Operations Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor Appointments

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to announce two new staff appointments as the final pieces in our recent organizational updates. Emma Barash is my new Chief of Staff, replacing Lauren Gray, who has taken on the role of Senior Vice President of Quality Assurance, Safety, and Technical Programs. Emma was born and raised in “our beloved NYC.” She left the city for a year to attend the University of California, Berkeley, where she recently graduated with a Master of Public Administration. Previously, Emma held multiple roles at City Hall, including Chief of Staff at the Vaccine Command Center during the pandemic. She also served as Chief of Staff at the Mayor’s Public Engagement Unit, where she helped connect New Yorkers to vital services and public benefit programs from multiple City agencies. She brings to NYCHA an impactful ability to understand the customer experience and navigate government. I am confident that she will hit the ground running and look forward to your collaboration with her.

I’d like to give a special thank you to Lauren Gray for serving as my Chief of Staff over the last year and a half. She is truly a dedicated leader who provided honest guidance and support to me and many others. I know she is going to excel in her new role as SVP of Quality Assurance, Safety, and Technical Programs. 

I am also pleased to announce the promotion of Cyril Gaetan as Senior Advisor to Dan Greene, Executive Vice President for Property Management Operations. Cyril has 28 years of public service and NYCHA experience. He started as a Caretaker J in 1995 and has been a Heating Plant Technician, Assistant Superintendent, Maintenance Worker, Assistant Superintendent in the Pests Department, and, most recently, a Neighborhood Administrator for Manhattan Neighborhood 4, which includes Douglass, Amsterdam, De Hostos, and Strauss Houses. Cyril’s experience, creativity, and energy will help us build stronger connections within the Property Management Operations team as part of our fundamental mission to improve the conditions in which our residents live and in which our staff work.

Please feel free to reach out to Emma and Cyril and welcome them to the team (and include them on emails for Dan and I going forward).

Thank you,

Eva Trimble, Chief Operating Officer