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 Maya Wiley Executive Director Maya Wiley is the founder and Executive Director of the Center for Social Inclusion. A civil rights attorney and policy advocate, Ms. Wiley graduated from Columbia University School of Law in 1989. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College in 1986. She has litigated, lobbied the US Congress and developed programs to transform structural racism in the US and in South Africa. Prior to founding the Center for Social Inclusion, Ms. Wiley was a senior advisor on race and poverty to the Director of U.S. Programs of the Open Society Institute, and helped develop and implement the Open Society Foundation — South Africa’s Criminal Justice Initiative. She has worked for the American Civil Liberties Union National Legal Department, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. in the Poverty and Justice Program and the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. She currently serves on the Tides Network Board and has previously served on the Boards of the Institute on Race and Poverty at the University of Minnesota School of Law, Human Rights Watch and the Council on Foreign Relations. She was a contributing author to the National Urban League's 2006 State of Black America, and authored a chapter on Race, Equity and Land Use Planning in Columbia, South Carolina recently published in Growing Smarter: Achieving Livable Communities, Environmental Justice and Regional Equity, R. Bullard, ed. The MIT Press: Cambridge, MA (2007). She was named a NY Moves magazine 2009 Power Woman. Press Kit Natalie Almonte Executive Assistant Natalie previously worked as the Programs Assistant and Office Administrator for the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. She formally worked as the Administrative Assistant at North Star Fund. Her areas of social justice work experience include Reproductive Health & Rights, Immigrant Rights, Nationwide and Local Organizing and Policy & Advocacy. Natalie obtained her Bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from New York Institute of Technology, with a minor in Writing and Psychology. She is currently studying Respiratory Therapy in Borough of Manhattan Community College. She is a proud Latina Feminist and Activist from Washington Heights, where she helped found Washington Height’s Fresh Youth Initiative’s Mentor Program. She is also a volunteer member for Upper Washington Heights’s Police Athletic League and NYC’s Latina Advocacy Network. Darnelle Bernier Director of Development Darnelle Bernier is a fundraiser and program management professional, she has supported the development efforts of a number of local and national non-profit organizations including the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, The White House Project, and the YWCA-NYC. Most recently, she led the American Cancer Society’s International Relay For Life program which mobilized community members to bolster fundraising, communications, and advocacy efforts of local cancer organizations world wide. Darnelle has overseen annual fund and special events, foundation relations, and major gifts development, as well as program strategy and communications. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Connecticut College. Idelisse Malavé Director of Organizational Management Idelisse Malavé is an organizational consultant and coach committed to supporting social justice leaders, groups and networks. She has worked on a range of organizational effectiveness and design projects, including crafting strategic thinking processes, planning, organizational change management, team-building, mediation, meeting design and facilitation, leadership transitions and governance. Over a thirty-year career, Ms. Malavé ran the Tides Foundation and served as Vice President of the Ms. Foundation. As a Columbia University educated lawyer, she litigated civil rights cases with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund and represented women in family law matters and people of color and women in small businesses while in private practice. She is also co-author of the book Mother Daughter Revolution. Ms. Malavé serves as board chair of the Rockwood Leadership Institute and on the boards of the Opportunity Agenda and MamaCash, a Dutch-based international women’s foundation. Madeleine Adamson Project Coordinator for Alston Bannerman Leadership Initiative Madeleine Adamson has been Coordinator of the Alston/Bannerman Fellowship Program since it was created in 1988 to support organizers of color with the resources to take sabbaticals for reflection and renewal. In the 1970s Madeleine worked for the National Welfare Rights Organization. During this period she also served as Research Director of the Movement for Economic Justice and editor of Just Economics, the leading publication reporting on community organizing. Subsequently she served as Publications Director and National Representative of ACORN,; and as the editor of Minority Trendsetter, a publication of the Center for Third World Organizing.; She’s also worked as a freelance writer and designer for community and labor organizations. Madeleine is co-author with Seth Borgos of This Mighty Dream: Social Protest Movements in the United States, published by Routlegde, Kegan; St. Paul in 1985. She received a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from American University. Brittny Saunders Senior Advocate Brittny Saunders is a graduate of Harvard Law School where she worked with a number of racial justice and civil rights organizations including the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment and the ACLU Racial Justice Program. While in law school, Brittny was an editor of the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Journal and served on the boards of the Harvard Black Law Students Association and the Harvard Law School Democrats. Brittny's work at CSI focuses primarily on Building Resiliency In Communities (BRIC), an effort to design and build a federal grant programs that invest in public health as part of a national strategy for disaster preparedness. She will also monitor and develop recommendations for the implementation of the stimulus package. Prior to joining CSI, Brittny worked as Policy Counsel at Be the Change, Inc., to expand opportunities for voluntary community and national service. Before enrolling in law school, Brittny taught second and third grade at a public elementary school in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. She holds a Masters degree in education from Fordham University and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology at Harvard College. Denis Rhoden Project Coordinator Denis Rhoden is the program coordinator at the CSI, and has been behind the research and writing efforts of Black, Brown and Green and Energy Democracy. He has written extensively in the areas of regional economic development, housing markets, community-scale renewable energy, neighborhood planning, and racial equity. In 2008, Mr. Rhoden completed his master’s degree from the Fisher College of Business. He is the recipient of the Pace Setters Award for social responsibility and academic excellence. Prior to this he graduated with a master's degree in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University and completed his undergraduate degrees in Geography and Psychology at Binghamton University. Denis is a member of the American Planning Association, the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and Gamma Theta Upsilon. Khalil T. Shahyd Project Coordinator Khalil Tian Shahyd joins CSI from New Orleans, LA. He earned a Masters in Sustainable International Development from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. Khalil is currently a 4th year PhD candidate in the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy at the University of Delaware where his research is focusing on developing an Environmental Economic Geography of Uneven Spatial Development and Environmental Justice. Previously, Khalil was the Community Land Specialist and Youth Program Coordinator with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund in Epes, Alabama. He also served as Project Manager for the New Orleans Citizen Participation Project; a public campaign to design and institutionalize a formal mechanism for public participation in city policy. In 2005/2006 Khalil worked as a Research Associated with the United Nations Development Program-India office in the Human Development Resource Center's State HDR project. Khalil's work with CSI will focus primarily on CSI's advocacy and research related to the National Broadband Plan and E-GAP project. Lynda Turet Advocacy Coordinator Lynda’s background includes research and policy analysis on racial equity issues and immigrant rights. She formerly coordinated Coro New York Leadership Center’s Immigrant Civic Leadership Program and served as Legislative Director to New York City Council Member Daniel Garodnick. Lynda currently serves on the leadership team for Swirl, Inc., a national multi-ethnic, grassroots organization that aims to challenge society's notions of race through community building, educational events, and a leadership training program for racial justice action. She was a 2006 fellow for the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs, a premier leadership development program, where she further developed her skills in community and stakeholder analysis and is a graduate of Tufts University where she majored in Peace & Justice Studies and American Studies. Anthony Giancatarino Researcher Anthony graduated from the NYU Wagner School for Public Service with a Masters in Public Administration, specializing in policy analysis. Anthony’s interests and studies have focused on participatory policymaking strategies at the neighborhood level in urban communities of color. As a graduate student, Anthony worked as a research assistant at the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, where he provided various research and GIS support for projects including the State of the City Report 2010. Before enrolling in graduate school Anthony taught high school courses in: United States and World History, United State Government, and Social Justice. Additionally, he coached cross country and track and coordinated volunteer programs for students. Anthony received his Bachelors Degree in Theology and Political Science from the University of Scranton. Ana Weibgen Project Associate Ana Weibgen is a Project Associate with the Center for Social Inclusion, where her work focuses on transportation equity and broadband access. Prior to CSI, Ana was a campaign coordinator for Active Voice, a media strategy company that helps nonprofits and other organizations use documentary film to engage people social justice issues. In this position, Ana cultivated partnerships with local, national, and international organizations, authored discussion and public relations materials, and helped develop policy and other campaign objectives. From 2006-2008, Ana worked in the Racial Justice Program of the American Civil Liberties Union, where her projects focused on improving educational opportunities for low-income children of color. Ana’s previous positions also include an organizing fellowship with the Obama campaign, a teaching post in a summer program for disadvantaged youth in Atlanta, and volunteer positions with youth service organizations in South Africa. Ana graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with honors in History from Wesleyan University, where she wrote her thesis on a landmark Connecticut school desegregation case. Yesenia Bran Administrative Assistant Yesenia previously worked with a community-based organization, Asociación Tepeyac in Corona, Queens as an activity specialist for its after school program. She’s also worked for Tepeyac as a head counselor for their after school program and an ESL instructor for their adult education program. Prior to Tepeyac, she worked for NYRA (New York Racing Association) in Belmont Raceway as an ESL instructor for their workers. As a college student, she volunteered for a progressive community-based organization, Centro Hispano “Cuzcatlan” in NY that works on immigrant and tenants’ rights, and related community issues. Yesenia is bi-lingual and has volunteered her language and translation skills to help community-based organizations that work with Spanish speaking communities. Yesenia obtained a Bachelors degree at St. John’s University in Spanish and History with a concentration in Latin American Studies. |