Charter Revision Commission Staff

Adam Brodheim (Senior Advisor) 

Adam Brodheim is a Senior Advisor to the Charter Revision Commission. He previously served as special assistant to The Honorable Sara C. Bronin, chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Prior to entering government service, he worked as a consultant in New York City. Brodheim is a graduate of Hunter College High School, Harvard University, and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. 

Alaina Yuresko (Legal Fellow) 

Alaina Greene is a New York City land use and zoning law consultant and J.D. candidate. Yuresko currently works at Urban Cartographics as the firm's Director of Standards and Graphics. Prior to this, Yuresko worked in strategic communications at the NYC Department of Transportation. They graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University in 2018, with their B.A. in Journalism. Yuresko is currently pursuing their J.D. in the evening division at Fordham University School of Law, Class of 2027. 

Alec Schierenbeck (Executive Director) 

Alec Schierenbeck is the executive director of the Charter Revision Commission. He previously served as general counsel and senior advisor for planning to Maria Torres-Springer, first in her role as Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce and then as First Deputy Mayor. At City Hall, Schierenbeck helped guide the administration’s “City of Yes” initiatives to promote housing opportunity, carbon neutrality, and economic growth, as well as the city’s successful advocacy in Albany to secure affordable housing tax incentives and new power to increase residential density. Prior to joining the Mayor’s Office, Schierenbeck worked as a litigator in government and private practice. He also served as a law clerk on the U.S. Supreme Court to Justice Stephen Breyer, on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. 

Schierenbeck is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School, Grinnell College, where he was named a Truman Scholar and a Mitchell Scholar, and Stanford Law School. 

Anitra Singh (Senior Advisor) 

Anitra Singh currently serves as the Chief of Staff in the Office of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), where she oversees major projects, policy issues, strategic initiatives, and communications.  Prior to joining HPD, Singh served at the Department of Finance and the Department of Environmental Protection. She holds an M.A. in Urban Studies from Queens College and a B.B.A. from Baruch College. 

Arvind Sindhwani (Senior Advisor for Intergovernmental Affairs) 

Arvind Sindhwani is the Senior Advisor for Intergovernmental Affairs for the Charter Revision Commission and currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce. Prior to working at City Hall, Sindhwani was the Executive Director for Government Affairs at the Department of Housing Preservation & Development. He has also held roles at the New York City Council and in the non-profit sector. Sindhwani holds a MUP and B.A. from New York University. 

Casey Berkovitz (Director of External Affairs) 

Casey Berkovitz is the director of external affairs for the Charter Revision Commission. He has also served as senior press secretary at the New York City Department of City Planning, where he led press strategy and shaped public communications about the agency's work. Prior to DCP, Berkovitz worked on state and local electoral campaigns in New York and California, at progressive think tank The Century Foundation, and at political communications firms. He is a proud graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. 

Clava Brodsky (General Counsel) 

Clava Brodsky is a Senior Counsel in the Legal Counsel Division of the New York City Law Department. Clava joined the Law Department in 2019 as a Corporation Counsel Honors Fellow and has been with Legal Counsel since 2020. Prior to joining the Law Department, Brodsky served as a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.  

Conner Reddan (Counsel) 

Conner Reddan currently serves as Agency Attorney in the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services. Prior to joining the Mayor’s Office, he worked in private banking as a compliance officer. Reddan holds a J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law and a B.Sc. from St. John’s University.  

Devin Stuzin (Policy Advisor) 

Devin Stuzin currently serves as a Graduate Intern in the Mayor’s Office of Policy and Planning. They are passionate about government service and have previously worked in urban park management on Governors Island, as a case manager of major federal actions at a civil rights law firm, and as a City Planning Intern for the City of Santa Barbara. Stuzin will soon complete a Master’s in Urban Planning at Hunter College and holds a B.A. in History from Columbia University. 

Edward Kiernan (Special Counsel) 

Ed Kiernan currently serves as senior counsel in the Office of the Chief Counsel to the Mayor and City Hall. He has previously served as general counsel to the 2024 Charter Revision Commission, special counsel in the Mayor’s Office of Appointments, and as a legislative project manager at the New York City Department of Buildings. He has also worked in the State Senate, in the City Council, and at the New York City Department of Juvenile Justice (now part of the New York City Administration for Children’s Services).  

Kiernan holds a J.D. from New York Law School and a B.A. and MPA from New York University. 

Emily Forgione (Senior Advisor) 

Emily Forgione currently serves as the Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs for the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). Prior to joining FDNY, Emily served as a Senior Policy Analyst in the Division of Energy Management at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services and as a Senior Legislative Representative in the Mayor’s Office of City Legislative Affairs. She also served as a Senior Legislative Policy Analyst at the New York City Council, where she staffed the Economic Development and Governmental Operations Committees and led the Council’s 2020 Census Task Force. She has also served as a Paralegal and Special Projects Coordinator at the New York City Campaign Finance Board. 

Forgione holds an MPA from New York University and a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College. 

Eric Ouyang (Senior Advisor) 

Eric Ouyang is a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Policy and Strategy at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), working across HPD and other city agencies to make housing more affordable and fairer. Previously, he has advised municipalities, housing developers, and community advocates on equitable land use and economic growth. He also built technology to solve public challenges. Ouyang is a graduate of Harvard University. 

Genevieve Bogdanowicz (Policy Advisor) 

Genni Bogdanowicz currently serves as an Urban Fellow in the Mayor’s Office of Policy & Planning. She previously worked as a Research Assistant and Research Coordinator for Professor Tabitha Bonilla at the Northwestern Institute for Policy Research and was a leader in mental health advocacy on campus as an undergraduate student. She holds a B.S. from Northwestern University. 

Helen Chananie (Senior Advisor) 

Helen Chananie is a Senior Policy Advisor for Resilience and Capital Planning at the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice. She previously served as Senior Manager of Strategic Initiatives at the Building Energy Exchange, where she advanced building decarbonization best practices. Chananie holds an MPP in Energy and the Environment from Duke University, with a focus in Community Based Environmental Management. 

Ian Sinclair (Senior Counsel) 

Ian Sinclair is an Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Appeals Division of the New York City Law Department, where he appears before federal and state appellate courts on nearly any issue implicating the City’s diverse interests. He was previously an Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Legal Counsel Division and a Corporation Counsel Honors Fellow. Prior to law school, he worked as a planner and urban designer for the City’s Department of City Planning and its Department of Housing Preservation and Development.  

Sinclair is a graduate of the City University of New York School of Law, the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design, and the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. 

Jacob Russell (Policy Advisor) 

Jacob Russell is a senior policy analyst for the Deputy Mayor of Operations. Prior to joining the Mayor’s Office, Russell investigated organized and white-collar crime at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office Racket Bureau and litigated eviction cases with Brooklyn Legal Service’s Right to Counsel unit. He holds a J.D. from Fordham Law, a B.A. from Bowdoin College, and is a proud alumnus of The High School of American Studies at Lehman College. 

James Bristow (Senior Counsel) 

James Bristow currently serves as Senior Assistant Director and Counsel for Intergovernmental Relations in the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget. He previously worked as a political analyst under former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Joseph Califano. Prior to that he served as the law clerk to the Chief of Operations of the Maryland Legal Aid Bureau. Bristow holds a J.D. from the University of Maryland and a B.A. from the University of South Carolina Honors College. 

Kaley Pillinger (Policy Advisor)  

Kaley Pillinger serves as a Policy Advisor with the Charter Revision Commission and a Legal Fellow with the Mayor's Office of Policy and Planning, and is a current J.D. candidate at Yale Law School.  Prior to her current role, she worked as an affordable housing developer for a firm based in New York City. She is a graduate of Hunter College High School and holds a B.A. and M.A. from Yale University. 

Kary Hudson (Director of Information Technology) 

Kary Hudson is the Associate Director of IT Support at the Mayor’s Office, where he has been serving since November 2021. With a strong focus on operational excellence and a commitment to public service, Hudson leads key IT support initiatives that ensure city systems remain efficient, secure, and responsive. 

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Systems Technology from New York City College of Technology and brings a deep technical foundation combined with leadership experience. Hudson is dedicated to leveraging technology to improve government services and drive lasting impact for the community. 

John Mangin (Director of Policy and Research) 

John Mangin is the Director of the Housing Division at the Department of City Planning. In over a decade at the agency, he has played key roles in City of Yes for Housing Opportunity, the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Program, Zoning for Quality and Affordability, and numerous neighborhood studies.  

Joshua Bey (Policy Advisor)

Joshua Bey currently serves as a Housing Policy Advisor for Deputy Mayor Carrión, Executive Director Leila Bozorg, and Executive Director Marjorie Velazquez. Prior to working at City Hall, Bey was an Asset Manager for a developer in the private sector and for the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal. He holds a B.A. from Albright College, a masters degree from Widener University, and J.D. from Seton Hall Law. 

Julia Meyers (Undergraduate Fellow) 

Julia Meyers is an undergraduate fellow for the Charter Revision Commission. She previously served as an undergraduate fellow with the Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce, working closely on City of Yes for Housing Opportunity. She holds a B.A. from New York University. 

Kathleen Schmid (Senior Counsel) 

Kathleen serves as Deputy Executive Director at New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice, where she leads the Resilient & Efficient Buildings, Clean Energy, and Operations teams.  Prior to her tenure at the Mayor’s Office, she also served as senior counsel in the Environmental Division of the New York City Law Department, where she represented and advised City agencies in environmental and climate litigation and special projects. Schmid founded The Newtown Creek Alliance in 2003 and teaches a course in municipal environmental law at Fordham Law School. 

Schmid holds a J.D. from New York University School of Law and a B.A. from Columbia University. 

Lily Richman (Policy Advisor) 

Lily Richman serves as a Policy Advisor with the Charter Revision Commission and as an Urban Fellow focused on affordable housing and tenants’ rights in the Office of the First Deputy Mayor. Prior to government service, she interned with The Legal Aid Society and taught a class for Boston Public Schools. She holds a B.A. from Harvard University. 

Madeline Labadie (Chief of Staff) 

Madeline Labadie currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff to Mayor Adams, where she oversees mayoral and citywide event teams and Gracie Mansion as well as coordinating City Hall priorities in the portfolios of the Deputy Mayors for Operations and Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce. She leads mayoral priority projects including State of the City and Ticker Tape production and interagency efforts including chairing the Vision Zero Task Force and Flexible Work Committee and co-chairing the E-Micromobility Task Force. She manages all large event bids for the Mayor’s Office, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

Labadie previously served as the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC), where she led Vision Zero efforts and priority projects under three Commissioners, as well as other government and advocacy positions. She holds an MPA and B.A. from New York University. 

Marc Heinrich (Senior Counsel) 

Marc Heinrich currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Police Commissioner. He previously worked as Policy Director within the Mayor's Office of Policy & Planning and a Senior Policy Advisor to former Mayor Bloomberg and Policy Director to then-Governor Bullock on their respective presidential campaigns. He also worked as a Senior Business Analyst at McKinsey & Company. Heinrich holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A. from Columbia University. 

Meagan Chen (Senior Counsel) 

Meagan Chen currently serves as Deputy Agency Chief Contracting Officer of Policy for the Department of Transportation where she oversees various contracts, including those related to ferries and roadway repair and maintenance. She previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of the First Deputy Mayor. She has also previously worked as Director of Strategic Initiatives for the New York City Council, as General Counsel for the Mayor’s Office of City Legislative Affairs, in the Legislative Division of the City Council, and as a staffer in the New York State Assembly. She holds a J.D. from CUNY School of Law, a B.A. from the University at Albany, and an A.A. from Bard College.  

Mitchell Baker (Policy Advisor)

Mitchell Baker currently serves as a Policy Advisor to First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro, where he oversees daily operations and strategic initiatives. He was previously an Urban Fellow for the Office of the First Deputy Mayor. Prior to his New York City government service, he was a Fulbright Scholar assigned to Taiwan. He holds a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross.   

Robert Holbrook (Senior Advisor)

Rob Holbrook serves as the Executive Director of Get Stuff Built in the Mayor’s Office of Planning and Policy. He has served in New York City government for 20 years at the Department of City Planning, New York City Economic Development Corporation, and the Mayor’s Office. In 2022, he served as the executive director of the Building and Land Use Approval Streamlining Taskforce. Holbrook received a Master of Public Administration from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Arts from St John’s College. 

Sophia Askari (Communications Advisor)

Sophia Askari currently serves as Press Assistant in the office of Deputy Mayor of Communications Fabien Levy, where she handles administrative and strategic initiatives, contributing to media operations and public communication. She graduated in 2023 with a B.A. from Syracuse University. 

Tim McKernan (Senior Counsel)

Timothy McKernan is currently an attorney at the New York City School Construction Authority.  Prior to SCA, he served as senior assistant general counsel at the NYC Department of Buildings.  Before DOB, McKernan was an assistant corporation counsel in the Contracts & Real Estate Division of the NYC Law Department.  McKernan holds a B.A. and J.D. from the University of Virginia. 

William Fowler (Senior Communications Advisor)

William Fowler serves as a deputy press secretary and communications advisor in the New York City Mayor’s Office of Communications where he works on communications for a range of issues including housing, city planning, economic development, health, and social services. Prior to the Mayor’s Office, Fowler served as press secretary for the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the New York City Housing Development Corporation, and as a public relations aide for the New York City Campaign Finance Board. He received a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications from the University of Mississippi in 2015.