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.

Deputy Director

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.

Senior Development Manager

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.

Artist Selection Coordinator (Consultant)

Immanuel Oni is a first-generation Nigerian-American artist and space doula living between New York City and hometown Houston, TX. He is the co-founder and Creative Director of Liminal, a non-profit that works at the intersection of art, unity, and space. He has received awards from the Laundromat Project, Institute for Public Architecture, Design Trust for Public Space, Culture Push, New York for Culture and Arts, More Art Engaging Artist Commission NY, Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts NY, Office of Neighborhood Safety, Architectural League of New York, the New York State Council of the Arts, and commissioned artist for the Chrystie Street African Burial Ground Memorial Installation in the Lower East Side. He is a former Director of Community Design at the New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and Adjunct Professor at Parsons the New School for Design. He holds a dual Bachelor degree in Biology & Psychology from the University of Houston and a Master in Architecture from Parsons the New School for Design.

NYCHA Art Liaison

Kemi “TRUTHIS” Karim is an interdisciplinary artist, community organizer, and founder of TRUTHIS Studios, a creative collective based in Brooklyn, NY. Working within a framework of “shared space(s)” and “belonging,” Karim’s practice explores identity, womanhood, and experiences that form and define communities, centering how members represent themselves, liberate and uplift each other, and their relentless pursuit of joy, cultural pride, and sustainability despite social, economic, and political inequality. Using medium-format digital and film cameras, Karim creates portraits, films, and digital designs to articulate the singular and collective stories of groups, creating space for nuanced conversations and expression with the intent to educate, heal, and shift perspectives. Most notably, Karim is acclaimed for her annual live arts and cultural programming festival, A GREAT DAY IN BROOKLYN.

Karim holds a BA in Public Relations from Howard University.

Business Pathways Consultant

Lloyd J. Cambridge is the founder & CEO of Progress Playbook, a small business training and economic development consultancy. Progress Playbook partners with government agencies, nonprofits, and corporations to design, deliver, and manage customized business education programs and inclusive economic development strategies that support entrepreneurs and small businesses in starting and growing businesses locally and beyond. Progress Playbook’s clients include NYC Department of Small Business Services, City Harvest, Brooklyn Children's Museum, The Actors Fund, New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), and more.

Prior to starting Progress Playbook, Lloyd was the Director of NYC Business Solutions. Before that, he was an underwriter and credit analyst at JPMorganChase for their middle-market division. Lloyd has supported over 10,000 entrepreneurs and business owners throughout his career and has shared his expertise on entrepreneurship and business development with organizations like Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, the Small Business Administration, and New York University. He earned his B.S. in Economics from NYU and is an alumnus of the Coro Leadership network.

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.

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.

Clean Energy Academy Coordinator & Outreach Specialist

Sarah Blas is a NYC native, mother of six children, public speaker and non profit professional with a background in social sciences. As a social justice champion, she has used her career to dismantle identity-based oppression within vulnerable communities, with a speciality in advocacy for BIPOC and disabled families. As a thought leader, she uses her expertise in developing DEI-A infused professional development curriculum and community advocacy to transform both mental models and policies for over 2 decades across NYC. She has served as the Executive Director of Staten Island Therapeutic Gardens, fighting for food sovereignty. Additionally, she has served as the Director of Health and Wellness for House of Community, Baitul Jamaat and the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Staten Island Women Who March. She currently serves as an elected member of the Community Education Council for District 31, chairing both the Special Education and Diversity and Inclusion Committees.

She was named Staten Island Woman of Achievement in 2020 for her heroic efforts during the COVID-19 Pandemic. She is the recipient of the State of NY Executive Chamber, Gubernatorial Certificate of Recognition in 2021, State Senate Proclamation for Community Impact in 2021, Harriet Tubman Purple Hat Society honoree in 2020, New York State Assembly Certificate of Merit in 2020, Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition 2021, Certificate of Black Excellence in Public Health Award from the Richmond County District Attorney, City Council Citations 2018, 2019, 2020 and Community Peacemaker with Peace Action Network of Staten Island in 2018.

She holds certificates in results-based facilitation, (a nationally recognized approach at developing accountability frameworks) and from The Campaign School at Yale University.

Community Engagement and Placemaking Lead

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.