Staff
If you know the name of the MAS staff member you’re looking for, click on the letters below to jump down the list, or scroll down to see a list of all current MAS staff members. Names are listed alphabetically by last name.
A| B | C | D| E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
André Allaire
Director, Corporate Development
E: aallaire[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1254
André Allaire joined The Municipal Art Society in March 2012 as the Director of Corporate Development, charged with broadening and strengthening MAS’ partnerships with corporations and their employees. He comes to MAS 15 years into his non-profit fundraising career, most recently following four years as the inaugural Director of Executive MBA Alumni Relations & Development at the NYU Stern School of Business. Previously, he served on the Development teams at The New York Public Library, International House and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A Yale graduate with a B.A. in the History of Art, André has long been a passionate New Yorker, enjoying the contemporary art scene, progressive opera and theater, and the city’s diverse restaurants.
Hazel Balaban
Manager, Communications and Marketing
E: hbalaban[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1227
Hazel Balaban started at MAS in September 2009 and now works as the manager of communications and marketing. She contributes writing to print and online materials, speeches, press releases and social media channels. Hazel graduated from Barnard College in 2009 with a B.A. in Urban Studies and a specialization in Urban Planning and Architecture. While at Barnard, Hazel wrote her thesis on financial incentives for creating green affordable housing. She is a lifelong New Yorker who currently resides in Manhattan’s Chinatown.
Erin Butler
Project Manager
E: ebutler[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1274
Erin Butler manages MAS’ Greenacre Reference Library and other projects in the arts and cultural development portfolio. Previously Office Manager at Alliance for the Arts, she joined MAS in 2011 and now enjoys sharing its unique information resources and learning more about our evolving city. An exhibiting artist hailing from the Pacific Northwest, she has worked with community arts groups throughout New York. She is Editor for Women in the Arts Foundation and an alumna of Grays Harbor College and the University of Washington, Madison Area Technical College (Wisconsin), and the Art Students League of New York.
Al Castricone
Facilities Director
E: acastricone[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1244
Al Castricone joined MAS in January 2001 and heads the Facilities and IT departments. Prior to coming to MAS, Al created the building maintenance department for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, a function that was previously outsourced. He worked for 18 years at Miller Freeman Inc., a publisher of business-to-business magazines, where he managed the Facilities, Maintenance and Security departments. Al lives in Brooklyn with his wife Pam and four children.
Vin Cipolla
President
E: vc[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1279
Biography
Anne Coates
Vice President, Arts and Cultural Development
E: acoates[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1286
Anne Coates is responsible for the vision, strategy and implementation of the MAS arts portfolio and its integration into the MAS Livable City platform. Vice President of the Alliance for the Arts from 1996-2011, she directed efforts including the large-scale technology project, NYC ARTS; advancing audience building, research, and advocacy efforts. She received her B.A.’s from Syracuse University in Anthropology and Secondary School Education and her M.A. in Arts Administration from Columbia University. Anne is a Coro Leadership New York XXI alum and serves on the Coro Alumni Advisory Board. She’s served on arts boards and task forces during her 23 year tenure in the arts. She is a photographer working on her first exhibition, a documentary film fan and a lover of all things Maine.
Phyllis Samitz Cohen
Director of Adopt-A-Monument / Mural Programs
E: pcohen[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1224
Phyllis Cohen has been Director of the Adopt programs since their creation in 1987 and 1991. Prior to that she was at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, assistant to the curator of American Literature and Art and special archivist for ten years, enhancing her passion for art and paper conservation first studied at the Biblioteca Nazionale, Florence, Italy. Phyllis taught Art History on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati. She holds degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Bryn Mawr College with an M.A. in Art History. She serves on the Conservation Advisory Group of the NYC Public Design Commission advising on the restoration of public artworks. She also administrates the Brendan Gill Prize.
Alana Farkas
Public Programs Associate
E: afarkas[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1285
Alana Farkas began her work at MAS in 2010 by helping to coordinate the Conference for Preservation & Climate Change. Since then, she has transitioned into the Public Programs department where she works closely with the Vice President of Public Programs and Marketing. Alana received her B.A. in Urban Studies from the New School University.
Aileen Gorsuch
Associate Planner in Advocacy
E: agorsuch[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1260
Aileen Gorsuch began working in Planning and Advocacy at MAS in June 2010 and has since contributed to MAS’ 2011 Garment District report and to the analysis of NYU’s expansion plans. Her past experience includes planning and historic preservation work with former Bronx Borough President’s Historic Preservation Task Force and as an intern with the Parks Department at the Queens Historical Society. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Aileen moved east to study art history at Smith College and went on to earn a Masters of Urban Planning Degree from Hunter College.
Jessica Halem
Manager, Tour Programs
E: jhalem[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1234
Jessica Halem manages the Tours Programs and Jane’s Walk at MAS that bring over 10,000 “eyes to the street” every year. She enjoys helping New Yorkers and visitors alike discover all five boroughs of New York and all of its rich history and culture. She has called many cities home–Chicago, Portland, Oregon and New Orleans–but Brooklyn is where her heart now resides. Since graduating from Sarah Lawrence in 1994 she has been working as a community organizer in feminist and LGBTQ communities. Jessica is also a working stand-up comic who frequently performs in clubs, theaters and colleges across the country.
Rachel Infeld
Development Associate
E: rinfeld[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1226
Rachel Infeld works on MAS’ major fundraising events, the MAS Summit for New York City and the annual benefit, and assists in day-to-day development activities. Rachel first joined MAS in October 2010 following an internship with the City of Worcester, Massachusetts’ Economic Development Department and a number of programmatic and administrative positions with other non-profit organizations. Rachel received a Master’s in Community Development and Planning in 2010 from Clark University where she also graduated in 2009 with a B.A. in Government and International Relations with a concentration in Urban Development and Social Change.
Paul Kelterborn
Project Manager, Public Programs
E: pkelterborn[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1283
Paul Kelterborn works on developing content and organizing MAS public programs. Before joining MAS Paul worked as a project manager for a residential real estate developer in Manhattan and in business development for two large architecture firms. He is also a co-founder of the AIDS Memorial Park Campaign and of the Hudson River Powerhouse Group, a preservation advocacy organization. His undergraduate work was in sociology at Oberlin College and he received a master’s in urban planning from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design.
Joel Kolkmann
Project Manager, Policy and Advocacy
E: jkolkmann[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1231
Joel Kolkmann joined MAS in June 2009. After working in the President’s Office and the Development Department, he now works on MAS’s policy and advocacy initiatives, including the East River Waterfront Park, Moynihan Station, and the Livable Neighborhoods Training. Joel received a Master of Public Administration in May 2009 from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he also graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Politics and Spanish Language and Literature. Originally from the Hudson Valley, Joel now lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
Christine Tripoli Krische
Vice President, Public Programs and Marketing
E: ckrische[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1284
Christine Krische is an event producer and marketing professional with more than 20 years’ experience producing, managing and marketing major New York City events and promotions. At MAS she oversees the production of public programs, tours, awards presentations and other initiatives, including the MAS Summit; and manages the marketing activities for the organization. Her previous experience includes ten years as an independent consultant working with clients including the American Museum of Natural History, The New York Public Library, The New York Botanical Garden, NYC & Company and various Business Improvement Districts across the city. Prior to that, she held positions at the Times Square Alliance and Rubenstein Associates.
Robert Libbey
Vice President, Finance and Administration
E: rlibbey[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1225
Robert Libbey has a Master of Science in Accounting from Baruch College of the City University of New York and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maine. Prior to coming to Municipal Art Society, Robert worked at both the Alliance for the Arts and Central Conference of American Rabbis. He lives in New York City with his spouse and enjoys the opera, Jazz at Lincoln Center and the New York Mets.
Raju Mann
Director of Planning
E: rmann[at]mas.org
T: T: 212-935-3960 x1289
Raju leads advocacy on planning, design, and transportation issues at MAS. He recently helped complete Fashioning the Future – a study of NYC’s Garment District and New York’s Next Great Waterfront Park – a community based plan for a new waterfront park along the East Midtown waterfront. Prior to joining MAS, Raju was a planner in the Manhattan Office of the Department of City Planning, where he worked on a variety of policy matters and managed the land use review process for complex real estate projects. He is currently a member of Community Board Five in Manhattan. A native New Yorker, he graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in Philosophy and from the University of Michigan with a M.A. in Urban Planning.
Maia Mordana
Receptionist
E: mmordana[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1200
Maia Mordana has been with MAS since 1990. In 2008, she expanded her activities to become an assistant in the Development Department, as well as taking over tour/program registrations, while continuing to welcome callers to the MAS. Maia is a graduate of Traphagan School of Design, a fashion design and illustration school in Manhattan. A native New Yorker, she resides in Westchester County.
Gloria Parris
Senior Bookkeeper
E: gparris[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1251
Gloria Parris joined the MAS finance department in 1999. Her prior work experience includes accounting and bookkeeping for the New York office of FTA, an Italian electronic goods importer. Prior to relocating to the United States, she worked for the government of Trinidad & Tobago in the Division of Ministry of Works, Accounting Department, and the General Post Office. Gloria attended Alpha College in Trinidad, HANAC Educational Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and Borough of Manhattan Community College. She currently lives with her husband and is the proud mother of three children. Her older son holds prestige as a U.S. Marine and has served four consecutive tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Dale Ramsey
Writer for Development and External Affairs
E: dramsey[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1237
Dale Ramsey joined MAS in 2000, following a 21-year career in book publishing. His last position was as acquisitions editor of Back Stage Books, now an imprint of Random House/Crown. Dale was also a founding member and, for more than 12 years, the dramaturge of off-Broadway’s Pearl Theater Company. The author of 15 plays and a short novel, Dale holds degrees from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Virginia Tech, and the College of William and Mary. Originally from Virginia, Dale lives on the Upper West Side with his wife Sarah Schindler.
David Rivera
Database Manager
E: drivera[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1264
David Rivera joined the Development Department in December 2010. He is responsible for the management of the database, membership renewals, the recording of donations, and the production of mailing lists, acknowledgement letters and reports. David is a native New Yorker who graduated from Xavier High School and St. John’s University. Prior to MAS, he worked in Development for the Police Athletic League, Metropolitan College of New York, the Institute of International Education and Xavier High School. David is also an usher at Madison Square Garden.
Mary Rowe
Vice President, Strategy and Partnerships
E: mrowe[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1257
Mary W. Rowe connects the work of the society with the broader goals of livability and resilience, and deepening its role in identifying and promoting community-based approaches to city-building. Mary has been a grant-maker (blue moon fund, Charlottesville, Virginia), a social entrepreneur, a facilitator, and calls herself an ‘urban animator.’ Prior to coming to MAS, Mary was based in New Orleans, where she witnessed first-hand the resilience of community-led initiatives, and the need to approach city-building holistically, always connecting social, economic, cultural and environmental considerations.
Katie Schwartz
Executive Assistant
E: kschwartz[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1221
Katie Schwartz began working at MAS in April of 2011 after spending two years living in France studying Global Communications at The American University of Paris. Prior to studying in Paris, she lived in Los Angeles working in a number of diverse functional areas, including administration, human resources management, finance and accounting across several industries. Katie continues to study French and has enjoyed spending her first year living in New York learning and exploring the city with MAS as her guide.
Jean Tatge
Executive Vice President, Development
E: jtatge[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1235
Jean Tatge is responsible for all fundraising and donor stewardship activities, and staffs the MAS Nominating and Governance Committee and Development Committee. She joined MAS in 1996 as Vice President for External Affairs and served as Chief Operating Officer from 2007 to 2009. Jean began her career with the Italian publisher Mondadori. Subsequently, as Associate Director of New York-based consulting firm, Urban Initiatives (now ACP Visioning and Planning), she managed several projects including a landmark city-wide visioning process in Chattanooga, TN. From 1987 to 1996, she was Vice President of Development and Public Relations for the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation, where she developed and secured funding for small business development, job training and capital improvement projects. She holds a B.A. in Art History from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Mario Vellandi
Interaction Designer
E: mvellandi[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1232
Mario Vellandi is a digital strategist that helps nonprofits achieve their advocacy goals. He does this by studying information architecture and user interactions across web touchpoints, then making them better. Specifically, this entails content management and transactions on MAS websites, email, and social media. His multidisciplinary background in business and design lends him a keen ability to readily see opportunities and threats. Industries worked for include ocean shipping, consumer products, sustainable business media, and nonprofits. Mario has a Bachelor’s degree in International Business from California State University Fullerton, and has lived and worked in Germany and Sweden.
Ronda Wist
Senior Vice President, Policy and Advocacy
E: rwist[at]mas.org
T: 212-935-3960 x1282
Ronda Wist joined MAS in November 2009, and oversees MAS urban design, planning, and preservation policy and advocacy efforts. Ronda comes to MAS with 25 years of public sector experience, including ten years as the Executive Director of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) and five years as the Director of Land Use Review at the New York City Department of City Planning. After her government work, she was a principal at HR&A Advisors. Ronda has a B.A. from Barnard College and an M.S. in Historic Preservation from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. She is the author of On Fifth Avenue: Then and Now (1992).
