & State’s 20th anniversary, we’re introducing a new list: Tomorrow’s Leaders. Written in partnership with journalist Aaron Short, this feature puts a spotlight on up-and-coming individuals who will be taking on more and more responsibility over the next two decades. The list features young and mid-level players in our space who have room to grow, including standout figures at nonprofit and for-profit organizations, industry groups, healthcare providers, consulting firms and much more.
Na’ilah Amaru
When Na’ilah Amaru moved to New York City, she didn’t know anyone. But the Iraq War veteran and former aide to the late Rep. John Lewis found a home as a political strategist helping establish early voting, lift up formerly incarcerated women and pass salary transparency laws before co-founding the BIPOC Democracy Table. She recently partnered with the Amplify Her Foundation to design a pilot investing in women as local changemakers. This year, she launched Civic Alchemy LLC, a social impact consulting firm at the intersection of policy, politics and civic power.
Michelle Armstrong
Michelle Armstrong’s experience in philanthropy at Goldman Sachs and the Project Management Institute came in handy when she spearheaded the design and launch of the Ares Charitable Foundation in 2021. She has since disbursed $65 million in grants and led a five-year, $25 million initiative to train workers for climate-resilient jobs in the U.S. and India. Armstrong also co-produced a short documentary about the foundation’s work aiding a wrongfully incarcerated man on his job reentry journey. This year, Ares established an initiative for small businesses to reskill workers for the future.
Chelsea Baytemur
Chelsea Baytemur has approached her work at the YMCA of Greater New York with a mission to advance economic equity for children and families. She joined the organization in 2022, and she said she has secured $700 million in baseline funding for education initiatives, advocated for after-school programming investments and helped boost state education spending. Baytemur recently testified before the New York City Council – where she was previously a senior legislative financial analyst – for funding for early childhood and community school programs. She’s transitioning to a new role as education adviser to New York City’s first deputy mayor.
Jabari Bell
After a short-lived bid for a New York City Council seat in Queens a few years ago, Jabari Bell embraced another opportunity as an executive board member with the New York State Builders Association, an industry advocacy group. In his role, the real estate professional has been involved in discussions on policies to spur housing production, reform land use and promote economic growth. Bell, who’s also director of strategic development at The Delaine Companies, serves on the Queens Black Chamber of Commerce board.
Daniel Bonnet
Daniel Bonnet is dedicated to improving workforce and community programs for Westchester County families. In 2022, the bilingual nonprofit leader joined Port Chester Carver Center, where he has helped modernize infrastructure, incorporate data-driven analysis and expand employment pathways for clients. The organization distributed 700,000 pounds of food in the previous fiscal year and provided 800 meals per day through its after-school programs. With his nonprofit’s budget more than doubling to $7 million between 2020 and 2025, Bonnet aims to expand access to education and economic mobility and mentor the next generation of nonprofit leaders.
Fernando Cárdenas Peña
Fernando Cárdenas Peña was named director of communications at the Hispanic Information and Telecommunications Network in October after serving as an executive producer at Univision and a digital media producer at NY1 Noticias. Cárdenas Peña’s extensive experience in New York City’s Spanish-speaking media industry has positioned him to increase HITN’s visibility in New York through collaboration with the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and connections among Latino communities throughout the city. He aims to increase HITN’s fact-checking capabilities and assist its international expansion across Europe and Latin America.
Kelsey Dorado Bobersky
It hasn’t been easy to run retail stores in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Kelsey Dorado Bobersky is helping out by combating shoplifting and cumbersome regulations. Since she joined the Retail Council of New York State in 2021, she has expanded its membership and supported the New York City Retail Theft Task Force. The council’s collaboration with law enforcement and elected officials contributed to a 12% year-over-year decline in retail theft in New York City last year and a 5% drop statewide. Now, the industry organization is advocating against changes to state liability laws and proposed tax hikes.
Kevin Elkins
Kevin Elkins didn’t get his preferred New York City mayoral candidate into City Hall, but he has contributed to other victories. The New York City and Vicinity District Council of Carpenters’ political action director joined a union coalition that backed Julie Menin for council speaker. The carpenters union recently rallied for higher wages at a Chelsea site owned by Vanderbilt University and pushed to restart construction after a federal freeze on funding for the Gateway rail tunnel project. The union also championed the 485-x affordable housing tax exemption and has battled the new Partnership for New York City leader, Steve Fulop.
Savannah Farrell
After stints at Mercury and Actum, Savannah Farrell moved over to J Strategies in January. At the growing advocacy outfit, Farrell has helped several Fortune 500 clients develop strategies to influence public opinion and manage risk. Last year with Actum, Farrell helped build support among community leaders and stakeholders for Resorts World New York City’s successful multibillion-dollar bid for a full casino license in Queens. Now Farrell is helping clients in gambling, infrastructure and the equestrian industries with their policy agendas to ensure their long-term growth in the state.
Lisa Flores
Lisa Flores is reinvigorating Catholic Charities Community Services as the Archdiocese of New York welcomed a new archbishop this year. After leading the New York City Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, Flores joined CCCS in 2025 to oversee its $85 million portfolio and manage programs that serve more than 140,000 New Yorkers across 50 sites downstate. In the role, Flores has co-hosted a pop-up food pantry and helped manage the state’s New Americans Hotline to provide referrals for immigration-related services. She aims to bolster nonprofit organizations as essential partners in the public sector.
Sam Friedman
Sam Friedman joined Mike Klein’s Urban Strategies in 2023 to advise the firm’s tech, energy, environmental, real estate and nonprofit clients on how to build their businesses. In recent years, Friedman has been a consultant for the Livingston Legacy Holdings Project, a Catskills-based campus for transforming old commercial properties into social and cultural hubs, and ProCap360, a cybersecurity platform utilizing proprietary knowledge graphs. Friedman, who is active with the New York League of Conservation Voters and other civic groups, aims to continue supporting New York’s next generation of entrepreneurs and executives.
Ariel Garcia
Ariel Garcia is committed to housing New York’s most vulnerable populations. Since joining Urban Pathways in 2022, Garcia has expanded the housing and human services nonprofit’s pipeline to more than 400 supportive units with an investment of more than $250 million. He completed a 79-unit Bronx supportive project, worked on a transitional program at the former Bayview Correctional Facility and supported the Liberty Link pilot program for low-cost internet access. He is a board member at the Leviticus Fund and has advocated for increased supportive housing investment in New York City.
Basha Gerhards
Basha Gerhards has been at the forefront of the debates over New York’s housing crisis with the goal of expanding housing access. The policy wonk shaped the real estate industry’s positions on the 467-m tax incentive to convert underutilized office spaces, backed New York City’s City of Yes zoning overhaul and supported the state Affordable Housing Retention Act. REBNY recently authored a report indicating the pace of housing construction will not meet supply goals. This year, Gerhards has advocated for lawmakers to reform the state environmental review process and expand the J-51 incentive in the state budget.
Jonathan Gibbs
For nearly a decade and a half, Jonathan Gibbs has provided guidance to governments and businesses on how to best manage their finances and make strategic decisions about their future. The Saratoga Springs accountant joined BST in 2010, primarily working with public sector and for-profit clients before being promoted to partner in 2022. Gibbs, who’s part of the Audit and Assurance team, will join his BST colleagues in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the consulting firm this year. Gibbs is also a member of the Government Finance Officers Association and the New York Conference of Mayors.
Barry Granek
As a licensed mental health counselor, Barry Granek helps people live more fulfilling lives while crafting models to expand access and make treatment more effective on a broader scale. After a decade at Coordinated Behavioral Care, Granek joined the New York Psychotherapy and Counseling Center last year to manage services and improve coordination and outcomes. Granek has contributed to the expansion of more than 30 community-based care teams and led initiatives to reduce psychiatric readmissions and help homeless clients find stable housing. He also maintains a private psychotherapy practice.
Stephen Ham
Stephen Ham’s dedication to New York’s environment and wildlife conservation around the world is unparalleled. The former Peace Corps volunteer, who once served as Jane Goodall’s special assistant, joined the Wildlife Conservation Society in 2016. He has since led philanthropic campaigns to support four local zoos and an aquarium in Brooklyn as well as conservation efforts in 55 countries (last year’s annual gala raised $2.5 million). Ham was promoted to senior vice president and chief development officer in March and will focus on raising the profile of its flagship Bronx Zoo in order to secure more capital for climate conservation.
Frank Jackson
Dr. Frank Jackson has served for three years as a Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellow at Northwell Health’s South Shore University Hospital, where he brings together health equity and clinical practice. He has published medical journal reports on the use of a Foley catheter to manage postpartum hemorrhages and established a new metric for the assessment of labor and delivery care implemented across the sprawling Northwell system. Jackson recently founded the TRUST Collaborative to build a network of clinicians and engineers to fast-track maternal health innovations.
Erik Joerss
The charter school movement in New York has a behind-the-scenes champion in Erik Joerss. Since joining the New York City Charter School Center in 2012, the former city government staffer has helped shape the education reform agenda by advocating for the state Legislature to raise the cap to allow more charter schools to operate downstate, and urged New York City to add more security guards at private school buildings. His organization has also called for charter schools to receive equitable per-pupil funding.
Star Kashman
In a world where cyberstalking, deepfakes and other digital privacy violations are on the rise, Star Kashman is fighting back. Since founding Cyber Law Firm in 2024, Kashman has been at the forefront of defending individuals and businesses from sophisticated cyberthreats – including search engine hacking, known as “Google Dorking” – and helping businesses develop artificial intelligence workplace policies. Kashman has also provided legal analysis on lawsuits over ChatGPT’s role in user deaths by suicide as well as on Meta and YouTube’s liability in teen social media addiction.
Jonathan Koop
For nearly 14 years, Jonathan Koop has been part of a top-tier team of engineers that has been responsible for consulting on some of the most innovative, energy-efficient and iconic projects in New York. Earlier this year, Koop was promoted from mechanical engineer to director at the firm, which had its own major milestone a few months earlier when it was acquired by Trinity Consultants. Koop recently joined a discussion on designing all-electric office skyscrapers and on Local Law 97 at a workshop put on by the New York City chapter of the Council on Vertical Urbanism.
Max Kramer
Max Kramer can stake a claim to a string of suburban Democratic victories in recent years. The Threshold Group partner previously elected Kathleen Rice to Congress and Laura Curran as county executive and more recently helped Tim Kennedy and George Latimer win congressional elections. Last year, Kramer assisted in Julie Menin’s quest to become New York City Council speaker while also advising clients including the United Federation of Teachers and the New York League of Conservation Voters. Tom DiNapoli and the New York State Democratic Committee are among those relying on the campaign firm this cycle.
Yanina Kupava
Yanina Kupava is an integral part of the team that makes Central Park one of the country’s most popular urban parks. In her 12 years at the Central Park Conservancy, Kupava has overseen park operations, data systems, procurement and sustainability initiatives. She co-authored the organization’s first urban forest management plan to promote climate resilient practices, expand tree canopy cover and maintain native species. Last year, the conservancy unveiled the Davis Center, a new ice skating and swimming facility at the Harlem Meer, and it is currently overhauling the famous Wollman Rink.
Steven Lee
Steven Lee guides a variety of governmental and nonprofit organizations through their finances at CBIZ, a financial, insurance and advisory services firm. Lee, a certified public accountant, oversees financial statement audits for public benefit corporations, statutory trusts and social service organizations and has particular expertise dealing with audits involving state consolidated fiscal reports, employee benefit plans and New York City indirect cost reporting. Lee was recently promoted to shareholder at the firm and was appointed vice chair of the New York State Society of CPAs’s committee for government accounting and auditing.
Cory Loomis
Cory Loomis is an integral part of Patrick B. Jenkins’ growing government affairs shop. The legislative director started his career in U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer’s office and worked with the Adirondack Council and United University Professions before moving over to The Riddell Group, where he lobbied for Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit groups and professional associations. Loomis and his colleagues helped secure a full casino license for Genting’s Resorts World New York City in Queens and worked with Waymo as it tested its driverless cars in New York City.
Melanie Ma
Melanie Ma is driven to provide New York City children with high-quality learning environments to grow and develop. The Baruch College and Brooklyn College alum participated in a United Neighborhood Houses leadership program in 2021 to burnish her management and organizational skills. Earlier this year, she helped Grand St. Settlement open a new Head Start childcare facility in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, with 96 childcare slots and 26 new jobs. Ma plans to continue working to improve child outcomes and support working families.
Burgundy Magoon
In 2023, Burgundy Magoon moved from the state Legislature to Brown & Weinraub, New York’s top lobbying firm. Magoon, who previously delved into budgetary and financial matters as a staffer for the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, was brought on at the lobbying firm as legislative director and was quickly promoted to her current position as senior adviser. She now brings her fiscal know-how to serve clients including the Orange County Industrial Development Agency, the Care Management Alliance of New York and the New York State School Facilities Association.
Charlotte Martin
Charlotte Martin has helped maintain the Intrepid Museum’s status as a must-see destination for history buffs, military veterans and casual tourists. Since joining the Intrepid in 2013, she has secured funding for accessibility initiatives and developed inclusive and specialized programs, including a virtual reality exhibit and a summer Maker Camp for youth with developmental disabilities and special needs. Martin received a Kennedy Center Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability Award in 2024 and has helped other museums be inclusive places for interpretation and storytelling. She’s also a past president of the New York City Museum Educators Roundtable.
Caroline McGraw
Caroline McGraw has embraced her role at the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association, in which she ensures contractors provide high-quality work and create an inclusive culture. The Niskayuna native coordinated SMACNA’s joint initiative promoting respectful workplaces and diversity in hiring and expanded its reach nationally by organizing an industry town hall. McGraw also supported the implementation of a rapid response protocol for workplace safety and harassment prevention, contributed to contractor educational calls and communications, and supported mentorship and networking for women within the industry.
Michael Nelson
This year, Michael Nelson will be celebrating his 35th anniversary at Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages, which he has made one of most essential beverage distributors in the mid-Atlantic region. Nelson has also served as tristate commercial director at the distributor, which has been locally owned and operated since 2017 and serves markets in Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Connecticut. This year, Nelson is involved with efforts to welcome the FIFA World Cup to North America.
Katie Nilsen
For the past decade, Katie Nilsen has played a role in many of the state’s most significant infrastructure and energy projects. The E-J Electric Installation Co. executive has helped move forward the rehabilitation of the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and electrical upgrades for the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge. Last fall, Nilsen was named president of the board of directors for Professional Women in Construction New York, which promotes women across the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. She recently helped E-J Group achieve a milestone certification for information security.
Cora Opsahl
Cora Opsahl delivers affordable, accessible and high-quality healthcare to the 200,000 32BJ SEIU members who keep New York City’s buildings running. Under Opsahl’s leadership for nearly five years, the 32BJ Health Fund has saved $35 million annually, switched pharmacy vendors, expanded its $0 copay surgery program and negotiated a new medical agreement that improved accountability and transparency. This year, Opsahl has formed a partnership with Northwell Direct that will increase members’ access to care, saving the fund $46 million and reducing member copays by $5 million.
Jina Park
Jina Park is driven to help people experiencing homelessness and provide the shelter and care they need. She has served in multiple leadership roles for more than a decade at HELP USA – a major homeless services provider and low-income housing developer – and now oversees a $65 million portfolio of 13 shelters that serve 1,400 families annually. Park recently launched a newborn parent program with screening, wellness checks and intervention for postpartum depression. She has also bolstered HELP USA’s cognitive behavioral therapy practices.
Anthony Perez
Anthony Perez can navigate New York City – on the streets and in the halls of power. Previously, as city Department of Transportation Bronx borough commissioner, he added bike lanes and helped reduce Bronx traffic fatalities by 39% in 2025. Now at Waymo, Perez is pushing for self-driving vehicles on city streets. The debate over autonomous vehicles isn’t slowing down after the governor pulled a proposal allowing robotaxis outside New York City and Waymo’s New York City permit recently expired. Perez wants a green light for Waymo in the state budget and is pushing for autonomous vehicles and other innovations across other major U.S. cities.
Sabrina Rezzy
Sabrina Rezzy has assisted the New York State Trial Lawyers’ multiyear campaign to pass the Grieving Families Act despite repeated gubernatorial vetoes. NYSTLA is in another big policy fight this year as the governor has sought to lower auto insurance rates by limiting payouts for crashes, but Rezzy has helped mobilize allies to oppose those measures. Since Rezzy joined the powerful industry group in 2023, it has advocated successfully for the Gender Motivated Violence Act in New York City and the state’s Avoiding Vexatious Overuse of Impleading to Delay Act.
Ludovic Righetti
As humanity grapples with the impact of one technological innovation after another, scholars like Ludovic Righetti are driving research forward while also helping society keep up. The NYU professor of engineering, who also holds an international chair at the Artificial and Natural Intelligence Toulouse Institute, recently launched the NYU Center for Robotics and Embodied Intelligence. Righetti also chairs the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society’s Responsible Research and Innovation in Robotics and Automation Committee, shaping global standards for developing ethical machines. He aims to make New York a hub for robotics research and innovation with practical benefits for all.
Racquel Saddler
Racquel Saddler joined Mercury in 2023, and she has worked with a variety of clients on consumer protection, climate accountability and juvenile justice issues through the communications firm. After starting her career as a legislative counsel and legislative director in former state Sen. Velmanette Montgomery’s office, Saddler served as an associate vice president with The Wright Group NY. She recently helped Dorcey Applyrs become Albany’s first Black mayor, and Saddler is now running her own campaign for a seat in the Albany County Legislature.
Amber Shah
Amber Shah is building a more responsive behavioral health safety net as New York City faces an increased need for services. She joined the Emma L. Bowen Community Service Center in January after more than a decade managing budgets and providing strategic direction at the ABA Centers of America and the Community Health Care Association of New York State. Shah has since positioned the Harlem-based nonprofit, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, to continue growing and deepening its long-term sustainability providing mental health, addiction treatment and supportive services across the five boroughs.
Dawn Sherman
Since joining The Black Car Fund in 2012, Dawn Sherman has helped the workers’ compensation insurance provider deliver crucial benefits to more than 100,000 for-hire drivers. Sherman led the rebranding of the Driver Education Center, which offers a course with safety instructions and the health benefits available to its participants. She also spearheaded its Driver Resource Fairs, which connect drivers to educational opportunities and safety resources. Sherman hopes to bolster driver outreach, prioritize diversity and foster an inclusive culture.
Elisabeth Sherman
Since coming aboard the Museum of the City of New York last fall, Elisabeth Sherman has made the Fifth Avenue institution a destination for tourists and locals alike. She has orchestrated buzzy shows, including Joe Macken’s meticulous New York City scale model in February and an exhibition exploring the city’s occupation during the American Revolution. The former Whitney Museum of American Art and International Center of Photography curator hopes to relaunch permanent exhibitions and serve multigenerational audiences by improving access to MCNY’s collection of 750,000 objects.
Eric Soto
Eric Soto joined the North Shore Strategies team two years ago after helping Max Rose run for Congress and Julie Won win a New York City Council seat in Queens. Previously the political coordinator for the New York City and Vicinity District Council of Carpenters, Soto has focused on expanding North Shore’s hiring, training and quality-control systems, which helped the firm propel Jersey City Mayor James Solomon, state Sen. Sam Sutton and Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins to notable election victories. Now, Soto wants to improve how campaigns train staff and help organizations use voter data more effectively.
Dean Straff
Dr. Dean Straff recently marked his 10th anniversary at White Plains Hospital, where he has improved the emergency department’s clinical operations, data analytics and patient satisfaction. Straff, who was announced as director of emergency medicine in 2021, was recognized last year as a “Healthcare Hero” by Westchester Magazine. The 292-bed White Plains Hospital, which is part of the Montefiore system, is undergoing a major expansion that will nearly double its size, featuring 240 private beds and a significantly larger emergency facility by 2028.
Ashton Thomas
In the seven years that Ashton Thomas has been with KPMG, he has helped government health agencies update their infrastructure and run their operations more efficiently. The Brownsville, Brooklyn, native, who’s also the firm’s technology lead for New York City, has sought to integrate artificial intelligence to solve complex problems in the public sector and demonstrate how people can use AI in their daily routines. Thomas wants to help public agencies develop the responsible adoption of machine-learning technologies in order to improve the delivery of essential services.
W. Theory Thompson
Earlier this year, W. Theory Thompson celebrated his 20th anniversary with Good Shepherd Services, which serves more than 30,000 individuals in need each year. The Bronx community leader has overseen Good Shepherd’s LifeLink program, which prepares adolescents for college, and managed its educational programs in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Thompson is the co-chair of the Bronx Opportunity Network, a partnership with community-based organizations to increase access to CUNY schools. He hopes to create more partnerships and programs that put the city’s children on the path toward lifelong success.
Lashea Woodson
Since being hired by Connective Strategies in 2019, Lashea Woodson has been an integral part of the Queens-based consulting and campaign firm. In addition to running the firm’s data entry and field operations, Woodson has trained teams, circulated petitions and canvassed to help Queens politicians Donovan Richards, Vivian Cook and Melinda Katz get reelected. Last year, she led now-New York City Council Member Ty Hankerson’s field operation, helping the Democrat win his primary in five rounds of ranked choice voting. Woodson hopes to attend law school in the future.
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