Senior Team

Adolfo Carrión Jr.,
Commissioner

Adolfo Carrión Jr. is the HPD Commissioner. Carrión has spent his professional career working to build and improve historically marginalized communities in the Bronx, in other areas of New York City, and around the country. Before starting Metro Futures, Carrión served as regional administrator for Region II of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, deputy assistant to President Barack Obama, and director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs. Carrión’s work resulted in the establishment of a White House Urban Policy Working Group and the first interagency review in 30 years of federal government policy and funding in U.S. urban and metropolitan areas. Prior to his tenure in the federal government, Carrión served as Bronx Borough President and as a member of the New York City Council. His work as Borough President ushered in a new era of building and growth in the Bronx that increased investment in housing, schools, millions of square feet of commercial space, the new Yankee Stadium, and new businesses. Carrión also served as president of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), is an Aspen Institute Rodel Fellows alumnus, and has served on numerous boards for non-profit and government entities. He also served as executive vice president of Stagg Group, a housing development and management firm, and senior advisor for Corporate Development to the CSA Group, the largest Hispanic-owned architecture and engineering firm in the U.S.

Prior to joining HPD, Carrión was the CEO and founder of Metro Futures LLC, a real estate development and consulting firm, whose focus is the development of affordable housing, mixed-use and economic development projects, and strategic planning in the New York City Metro Area. Carrión received his Bachelor of Arts from the King’s College and a Master’s in Urban Planning from Hunter College.

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Ahmed Tigani,
Chief Diversity Officer and First Deputy Commissioner

Ahmed Tigani is HPD's First Deputy Commissioner and oversees HPD's Office of Neighborhood Strategies and Division of Tenant Resources, in addition to the Office of Financial Management, and the Economic Opportunity and Regulatory Compliance, Engineering Audit, Human Resources, and General Services Divisions. Ahmed will continue efforts to foster and strenthen synergies between these critically important areas and all the work of the agency.

An experienced urban planner and policy manager, Ahmed first joined HPD as the Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Neighborhood Strategies. Prior to joining HPD, Ahmed most recently served as Chief of Staff to the Commissioner for the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB). Before joining DOB, Ahmed was Senior Advisor for Housing, Economic Development, and Labor in the Mayor’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. Ahmed came to the Administration from the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, first as Community Development Officer and then as Assistant Director of Land Use, Planning and Development, organizing and helping communities develop planning processes, managing various working groups focused on specific policy issues and helping to shape the Office’s positions on a range of discretionary land use projects. He also served as Director of Housing Policy and Advocacy and then Legislative Director for the Office of NYC Council Member Helen Rosenthal. Ahmed started his career in City government as Director of Donations for Materials for the Arts at the Department of Cultural Affairs. Ahmed holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Urban Planning from Hunter College.

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George Sarkissian,
Chief of Staff and Deputy Commissioner for External Affairs

George Sarkissian is the Chief of Staff and Deputy Commissioner for External Affairs. In addition to coordinating the myriad policy initiatives across HPD teams, serving as the primary liaison with City Hall, stakeholders, and other agencies, George leads HPD’s external affairs efforts, including both government affairs and communications.

Prior to coming to HPD, George worked for the NYC Council’s Land Use Division where he advised and supported Council Members as they reviewed land use applications, including HPD-sponsored affordable housing projects. Working with community stakeholders, he led a team that developed a neighborhood-based plan in East Harlem, which resulted in a neighborhood rezoning and important community investments. He also led the Council teams that worked on the Inwood Rezoning, the Borough-Based Jails plan that will lead to the closure of Rikers Island, as well as the development of legislation to require racial equity reports for certain land use applications.

Before his work at the Council, George served as the District Manager of Community Board 11 in East Harlem. George received a Master of Science from the New School University with a focus in Urban Policy Analysis and Management.

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Brendan McLaughlin,
Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Strategy

Brendan McLaughlin is the Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Strategy, an office that cuts across traditional areas of responsibility within HPD’s organizational structure to support and strengthen the work of the agency’s various divisions holistically, in close collaboration with the Commissioner’s Office. Brendan will oversee the divisions of Strategic Operations and Analytics, Housing Policy, and Credit and Underwriting

Brendan joined HPD as a Senior Underwriter in 2015, and most recently has served as Executive Director of Credit & Special Underwriting in the Office of Development. Brendan serves as the Chair of HPD’s Credit Committee and represents the agency on the New York City Acquisition Loan Fund and Down Payment Assistance Credit Committees. Previously, Brendan served as a Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and prior to that was an Assistant Vice President of Investor Relations at Citigroup. He started his career as an Equity Research Analyst at Salomon Smith Barney/Citigroup. Brendan received his undergraduate degree in Finance from James Madison University and holds a M.Sc. in Real Estate Development from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP). Brendan also currently serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Urban Planning at both Columbia GSAPP and the Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service at New York University.

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Kim Darga
Deputy Commissioner for Development

Kim Darga oversees HPD's Office of Development, with divisions including New Construction, Preservation Finance, Housing Incentives, Homeownership Opportunities and Preservation, Compliance and Enforcement, Special Needs Housing, and Building and Land Development Services (BLDS). In addition, Kim ensures that the Office of Development is closely coordinated with other critical functions of the Agency, including Neighborhood Strategies, Planning, Policy & Strategy, Code Enforcement, and Asset Management.

Kim first joined HPD as a project manager in 2007, and over the last 16 years, served in numerous leadership positions within the Office of Development. Most recently, as Associate Commissioner of Preservation, Kim led the agency’s housing preservation strategy and oversaw a large and varied transactional pipeline. With her team, she has worked to provide and preserve affordable rental and homeownership opportunities and expand resources for owners seeking financial assistance, including through the new programs like the Landlord Ambassador Program, Neighborhood Pillars, Housing Preservation Opportunities, and the Green Housing Preservation Program. Through HomeFix and the Basement Apartment Conversion Pilot Program, Kim and her team have expanded support for homeowners. Prior to joining HPD, Kim worked in various economic development and urban planning capacities in New York City, Dallas, and Beacon, NY. Kim received a Master of Public Policy from University of Michigan.

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Maurice Dobson,
Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs

Maurice Dobson is the General Counsel and Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs. As HPD’s chief legal officer, Maurice oversees the Office of Legal Affairs which consists of the Contracts and Real Estate, Operations and Legislation, Regulatory Affairs, Tax Incentives and Housing Supervision, Mortgage Enforcement Litigation, Landlord-Tenant Litigation, and Procurement Services Divisions.

Maurice joined HPD in 2004 as a Senior Counsel and then Associate General Counsel in the Office of Legal Affairs. Since 2005, he has served as a Deputy General Counsel with increasing responsibilities and, most recently, oversaw the Operations and Legislation Division which handles legal work and provides legal advice related to contracts, procurement, labor, legislation, and other operational activities/initiatives of the agency, including marketing of affordable housing and Minority and Women -owned Business Enterprise initiatives. Prior to coming to HPD, Maurice served as an Assistant Counsel and then as Deputy Counsel for Capital Projects for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Maurice received a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Texas.

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AnnMarie Santiago,
Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement and Neighborhood Services

AnnMarie Santiago has served as Deputy Commissioner for the Office of Enforcement and Neighborhood Services (ENS) at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) since 2018. AnnMarie oversees a staff of approximately 1,000 employees responsible for assuring compliance with the New York City Housing Maintenance Code and the New York State Multiple Dwelling Law to promote quality housing for New Yorkers. Her Office conducts inspections and emergency repairs, initiates litigation in Housing Court related to housing maintenance code violations and provides outreach and information to property owners and tenants regarding rights and responsibilities related to housing maintenance issues.

AnnMarie received her Bachelor’s Degree from New York University and her Masters in Management and Urban Policy from the New School. She started her career in City government in 1994 as an Urban Fellow working for the Mayor’s Office. She joined HPD in 1996 and has served in a variety of capacities related to housing code enforcement. She was promoted to Associate Commissioner in 2012 and to Assistant Deputy Commissioner in 2015, and received the Sloan Public Service Award in 2017.

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Vacant,
Deputy Commissioner for Asset and Property Management

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Gardea Caphart,
Deputy Commissioner for Finance and Administration

Gardea Caphart joined HPD as the Assistant Commissioner of Budget in December 2021, leading the Division of Budget in managing the agency’s over $1 billion operating budget and ensuring that the agency has sufficient resources to carry out its mission of promoting the quality and affordability of the city's housing and the strength and diversity of its many neighborhoods. With about 18 years of experience at various levels of city government, Gardea keenly understands that the City has a responsibility to manage taxpayer dollars wisely to ensure the wellbeing of all New Yorkers - especially as it relates to providing housing.

Prior to joining HPD, Gardea served as the Director of Finance and Operations at the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, where he oversaw the agency's budget, advised leadership on fiscal and operational matters, and managed LPC’s Historic Preservation Grant Program. Active in his community, he previously served on Brooklyn Community Board 4 as Treasurer, and in his spare time, he enjoys working on volunteer projects with New York Cares. Gardea received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Monroe College, and his MBA in Finance from St. John’s University.

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Prashant Thakker,
Chief Information Officer and Deputy Commissioner for HPD Tech

Prashant Thakker is HPD's Chief Information Officer and leads HPD Tech, which fosters quality technology solutions to empower decision makers with access to complete and accurate data on building, neighborhood, and market conditions. The Office aims to improve HPD's service to New Yorkers by facilitating public access to key agency functions and data.

Before joining HPD in 2021, Prashant served as the Deputy Chief Information Officer for the NYC Department of Social Services (DSS), managing most of DSS’ IT departments, a staff of 900+, and more than 500 vendor contracts valued at more than $150 million. A seasoned IT executive, Prashant first joined the New York City public sector in 1999 at NYC’s Human Resources Administration (HRA). Since then, he has earned a reputation for his ability to deliver mission-critical projects on time and within budget. He is a graduate of the University of Bombay, India.