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Marsha Corchado-NYCT
Marsha Corchado
Human Resources Director

Marsha Corchado is the Human Resources Director at The New York Community Trust. Prior to joining The Trust, Marsha served as HR Director for CanAm Enterprises, an immigration investment firm. Previously, she worked in the nonprofit sector as a development associate & events planner for Partnership with Children and a grant writer for Hamilton-Madison House. Marsha received a B.A. from Barnard College of Columbia University, a M.S. in HR Management & Development from New York University and is a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)-CP certified professional. Marsha is a member of the School Leadership Team at P.S. 396 in Morris Heights, Bronx, which develops and supports educational policies for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and underserved communities.

Marie D'Costa-NYCT-16-sq
Marie D'Costa
Vice President & Chief Development Officer

Marie works with donors to create personalized philanthropic legacies. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York, Women in Development, the Advancement Network, and a Founder’s Circle member of Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy. She has a B.A. in public relations and advertising, an M.A. in international relations, both from the City College of New York, CUNY, and is a 21/64 Certified Advisor. She serves on the board of the Gabriela Mistral Foundation and served on the board of BronxWorks.

 

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Amy Freitag
President

Amy Freitag became president of The New York Community Trust in July 2022.

For the prior eight years, she was executive director of the J.M. Kaplan Fund, a 75-year-old family foundation based in New York City. During her tenure, she initiated the J.M.K. Innovation Prize and led grantmaking in criminal justice reform, climate change, democracy, and historical conservation, including several Civil Rights sites.

Freitag previously was executive director of the New York Restoration Project, which led a private effort to plant one million new trees in New York City. Prior to that, she was the U.S. program director for the World Monuments Fund and deputy commissioner for capital projects with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

She served on the NYC Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments, and Markers and currently sits on the board of the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation.

Freitag was raised in Akron, Ohio, and holds an A.B. from Smith College and master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.

Irfan Hasan-NYCT
Irfan Hasan
Deputy Vice President for Grants

Irfan directs the Healthy Lives grantmaking program at The Trust, and oversees health, behavioral health, and biomedical research grants. Irfan also oversees $12 million of grants to organizations nationally designated as grantees through donor bequests. He serves on the boards of Philanthropy New York and Grantmakers In Health. Irfan is a member of Philanthropy New York’s Health Working Group, co-chair of the American Public Health Association’s Public Health Funder Network, an elected fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, a member of the North American chapter of the Global Leadership Exchange, and a member of the governance committee of the Substance Use Funders Collaborative. Irfan has a B.Sc. from Northeastern University and a Master’s in Public Administration from New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

Dominick Impemba-NYCT
Dominick Impemba
Chief Operating and Finance Officer

Dominick leads the departments handling finance, human resources, information technology, and administration. One of his core functions is financial stewardship of The Trust’s 2,000-plus funds, as well as guiding its investment in new systems, technology, and operations.

Prior to working at The Trust, Dominick was the treasurer and chief financial officer at the Rockefeller Foundation, where he oversaw the organization’s financial planning and reporting, accounting activities, and annual audit. At Rockefeller he also played key roles in risk management, payroll, and benefits. He began with the Rockefeller Foundation in 2010 as controller. Before that, he was an audit senior manager for nonprofit organizations and universities with KPMG LLP, controller at the Institute of International Education, and a manager at Condon O’Meara McGinty and Donnelly, LLP, a firm specializing in not-for-profit organizations. Dominick received a bachelor’s degree from Iona College in 1996 and is a certified public accountant and a chartered global management accountant.

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Rebecca Mandelman
Chief Philanthropic Officer

A New York native, Rebecca Mandelman has deep expertise in strategic planning and in community philanthropy. At The Miami Foundation, she played a key role managing diverse philanthropic funds, advising family and individual philanthropies, overseeing the foundation’s 50th anniversary campaign, and cementing the organization’s role as an influential civic leader. She’s also held senior leadership roles at Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, Americas Business Council Foundation, and New World Symphony. Most recently, Mandelman served in a strategic consulting role for the Doris Duke Foundation. She graduated cum laude from Georgetown University and received her MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. 

Kerry McCarthy-NYCT
Kerry McCarthy
Vice President for Philanthropic Initiatives

Kerry works with donors to create philanthropic strategies to meet their charitable goals and make an impact. She also develops content and programming for donors to help guide their giving and oversees The Trust’s marketing and communications department and other special projects.

Kerry is co-chair of The Trust’s Mosaic Network and Fund; secretary of the board of the Billie Holiday Theatre; and a member of the board of Mohonk Preserve and FPWA. She is the former vice chair of Grantmakers in the Arts and formerly led The Trust’s arts grantmaking program.

Kerry has a B.A. from Sewanee: The University of the South, and an M.A. in Folk Art Studies from New York University.

Shawn Morehead-NYCT
Shawn V. Morehead
Vice President for Grants

Shawn oversees The Trust’s competitive grantmaking program, which distributes approximately $50 million annually. Prior to this position, she served as The Trust’s program director for Human Justice and Education grantmaking. She received her B.A. from Columbia University and her J.D. from Stanford Law School.

John Oddy-NYCT
John Oddy
Vice President for Donor Relations

John works directly with donors to help them deepen the impact of their philanthropy and identify the most effective strategies for their giving. He is a frequent speaker on donor trends, the philanthropic landscape, and has a special interest in the arts and humanities. John is a graduate of Bard College and has an M.A. in Urban Planning from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service.

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David M. Okorn
Executive Director, Long Island Community Foundation

David M. Okorn has been the executive director of Long Island Community Foundation since 2010. He began his career at the Foundation in 2008 as the director of advancement and donor relations. Previously, he was the senior vice president of development and external relations at Abilities, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of adults and children with disabilities. Prior to that he held positions as director of community relations at KeySpan and executive director of the KeySpan Foundation.

Dave received his B.S. and M.S. in Business Administration and Energy Management at New York Institute of Technology-Old Westbury. He is a member of the board of directors of the Long Island Volunteer Center and the Better Business Bureau Foundation. Dave was recently appointed as a Member of the Long Island State Park, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commission by NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Tatiana Pohotsky-NYCT
Tatiana Pohotsky
Chief Investment Officer

Tatiana works with the Investment Committee on strategies for investing The Trust’s endowment. She previously worked for the Bureau of Asset Management in the NYC Comptroller’s Office where she was the senior investment officer & group leader for global active management of the city’s $30-billion, long-only equity strategies for municipal pensions. Prior to her time in public service she worked as an equity analyst at firms such as worked at Deutsche Bank, Independence Investments, and Schroders PLC. She received her B.A. from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a CFA charterholder.

Laura Rossi-NYCT-2-sq
Laura Rossi
Executive Director, Westchester Community Foundation

Laura leads the Westchester Community Foundation’s efforts to address community needs by bringing together donors, funders, nonprofit leaders, and other partners to better understand the root causes of persistent challenges and emerging needs and develop a shared approach to improving the quality of life in Westchester.

She began her career at the Foundation in 2007 as a program officer. She holds a J.D. from New York Law School and a B.A. from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, NM. She is a graduate of Leadership Westchester. Prior to her career in philanthropy, she practiced law, worked for local and statewide nonprofits, and taught at local colleges.

Laura is co-chair of the board of directors of Sustainable Westchester, and a board member of New York Funders Alliance and the Support Center. In 2019 she was appointed to the Westchester Housing Opportunity Commission by County Executive George Latimer.

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Ayanna Russell
Vice President of Administration & Chief Technology Advancement Officer

Ayanna manages the support of the foundation’s information technology, facilities, and office administration operations. Ayanna has a B.A. from NYU.

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Carrie Trowbridge
General Counsel

Carrie Trowbridge is the General Counsel of the New York Community Trust. In addition to managing The Trust’s legal affairs, Carrie helps charitable New Yorkers and their professional advisors create funds at The Trust. Prior to joining The Trust, Carrie served as Associate General Counsel and Director of Nonprofit Practice at New York University. Previously, she was an associate in the tax-exempt organizations practice group at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, which she joined after serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Charles S. Haight, Jr. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Carrie received a B.A. from Yale University, a doctorate in English Literature from Oxford University, and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

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Wen Weng
Controller


Wen oversees the daily activities of The Trust’s Finance Department. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Wen has a B.A. from Sun Yat-Sen University in China, and an M.B.A. from Baruch College.

Staff Directory

Sol Marie Alfonso-Jones
Program Director, Long Island

Sol Marie has been with the Long Island Community Foundation (LICF) since 2009. As program director, she manages the Foundation’s competitive grantmaking programs in the areas of Education, Youth Development, and Community and Economic Development. She also leads the Foundation’s strategic initiatives, including ensuring an accurate census count, developing regional solutions to racial and economic inequities, advancing fair and affordable housing, improving the performance of minority-owned small businesses, and supporting an inclusive and representative democracy.

Sol Marie has more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit management, community building, program development, and evaluation. Prior to LICF, she worked at Sustainable Long Island where she directed the organization’s community revitalization and brownfield redevelopment programs. She also served as director of the Fight for Families Coalition, an alliance of health and human service, community-based agencies working to enhance service delivery systems in Nassau County. She also spent 17 years working in New York City: 12 years overseeing youth development programs at Sponsors for Educational Opportunity and five years as a community liaison in Governor Mario Cuomo’s Office of Hispanic Affairs.

Sol Marie is an adjunct professor at Stony Brook University’s School of Social Welfare. She is a Co-Chair of Engage New York, a network of foundation leaders across the State working to advance equity, social justice, and civic and community participation, and chair of the Funders Census Initiative, a working group of the Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation that mobilizes philanthropic engagement towards a fair and accurate Census. She serves on the board of directors of the Regional Plan Association, and on the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council state panel on business aid. She is also a member of a NYS Health Foundation advisory committee. She received a B.A. from University of Rochester, and is a member of the Energeia Partnership’s class of 2011, a leadership academy dedicated to identifying and addressing complex and multi-dimensional issues challenging the Long Island region.

Skyelar Andrews
Donor Relations Assistant

Skyelar assists the Donor Relations and Development teams in identifying and cultivating new donor relationships as well as supporting existing donors. She received her bachelor’s degree from Chapman University in political science.

Mariann Asayan
Senior Digital Media and Graphic Designer


Mariann “Mar” (pronounced Mare) designs the print and digital materials, as well as manages The Trust’s social media and digital marketing. Mar has a BFA from Syracuse University and an MA in Design Studies from The New School.

Courtney Biggs
Content Writer and Public Relations Liaison

Courtney is The Trust’s content writer and public relations liaison. She develops external communications and supports public relations at The Trust. She was previously Director of Communications at ACCESS Health International, a global health think tank and advisory group and is passionate about building healthy communities. She has a Bachelor of Journalism from Monash University (Australia) and a Masters of Communication from RMIT University (Australia) and is a member of the Communications Network.

Tonia Brewer
Records Administrator

Tonia is a records administrator with over 20 years of experience in managing files, both in hard copy and digital formats, and has expertise in creating efficient electronic filing techniques.

Ivan Calderon
Accounts Payable Associate

Ivan works as the accounts payable associate in the Finance Department, taking care of grant and vendor payments. Before joining The Trust, he was Lead A/P Associate at SiriusXM/Pandora Media. He has also worked at nonprofits including Harlem United and the Simons Foundation. He’s excited about working with a great team of people and being part of a cause assisting those who need a little help.

 

 

Ryan Campbell
Assistant Controller

Ryan joined The Trust in September 2023 and assists overseeing the Trust’s finance department.  Prior to joining the Trust, Ryan served as a manager at PKF O’Connor Davies, LLP where he specialized in the audits of private foundations and nonprofit organizations. Ryan is a CPA and has a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Tampa.

Eileen P. Casey
Director, Investment Reporting

Eileen supports the CIO and the Investment Committee in monitoring The Trust’s large roster of money managers.

Julia T. Chang
Philanthropic Initiatives Officer

Julia is the philanthropic initiatives officer at The New York Community Trust, where she helps donors achieve their philanthropic goals, provides philanthropic advising services, and helps connect donors to nonprofits. She previously worked in publishing and has a B.A. from Vassar College and an M.P.A. from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service. She loves to help donors channel their values and life experience into change in their communities and is a 21/64 Certified Advisor.

Marsha Corchado
Human Resources Director

Marsha Corchado is the Human Resources Director at The New York Community Trust. Prior to joining The Trust, Marsha served as HR Director for CanAm Enterprises, an immigration investment firm. Previously, she worked in the nonprofit sector as a development associate & events planner for Partnership with Children and a grant writer for Hamilton-Madison House. Marsha received a B.A. from Barnard College of Columbia University, a M.S. in HR Management & Development from New York University and is a Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)-CP certified professional. Marsha is a member of the School Leadership Team at P.S. 396 in Morris Heights, Bronx, which develops and supports educational policies for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and underserved communities.

Marie D'Costa
Vice President & Chief Development Officer

Marie works with donors to create personalized philanthropic legacies. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Philanthropic Planning Group of Greater New York, Women in Development, the Advancement Network, and a Founder’s Circle member of Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy. She has a B.A. in public relations and advertising, an M.A. in international relations, both from the City College of New York, CUNY, and is a 21/64 Certified Advisor. She serves on the board of the Gabriela Mistral Foundation and served on the board of BronxWorks.

 

Melanie M. DeLorenzo
Grants Manager

Melanie assists the deputy vice president for grants and works alongside the senior director of grants budgeting and management. She also oversees grants from our designated funds. Melanie is a member of PEAK Grantmaking and holds a B.A. from the University of New Mexico.

Jeannie DeMaio
Grants Administrator & Office Manager, Long Island

Jeannie is the Grants Administrator and Office Manager of the Long Island Community Foundation. She has over thirty years of corporate and nonprofit experience, specializing in program administration. Jeannie’s enthusiasm and commitment to community service was cultivated during her career with LILCO/KeySpan. Supporting a senior executive who managed the both the KeySpan Foundation and Environmental & Community Affairs, she got involved with many local organizations and various community improvement projects. Always seeking ways to help protect the environment, she implemented a corporate cell phone donation program and coordinated several beach and park clean-up projects.

She has provided her administrative, grantwriting and event planning skills to several local organizations, including the Nature Conservancy of Long Island, the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research, and the Long Island Philharmonic.

Sheila R. Dinkins
Senior Grants Administrator
Mark Fiedeldey
Executive Assistant

Mark is the executive assistant to President Amy Freitag. Prior to joining us, Mark was with Girls Inc. at its national headquarters. He also served as executive assistant to Evan Wolfson at Freedom to Marry, a nonprofit that successfully campaigned for marriage equality in the United States. Mark has also managed the legal department at the Hotel Trades Council, AFL-CIO, serving over 30,000 hospitality workers in New York City. He is a graduate of Stockton University with a B.A. in Anthropology & Sociology.

Domingo Figueroa
Senior Systems Engineer

Domingo Figueroa is the Senior Systems Engineer at the New York Community Trust. As part of the IT team, he manages The Trust’s network, servers and technology tools and also supports the design and development of IT Services, applications and systems. Before joining The Trust, Domingo served as an IT System Administrator at Microsoft, where he also served as an IT trainer for the MCSE and MSCA certification program. He has a B.A. in Computer Science and several Microsoft certifications including Microsoft Certified Trainer.

Amy Freitag
President

Amy Freitag became president of The New York Community Trust in July 2022.

For the prior eight years, she was executive director of the J.M. Kaplan Fund, a 75-year-old family foundation based in New York City. During her tenure, she initiated the J.M.K. Innovation Prize and led grantmaking in criminal justice reform, climate change, democracy, and historical conservation, including several Civil Rights sites.

Freitag previously was executive director of the New York Restoration Project, which led a private effort to plant one million new trees in New York City. Prior to that, she was the U.S. program director for the World Monuments Fund and deputy commissioner for capital projects with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

She served on the NYC Mayoral Advisory Commission on City Art, Monuments, and Markers and currently sits on the board of the James Marston Fitch Charitable Foundation.

Freitag was raised in Akron, Ohio, and holds an A.B. from Smith College and master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.

Arturo Garcia-Costas
Senior Program Officer, Local, National and International Environment

Arturo manages The Trust’s national and New York City environmental grantmaking program as well as our Appalachia grantmaking. He serves on the board of Friends of the Earth – US. He has a B.A. in International Affairs and Theater from the City University of New York, a J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he focused on international and environmental law, and an M.S. in Urban Policy and Leadership from Hunter College.

Zharia George
Digital Media Coordinator

Zharia is The Trust’s digital media coordinator. Previously, she worked as a senior associate at Kantar, on their Media Solutions Delivery team and as a marketing assistant for Macmillan Learning. She has also interned with community organizations Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX) and the City Parks Foundation.

Zharia holds a MS in Digital Marketing from the Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College and a BS in Business Administration and Management, with a concentration in Marketing from the University at Albany.

Diana Gordon
Philanthropy Officer

Diana is here to help everyone learn how they can be a philanthropist! She has a BFA from the Ohio University and is a Certified Fundraising Professional (CFRE). She is a long-time member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and has served as a presenter at many national fundraising conferences, and as a grant reviewer for the National Endowment for the Arts. Currently, she serves on the board of the China-U.S. Women’s Foundation.

Melissa B. Greenberger
Program Officer, Long Island

Melissa joined the Long Island Community Foundation in 2021. As program officer, she supports the Foundation’s competitive grantmaking, as well as our special initiatives and collaborative funds. Her grants portfolio includes the issue areas of Arts & Culture, Conservation and the Environment, Health, Mental Health, Hunger, and Technical Assistance.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Melissa was Senior Staff Attorney at Pro Bono Partnership where she provided direct legal services to nonprofit organizations in New York (Long Island office), recruited and coordinated volunteer attorneys to assist clients, and presented legal workshops on topics relevant to nonprofit executives and board members.

Melissa previously served as the Pro Bono Innovator at Nassau Suffolk Law Services Committee and combined teaching and public interest law while serving as Practitioner in Residence for the Mortgage Foreclosure Clinic and as staff attorney for the Civil Rights Litigation Clinic and Senior Citizens Law Program at Touro Law Center. She has served as a Small Claims Arbitrator in the Suffolk County District Courts and as the Associate Village Justice in the Village of Lake Grove. She teaches law and ethics courses at Suffolk County Community College. Melissa is a graduate of Dickinson College and Touro Law Center, and is admitted to the New York State Bar.

Irfan Hasan
Deputy Vice President for Grants

Irfan directs the Healthy Lives grantmaking program at The Trust, and oversees health, behavioral health, and biomedical research grants. Irfan also oversees $12 million of grants to organizations nationally designated as grantees through donor bequests. He serves on the boards of Philanthropy New York and Grantmakers In Health. Irfan is a member of Philanthropy New York’s Health Working Group, co-chair of the American Public Health Association’s Public Health Funder Network, an elected fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, a member of the North American chapter of the Global Leadership Exchange, and a member of the governance committee of the Substance Use Funders Collaborative. Irfan has a B.Sc. from Northeastern University and a Master’s in Public Administration from New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

Dominick Impemba
Chief Operating and Finance Officer

Dominick leads the departments handling finance, human resources, information technology, and administration. One of his core functions is financial stewardship of The Trust’s 2,000-plus funds, as well as guiding its investment in new systems, technology, and operations.

Prior to working at The Trust, Dominick was the treasurer and chief financial officer at the Rockefeller Foundation, where he oversaw the organization’s financial planning and reporting, accounting activities, and annual audit. At Rockefeller he also played key roles in risk management, payroll, and benefits. He began with the Rockefeller Foundation in 2010 as controller. Before that, he was an audit senior manager for nonprofit organizations and universities with KPMG LLP, controller at the Institute of International Education, and a manager at Condon O’Meara McGinty and Donnelly, LLP, a firm specializing in not-for-profit organizations. Dominick received a bachelor’s degree from Iona College in 1996 and is a certified public accountant and a chartered global management accountant.

Brooke Intlekofer
Manager, Office of the Secretary and Executive Assistant to the General Counsel

Brooke is an executive assistant and paralegal who supports the General Counsel.

Roderick V. Jenkins
Program Director, Promising Futures

Roderick is program director for The Trust’s promising futures program and manages The Trust’s grantmaking for youth and workforce development. He leads our work to prepare young people to organize and shape public policy; improve jobs through policy reform and advocacy; and promote a stronger, more effective system for young and adult jobseekers. Roderick also manages the Heisman Trophy Youth Leadership Fund, an advised fund established by the Heisman Trophy Trust;  co-chairs the Trust’s New York City Workforce Development Fund and is a board member of Harlem Chamber Players. He earned his undergraduate degree from LIU Global College (formerly Friends World College) and a master’s in social work from Hunter College.

Emilia Jourdain
Grants Management Associate, Westchester

Emilia Jourdain joined the Westchester Community Foundation in 2023. She works closely with the program team to manage the budgeting and processing for the competitive grants program. Emilia also oversees the Foundation’s scholarship programs and office operations. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, Emilia has conducted investigative work for the New York Department of Health and has served in an administrative capacity for Yonkers-based organizations.

Liza Lagunoff
Senior Director, Grants Budgeting and Management

As part of the program department team, Liza is responsible for the management of the budgeting process for our competitive grantmaking program. Also, she manages scholarship programs that are outside of New York City. She volunteers with PEAK Grantmaking and the Xavier Mission, a community outreach organization. Liza received a B.A. from Bard College.

Rebecca Mandelman
Chief Philanthropic Officer

A New York native, Rebecca Mandelman has deep expertise in strategic planning and in community philanthropy. At The Miami Foundation, she played a key role managing diverse philanthropic funds, advising family and individual philanthropies, overseeing the foundation’s 50th anniversary campaign, and cementing the organization’s role as an influential civic leader. She’s also held senior leadership roles at Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, Americas Business Council Foundation, and New World Symphony. Most recently, Mandelman served in a strategic consulting role for the Doris Duke Foundation. She graduated cum laude from Georgetown University and received her MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. 

Kerry McCarthy
Vice President for Philanthropic Initiatives

Kerry works with donors to create philanthropic strategies to meet their charitable goals and make an impact. She also develops content and programming for donors to help guide their giving and oversees The Trust’s marketing and communications department and other special projects.

Kerry is co-chair of The Trust’s Mosaic Network and Fund; secretary of the board of the Billie Holiday Theatre; and a member of the board of Mohonk Preserve and FPWA. She is the former vice chair of Grantmakers in the Arts and formerly led The Trust’s arts grantmaking program.

Kerry has a B.A. from Sewanee: The University of the South, and an M.A. in Folk Art Studies from New York University.

Robin Melén
Program Officer, Westchester

Robin Melén joined the Westchester Community Foundation in 2013.  She is responsible for grantmaking programs in the areas of youth development, arts and culture, health, and technical assistance and capacity building for Westchester nonprofits.  She is a member of the board of directors of the Sing Sing Prison Museum.  She holds a B.A. from Syracuse University, and an M.A. in writing from Manhattanville College. Professional certifications include a certificate in nonprofit management from Manhattanville College. She is a graduate of Leadership Westchester.

Elizabeth Mirarchi
Assistant Director, Communications & Donor Relations

Beth edits and writes content for Trust publications. She also works with donor relations on nonprofit governance review and philanthropic initiatives. Before joining The Trust, Beth served as artistic director for College and Community Fellowship’s Theater for Social Change ensemble. She has a B.A. from Smith College and an M.A. from NYU.

Alena Miroff
Program Assistant

Alena provides the Grants Department with administrative and program support. This includes preparing materials for board meetings and getting grants processed and paid. She is working to complete a B.A. in psychology from Hunter College, CUNY and loves the outdoors.

Chantella Mitchell
Program Officer, Community Development, Housing and Human Services

Chantella is the New York Community Trust’s Program Officer for Community Development, Housing, and Human Services. Most recently, Chantella served as an executive director in the Office of Development at the NYC Department of Housing Preservation. Prior to this role, she held other public service positions, including a director of operations at HPD and a senior budget analyst for the Housing and Economic Development Taskforce at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget. Chantella has a master of science in social work from Columbia University and a bachelor of arts from Vanderbilt University and is a former Trust Fellow.

Shawn V. Morehead
Vice President for Grants

Shawn oversees The Trust’s competitive grantmaking program, which distributes approximately $50 million annually. Prior to this position, she served as The Trust’s program director for Human Justice and Education grantmaking. She received her B.A. from Columbia University and her J.D. from Stanford Law School.

Maggie Murphy
Assistant Director, Donor Services & Grants Management

Maggie works closely with donors to help them achieve their philanthropic goals and maximize their impact and experience as a vital part of The Trust community. She also supervises donor-advised fund grantmaking operations and the optimization of the foundation’s grantmaking technology and data analysis, and provides strategic guidance in development operations. Maggie is a member of PEAK Grantmaking and ADNET, and is 21/64 Certified.  Before joining The Trust, she was development director for The Catalog for Giving and the Park Slope Geriatric Care Center. She holds a B.A. from the State University of New York at New Paltz and an M.S. in gerontology from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University. She serves on the board of the Greenwood Lake Bark Park.

John Oddy
Vice President for Donor Relations

John works directly with donors to help them deepen the impact of their philanthropy and identify the most effective strategies for their giving. He is a frequent speaker on donor trends, the philanthropic landscape, and has a special interest in the arts and humanities. John is a graduate of Bard College and has an M.A. in Urban Planning from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service.

David M. Okorn
Executive Director, Long Island Community Foundation

David M. Okorn has been the executive director of Long Island Community Foundation since 2010. He began his career at the Foundation in 2008 as the director of advancement and donor relations. Previously, he was the senior vice president of development and external relations at Abilities, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of adults and children with disabilities. Prior to that he held positions as director of community relations at KeySpan and executive director of the KeySpan Foundation.

Dave received his B.S. and M.S. in Business Administration and Energy Management at New York Institute of Technology-Old Westbury. He is a member of the board of directors of the Long Island Volunteer Center and the Better Business Bureau Foundation. Dave was recently appointed as a Member of the Long Island State Park, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commission by NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Yaw Opoku
Senior Accountant

Yaw B. Opoku joined The New York Community Trust in January 2022 as senior accountant. Prior to joining the Trust, he has worked at MDRC, United Nations, and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Born and raised in Ghana, he received a B.S. in Accounting from the Herbert H. Lehman College, CUNY and an MBA from DeVry University, Keller Graduate School of Management New York. He is a CPA and notary public in New York.

He also volunteers with Community Tax Aid and with the Ghana United Methodist Church in the Bronx.

 

Rachel D. Pardoe
Senior Program Officer, Older Adults, People with Disabilities, Animal Welfare

Rachel oversees The Trust’s grantmaking for older adults, people with disabilities, including the blind and those with visual impairments, and animal welfare. She has a B.A. in psychology from New York University and a Masters in Public Administration from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service.

Lauren Perkins
Program Officer, Westchester

Lauren Perkins joined the Westchester Community Foundation in 2023. She is responsible for grantmaking programs in the areas of early childhood education, Native American youth, access to legal services, basic human needs and self-sufficiency, and health. She also is responsible for managing the Westchester Index. Previously, Lauren served as Chief Operating Officer of the Great Oaks Foundation and held leadership roles at the Fund for Public Schools and the New York City Department of Education. Lauren received a B.A. from Hamilton College and a M.A. from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Tatiana Pohotsky
Chief Investment Officer

Tatiana works with the Investment Committee on strategies for investing The Trust’s endowment. She previously worked for the Bureau of Asset Management in the NYC Comptroller’s Office where she was the senior investment officer & group leader for global active management of the city’s $30-billion, long-only equity strategies for municipal pensions. Prior to her time in public service she worked as an equity analyst at firms such as worked at Deutsche Bank, Independence Investments, and Schroders PLC. She received her B.A. from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a CFA charterholder.

Muhammad Rehman
Desktop Support

Muhammad is a point of contact for any technical support for the Trust staff and affiliates. He takes part in testing and implementing new software and programs for the team. Prior to working at The Trust, he interned at a high school as an IT Specialist. Muhammad has a B.Tech from New York City College of Technology.

Lora A. Rhames
Accounting Manager

Lora manages the tax preparation and filing requirements of The Trust and provides accounting support for the James Foundation. She holds a B.A. in Economics from SUNY at Albany, and a B.A. in Accounting from Queens College.

Shaneshia Rivers
Grants Manager

Shaneshia is the Grants Manager in the Donor Department at The New York Community Trust. She manages grants entry and administration for Donor-advised funds. Shaneshia has over twenty years of corporate experience. Previously, she worked in the nonprofit sector as a development coordinator for Make-A-Wish New York.

Leigh Ross
Program Officer, Girls & Young Women, Early Childhood Education, & Arts Education


Leigh manages The Trust’s grantmaking for arts education, early childhood education, and girls and young women. Leigh received a BFA from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and an MA from Columbia University’s Teachers College.

Laura Rossi
Executive Director, Westchester Community Foundation

Laura leads the Westchester Community Foundation’s efforts to address community needs by bringing together donors, funders, nonprofit leaders, and other partners to better understand the root causes of persistent challenges and emerging needs and develop a shared approach to improving the quality of life in Westchester.

She began her career at the Foundation in 2007 as a program officer. She holds a J.D. from New York Law School and a B.A. from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, NM. She is a graduate of Leadership Westchester. Prior to her career in philanthropy, she practiced law, worked for local and statewide nonprofits, and taught at local colleges.

Laura is co-chair of the board of directors of Sustainable Westchester, and a board member of New York Funders Alliance and the Support Center. In 2019 she was appointed to the Westchester Housing Opportunity Commission by County Executive George Latimer.

Ayanna Russell
Vice President of Administration & Chief Technology Advancement Officer

Ayanna manages the support of the foundation’s information technology, facilities, and office administration operations. Ayanna has a B.A. from NYU.

Raymond P. Salibur
Senior Investment Administrator


Raymond administers all non-cash contributions for The Trust. He also maintains and reconciles Trust investment-related market values and transactions. Raymond has a B.A. and an M.B.A. from Pace University.

Marc Schell
Department Administrator

Marc SchellPrior to joining The Trust, Marc worked at DePaul University in Chicago where he was a department assistant at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and previously at the College of Education. He held similar positions at Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering and the New School University. Marc also worked as the Associate Director of Roy Boyd Gallery in Chicago. Marc earned a B.A. in Arts from the New School University and an M.A. in Cinema and Media Studies from DePaul University.

Tara Seeley
Senior Program Officer, Westchester

Tara Seeley has been with the Westchester Community Foundation since 2016. She is responsible for the Foundation’s grantmaking programs in the areas of workforce development and job placement, community development, access to legal services, basic human needs and self-sufficiency, social justice, and conservation and environment. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was a program officer at the Central Indiana Community Foundation. She has held professional and volunteer leadership positions in Montgomery County, MD, and Indianapolis, IN, in community development, with a focus on affordable housing and economic and workforce development.

She holds a J.D./M.Div. degree from Vanderbilt University and a B.A. from Sewanee: The University of the South.

Mike Shievkumar
Office Assistant

Mike works with the administration department. He also works with other departments as they need his assistance.

Toya Smallwood
Office Administrator

Toya serves as the initial point of contact for visitors and callers. She plays an important role in creating a positive and welcoming environment. She is responsible for answering the telephone, responding to emails, greeting guests, and providing a range of administrative support.

Marie C. Smith
Director of Donor Relations & Communications, Long Island

Marie C. Smith has been the director of donor relations and communications at the Long Island Community Foundation since April 2011. Marie serves  donors and promotes the Foundation’s mission and activities. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was the section manager of strategic partnerships at Consolidated Edison where she led the company’s corporate giving strategy, and managed community relations, charitable giving, volunteerism, and special events programs.

A graduate of Hofstra University, Marie has a B.S. in Business Administration and completed her Masters in Organizational Leadership with Mercy College in 2002. She is the former chairperson for the NYC Contributions Advisory Group, a 21/64 Certified Advisor and is certified in Planned Giving from Molloy College.

Steven Smith
Communications & Philanthropic Initiatives Assistant
Eve A. Stotland
Senior Program Officer, Education and Human Justice


Eve manages education and human justice grantmaking for The Trust. She received her B.A. from Brown University and her J.D. from Yale Law School.

Barbara Taveras
Special Projects Officer

Barbara administers several Trust initiatives, including grantmaking from the Brooke Astor Fund for New York City Education. She has a B.A. from Pace University and an M.A. in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University. She was a Revson Fellow at Columbia University.

Carrie Trowbridge
General Counsel

Carrie Trowbridge is the General Counsel of the New York Community Trust. In addition to managing The Trust’s legal affairs, Carrie helps charitable New Yorkers and their professional advisors create funds at The Trust. Prior to joining The Trust, Carrie served as Associate General Counsel and Director of Nonprofit Practice at New York University. Previously, she was an associate in the tax-exempt organizations practice group at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, which she joined after serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Charles S. Haight, Jr. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Carrie received a B.A. from Yale University, a doctorate in English Literature from Oxford University, and a J.D. from Yale Law School.

Elizabeth Uddyback
Special Projects Assistant to the President

As the Special Projects Assistant to the president, Elizabeth assists with the development and execution of a variety of projects for The Trust. She previously worked in operations at the Success Academy Charter School network. Elizabeth received a B.A. from the University of Chicago.

Wen Weng
Controller


Wen oversees the daily activities of The Trust’s Finance Department. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Wen has a B.A. from Sun Yat-Sen University in China, and an M.B.A. from Baruch College.

Amy Wolf
Director of Marketing

Amy manages advertising, public relations, digital strategy, marketing efforts, and many of the publications produced at The Trust. She also oversees the foundation’s web and social media presence. Amy has a B.A. from Oberlin College and an M.A. in Media Studies from The New School. She is a board member of Cause Effective and a member of the Communications Network.

 

Clara Zapanta
Senior HR Specialist

Clara is our new senior HR specialist. Previously, she worked at AMS as a tech recruiter for Morgan Stanley and as a people and culture specialist at the World Economic Forum. Clara holds a B.S. in Management Engineering from Ateneo de Manila University, a college in the Philippines.