Staff

Irfan Ahmed, Chief Of Staff

Irfan serves as the Chief Of Staff at the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. Irfan manages the New York City Soccer Initiative and oversees a diverse array of public-private partnerships. Prior to joining the Mayor's Fund in 2016 as the Programs and Policy Associate, Irfan served as the Financial Literacy Coordinator at the Arab-American Family Support Center (AAFSC), a nonprofit organization that provides culturally competent social services to recently arrived immigrants. Irfan joined AAFSC in 2014 as a Development Assistant, where he composed grant proposals for several direct service programs. He also successfully fundraised and designed the first-ever financial literacy initiative called, the Financial Revitalization through Economic Empowerment project, which provides personal economic planning courses and coaching services for immigrants and survivors of domestic violence. Previously, he worked for a variety of nonprofit organizations that specialize in areas of international education, interfaith relations, and global peace and security. Irfan is a graduate of Manhattan College and currently resides in Manhattan.

Najma Ali Chermin, Counsel and Director of Programs and Policy

Najma Ali Chermin serves as Counsel and Director of Programs and Policy at the Mayor's Fund, where she facilitates partnerships and oversees contractual relationships between the Mayor's Fund, institutional donors, City agencies and local community-based organizations to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of public program services to New Yorkers. Najma has extensive experience in New York City government, serving in various different capacities. In her most recent role, she served as Associate General Counsel at the New York City Department of Social Services where she was responsible for overseeing the legal processes required for opening new homeless shelters, including guidance on litigation strategy, shelter procurement and regulatory requirements. Najma also previously served as Associate General Counsel at the New York City Mayor's Office of Operations, where she provided legal guidance on a wide range of issues related to advancing the City's policy goals through data-driven approaches. Najma is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law and a native of New Jersey.

Hannah Forgeron, Development Associate

Hannah Forgeron serves as the Development Associate at the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. Hannah supports the Development team in all fundraising, data maintenance, donor management and logistical needs. Prior to joining the Fund, Hannah served as the Finance Assistant for the East Coast and Midwest on a record-breaking U.S. Senate race in Arizona. After successfully helping Mark Kelly elected to the Senate and flipping Arizona blue, Hannah brought her passion for fundraising to New York City. Hannah is a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder and currently resides in Manhattan.

Cesaryna Pena, Programs and Policy Manager

Cesaryna Pena is the Administrative and Programs Associate at the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. In her role, Cesaryna provides administrative and programmatic support across Mayor's Fund teams, which include serving as Deputy Agency Chief Contracting Officer. Prior to joining the Mayor's Fund, Cesaryna was an Administrative Assistant at a small middle-market investment banking firm while completing a full-time course load at Medgar Evers College. Cesaryna graduated with a Bachelor's in Public Administration in May 2015. She has also interned with the Fiscal Operations department at the Mayor's Office as well as with the public relations department at Bloomberg LP. Cesaryna was born in New York City and lives in upper Manhattan with her parents and three younger brothers.

Jill Price, Director of Finance and Operations

Jill Price serves as the Director of Finance and Operations at the Mayor's Fund and oversees all aspects related to finances, operations, and human resources. Jill is formerly from Emma L. Bowen Community Service Center as Chief Financial Officer after serving as the Director of Administration and Finance with National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. from 2012 through 2019. Jill has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Accounting, graduating from Adelphi University. She has worked for various organizations including the General Vision Services as a Controller, the Harlem United Community AIDS Center and the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Jill also holds a Certificate of Graphic and Digital Design from Parsons School of Design, New School University.

Marcella J Tillett, LMSW, Executive Director

Marcella joined the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City in September 2022, as Executive Director.  She is an experienced, transformative nonprofit and philanthropic leader.  Prior to the Mayor’s Fund, Marcella served as the Vice President of Programs and Partnerships at Brooklyn Community Foundation (BCF), directing strategic grantmaking, partnerships and community leadership programs. She was responsible for developing, refining and routinizing how BCF operationalized its values of racial equity, racial justice and community engagement, with a focus on shifting power to directly impact communities. Earlier in her career, Marcella provided senior leadership at Planned Parenthood of New York City and spent well over a decade actively engaged in community planning and engagement work related to HIV prevention and access to care, substance misuse harm reduction, and reproductive health and justice issues in NYC and nationally, aimed at asserting community voices and priorities during the development of policies, services and funding plans. Marcella earned a Bachelors of Social Work from Clark Atlanta University and a Master's of Science in Social Work from Columbia University, where she is an Adjunct Professor, teaching ‘Decolonizing Social Work Practice’ which trains graduate social work students to develop anti-oppressive practices. Marcella resides in Brooklyn.