NYCHA Now

NYCHANow chronicles the hard work of the men and women who make the New York City Housing Authority run, reporting the latest news and happenings.

NYCHA Now
May 2023 NYCHA Leadership 

Significant Updates in Operations

Michael Corwin

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce key organizational enhancements and new leadership roles within Operations. These improvements are part of our efforts to strengthen the Authority and improve residents’ quality of life, as guided by NYCHA’s Transformation Plan. Please read on to learn more about the changes, which will better coordinate delivery of services to residents, promote communication across teams, and strengthen accountability.

Property Management Operations

 As part of the restructuring, Property Management Operations now consists of the Public Housing Operations Borough Vice Presidents, HUD Inspections Department, and Healthy Homes. Executive Vice President Daniel Greene leads Property Management Operations.

Developed over the past year, HUD Inspections, led by Director Ester Tomicic-Hines, was moved to Property Management, as preparing for inspections must be part of our daily operational work.

Healthy Homes – our work to address lead, asbestos, mold, and other critical areas – is now also integrated with Property Management. Within Healthy Homes’ Office of Mold Assessment and Remediation, the recently created Water Quality Department, led by Director Jegan Abraham, monitors and enforces water quality standards across our developments.  

Quality Assurance, Safety, and Technical Programs

 Under Senior Vice President Lauren Gray, the new Quality Assurance, Safety, and Technical Programs portfolio bridges the work of the Quality Assurance, Technical Resources, Public Safety, and Planning and Project Management departments.

 Vice President Cal Bruno oversees the Technical Services Department (which was formerly known as Operational Analysis and Contract Management). To streamline this department, we made the following updates:

  • The Fire Safety Unit will now be a distinct unit within Technical Services.
  • Technical Resources, formerly known as Technical Services, is led by Joe Militano.
  • Special Repair Projects (formerly known as Paint Administration), led by Director Bane Bermudez, was renamed to indicate the full scope of the work performed by the unit.
  • TEMPO (Team for Enhanced Management, Planning, and Outreach), led by Director Anthony Marotta (and formerly known as Rapid Response), was renamed to indicate that it is focused on remediating lead in apartments with children under the age of 6.
  • Property management contracts for developments that are privately managed (i.e., with Kraus and BMA) are now under the purview of the Neighborhood Administrators to better integrate privately managed properties into the Neighborhood Model.

Planning and Project Management, led by Senior Director Yadhira Espinal, now includes Management and Planning, led by Director Andrew Faubel, to facilitate continuity between project planning and implementation within Operations.

Support Services

 Executive Vice President of Support Services Keith Grossman leads Support Services, which includes Elevator Service and Repair, Emergency Management Services, Heating Management Services, Pest Management, and Waste Management.   

Public Housing Operations Tenancy Administration

Senior Vice President of Public Housing Tenancy Administration Sylvia Aude leads Public Housing Operations Tenancy Administration, which includes Applications Tenancy and Administration, Management Services, and Public Housing Tenancy Operations.  

Resident Services, Partnerships, and Initiatives (RSPI)

Executive Vice President Ukah Busgith leads RSPI. Formerly known as Community Engagement and Partnerships, the new name better conveys the work of each team within RSPI:

  • Resident Services, led by Vice President Leroy Williams:
    • Resident Partnerships and Civic Engagement (RPCE), formerly known as Resident Engagement, led by Senior Director DaVida Rowley Blackman, partners with resident associations and ensures that RA elections are conducted properly so residents are involved and represented.
    • Resident Outreach for Conversion and Modernization Services (ROCMS), formerly known as Community Development, led by Director D’Andra Van Heusen-Thomas, conducts resident outreach at sites benefitting from housing preservation programs such as Comp Mod, RAD/PACT, and, in the future, the Trust.
    • Resident Relocation Services, led by Director Delores Stewart, is a new department that is focused on efforts to assist residents who are temporarily relocating due to lead and asbestos abatement as well as major capital improvements in their homes.
  • Community Partnerships, led by Senior Director Erin Giventer, is a new department that combines Family Partnerships (led by Director Marina Oteiza) and Public/Private Partnerships under a single leadership to streamline interactions with community partners. This portfolio manages social service networks, relationships with City agency and provider partners at community centers, and grant opportunities from private and philanthropic partners.
  • Resident Initiatives, led by Senior Director Shanna Castillo, combines Health Initiatives (led by Director Andrea Mata) and Resident Economic Empowerment & Sustainability (REES) (led by Director Michelle Raymie) under a single leadership to streamline our programs and foster residents’ economic and overall well-being.

We will keep you updated as we continue to transform the Authority and improve service to residents. Thank you for your partnership and all your contributions, which are key to our progress.

Thank you,

Lisa Bova-Hiatt, Interim Chief Executive Officer

Eva Trimble, Chief Operating Officer

 

Learn more about a few members of Operations leadership:

Daniel Greene, Executive Vice President for Property Management Operations

Daniel Greene was appointed NYCHA’s Executive Vice President of Property Management Operations in May 2023. He is responsible for the overall management of day-to-day borough and development operations, and will continue to oversee the administration of lead-based paint, mold operations, asbestos, and other initiatives that focus on the health and safety of residents.

Daniel joined the Authority in April 2019 as Acting Chief Compliance Officer, and he was appointed Chief Compliance Officer in November 2019. In this role, he oversaw NYCHA’s compliance with federal, State, and local laws and regulations and ensured the accuracy of NYCHA’s regulatory reporting and statements. He also led the establishment of a communication channel for compliance-related complaints made by NYCHA residents, employees, contractors, and the general public. In January 2022, Daniel was appointed Senior Vice President of Healthy Homes, where he oversaw the launch of the TEMPO Lead Abatement Program, the Mold and Leak Scorecard, and the Moveout Delivery Office.  These programs were designed to improve the implementation of environmental work needed to improve the health and safety of NYCHA residents. 

Before coming to NYCHA, Daniel served as Counsel to the LeadFreeNYC Task Force, helping to develop the LeadFreeNYC report and implementing many of its recommendations. Daniel has also served as the Deputy General Counsel and then General Counsel of the New York State Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery; his team provided legal advice on the Office’s work to assist homeowners, small businesses, and communities build back and become more resilient following Superstorm Sandy. Prior to that, he was a Senior Counsel at the New York City Law Department. He is a graduate of Fordham University and Vermont Law School.

Lauren Gray, Senior Vice President for Quality Assurance, Safety, and Technical Programs

Lauren Gray was appointed Senior Vice Present for Quality Assurance, Safety, and Technical Programs in May 2023. In this role, she oversees and guides the following departments: Quality and Cost Control, Public Safety, Planning and Project Management, and Technical Services. Prior to this appointment, Lauren was the Chief of Staff to the Chief Operating Officer, where she directly supported the Chief Operating Officer on various aspects of NYCHA’s operations and property management.

Lauren was previously NYCHA’s Vice President of Compliance, a position she held since January 2020. Leading a team of 55 compliance experts, Lauren was charged with monitoring City, State, and federal regulations to ensure that NYCHA’s operational policies and procedures are up to date. Working with the Chief Compliance Officer, Lauren developed compliance plans that outline the Authority’s risk exposure and where resources will be allocated. Other key duties included analyzing data from internal and external audits, quality housing inspections, work orders, violations, and other relevant sources. Lauren was formerly a Deputy Director in the Compliance Department, developing and implementing compliance-related activities and confirming that affected parties follow governing agency rules, regulations, and guidelines.

Lauren held various roles at NYCHA from 2010 to 2016, prior to leaving the Authority to be the Senior Director of the Bureau of Emergency Field Operations at the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) in November 2016. At DOHMH, she helped oversee a team of 30 staff to coordinate agency-wide emergency preparedness planning, exercises and training, evaluation of incident responses, and exercise performance. Her team also partnered with community stakeholders and City, State, and federal partners on public health emergency planning and response.

Lauren holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and dance/theater from Queens College and a Master of Public Administration degree from the School of Public Affairs at Baruch College.

Keith Grossman, Executive Vice President for Support Services

Keith Grossman was appointed Executive Vice President for Support Services in May 2023. Keith was previously Senior Vice President for Operations Support Services, a position he was appointed to in April 2022. He is responsible for overseeing waste management, pest management, heating management service, elevator services and repair, emergency management, and services across the Authority’s operations. Additionally, Keith oversees knowledge management and training for the specialized training licensure required for Operations Support Services departments.

Keith comes to NYCHA after serving for six years as the Director of the Emergency Management Office at the New York City Department of Education (DOE), overseeing the emergency management program and $200 million accessibility remediation portfolio for all 1,900 schools in 1,574 buildings. As director, Keith was DOE’s primary liaison to citywide emergency services, emergency management, and planning agencies while managing the coordination of department assets during agency-wide response to major incidents.

Keith, who previously served as Director of Emergency Management and Safety at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center and Planning Section Chief for Brookhaven National Laboratory, has over 20 years of experience in emergency services.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Binghamton University, a graduate certificate in Emergency Management from Adelphi University, and a Master of Public Administration from Alfred University.  

Sylvia Aude, Senior Vice President for Public Housing Tenancy Administration

Sylvia Aude was appointed Senior Vice President of Public Housing Tenancy in April 2022. Sylvia is responsible for management and driving overall performance of more than 150 employees in three departments focused on public housing application waitlist management and policy development, implementation, and strategic guidance and oversight. Among the key initiatives she helped lead was the implementation of a more user-friendly online portal for public housing residents to complete their Annual Recertification. Her team strives to alleviate the administrative burden from property management staff and ensure consistency in service delivery so that property managers can focus on meaningful engagement with residents.

Sylvia has held various roles during her more than 10 years of service to NYCHA, including Director of Operations for the Office of the General Manager, Director of Management Services, Senior Advisor, and Program Manager.

Ukah Busgith, Executive Vice President for Resident Services, Partnerships, and Initiatives

Ukah Busgith was appointed Executive Vice President for Community Engagement and Partnerships in May 2022. The department was later renamed Resident Services, Partnerships, and Initiatives (RSPI). Ukah oversees more than 250 staff who connect NYCHA residents to critical programs and services and engage residents around agency and community priorities. RSPI supports NYCHA’s extensive network of resident associations and manages partnerships, programs, and initiatives involving economic opportunity as well as youth, senior, and social services.

For more than 30 years, Ms. Busgith has made it her mission to help improve the quality of life for NYCHA residents. She started her career at NYCHA as a community assistant at Pink Houses and has since served in various roles, such as the coordinator of an afterschool reading program, manager of programs for NYCHA’s Manhattan community centers, and director of NYCHA’s Family Partnerships Department.