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Senior Team
Senior Team
Dina Levy,
Incoming Commissioner
As Incoming Commissioner, Dina Levy oversees all aspects of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and leads the agency’s work across every division to advance the city’s mission of ensuring quality, affordable housing and strengthening the diversity and resilience of New York neighborhoods. She leads HPD’s team of public servants and works closely with community leaders and city partners to expand housing access, support equitable development, and deliver results for New Yorkers.
Dina has spent her career fighting for safe, affordable housing for all New Yorkers, specializing in building and advancing initiatives designed around real needs in the areas of community development, affordable housing, and resiliency. As both an advocate and a public servant, she has championed tenants and homeowners alike. She has a wealth of experience organizing tenants, managing housing finance, and advancing community development.
Prior to joining HPD, Dina served as Senior Vice President of Homeownership and Community Development at Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), New York State’s affordable housing agency, where she was responsible for the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA), Office of Community Renewal, and Faith-Based Initiatives.
Dina also spent 20 years in the nonprofit sector, with a focus on social and economic justice. She worked for the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) where she served as Director of Organizing, building strategic coalitions to preserve, expand, and improve the quality of affordable housing across New York City.
Dina received a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) focused in Mass Communication/Media Studies from the University of Delaware.
Vacant,
Chief Diversity Officer and First Deputy Commissioner
Alicka Ampry-Samuel,
Deputy Commissioner for Asset and Property Management
Alicka Ampry-Samuel serves as HPD’s Deputy Commissioner for Asset Management & Property Management, where she leads strategies to protect and maintain the city’s affordable housing stock and strengthen operational performance across HPD’s portfolio. Ampry-Samuel brings over two decades of experience in housing, community development, and public service. She previously held senior roles in local and federal housing policy, including serving as Regional Administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s New York and New Jersey office, where she oversaw HUD operations across the region and worked to expand access to affordable housing and supportive services.
Earlier in her career, Ampry-Samuel represented Brooklyn’s 41st Council District on the New York City Council, where she was appointed Deputy Leader and Chair of the Public Housing Committee and advocated for stronger housing policy, community investment, and tenant protections. Before her time in elected office, she served as a senior advisor in community engagement and partnerships at the New York City Housing Authority, worked at the U.S. Embassy in Ghana on human rights and community development initiatives, and held public service roles including Chief of Staff for a State Assembly member and Child Protective Specialist with the NYC Administration for Children Services.
Ampry-Samuel grew up in NYCHA’s Marcus Garvey Houses in Brownsville, Brooklyn, grounding her work in lived experience and a long-standing commitment to elevating the voices of public housing communities. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University and a Juris Doctor from CUNY School of Law.
Rosa Kelly,
Chief of Staff
Rosa Kelly is the Chief of Staff at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Rosa helps lead the day-to-day management of agency operations and the Commissioner’s office and guides the strategic priorities of HPD. With a background spanning land use, strategic planning, and public affairs, Rosa has dedicated her career to advancing housing initiatives and community development in New York City.
Prior to her current role, Rosa served as Executive Director for Government Affairs at HPD, where she led stakeholder engagement, negotiated land use approvals, and served as the agency's point of contact with elected officials and other external stakeholders.
Rosa's experience includes previous roles at HPD and the Department of Small Business Services focused on neighborhood planning, small business services and community economic development and the NYC Council's Planning and Land Use Division, where she provided technical assistance on land use changes and support for Council strategic initiatives. She is a proud alum of the Americorps Public Allies fellowship.
She holds a Master of Science in City and Regional Planning from Pratt Institute and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Colorado.
Vacant,
Deputy Commissioner for External Affairs
Lucy Joffe,
Deputy Commissioner for Policy and Strategy
Lucy Joffe serves as HPD's Deputy Commissioner for Policy & Strategy. HPD's Office of Policy & Strategy (OPS) leverages its expertise to guide and support HPD and its many offices in their efforts to deepen their impact, optimize their efficiency, and become more data-driven, compliance-attentive, climate-adaptive, and mission-focused. OPS collaborates with staff and senior leadership from across the agency, as well as with representatives from other agencies. OPS carries out its work through delivery of rigorous data, policy, and financial/credit analysis; technical and statistical research; compliance awareness and adherence; and techniques in program visioning and design to all HPD's areas of practice. OPS includes Strategic Operations & Analytics, Sustainability, Credit & Valuation, Housing Policy, and Research & Evaluation as well as the newly-launched Center for Research on Housing Opportunity, Mobility, and Equity (HOME).
Lucy joined HPD as the Executive Director of Regulatory Compliance and then served as Assistant Commissioner for Housing Policy and the Associate Commissioner for Housing Policy. She was an attorney-advisor in the Office of General Counsel of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and as a legislative aide for the New York City Council after starting her career as a New York City public school teacher. She was a Teach for America corps member and an Americorps member. She is currently a member of several nonprofit boards and teaches at the City College of New York.
Lucy earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan, a Master of Science for Teachers from Pace University and a Juris Doctorate from the New York University School of Law.
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.
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.
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.
Meryl Block Weissman,
Deputy Commissioner for Housing Access and Stability
Meryl Block Weissman serves as HPD's Deputy Commissioner for Housing Access and Stability. The Office of Housing Access and Stability (HAS) ensures fair, efficient, and transparent access to affordable housing. Through subsidies, placement services, and tools, HAS connects New Yorkers to affordable housing, ensures that vulnerable households in subsidized housing have the support they need to remain safely housed, and helps stabilize the financial health of buildings. HAS includes the Divisions of Housing Opportunity, Tenant and Owner Resources, Program Policy and Innovation, Housing Stability, and Budget and Program Operations.
Meryl began her HPD career in 2003 as an Operations Analyst and later served as Chief of Staff in the Office of Housing Operations. In 2010, she launched what would become HPD's Division of Strategic Operations (SOA) in the Office of Policy and Strategy. As Associate Commissioner of SOA, Meryl advanced strategic planning, fostered operational innovation, and implemented new data-driven processes across HPD. She also led performance management initiatives, promoted digital equity, and oversaw cross-agency compliance functions. Before joining HPD, Meryl worked in community and political organizing.
Meryl holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Vermont and a Master of Urban Planning from NYU's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service.
Gardea Caphart,
Deputy Commissioner for Finance and Administration, CFO
Gardea Caphart is the Deputy Commissioner for Finance and Administration at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), where he serves as the agency’s Chief Financial Officer and oversees the Divisions of Budget, Capital Planning, Fiscal Affairs, Human Resources, and General Services. In this role, he is charged with the planning and management of the agency's resources, including its approximate $4 billion annual operating and capital budget, and advises the Commissioner and senior team on how to improve efficiency and allocate funding to carry out HPD's mission of promoting the quality and affordability of the city's housing and the strength and diversity of its many neighborhoods.
With about 2 decades 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.
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.