Meet the UCC Division Leadership

Yasmin Schwartz M.Ed
United Community Centers Division Director
(718) 649-7979 ext 17
[email protected]

Yasmin is the UCC Division Director overseeing all programs run by UCC. In her role, she leads a team of directors to deliver programming focused on leadership, urban agriculture, early childhood education, and sexual wellness. She is a camp kid for life and believes in the impact of caring adults on the lives of young people. In the past few years, she has participated in Restorative Justice and Talent Management initiatives. She received her Master’s in Education at Lesley University and earned her BA in Women and Gender studies at Rutgers University.

Karen Alessi MPH
Development Director
(718) 649-7979
[email protected]

Karen Alessi is our Development Associate Director. Hired in fall of 2015, Karen works in all aspects of fundraising for UCC including grant writing, donor development, and event planning. Karen has a background in health education program design, holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from Hunter College, and is a Certified Health Education Specialist.

Tiana Rainford
East New York Farms, Project Director

(718) 649-7979 ext 29
[email protected]

Tiana is a CUNY Brooklyn College graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Food and Nutrition Studies. Her interests in food sustainability and how food politics and culture affect one's access to preventative health care grew during her academic studies. She wanted to find a way to use her knowledge of food and nutrition to directly benefit her community of  East New York. Tiana previously worked with City Harvest and Harvest Homes Farmers' Market teaching nutrition education while performing cooking demonstrations. During the school year, she works with College Now at Brooklyn College as a nutrition tutor. As market manager, she combines her devotion to food justice in her community with her extensive knowledge in nutrition sciences to encourage food security in East New York.

Michelle Neugebauer
Executive Director

Michelle Neugebauer is our new interim Executive Director. Michelle has been the Executive Director of the Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation (CHLDC) since 1984 where she grew the organization into a highly impactful, resident governed settlement house and community development organization with a staff of 500 and 16 service sites. Under her leadership, CHLDC has developed new public schools, 700+ units of affordable housing, and a continuum of youth development supports from early childhood education to college graduation and a legion of very empowered community leaders. Michelle is super excited about working with the amazing organizers, educators, board and staff of UCC as the strategic partnership between the two East New York nonprofits advances and deepens. Michelle attended Barnard College, and holds M.S. degrees in Social Work and Urban Planning from Columbia University. She is a member of the Boards of Directors of the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development and serves on the Steering Committee of the Coalition for Community Advancement.

Deidre Miller
Protecting the East, Project Director

(718) 649-7979 ext 16
[email protected]

Deidre Miller is the Project Director of Protecting the East. Deidre is a former youth program participant and has been involved with UCC for more than 10 years. As project director Deidre is responsible for developing and implementing a community-level intervention for HIV prevention and developing curriculum and training of PTE staff and Youth Peer Educators. She has many years of experience working in youth development as well as extensive training and experience in sexual health education. Deidre holds a Bachelor’s degree from Baruch College in Business Management and Psychology.

Sarah (Sol) Bacio
East New York Farms, Assistant Project Director 
[email protected]

Sol is originally from Los Angeles and moved to NY in 2017 to pursue a bachelors in Public Health and Sociology from New York University. Sol’s introduction to food justice was in 2020 when they co-founded the Los Angeles-based mutual aid collective, Farm2Power, which continues to distribute free CSA produce boxes to Angelinos in need of food support. After realizing their passion for food justice and community organizing, Sol began exploring the urban agriculture field and is a graduate of the Horticulture Urban Farm and Garden Training fellow through New Roots Community Farm in the Bronx. Sol is excited to be a part of the important work at ENYF and hopes to continue learning and connecting with the ENY community!

Meet the Board of Directors

Michael Lawes
President

Marisol Quiñones
Secretary

Florence Charles
Treasurer

R.D. Gentzler
Board Member

Shanely Marmolejos
Board Member

Nicholas Russo
Board Member

Amory Sanchez
Board Member

Kelleen Kiely
Board Member

Jesse Bruce Clark
Board Member

Harold Green
Chair Emeritus

Dr. Sylvia Stovall
President of Our Housing Subsidiaries

Melodye Harvey
Assistant Treasurer

Aidan Lanigan
Board Member

Mirian Rodriguez
Board Member

Alexis Sanchez
Board Member

George Torres
Board Member

Sarita Daftary
Board Member

Nnamdi Ude
Board Member