Executive Director

Alex Zablocki is a veteran public servant with nearly two decades experience working with nonprofit organizations and government agencies at all levels. Prior to joining the Fund, Alex served for five years as Executive Director of the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy. The public-private partnership supports 10,000 acres of City, State, and federal parkland in Brooklyn and Queens. Prior to leading the Conservancy, Alex served as Senior Program Manager at the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery and also previously served as Director of Community Relations for the New York City Department of Homeless Services and has held various roles with the New York State Senate and New York City Council. Alex received a Bachelor of Arts degree in finance and investments from Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business and earned a Master of Arts degree in community and economic development from SUNY Empire State College.

Chief Strategic Engagement Officer

Claire McLeveighn is an accomplished public sector executive with a record of achievements in international affairs, policy, strategy, internal and external communication. Her expertise includes building cross-sector strategic alliances; strategic planning; project management and implementation; and cross-functional team leadership. Most recently Claire served the New York City Council as Director of Legislative Affairs and Communication, District 14. Claire is committed to social justice and gender equality and was a speaker at the 65th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in 2021, on the COVID-19 recession’s economic impact on women. Claire holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Brown University and a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.

Chief Operating Officer

Annie Valentine is an international development and program management generalist with over a decade and a half of experience working for some of the largest private donors in North America. Prior to joining the Fund, Annie held various roles at Bloomberg Philanthropies, where she worked to operationalize new programs and initiatives across Bloomberg’s five key philanthropic investment areas: arts, education, the environment, public health, and government innovation. Before her work at Bloomberg, Annie was the Director of Programs at the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and worked with Foundation leadership to develop, implement, and oversee programmatic priorities and new grant investments. She began her career at the International Women’s Media Foundation in Washington, DC, where she structured strategic partnerships for the organization and managed on-the-ground programmatic work in Western Sahara, Morocco, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Turkey, Lebanon, Mexico, and Colombia. She is an advocate for greater gender equity and diversity in philanthropy and a supporter of high-quality public interest journalism. Annie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gettysburg College, where she majored in political science and religious studies.

Senior Manager, Art & Culture

Kemi “TRUTHIS” Karim is an interdisciplinary artist, community organizer, and founder of TRUTHIS Studios, a Brooklyn-based creative collective. Grounded in themes of shared spaces and belonging, Karim’s work delves into identity, womanhood, and the lived experiences that shape and define communities. Her practice centers on how individuals represent themselves, uplift one another, and celebrate cultural pride and resilience despite systemic barriers. Using medium-format digital and film photography, filmmaking, and digital design, Karim captures both individual and collective narratives, fostering spaces for deep conversation, healing, and perspective shifts. Her work is dedicated to education, empowerment, and storytelling that challenges stereotypes while honoring the beauty and complexity of her subjects. She is best known for A GREAT DAY IN BROOKLYN, an acclaimed annual festival celebrating arts and culture in the borough.

Karim currently serves as the Senior Manager of Art & Culture at the Public Housing Community Fund, where she spearheads initiatives that bring transformative arts programming to NYCHA communities. She holds a BA in Public Relations from Howard University.

Director of Capital Projects Consultant

Nicole is an architect committed to promoting equity in the built environment and public realm. As a Principal of Shakespeare Gordon Vlado Architects, she led the firm’s work in affordable housing, resulting in the design of homes for over 3,500 families, seniors, and formerly unhoused New Yorkers. She has also dedicated her career to improving the practice of architecture through active roles with the AIANY’s Housing Committee, nycoba NOMA Professional Development Committee, and as a professional mentor for ARCscholars, an architectural and urban design program for teen and young adult NYCHA residents. Nicole is currently working to facilitate public-private partnerships to improve NYCHA’s open spaces as a Policy and Planning Fellow at the Design Trust for Public Space, and to help solve the NYC housing crisis as an Urban Design Forum Big Swings fellowship. She is an adjunct professor at the New York City College of Technology.

Program Associate Fellow

Ruby Solomon is a committed social worker and certified crisis interventionist. She has experience in the mental health and addiction services fields. Prior to joining the Public Housing Community Fund, Ruby worked as a drug and alcohol abuse counselor at a rehabilitation facility in Fresh Meadows, Queens. Doing this work, she served some of the most vulnerable population in the country, developing an expertise in frontline healthcare work and assisting un-housed New Yorkers find shelter. Additionally, she volunteers for the Crisis Text Line of America to help those struggling with their emotional and physical wellbeing across the country. Overall, she has dedicated herself to destigmatizing mental health treatment and community service at large. She hopes to, one day, receive a PhD in Clinical Psychology to continue doing this vital work. Ruby holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University, where she majored in History and Sociology.

Kingsborough Fellow

Saijah Williams is a nonprofit professional with over a decade of experience in the sector. She has worked in various settings including museums, schools, and organizations. Before The Fund, she held many roles such as program coordinator, curriculum designer, and more. Saijah’s career has been guided by her love of art history, Black history, cultural preservation, and community engagement, which she credits to having been born and raised in the cultural enclave that is Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, NY. She has contributed to exhibitions, publications, and curricula highlighting diverse, underrepresented perspectives and stories. In 2023, she was a recipient of The Laundromat Project’s Create & Connect micro-grant for her initiative Bed-Stuy Girls’ Club, a collective for Black women in Bed-Stuy to connect and develop community.

Saijah holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and African American Studies from CUNY Brooklyn College.

Program Manager

Tarin is a dedicated professional with a rich background in sustainable design, historic preservation, and urban planning who is well-versed in the field's theoretical and practical aspects. Holding a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Pratt Institute and equipped with a background in architecture, his diverse portfolio includes project management for conservation strategies, community programs, and exhibitions.