The Staff of Tenants & Neighbors
Sabine Bernards, Tenant Organizer, is our 2011-2012 Jesuit Volunteer. Sabine is from Portland, Oregon and graduated from Seattle University in 2010 with a degree in Political Science, Spanish, and Latin American studies. During a study abroad program in El Salvador, she was able to take part in a women-led community organization and see the direct impact of grassroots organizing. She worked for two years at an international development organization in Seattle focused on community-centered projects. During college, she studied discrimination in the welfare system of Washington state as well as assisted in the research, interviews, and production of a radio program about family homelessness in rural areas of the state. She will be with T&N through summer, 2012.
Emily Goldstein, Coordinator of Preservation Organizing and Policy, comes to us from ANHD and LISC NYC, where she worked on preserving HUD-subsidized housing. Prior to that, she was a union organizer with the New York Hotel Trades Council. At Tenants & Neighbors, Emily organizes tenants in at-risk HUD-subsidized buildings as well as overleveraged predatory equity buildings, and she leads our federal-level policy and legislative work. Emily is a life-long New Yorker and she has a BA in Urban Studies from Vassar College.
Katie Goldstein, Coordinator of Base Building and Leadership Development, initially came to Tenants & Neighbors through the AVODAH Jewish Service Corps. In her current position, she is coordinating new member outreach and engagement, and helping members develop the knowledge skills they need to play leadership roles in Tenants & Neighbors and in the broader tenant movement. She also coordinates the Mitchell-Lama P.I.E. Campaign and the Rent Control Leadership Committee. Her previous work experience includes organizing with Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, where she is currently on the Board of Directors. Katie studied political and economic geography at Sarah Lawrence College.
Maggie Russell-Ciardi, Executive Director, previously worked at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, where she developed a wide range of programs to foster dialogue about challenging social issues such as housing and immigration. Her past work experience includes serving as the Strengthening Neighborhood Assets Program Coordinator at Citizens Committee for NYC, managing a $1.1 million program of grants, training, and technical assistance - funded by the Rockefeller Foundation - for organizations working to promote positive inter-group relations in communities with new immigrant residents. She has also led a city-wide education program on immigrant rights at the Center for Immigrants Rights and organized migrant farm workers with the Farm Labor Organizing Committee. Maggie has a BA in Spanish and Labor and Trade Union Studies from Oberlin College, and a MA in Latin American Studies from New York University.
Miriam Serrano, Office Manager and Member Services Coordinator, oversees the maintenance of our office and also plays an instrumental role in member services, including coordinating the logistics for the annual membership meeting and conference and providing information and referrals to rent regulated tenants. She also plays a major role in our grassroots fundraising. Miriam is a fluent Spanish speaker and has been with Tenants & Neighbors for fifteen years.
Sam Stein, Rent Regulation Campaign Coordinator, coordinates our legislative campaigns to strengthen the rent laws as well as our annual Rent Guidelines Board campaign. He also provides organizing support, information, and referrals to rent regulated tenants. Sam's previous experience includes organizing working as a campaign researcher for SEIU 32BJ. He has a Masters degree in Urban Planning.
