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.

Chief Strategic Engagement Officer

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.

Chief Operating Officer

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.

Senior Manager, Art & Culture

Kemi “TRUTHIS” Karim is an interdisciplinary artist, community organizer, and founder of TRUTHIS Studios, a Brooklyn-based creative collective. Grounded in themes of shared spaces and belonging, Karim’s work delves into identity, womanhood, and the lived experiences that shape and define communities. Her practice centers on how individuals represent themselves, uplift one another, and celebrate cultural pride and resilience despite systemic barriers. Using medium-format digital and film photography, filmmaking, and digital design, Karim captures both individual and collective narratives, fostering spaces for deep conversation, healing, and perspective shifts. Her work is dedicated to education, empowerment, and storytelling that challenges stereotypes while honoring the beauty and complexity of her subjects. She is best known for A GREAT DAY IN BROOKLYN, an acclaimed annual festival celebrating arts and culture in the borough.

Karim currently serves as the Senior Manager of Art & Culture at the Public Housing Community Fund, where she spearheads initiatives that bring transformative arts programming to NYCHA communities. She holds a BA in Public Relations from Howard University.

Director of Capital Projects

Aren Castro is a multidisciplinary leader focused on transforming public housing and public space through resident-centered capital investment and community partnership. As Director of Capital Projects at the Public Housing Community Fund, he supports projects across NYCHA communities that improve shared public spaces, strengthen neighborhood infrastructure, and respond directly to resident priorities.

Previously, as Associate Director of Design & Neighborhood Equity at the Center for Justice Innovation, Aren led public space and engagement initiatives across NYCHA communities citywide. His work included managing capital investments, facilitating participatory planning and co-design processes, and coordinating with City agencies, residents, and community organizations to advance neighborhood and public realm improvements. His background spans urban design, transportation planning, architecture, and public realm strategy through previous roles with Street Plans Collaborative and Brooks Scarpa Huber, where he contributed to mobility, infrastructure, and community-focused development initiatives across the country. Aren holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Florida Atlantic University, is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Pratt Institute’s Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment, and serves as a Committee Chair on the Associate Board of the Urban Design Forum.

Assistant Director of Capital Projects

Rylie is an architect passionate about the intersection of community engaged architectural practice, access to positively impactful public space, and housing equity. Her career started with a fellowship in collaboration with the Sam Fox School Office for Socially Engaged Practice at Washington University in St. Louis and local architecture firm Trivers, where she worked on St. Louis community-focused projects. She has continued to work on housing, public parks, education, and cultural projects, at the scale of both building and master planning at architecture firms in St. Louis, Houston, and New York City. Her background in planning is balanced by an enthusiasm to dive into the details of how any building project comes together. She holds a Master of Architecture degree from Rice University and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

Program Manager

Tarin is a preservationist with a background in heritage management and community-based design. They have worked in various settings, including museums, historic houses, and landmarked sites. They have contributed to exhibitions, conferences, and public programs as a consultant. They are dedicated to managing stakeholder advisory programs and preserving public art and architecture through diverse initiatives across New York City. Tarin serves as Program Manager for the Public Housing Community Fund. Tarin holds a BS in Architecture from the University of Virginia and a MSc in Historic Preservation from Pratt Institute.

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.