Adam Weinstein is President and CEO of Phipps Houses and Chairman of Phipps Neighborhoods. Together with its constituent entity boards, he guides Phipps’ overall vision, strategy, culture, growth, operations, and performance to build thriving communities. Adam’s day-to-day focus is on Phipps’ affordable housing development and operations, as well as integration of its affordable housing model with its extensive resident and community service programs. He joined the organization in 1989, becoming Vice President of Real Estate Development in 1992, Chief Operating Officer in 1995, assuming his current role in 2001. At various times in his service at Phipps, while recruiting more knowledgeable professionals, he has had temporary responsibility to head Phipps’ property management and community service affiliates. It’s safe to say that Adam has devoted his professional life to Phipps, an organization he truly loves.
Eons ago, early in his career Adam was Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Business Development in the administration of Mayor Ed Koch. He also worked in public finance investment banking at Goldman Sachs and was a management consultant at APM, Inc. He earned a BA in history from Yale College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Adam is a board member of the Citizens Housing and Planning Council, the New York Housing Conference, the NYS Association for Affordable Housing, and Target Margin Theater. He has taught affordable housing courses at both of his alma maters and at City College, and has been an Adjunct Professor at Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture and Planning. He is an avid reader, hiker, chef, and DIYer. A proud New Yorker, Adam lives with his wife Holly in the beautiful Bronx.
Stacey Berry is a Vice President and Area Manager at Phipps Houses. In this role she manages a portfolio of 26 buildings, home to 1,000 residents, and manages a team of 49 dedicated Phipps staff. She began her career in real estate property management, advancing from Receptionist to Property Manager, overseeing luxury properties in Manhattan and Westchester County. In 2000, Stacey moved to the affordable housing sector, where she focuses on improving living conditions and providing exceptional service to residents. With a strong reputation for excellence, attention to detail, and a commitment to enhancing affordable housing, Stacey is dedicated to ensuring safe, well-maintained homes for all.
Kelly Biscuso is a Vice President of Real Estate Development at Phipps Houses, where he is responsible for overseeing the development of numerous new construction projects in the Phipps pipeline. He also participates in the acquisition and rezoning of new sites, supervises a set of projects under construction, and takes existing properties through the LIHTC year 15 process. Prior to joining Phipps, Kelly was the Director of Real Estate Development for RiseBoro Community Partnership, where he managed the firm’s development team and oversaw a pipeline of over 5,800 units. Prior to working in development, Kelly worked in community development finance, as a Vice President at TD Bank and as a LIHTC underwriter at Enterprise Community Investment.
Kelly received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the Ohio State University and a Master of Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University. Between his studies he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo, West Africa, where he spearheaded the creation of a community radio station that continues to serve over 50,000 people.
Adam Brooks is the Vice President of Compliance and Leasing at Phipps Houses, a role he has held for the past year. In this position, he oversees a team dedicated to ensuring that all Phipps properties adhere to and are in compliance with multiple agency regulatory standards. Adam has worked at Phipps Houses for six years, originally joining as an internal auditor, where he was responsible for designing, implementing, and monitoring internal controls over financial information. Prior to joining Phipps, Adam spent four years in public accounting and seven years in internal audit consulting, giving him a broad range of experience in financial management and compliance.
Adam earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Yeshiva University. Outside of his professional life, he is a devoted family man, married with two children, and an avid sports fan with a particular passion for football and hockey.
David S. Chao serves as the Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Phipps Houses, the largest owner, developer and manager of affordable housing in New York City. David had been a long time Board member of Phipps, chairing the Investment Committee as well as being a member of the Executive Committee of Phipps Houses.
In 2009, David came out of retirement and was a part of the Sanders, Morris, Harris Group, which later spun out its division and became the Concept Capital Group of Companies. A high-level senior advisor for the Group, David oversaw various projects of the companies ranging from implementation of compliance processes/procedures, internal auditing functions, payroll & benefits systems and personnel review.
Prior to joining Sanders, Morris, Harris/Concept Capital Companies, David agreed to help a friend as senior advisor of a $200M hedge fund, where roles and responsibilities included: investment and trading, personnel evaluation/hiring, and maintaining Wall Street relationships (2003).
David was a Co-Founder, Partner, Chief Operating Officer, & Head Trader of his own equity long/short, market-neutral hedge fund, TM Capital Management, from 1996-2002, with Assets Under Management (AUM) ranging from $500M to $1B. TM Capital Management returned investor capital at the end of 2002. During that period, the S&P 500 gained 63% while TM Capital Management gained 104% (69% net of fees). His responsibilities included: trading the equity portfolio, managing relationships with Wall Street, and running the management company.
David had prior hedge fund experience at Hamilton Partners (a Division of Commodities Corporation) from 1993-1996 where he and his TM Capital partner ran a long-short, market-neutral equity fund specializing in electric utilities; and Steinhardt Partners 1992-1993, where David was the deputy head equity trader of the $3Billion hedge fund.
His Wall Street experience includes running the institutional equity trading desk at County NatWest Securities from 1990-1992; and institutional block trading, convertible bond trading, index options trading, program trading and options arbitrage experience at Drexel, Burnham, Lambert, Inc. from 1984-1990.
David has been a part of many civic and charitable causes, most notably being a 12+ year member of the Edgemont Union Free School District Board of Education (including two separate terms as its President and Vice President). He also was a longtime football coach, running the Edgemont Youth Football program for 6 years and then continuing to coach football for the Edgemont Modified Football program, and then as an assistant for the Varsity Football program from 2014-18.
David is a graduate of Dartmouth College. He received an AB in 1984 and double majored in History and Asian Studies.
As the Vice President and Area Manager at Phipps Houses Robert Draizen manages a portfolio of 1,600 affordable housing apartments and over 600,000 square feet of commercial space. He brings over 35 years of real estate experience to this role, including a background in retail real estate and he has worked with many companies including Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, White House Black Market and Solstice Sunglasses. He holds a Master’s degree in Real Estate Finance – Asset Management from New York University and a B.S. in Retail Marketing from Skidmore College.
Anaka Earle is the Vice President of Rentals & Special Projects at Phipps Houses, with over 15 years of experience in the affordable housing industry. Throughout her career, Anaka has demonstrated a strong commitment to helping families access affordable housing opportunities. In her current role, she is responsible for ensuring compliance across Phipps’ Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), HUD, and Mitchell-Lama portfolios. She leads a team dedicated to the re-rental of project-based Section 8, LIHTC, and Mitchell-Lama units, while also collaborating with various departments within Phipps Houses.
Anaka works closely with numerous monitoring agencies such as HUD, HDC, HPD, HCR, and NYCHA to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements. Her expertise spans the full lease-up and re-rental process for both LIHTC and HUD multifamily properties, with a deep understanding of the regulations governed by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, NYC Housing Development Corporation, NYS Division of Homes & Community Renewal, and Mitchell-Lama programs.
Anaka’s career in affordable housing began more than twenty years ago. Prior to joining Phipps Houses in 2007, she served as Housing Manager for Mount Sinai’s Real Estate Department, where she was responsible for the housing of Mount Sinai Graduate and Medical students, house staff, and postdoctoral fellows.
Steven Farbman is the Controller at Phipps Houses, where he manages the Accounting and Finance operations for the organization’s portfolio of properties. He leads a team of over 10 professionals, focusing on maintaining strong financial controls and effective reporting practices.
Steven joined Phipps in 2014, bringing nine years of experience in public accounting, with a focus on audit and advisory services for real estate clients. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Yeshiva University and is a licensed CPA in New York.
Outside the office, Steven is a devoted family man and is an avid tennis player.
Douglas Hanau has been a Vice President/Area Manager for Phipps Affordable Management since 2003. He oversees a portfolio of 10 affordable and mixed-income buildings in Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn. He previously worked for HPD in their Section 8 unit and in the Not-for-Profit sector, working with people who are Neurodivergent. Douglas has spent his entire career working in the Not-for-Profit sector assisting those from under-resourced communities and backgrounds move towards independence . He has secured grants to weatherize 8 older affordable buildings and make sure they are more energy-efficient and sustainable. He is passionate about the need for more housing, particularly affordable housing, in NYC. He is a Certified Property Manager (CPM) and has a MPA from Baruch College. Douglas grew up in NYC, went to NYC public schools and, along with his wife, is raising his family in Brooklyn.
Marcus C Johnson serves as Vice President, Director of Purchasing at Phipps Houses. He joined the organization in 2007 as a buyer. He’s an innovative purchasing professional, also registered in Apartment Management with a high level of integrity and has over twenty-five years of experience. In 2007, he was promoted to Director of Purchasing and then in 2010 to Assistant Vice President, Director of Purchasing. He has proven abilities and expertise in managing personnel and contractors/vendors, tracking and analyzing data, ensuring appropriate follow-up and timely completion of requests for goods and services within Phipps’ portfolio. He’s an expert in minimizing and mitigating risk, specifically supply chain risk.
Prior to joining Phipps Houses Services Inc. Marcus was Director of Contracts, Purchasing and Inventory at Riverbay Corporation formerly known as Co-Op City which consists of 15,372 residential units in 35 high-rise buildings and seven townhouse clusters consisting of garden and duplex apartments. He was responsible for all contracts relating to goods and services in excess of 50 million dollars. He was also a member of their Inventory Committee.
Prior to working at Riverbay Corporation, Marcus worked for Mario Scott Real East as a Purchasing/Inventory clerk for all goods and services for Rochdale Village.
He’s a dedicated father and enjoys exercising, reading, researching and spending time with family members.
Victor Lopez brings over 25 years of experience in property management to his role as Vice President and Area Manager at Phipps Houses. He oversees a diverse building portfolio in the Bronx. Throughout his career he has developed skills that specialize in maintaining high occupancy rates, streamlining maintenance processes and ensuring seamless day-to-day operations. Victor takes great pride in fostering strong relationships with residents and creating a positive environment.
J. Steven Lovci joined Phipps Houses in September 2022 as Vice President of Capital Projects and Construction. Steven is responsible for ensuring that Phipps Houses’ core values and vision are manifested in its building projects and capital renovations. The Capital Projects and Construction Department supports new projects from inception through implementation and turnover and reinvestment in existing buildings to ensure quality, sustainability, durability, and longevity of Phipps’ portfolio.
Steven manages and oversees predesign and preconstruction services, development of Phipps’ standards, energy and sustainability programs, construction project management, construction quality assurance and capital projects.
Prior to Phipps Houses, he served as Executive Vice President of Capital Projects Division of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) from 2019 to 2022, administering the Authority’s Capital 5-year plan and 10-year outlook, advancing the Authority’s Capital programs, recovery and resilience program and the agency’s energy and sustainability programs totaling over $6 billion. During his tenure, Steven directed NYCHA’s first Design-Build program, consisting of 19 Design-Build projects and totaling $4 million, NYCHA’s sustainability agenda, and leveraging the funding for NYCHA’s first fully electrified building conversion and the largest residential heat-pump conversion in the North-East. Steven oversaw the development and publication of Connected Communities Guidebook, a community-centered urban design and engagement handbook, the recipient of the 2020 Wellbeing Cities award; NYCHA’s first stakeholder engagement standard procedure; NYCHA’s first open space master plans for over 133 individual developments; and NYCHA’s first Comprehensive Modernization white paper and planning of two comprehensive modernization projects.
Prior to NYCHA, he was an Associate at the preservation firm Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners for over a decade and taught Building Construction at the New York Institute of Technology.
Steven has a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Nebraska and a Bachelor of Architecture from City College, City University of New York, where he was a recipient of the AIA Henry Adams Medal. He is a Licensed Architect in the state of New York and a Registered Architect in the State of Israel. In 2022, he was inducted into the National Academy of Construction.
Colleen A. McAuliffe is Vice President of Human Resources at Phipps and has worked there for over 26 years. Colleen joined Phipps in 1993 as Director of Human Resources and was promoted to Assistant Vice President in 1995 and in 1999 she was promoted to Vice President. After a briefly relocating to Louisiana in the spring of 2005, Colleen rejoined Phipps as Vice President of Human Resources in the fall of 2007. She currently oversees all Human Resources and Payroll functions for Phipps as well as client entities in the affordable housing industry. Colleen’s expertise includes Benefits Administration, Human Resources Information System software, Payroll, Recruitment, Employee Relations and Labor Relations servicing more than 600 union and non-union employees.
During her tenure at Phipps, Colleen has successfully worked on negotiations for several independent union contracts for both the Phipps organization as well as clients and the organization services. She has developed a strong working relationship with local union representatives and continuously strives to serve the best interests of both the organization and union employees.
Colleen is a graduate of the College of Insurance which merged with St. John’s University in 2001. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with honors.
When not in the throes of union contract negotiations and corporate expansion, Colleen shifts her focus and devotion to her four-legged furry family members which consist of a Golden Retriever, a German Shepherd and a rescue Labradoodle. During her hiatus from Phipps between 2005 and 2007, she opened a natural pet supply store in Louisiana with a focus on educating animal lovers on good pet nutrition and holistic means of treating and caring for our four-legged family members.
Lukeman Ogunyinka serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Phipps Houses. He is responsible for the oversight of all Accounting, Finance and Treasury functions of the Phipps Houses Group and its subsidiaries. Lukeman brings over 20 years of real estate experience in accounting and finance related to commercial, residential and development projects.
Before joining Phipps Houses, Lukeman was the Director/Controller of the Corporate and Development Accounting Groups at Jonathan Rose Companies.
Previously, Lukeman was responsible for a mix of development accounting and budgeting and forecasting for the NY Real Estate Portfolio of Forest City Ratner Companies. Additionally, he’s spent 11 years in various public accounting firms responsible for providing audit, accounting, due diligence, and advisory services to real estate clients. He has experience in dealing with real estate investment trusts, real estate joint ventures, real estate investment funds and family-owned projects investing in commercial, residential and hotel properties.
Lukeman began his career in the real estate group of PricewaterhouseCoopers, holds a BBA in Accounting from Baruch College CUNY and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York.
Teresa Palmieri has served as Vice President of Marketing at Phipps Houses since joining the company in 2023, where she oversees the leasing and marketing of new developments, and affordable housing lotteries. Teresa brings over a decade of affordable housing experience, working for both private and not for profit housing developers in New York City. Prior to joining Phipps Houses, Teresa was Vice President of Affordable Leasing and Compliance at Clinton Management.
Cathy Pennington joined Phipps in August 2019 and is the Senior Vice President and General Manager. She has extensive experience in managing affordable housing programs spanning almost 30 years. Prior to working at Phipps, she served as Executive Vice President at New York City Housing Authority overseeing the Section 8 program. In her property management role at Phipps, Cathy oversees strategic business initiatives which will enhance operations with a focus on efficiency, cost controls, and compliance with multiple regulatory agencies. As General Manager, Cathy works closely with the Area Managers and Department Directors to improve business process and customer service by adding online services for tenants and performance management oversight of property management operations.
Cathy received her BS in Social Work from Cleveland State University and a Master of Social Science Administration from Case Western Reserve University. She formerly served as the President of the National Leased Housing Association in Washington, D.C.
Daniel M. Perez brings over 20 years of expertise in residential property management to his role as Vice President/Area Manager at Phipps Houses. He oversees the operations of Rockaway Village, Phipps’ newest and largest development in Far Rockaway, NY, featuring over 1,700 affordable residential units and dynamic commercial spaces.
Before joining Phipps Houses, Daniel served as an Asset Manager at FirstService Residential, where he refined his skills in strategic portfolio management. Prior to that, as Director of Operations for C&C Apartment Management/L+M Development Partners, Daniel developed robust business operations that fueled the company’s growth from managing just over 5,000 residential units to more than 20,000 units. His leadership and operational acumen have consistently driven measurable success throughout his career.
A lifelong resident of Queens, NY, Daniel was born and raised in the borough where he met his wife of 25 years and raised his family. His strong connection to the community informs his steadfast commitment to affordable housing and vibrant, inclusive neighborhoods.
Beyond his professional responsibilities, Daniel is deeply dedicated to community enrichment. He currently serves as the Administrator of the Caroline Doll Memorial Fund, which contributes to the Fund for Public Schools by providing cultural opportunities for New York City schoolchildren, including Broadway shows, music, and dance performances. Additionally, Daniel is a proud Board Member of his local Boy Scout Troop, supporting the development of leadership skills and character in young individuals.
Daniel’s steadfast dedication to affordable housing, community development, and educational opportunities solidifies his reputation as a trusted and impactful leader in both his professional and civic endeavors.
Robert Pigott is Vice President and General Counsel of Phipps Houses, New York City’s oldest and largest nonprofit developer of low-income and affordable housing. He previously spent nearly 11 years as a Section Chief and Bureau Chief in the New York Attorney General’s Charities Bureau. He is an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School, teaching Nonprofit Law. Mr. Pigott is the author of New York’s Legal Landmarks , a historical guidebook to New York City for lawyers. He received a B.A. from Hamilton College and his J.D from Columbia University Law School.
Gennadiy Trakhtman is the Vice President and Director of IT at Phipps. He has worked for the organization for over a decade and has had the opportunity to grow within his career. Throughout his tenure at Phipps, he has enjoyed sharing his expertise with his colleagues while continuing to learn and expand his knowledge in the ever-changing field of Information Technologies.
As Gennadiy continues his time at Phipps, he finds great joy in supporting and providing technical solutions to hundreds of employees and clients. Though his role has changed to a more managerial position, he still has the opportunity to be challenged and be part of an “idea” with the goal of helping Phipps expand and broaden its mission to not just provide affordable housing but also continue to build thriving communities.
Gennadiy has a BA in Computer Science from Hunter College and an MA in Computer Science from Brooklyn College.
Michael Wadman is Vice President of Real Estate Development at Phipps Houses. Since joining Phipps, Michael has closed development projects totaling almost 4,000 units of affordable housing and has almost 2,000 units in his pipeline. Prior to joining Phipps, Michael held positions managing affordable housing development at the Hudson Companies Inc., where he secured site control for a pipeline of over 2,200 affordable housing units, and as the Senior Vice President of the New York State Housing Finance Agency where he originated over $3.35 billion of bonds and mortgages to finance affordable housing throughout New York State.
Matthew S. Washington is Vice President & Chief of Staff of Phipps Houses. He is responsible for external affairs, government relations, communications and office operations. Matthew also helps coordinate all land use projects and integration of services between Phipps Houses and its social service affiliate, Phipps Neighborhoods.
Prior to joining Phipps, Matthew served as Deputy Manhattan Borough President in the office of Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. In that role, he oversaw the distribution of over $150 million in funding to enhance parks, theaters, hospitals, museums, affordable housing developments, community centers and public schools. He was appointed by the Borough President to be on the board of more than 15 organizations, including Business Improvement Districts, Park Conservancies, the NYC Economic Development Corporation, the NYS Regional Economic Development Council for NYC and as a trustee of the New York City Employees’ Retirement System which is the pension fund for over 350,000 active and retired NYC workers. Matthew was named to the 2018 New York City 40 Under 40 Rising Stars list published by City & State New York.
Matthew has a diverse professional background in real estate and non-profit organizational management. He was Deputy Director of External Affairs at The Durst Organization where he managed public affairs for a new development in Queens, worked with the construction and external relations teams on One World Trade Center and worked on other projects including supporting the operation of New York Water Taxi. Matthew was previously the Executive Director of Friends of the High School for Environmental Studies where he built relationships with other organizations to help students gain experiential learning opportunities across 26 different states in the summer while students were on break. He was also Deputy Director of Friends of Hudson River Park where he was a part of the team that successfully advocated for the funding to build Hudson River Park on Manhattan’s West Side.
Matthew was a member of the board of numerous organizations over the years and he is particularly proud of the 10 and a half years he was on Manhattan’s Community Board 11 which represents East Harlem where he was born and raised. He was elected as Chair of the board at 26 and served in that role for 6 years as the youngest community board chair in New York City.
Today, Matthew is a volunteer at Times Square Church and serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Waterfront Alliance, Green City Force, Randall’s Island Park Alliance and the Association for a Better New York (ABNY) Foundation. Matthew is also a member of the Board of Trustees at Alfred University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative Cultures.
Andre D. White is the Executive Director and CEO of Phipps Neighborhoods, the social service affiliate of Phipps Houses. With nearly two decades of dedicated public service, Andre brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of accomplishments to this role.
Taking the helm at Phipps Neighborhoods in May 2020, Andre has orchestrated a strategic vision aimed at fortifying organizational capacity and seamlessly integrating programs to maximize community impact. Under his stewardship, the organization has successfully launched its inaugural college-bound scholarship program, expanded food access services, revitalized its resident services model, and introduced a pioneering workforce training and career pathways program in the building services industry. Addressing the pressing issue of the digital divide in the Bronx, Andre has instituted a Digital Access and Equity initiative while spearheading the creation of a Youth Practitioner Institute, providing professional development opportunities agency-wide.
Previously serving as the Deputy Commissioner of Youth Workforce Development at the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), Andre managed a portfolio of $220 million in annual public and private funding for youth employment, internships, training, and high school dropout prevention services. Notably, leveraging the use of technology in workforce training, Andre led the implementation of the first NYC youth-employment Learning Management System, ensuring access to career-focused skill-building opportunities for over 100,000 youth annually.
Andre’s leadership has gained national recognition, receiving nominations as a City & State Nonprofit Power 100, Crain’s Notable Black Leaders, Schneps Media’s Bronx PowerList, and Caribbean Impact Awards. He holds a BA in Political Science and an MA in Political Science, Urban Policy, and Administration from the City University of New York at Brooklyn College. Andre recently completed Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program and serves on the Human Services Council and JobsFirstNYC boards. He currently chairs the Board of Guttman Community College Foundation, showcasing his commitment to community growth and education.
Dwayne Brown is the Deputy Executive Director of Workforce and Education at Phipps Neighborhoods. In this role, Dwayne oversees the development and coordination of high-quality and innovative workforce training and education programs. His responsibilities are focused on enhancing job training, increasing academic and career success, and aligning after-school programming with school partners to meet the social and emotional needs of children within the community. While leading a team of 210 staff members, Dwayne also manages and oversees an annual budget of 9M in public and private funding.
Before joining Phipps Neighborhoods, Dwayne served as the Deputy Director for St Nicks Alliance where he led efforts that resulted in the Youth & Education division doubling in size and scope, increasing the number of youths served from 1,200 to more than 4,000 and the annual budget from 6 million to 13 million. Dwayne was responsible for the operational oversight for a growing portfolio of comprehensive services supporting youth between the ages of 5-24 and their families.
Before joining St Nicks Alliance, Dwayne worked with and invested in the people of Harlem and the Bronx through his roles with Bronx Community College, Phipps Neighborhoods, and New York City Mission Society. During his career he directed school and community-based anti-poverty initiatives including the CUNY Black Male Initiative, Community Schools, Summer Youth Employment Program, Beacon, Cornerstone, COMPASS, SONYC, a federally funded evidence-based Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program, as well as several other state and city funded programs empowering thousands of adolescents and young adults annually.
Dwayne began his career in human services as an in-home case manager for a childcare agency in Pittsburgh, PA. Dwayne holds a BA in Political Science from Duquesne University, an MPA specializing in Nonprofit Management from Baruch College and a M.Ed. in Education Policy and Leadership from the American University School of Education. Additionally, he earned a Post-Master’s Certificate in Executive Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector from New York University. Dwayne is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and serves on the Board of Directors of the Order of the Feather Incorporated. Outside of work Dwayne enjoys spending time with his wife and their two boys; working on house projects with his wife, being a soccer dad to his teenage son, and creating stop motion videos with his youngest son.
Khari Freeman brings over 30 years of educational, mentoring and leadership experience to his role as Senior Director of Education and Capacity Building for Phipps Neighborhoods. Khari is a gifted educator with the uncanny ability to connect and collaborate with everyone. He started at Phips Neighborhoods as an Education Specialist providing educational support and training to the staff. During his tenure, he created several leadership and professional development initiatives for staff, and he is responsible for innovating staff training within the agency. In his current role of Senior Director, he oversees all education and capacity building efforts within the agency.
Prior to his work at Phipps Neighborhoods, Khari was a teacher and a dean for over two decades. Most notably, he was an English teacher and Diversity Coordinator at the prestigious Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn. He also served as the Lead Dean as well as an English teacher for the Susan B. Anthony Academy in Queens.
He is a native New Yorker and received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and completed his graduate studies at the City University of New York. He has spent his entire professional career serving students and families in New York City. Having grown up in the Bronx, he is particularly dedicated to serving the Bronx community, which fortunately led him to Phipps Neighborhoods.
As the Phipps Neighborhoods Senior Director of Data, Evaluation, and Learning, Zachary Hoyer-Leitzel is driven by a passion for improving social services programming. Zachary uses data to generate new insights. Over the past six years, Zachary has grown the Phipps Neighborhood’s data team, fully realizing the mandates for the 40+ programs in the organization: collection and management of program data, guiding staff in using program data, and collaborative creation of program evaluation systems. Zachary holds a Master of Public Administration from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. Prior to his decade of experience in the monitoring and evaluation field, Zachary worked directly with clients and students in education and skill development programming, ranging from youth empowerment and career coaching to adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and remedial college math teaching.
Marquette Moore is the Deputy Executive Director of Finance at Phipps Neighborhoods. She has over 15 years of experience in finance within the Nonprofit sector. Marquette joined Phipps Neighborhoods in July 2019 and as the Deputy Executive Director of Finance, she provides strategic leadership and management for Phipps Neighborhoods business and finance functions. She manages the budgeting, financial reporting and analysis of Phipps Neighborhoods. Her goal is to ensure funding is used appropriately and efficiently to follow through with the mission and vision of Phipps Neighborhoods.
Marquette has a BS in Business Management & Finance from Brooklyn College and an MBA in Accounting from Long Island University.
Rosemary Ordonez-Jenkins is currently serving as Deputy Executive Director for Community & Economic Empowerment at Phipps Neighborhoods with over two decades of experience, Rosemary oversees the Resident Services portfolio across the various Phipps Houses properties, ensuring that residents receive the support and resources they need to thrive. Her team is dedicated to assisting households transitioning from homelessness into permanent housing, particularly those moving into HPD projects at Phipps Houses properties. The primary goal of the team is to facilitate a smooth and successful move into stable, long-term housing.
In addition to her work in housing, Rosemary manages vital social service programs such as: Food Pantries, Older Adult Programming, as well as Youth & Adult Programs at our Beacons & Cornerstones, and the Arches Re-Entry Program. These initiatives are designed to promote financial stability, increase access to essential support services, and foster community engagement across the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.
Her contributions to the community have not gone unnoticed. In 2022, Rosemary was honored as one of the Power Women of the Bronx by Schneps Media. She was also named one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Bronx County by the Bronx Times in 2010. Over the years, Rosemary has received numerous accolades from elected officials and organizations for her tireless dedication to enhancing the quality of life for residents of economically challenged communities.
Rosemary holds a master’s degree in social work, from Fordham University.
In 1996, Rosemary played an instrumental role in the publication of the study From Tenant to Neighbor: Community Building at Phipps Houses, a study authored as part of a community-focused initiative at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service.
Her dedication to creating lasting changes through her professional work, community leadership, and personal commitment to social justice continues to inspire those around her.
Christopher Santiago is a dedicated nonprofit operations leader with a strong background in project management and organizational efficiency. As Manager of Operations at Phipps Neighborhoods, he has streamlined internal systems, overhauled file storage processes, and supported cross-departmental collaboration to enhance workflows. Christopher’s experience in workforce development and stakeholder engagement allows him to drive program outcomes and operational improvements effectively. He has partnered with teams to integrate technology into programs and support data reporting across the organization. A graduate of Pace University with a BBA in Finance, Christopher brings technical proficiency and a results-driven approach to fostering community impact.
Cynthia P. Strother is a dedicated professional with a passion for empowering communities and nurturing youth potential. With a rich background in program management, education, and community development, Cynthia has made significant contributions to build the capacity of the youth development field and bring models and systems that improve organizational effectiveness.
Throughout her professional journey, Cynthia has held several key roles, each allowing her to hone her expertise in program management and community engagement. Her current role is Senior Director of Community Education and Schools at Phipps Neighborhoods in the Bronx, NY. In this capacity she leads strategic initiatives to deliver high-quality after-school programs and family engagement services to over 1,000 students across eight schools and two community centers. Her visionary leadership has been instrumental in driving positive outcomes and fostering a culture of excellence within her department.
During her tenure at the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) she held roles as a Project Manager in the Service-Learning Unit and Deputy Director of the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). In this capacity, she spearheaded the operations of a citywide mentoring program, nurturing the growth and development of hundreds of youths across various sites and she played a pivotal role in the successful launch and management of a school-based SYEP service option across over 90 NYC public schools. Her collaborative approach, coupled with her ability to forge strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, ensured the seamless execution of programs aimed at enhancing youth empowerment and employability.
Cynthia’s journey into community service and education began early on, fueled by her innate desire to make a positive impact on her surroundings. After earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Corporate Communications with a minor in Psychology from Baruch College, City University of New York in 2009, Cynthia embarked on a mission to leverage her skills and knowledge to uplift underserved communities.
In addition to her professional endeavors, Cynthia remains deeply committed to giving back to her community. Her involvement as Co-President of the Post Road School PTA from July 2022 to November 2023 underscores her unwavering dedication to supporting educational initiatives and enhancing the school experience for students and families alike.
Cynthia’s relentless pursuit of excellence, coupled with her passion for community empowerment, continues to inspire those around her. As she continues to make strides in her career, she remains steadfast in her commitment to creating lasting change and empowering the next generation of leaders.
Adam Weinstein is President and CEO of Phipps Houses and Chairman of Phipps Neighborhoods. Together with its constituent entity boards, he guides Phipps’ overall vision, strategy, culture, growth, operations, and performance to build thriving communities. Adam’s day-to-day focus is on Phipps’ affordable housing development and operations, as well as integration of its affordable housing model with its extensive resident and community service programs. He joined the organization in 1989, becoming Vice President of Real Estate Development in 1992, Chief Operating Officer in 1995, assuming his current role in 2001. At various times in his service at Phipps, while recruiting more knowledgeable professionals, he has had temporary responsibility to head Phipps’ property management and community service affiliates. It’s safe to say that Adam has devoted his professional life to Phipps, an organization he truly loves.
Eons ago, early in his career Adam was Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Business Development in the administration of Mayor Ed Koch. He also worked in public finance investment banking at Goldman Sachs and was a management consultant at APM, Inc. He earned a BA in history from Yale College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Adam is a board member of the Citizens Housing and Planning Council, the New York Housing Conference, the NYS Association for Affordable Housing, and Target Margin Theater. He has taught affordable housing courses at both of his alma maters and at City College, and has been an Adjunct Professor at Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture and Planning. He is an avid reader, hiker, chef, and DIYer. A proud New Yorker, Adam lives with his wife Holly in the beautiful Bronx.
Stacey Berry is a Vice President and Area Manager at Phipps Houses. In this role she manages a portfolio of 26 buildings, home to 1,000 residents, and manages a team of 49 dedicated Phipps staff. She began her career in real estate property management, advancing from Receptionist to Property Manager, overseeing luxury properties in Manhattan and Westchester County. In 2000, Stacey moved to the affordable housing sector, where she focuses on improving living conditions and providing exceptional service to residents. With a strong reputation for excellence, attention to detail, and a commitment to enhancing affordable housing, Stacey is dedicated to ensuring safe, well-maintained homes for all.
Kelly Biscuso is a Vice President of Real Estate Development at Phipps Houses, where he is responsible for overseeing the development of numerous new construction projects in the Phipps pipeline. He also participates in the acquisition and rezoning of new sites, supervises a set of projects under construction, and takes existing properties through the LIHTC year 15 process. Prior to joining Phipps, Kelly was the Director of Real Estate Development for RiseBoro Community Partnership, where he managed the firm’s development team and oversaw a pipeline of over 5,800 units. Prior to working in development, Kelly worked in community development finance, as a Vice President at TD Bank and as a LIHTC underwriter at Enterprise Community Investment.
Kelly received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the Ohio State University and a Master of Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University. Between his studies he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo, West Africa, where he spearheaded the creation of a community radio station that continues to serve over 50,000 people.
Adam Brooks is the Vice President of Compliance and Leasing at Phipps Houses, a role he has held for the past year. In this position, he oversees a team dedicated to ensuring that all Phipps properties adhere to and are in compliance with multiple agency regulatory standards. Adam has worked at Phipps Houses for six years, originally joining as an internal auditor, where he was responsible for designing, implementing, and monitoring internal controls over financial information. Prior to joining Phipps, Adam spent four years in public accounting and seven years in internal audit consulting, giving him a broad range of experience in financial management and compliance.
Adam earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Yeshiva University. Outside of his professional life, he is a devoted family man, married with two children, and an avid sports fan with a particular passion for football and hockey.
David S. Chao serves as the Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Phipps Houses, the largest owner, developer and manager of affordable housing in New York City. David had been a long time Board member of Phipps, chairing the Investment Committee as well as being a member of the Executive Committee of Phipps Houses.
In 2009, David came out of retirement and was a part of the Sanders, Morris, Harris Group, which later spun out its division and became the Concept Capital Group of Companies. A high-level senior advisor for the Group, David oversaw various projects of the companies ranging from implementation of compliance processes/procedures, internal auditing functions, payroll & benefits systems and personnel review.
Prior to joining Sanders, Morris, Harris/Concept Capital Companies, David agreed to help a friend as senior advisor of a $200M hedge fund, where roles and responsibilities included: investment and trading, personnel evaluation/hiring, and maintaining Wall Street relationships (2003).
David was a Co-Founder, Partner, Chief Operating Officer, & Head Trader of his own equity long/short, market-neutral hedge fund, TM Capital Management, from 1996-2002, with Assets Under Management (AUM) ranging from $500M to $1B. TM Capital Management returned investor capital at the end of 2002. During that period, the S&P 500 gained 63% while TM Capital Management gained 104% (69% net of fees). His responsibilities included: trading the equity portfolio, managing relationships with Wall Street, and running the management company.
David had prior hedge fund experience at Hamilton Partners (a Division of Commodities Corporation) from 1993-1996 where he and his TM Capital partner ran a long-short, market-neutral equity fund specializing in electric utilities; and Steinhardt Partners 1992-1993, where David was the deputy head equity trader of the $3Billion hedge fund.
His Wall Street experience includes running the institutional equity trading desk at County NatWest Securities from 1990-1992; and institutional block trading, convertible bond trading, index options trading, program trading and options arbitrage experience at Drexel, Burnham, Lambert, Inc. from 1984-1990.
David has been a part of many civic and charitable causes, most notably being a 12+ year member of the Edgemont Union Free School District Board of Education (including two separate terms as its President and Vice President). He also was a longtime football coach, running the Edgemont Youth Football program for 6 years and then continuing to coach football for the Edgemont Modified Football program, and then as an assistant for the Varsity Football program from 2014-18.
David is a graduate of Dartmouth College. He received an AB in 1984 and double majored in History and Asian Studies.
As the Vice President and Area Manager at Phipps Houses Robert Draizen manages a portfolio of 1,600 affordable housing apartments and over 600,000 square feet of commercial space. He brings over 35 years of real estate experience to this role, including a background in retail real estate and he has worked with many companies including Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, White House Black Market and Solstice Sunglasses. He holds a Master’s degree in Real Estate Finance – Asset Management from New York University and a B.S. in Retail Marketing from Skidmore College.
Anaka Earle is the Vice President of Rentals & Special Projects at Phipps Houses, with over 15 years of experience in the affordable housing industry. Throughout her career, Anaka has demonstrated a strong commitment to helping families access affordable housing opportunities. In her current role, she is responsible for ensuring compliance across Phipps’ Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), HUD, and Mitchell-Lama portfolios. She leads a team dedicated to the re-rental of project-based Section 8, LIHTC, and Mitchell-Lama units, while also collaborating with various departments within Phipps Houses.
Anaka works closely with numerous monitoring agencies such as HUD, HDC, HPD, HCR, and NYCHA to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements. Her expertise spans the full lease-up and re-rental process for both LIHTC and HUD multifamily properties, with a deep understanding of the regulations governed by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, NYC Housing Development Corporation, NYS Division of Homes & Community Renewal, and Mitchell-Lama programs.
Anaka’s career in affordable housing began more than twenty years ago. Prior to joining Phipps Houses in 2007, she served as Housing Manager for Mount Sinai’s Real Estate Department, where she was responsible for the housing of Mount Sinai Graduate and Medical students, house staff, and postdoctoral fellows.
Steven Farbman is the Controller at Phipps Houses, where he manages the Accounting and Finance operations for the organization’s portfolio of properties. He leads a team of over 10 professionals, focusing on maintaining strong financial controls and effective reporting practices.
Steven joined Phipps in 2014, bringing nine years of experience in public accounting, with a focus on audit and advisory services for real estate clients. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Yeshiva University and is a licensed CPA in New York.
Outside the office, Steven is a devoted family man and is an avid tennis player.
Douglas Hanau has been a Vice President/Area Manager for Phipps Affordable Management since 2003. He oversees a portfolio of 10 affordable and mixed-income buildings in Queens, Manhattan and Brooklyn. He previously worked for HPD in their Section 8 unit and in the Not-for-Profit sector, working with people who are Neurodivergent. Douglas has spent his entire career working in the Not-for-Profit sector assisting those from under-resourced communities and backgrounds move towards independence . He has secured grants to weatherize 8 older affordable buildings and make sure they are more energy-efficient and sustainable. He is passionate about the need for more housing, particularly affordable housing, in NYC. He is a Certified Property Manager (CPM) and has a MPA from Baruch College. Douglas grew up in NYC, went to NYC public schools and, along with his wife, is raising his family in Brooklyn.
Marcus C Johnson serves as Vice President, Director of Purchasing at Phipps Houses. He joined the organization in 2007 as a buyer. He’s an innovative purchasing professional, also registered in Apartment Management with a high level of integrity and has over twenty-five years of experience. In 2007, he was promoted to Director of Purchasing and then in 2010 to Assistant Vice President, Director of Purchasing. He has proven abilities and expertise in managing personnel and contractors/vendors, tracking and analyzing data, ensuring appropriate follow-up and timely completion of requests for goods and services within Phipps’ portfolio. He’s an expert in minimizing and mitigating risk, specifically supply chain risk.
Prior to joining Phipps Houses Services Inc. Marcus was Director of Contracts, Purchasing and Inventory at Riverbay Corporation formerly known as Co-Op City which consists of 15,372 residential units in 35 high-rise buildings and seven townhouse clusters consisting of garden and duplex apartments. He was responsible for all contracts relating to goods and services in excess of 50 million dollars. He was also a member of their Inventory Committee.
Prior to working at Riverbay Corporation, Marcus worked for Mario Scott Real East as a Purchasing/Inventory clerk for all goods and services for Rochdale Village.
He’s a dedicated father and enjoys exercising, reading, researching and spending time with family members.
Victor Lopez brings over 25 years of experience in property management to his role as Vice President and Area Manager at Phipps Houses. He oversees a diverse building portfolio in the Bronx. Throughout his career he has developed skills that specialize in maintaining high occupancy rates, streamlining maintenance processes and ensuring seamless day-to-day operations. Victor takes great pride in fostering strong relationships with residents and creating a positive environment.
J. Steven Lovci joined Phipps Houses in September 2022 as Vice President of Capital Projects and Construction. Steven is responsible for ensuring that Phipps Houses’ core values and vision are manifested in its building projects and capital renovations. The Capital Projects and Construction Department supports new projects from inception through implementation and turnover and reinvestment in existing buildings to ensure quality, sustainability, durability, and longevity of Phipps’ portfolio.
Steven manages and oversees predesign and preconstruction services, development of Phipps’ standards, energy and sustainability programs, construction project management, construction quality assurance and capital projects.
Prior to Phipps Houses, he served as Executive Vice President of Capital Projects Division of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) from 2019 to 2022, administering the Authority’s Capital 5-year plan and 10-year outlook, advancing the Authority’s Capital programs, recovery and resilience program and the agency’s energy and sustainability programs totaling over $6 billion. During his tenure, Steven directed NYCHA’s first Design-Build program, consisting of 19 Design-Build projects and totaling $4 million, NYCHA’s sustainability agenda, and leveraging the funding for NYCHA’s first fully electrified building conversion and the largest residential heat-pump conversion in the North-East. Steven oversaw the development and publication of Connected Communities Guidebook, a community-centered urban design and engagement handbook, the recipient of the 2020 Wellbeing Cities award; NYCHA’s first stakeholder engagement standard procedure; NYCHA’s first open space master plans for over 133 individual developments; and NYCHA’s first Comprehensive Modernization white paper and planning of two comprehensive modernization projects.
Prior to NYCHA, he was an Associate at the preservation firm Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners for over a decade and taught Building Construction at the New York Institute of Technology.
Steven has a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Nebraska and a Bachelor of Architecture from City College, City University of New York, where he was a recipient of the AIA Henry Adams Medal. He is a Licensed Architect in the state of New York and a Registered Architect in the State of Israel. In 2022, he was inducted into the National Academy of Construction.
Colleen A. McAuliffe is Vice President of Human Resources at Phipps and has worked there for over 26 years. Colleen joined Phipps in 1993 as Director of Human Resources and was promoted to Assistant Vice President in 1995 and in 1999 she was promoted to Vice President. After a briefly relocating to Louisiana in the spring of 2005, Colleen rejoined Phipps as Vice President of Human Resources in the fall of 2007. She currently oversees all Human Resources and Payroll functions for Phipps as well as client entities in the affordable housing industry. Colleen’s expertise includes Benefits Administration, Human Resources Information System software, Payroll, Recruitment, Employee Relations and Labor Relations servicing more than 600 union and non-union employees.
During her tenure at Phipps, Colleen has successfully worked on negotiations for several independent union contracts for both the Phipps organization as well as clients and the organization services. She has developed a strong working relationship with local union representatives and continuously strives to serve the best interests of both the organization and union employees.
Colleen is a graduate of the College of Insurance which merged with St. John’s University in 2001. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with honors.
When not in the throes of union contract negotiations and corporate expansion, Colleen shifts her focus and devotion to her four-legged furry family members which consist of a Golden Retriever, a German Shepherd and a rescue Labradoodle. During her hiatus from Phipps between 2005 and 2007, she opened a natural pet supply store in Louisiana with a focus on educating animal lovers on good pet nutrition and holistic means of treating and caring for our four-legged family members.
Lukeman Ogunyinka serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Phipps Houses. He is responsible for the oversight of all Accounting, Finance and Treasury functions of the Phipps Houses Group and its subsidiaries. Lukeman brings over 20 years of real estate experience in accounting and finance related to commercial, residential and development projects.
Before joining Phipps Houses, Lukeman was the Director/Controller of the Corporate and Development Accounting Groups at Jonathan Rose Companies.
Previously, Lukeman was responsible for a mix of development accounting and budgeting and forecasting for the NY Real Estate Portfolio of Forest City Ratner Companies. Additionally, he’s spent 11 years in various public accounting firms responsible for providing audit, accounting, due diligence, and advisory services to real estate clients. He has experience in dealing with real estate investment trusts, real estate joint ventures, real estate investment funds and family-owned projects investing in commercial, residential and hotel properties.
Lukeman began his career in the real estate group of PricewaterhouseCoopers, holds a BBA in Accounting from Baruch College CUNY and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York.
Teresa Palmieri has served as Vice President of Marketing at Phipps Houses since joining the company in 2023, where she oversees the leasing and marketing of new developments, and affordable housing lotteries. Teresa brings over a decade of affordable housing experience, working for both private and not for profit housing developers in New York City. Prior to joining Phipps Houses, Teresa was Vice President of Affordable Leasing and Compliance at Clinton Management.
Cathy Pennington joined Phipps in August 2019 and is the Senior Vice President and General Manager. She has extensive experience in managing affordable housing programs spanning almost 30 years. Prior to working at Phipps, she served as Executive Vice President at New York City Housing Authority overseeing the Section 8 program. In her property management role at Phipps, Cathy oversees strategic business initiatives which will enhance operations with a focus on efficiency, cost controls, and compliance with multiple regulatory agencies. As General Manager, Cathy works closely with the Area Managers and Department Directors to improve business process and customer service by adding online services for tenants and performance management oversight of property management operations.
Cathy received her BS in Social Work from Cleveland State University and a Master of Social Science Administration from Case Western Reserve University. She formerly served as the President of the National Leased Housing Association in Washington, D.C.
Daniel M. Perez brings over 20 years of expertise in residential property management to his role as Vice President/Area Manager at Phipps Houses. He oversees the operations of Rockaway Village, Phipps’ newest and largest development in Far Rockaway, NY, featuring over 1,700 affordable residential units and dynamic commercial spaces.
Before joining Phipps Houses, Daniel served as an Asset Manager at FirstService Residential, where he refined his skills in strategic portfolio management. Prior to that, as Director of Operations for C&C Apartment Management/L+M Development Partners, Daniel developed robust business operations that fueled the company’s growth from managing just over 5,000 residential units to more than 20,000 units. His leadership and operational acumen have consistently driven measurable success throughout his career.
A lifelong resident of Queens, NY, Daniel was born and raised in the borough where he met his wife of 25 years and raised his family. His strong connection to the community informs his steadfast commitment to affordable housing and vibrant, inclusive neighborhoods.
Beyond his professional responsibilities, Daniel is deeply dedicated to community enrichment. He currently serves as the Administrator of the Caroline Doll Memorial Fund, which contributes to the Fund for Public Schools by providing cultural opportunities for New York City schoolchildren, including Broadway shows, music, and dance performances. Additionally, Daniel is a proud Board Member of his local Boy Scout Troop, supporting the development of leadership skills and character in young individuals.
Daniel’s steadfast dedication to affordable housing, community development, and educational opportunities solidifies his reputation as a trusted and impactful leader in both his professional and civic endeavors.
Robert Pigott is Vice President and General Counsel of Phipps Houses, New York City’s oldest and largest nonprofit developer of low-income and affordable housing. He previously spent nearly 11 years as a Section Chief and Bureau Chief in the New York Attorney General’s Charities Bureau. He is an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School, teaching Nonprofit Law. Mr. Pigott is the author of New York’s Legal Landmarks , a historical guidebook to New York City for lawyers. He received a B.A. from Hamilton College and his J.D from Columbia University Law School.
Gennadiy Trakhtman is the Vice President and Director of IT at Phipps. He has worked for the organization for over a decade and has had the opportunity to grow within his career. Throughout his tenure at Phipps, he has enjoyed sharing his expertise with his colleagues while continuing to learn and expand his knowledge in the ever-changing field of Information Technologies.
As Gennadiy continues his time at Phipps, he finds great joy in supporting and providing technical solutions to hundreds of employees and clients. Though his role has changed to a more managerial position, he still has the opportunity to be challenged and be part of an “idea” with the goal of helping Phipps expand and broaden its mission to not just provide affordable housing but also continue to build thriving communities.
Gennadiy has a BA in Computer Science from Hunter College and an MA in Computer Science from Brooklyn College.
Michael Wadman is Vice President of Real Estate Development at Phipps Houses. Since joining Phipps, Michael has closed development projects totaling almost 4,000 units of affordable housing and has almost 2,000 units in his pipeline. Prior to joining Phipps, Michael held positions managing affordable housing development at the Hudson Companies Inc., where he secured site control for a pipeline of over 2,200 affordable housing units, and as the Senior Vice President of the New York State Housing Finance Agency where he originated over $3.35 billion of bonds and mortgages to finance affordable housing throughout New York State.
Matthew S. Washington is Vice President & Chief of Staff of Phipps Houses. He is responsible for external affairs, government relations, communications and office operations. Matthew also helps coordinate all land use projects and integration of services between Phipps Houses and its social service affiliate, Phipps Neighborhoods.
Prior to joining Phipps, Matthew served as Deputy Manhattan Borough President in the office of Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. In that role, he oversaw the distribution of over $150 million in funding to enhance parks, theaters, hospitals, museums, affordable housing developments, community centers and public schools. He was appointed by the Borough President to be on the board of more than 15 organizations, including Business Improvement Districts, Park Conservancies, the NYC Economic Development Corporation, the NYS Regional Economic Development Council for NYC and as a trustee of the New York City Employees’ Retirement System which is the pension fund for over 350,000 active and retired NYC workers. Matthew was named to the 2018 New York City 40 Under 40 Rising Stars list published by City & State New York.
Matthew has a diverse professional background in real estate and non-profit organizational management. He was Deputy Director of External Affairs at The Durst Organization where he managed public affairs for a new development in Queens, worked with the construction and external relations teams on One World Trade Center and worked on other projects including supporting the operation of New York Water Taxi. Matthew was previously the Executive Director of Friends of the High School for Environmental Studies where he built relationships with other organizations to help students gain experiential learning opportunities across 26 different states in the summer while students were on break. He was also Deputy Director of Friends of Hudson River Park where he was a part of the team that successfully advocated for the funding to build Hudson River Park on Manhattan’s West Side.
Matthew was a member of the board of numerous organizations over the years and he is particularly proud of the 10 and a half years he was on Manhattan’s Community Board 11 which represents East Harlem where he was born and raised. He was elected as Chair of the board at 26 and served in that role for 6 years as the youngest community board chair in New York City.
Today, Matthew is a volunteer at Times Square Church and serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Waterfront Alliance, Green City Force, Randall’s Island Park Alliance and the Association for a Better New York (ABNY) Foundation. Matthew is also a member of the Board of Trustees at Alfred University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative Cultures.
Andre D. White is the Executive Director and CEO of Phipps Neighborhoods, the social service affiliate of Phipps Houses. With nearly two decades of dedicated public service, Andre brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of accomplishments to this role.
Taking the helm at Phipps Neighborhoods in May 2020, Andre has orchestrated a strategic vision aimed at fortifying organizational capacity and seamlessly integrating programs to maximize community impact. Under his stewardship, the organization has successfully launched its inaugural college-bound scholarship program, expanded food access services, revitalized its resident services model, and introduced a pioneering workforce training and career pathways program in the building services industry. Addressing the pressing issue of the digital divide in the Bronx, Andre has instituted a Digital Access and Equity initiative while spearheading the creation of a Youth Practitioner Institute, providing professional development opportunities agency-wide.
Previously serving as the Deputy Commissioner of Youth Workforce Development at the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), Andre managed a portfolio of $220 million in annual public and private funding for youth employment, internships, training, and high school dropout prevention services. Notably, leveraging the use of technology in workforce training, Andre led the implementation of the first NYC youth-employment Learning Management System, ensuring access to career-focused skill-building opportunities for over 100,000 youth annually.
Andre’s leadership has gained national recognition, receiving nominations as a City & State Nonprofit Power 100, Crain’s Notable Black Leaders, Schneps Media’s Bronx PowerList, and Caribbean Impact Awards. He holds a BA in Political Science and an MA in Political Science, Urban Policy, and Administration from the City University of New York at Brooklyn College. Andre recently completed Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program and serves on the Human Services Council and JobsFirstNYC boards. He currently chairs the Board of Guttman Community College Foundation, showcasing his commitment to community growth and education.
Dwayne Brown is the Deputy Executive Director of Workforce and Education at Phipps Neighborhoods. In this role, Dwayne oversees the development and coordination of high-quality and innovative workforce training and education programs. His responsibilities are focused on enhancing job training, increasing academic and career success, and aligning after-school programming with school partners to meet the social and emotional needs of children within the community. While leading a team of 210 staff members, Dwayne also manages and oversees an annual budget of 9M in public and private funding.
Before joining Phipps Neighborhoods, Dwayne served as the Deputy Director for St Nicks Alliance where he led efforts that resulted in the Youth & Education division doubling in size and scope, increasing the number of youths served from 1,200 to more than 4,000 and the annual budget from 6 million to 13 million. Dwayne was responsible for the operational oversight for a growing portfolio of comprehensive services supporting youth between the ages of 5-24 and their families.
Before joining St Nicks Alliance, Dwayne worked with and invested in the people of Harlem and the Bronx through his roles with Bronx Community College, Phipps Neighborhoods, and New York City Mission Society. During his career he directed school and community-based anti-poverty initiatives including the CUNY Black Male Initiative, Community Schools, Summer Youth Employment Program, Beacon, Cornerstone, COMPASS, SONYC, a federally funded evidence-based Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program, as well as several other state and city funded programs empowering thousands of adolescents and young adults annually.
Dwayne began his career in human services as an in-home case manager for a childcare agency in Pittsburgh, PA. Dwayne holds a BA in Political Science from Duquesne University, an MPA specializing in Nonprofit Management from Baruch College and a M.Ed. in Education Policy and Leadership from the American University School of Education. Additionally, he earned a Post-Master’s Certificate in Executive Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector from New York University. Dwayne is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and serves on the Board of Directors of the Order of the Feather Incorporated. Outside of work Dwayne enjoys spending time with his wife and their two boys; working on house projects with his wife, being a soccer dad to his teenage son, and creating stop motion videos with his youngest son.
Khari Freeman brings over 30 years of educational, mentoring and leadership experience to his role as Senior Director of Education and Capacity Building for Phipps Neighborhoods. Khari is a gifted educator with the uncanny ability to connect and collaborate with everyone. He started at Phips Neighborhoods as an Education Specialist providing educational support and training to the staff. During his tenure, he created several leadership and professional development initiatives for staff, and he is responsible for innovating staff training within the agency. In his current role of Senior Director, he oversees all education and capacity building efforts within the agency.
Prior to his work at Phipps Neighborhoods, Khari was a teacher and a dean for over two decades. Most notably, he was an English teacher and Diversity Coordinator at the prestigious Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn. He also served as the Lead Dean as well as an English teacher for the Susan B. Anthony Academy in Queens.
He is a native New Yorker and received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and completed his graduate studies at the City University of New York. He has spent his entire professional career serving students and families in New York City. Having grown up in the Bronx, he is particularly dedicated to serving the Bronx community, which fortunately led him to Phipps Neighborhoods.
As the Phipps Neighborhoods Senior Director of Data, Evaluation, and Learning, Zachary Hoyer-Leitzel is driven by a passion for improving social services programming. Zachary uses data to generate new insights. Over the past six years, Zachary has grown the Phipps Neighborhood’s data team, fully realizing the mandates for the 40+ programs in the organization: collection and management of program data, guiding staff in using program data, and collaborative creation of program evaluation systems. Zachary holds a Master of Public Administration from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. Prior to his decade of experience in the monitoring and evaluation field, Zachary worked directly with clients and students in education and skill development programming, ranging from youth empowerment and career coaching to adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and remedial college math teaching.
Marquette Moore is the Deputy Executive Director of Finance at Phipps Neighborhoods. She has over 15 years of experience in finance within the Nonprofit sector. Marquette joined Phipps Neighborhoods in July 2019 and as the Deputy Executive Director of Finance, she provides strategic leadership and management for Phipps Neighborhoods business and finance functions. She manages the budgeting, financial reporting and analysis of Phipps Neighborhoods. Her goal is to ensure funding is used appropriately and efficiently to follow through with the mission and vision of Phipps Neighborhoods.
Marquette has a BS in Business Management & Finance from Brooklyn College and an MBA in Accounting from Long Island University.
Rosemary Ordonez-Jenkins is currently serving as Deputy Executive Director for Community & Economic Empowerment at Phipps Neighborhoods with over two decades of experience, Rosemary oversees the Resident Services portfolio across the various Phipps Houses properties, ensuring that residents receive the support and resources they need to thrive. Her team is dedicated to assisting households transitioning from homelessness into permanent housing, particularly those moving into HPD projects at Phipps Houses properties. The primary goal of the team is to facilitate a smooth and successful move into stable, long-term housing.
In addition to her work in housing, Rosemary manages vital social service programs such as: Food Pantries, Older Adult Programming, as well as Youth & Adult Programs at our Beacons & Cornerstones, and the Arches Re-Entry Program. These initiatives are designed to promote financial stability, increase access to essential support services, and foster community engagement across the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.
Her contributions to the community have not gone unnoticed. In 2022, Rosemary was honored as one of the Power Women of the Bronx by Schneps Media. She was also named one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Bronx County by the Bronx Times in 2010. Over the years, Rosemary has received numerous accolades from elected officials and organizations for her tireless dedication to enhancing the quality of life for residents of economically challenged communities.
Rosemary holds a master’s degree in social work, from Fordham University.
In 1996, Rosemary played an instrumental role in the publication of the study From Tenant to Neighbor: Community Building at Phipps Houses, a study authored as part of a community-focused initiative at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Service.
Her dedication to creating lasting changes through her professional work, community leadership, and personal commitment to social justice continues to inspire those around her.
Christopher Santiago is a dedicated nonprofit operations leader with a strong background in project management and organizational efficiency. As Manager of Operations at Phipps Neighborhoods, he has streamlined internal systems, overhauled file storage processes, and supported cross-departmental collaboration to enhance workflows. Christopher’s experience in workforce development and stakeholder engagement allows him to drive program outcomes and operational improvements effectively. He has partnered with teams to integrate technology into programs and support data reporting across the organization. A graduate of Pace University with a BBA in Finance, Christopher brings technical proficiency and a results-driven approach to fostering community impact.
Cynthia P. Strother is a dedicated professional with a passion for empowering communities and nurturing youth potential. With a rich background in program management, education, and community development, Cynthia has made significant contributions to build the capacity of the youth development field and bring models and systems that improve organizational effectiveness.
Throughout her professional journey, Cynthia has held several key roles, each allowing her to hone her expertise in program management and community engagement. Her current role is Senior Director of Community Education and Schools at Phipps Neighborhoods in the Bronx, NY. In this capacity she leads strategic initiatives to deliver high-quality after-school programs and family engagement services to over 1,000 students across eight schools and two community centers. Her visionary leadership has been instrumental in driving positive outcomes and fostering a culture of excellence within her department.
During her tenure at the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) she held roles as a Project Manager in the Service-Learning Unit and Deputy Director of the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). In this capacity, she spearheaded the operations of a citywide mentoring program, nurturing the growth and development of hundreds of youths across various sites and she played a pivotal role in the successful launch and management of a school-based SYEP service option across over 90 NYC public schools. Her collaborative approach, coupled with her ability to forge strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, ensured the seamless execution of programs aimed at enhancing youth empowerment and employability.
Cynthia’s journey into community service and education began early on, fueled by her innate desire to make a positive impact on her surroundings. After earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in Corporate Communications with a minor in Psychology from Baruch College, City University of New York in 2009, Cynthia embarked on a mission to leverage her skills and knowledge to uplift underserved communities.
In addition to her professional endeavors, Cynthia remains deeply committed to giving back to her community. Her involvement as Co-President of the Post Road School PTA from July 2022 to November 2023 underscores her unwavering dedication to supporting educational initiatives and enhancing the school experience for students and families alike.
Cynthia’s relentless pursuit of excellence, coupled with her passion for community empowerment, continues to inspire those around her. As she continues to make strides in her career, she remains steadfast in her commitment to creating lasting change and empowering the next generation of leaders.