nyc department of small business services (sbs) / new york, ny

A New York City government agency that unlocks economic potential and creates economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building thriving neighborhoods.

Deputy Commissioner, Neighborhood Development Division / 2014-2022

• Oversaw citywide nonprofit capacity building, neighborhood planning, and grant investments in low- and moderate-income communities; champions community-based organizations to empower them with the tools, resources, and best practices to foster and maintain vibrant neighborhood commercial districts and public spaces

• Responsible for a team that represents the Mayor on 76 Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), the largest network in the country, delivering more than $170MM annually in supplemental services; oversaw formation of 9 new BIDs and expansion of 6 BIDs

• Lead a division of 30 and oversaw a network of 100+ community-based partners and grantees

• Established NYC’s first regulation allowing for commercial revitalization grantmaking to nonprofits using city tax levy dollars; spearheaded a rulemaking process within government to make it happen, which has been transformational for business districts

• Created the Neighborhood 360 Program, a comprehensive community-based planning initiative for local commercial districts that established new tools for participatory research and collaborative data collection to guide neighborhood plans

• Secured federal and local tax levy dollars to expand nonprofit grantmaking from $1.35MM to $10MM annually; awarded over $35MM in commercial revitalization, organizational development, and capacity-building grants to nonprofits

• Co-designed, funded, and published 27 Commercial District Needs Assessments to guide community-driven interventions

• Conceived of, spearheaded, and funded a partnership between Public Policy Lab, the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT), and the 76-member NYC BID Association to increase proactive two-way communication between NYC DOT and BIDs; incorporated the needs and challenges of local businesses into transportation planning, community outreach, and policy implementation

• Created a new partnership with BRIC Arts Media to help build the capacity of SBS’ nonprofit neighborhood grantees to tell their stories and share their work and impact using short-form videos that can be shared via social media or paid advertising

• Shepherded multiple interagency partnerships between the small business community and the Office of Recovery, Mayor’s Office of People with Disabilities, Department of Transportation, Department of Design & Construction, NYPD, and Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics

• Graduated 160 local nonprofit leaders from the cohort-based Neighborhood Leadership program, now in its 12th year, in partnership with the Coro New York Leadership Center

• Modernized grant applications, contract management, and data tracking to leverage the latest cloud-based tools and technologies

myrtle avenue brooklyn partnership / brooklyn, ny

A partnership comprised of two entities, the Myrtle Avenue Revitalization Project LDC and Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Business Improvement District, whose mission is to transform a disinvested commercial corridor along 20+ mixed-use blocks in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, into a thriving business district.

Executive Director / 2004-2014

• Led Partnership, fostered an inclusive, vibrant community anchored by Myrtle Avenue, built community capacity, identified needs, and provided services that connected neighborhood businesses to resources and opportunities

• Spearheaded the concept, outreach, and community design process for a streetscape and public pedestrian plaza capital project; raised over $6MM in public capital funding to execute

• Attracted $2.8MM in public and private investment to rehabilitate Myrtle’s historic building stock and vacant storefronts

• Spurred the development of vacant and underdeveloped lots to bring 1,350 new residential units and 82K sf of retail space

• Lowered the storefront vacancy rate from over 20% to 5% and recruited over 100 small businesses to improve the local retail mix; maintained a small business mix of 73% minority- and woman-owned and 95% locally owned businesses

• Grew budget of $255K to $1.2MM, and staff from one to nine employees, while managing 32 trustees on two separate boards

• Conceived of and implemented the award-winning “Home Grown & Locally Owned” shop local and branding campaign; partnered with public housing residents and seniors to create community gardens and improve access to fresh food and produce

• Initiated a neighborhood public art program to bring local sculpture and visual art into underutilized public and private spaces

Program Manager / 2003-2004

• Initiated and managed an extensive outreach and educational effort with merchants and property owners for the planning and designation of the new BID along Myrtle Avenue

• Guided the BID through the legislative process, incorporated new nonprofit entity, formed the board, and contracted with the city

• Partnered with Pratt Institute’s graphic and industrial design departments to bring creative services to storefront businesses

• Provided storefront improvement grants, marketing assistance, and government compliance help to 200 small businesses

• Hired as an Intern in 2002 and was quickly promoted to a position of increased responsibility

early career

• Systems Consultant: Content Management / Madrid, Spain / 1998-2000

• CGI / Systems Analyst / Fairfax, VA and Dusseldorf, Germany / 1996-1998