Michelle was the first full-time employee of CHLDC, beginning in 1984, and she has guided the organization’s growth from a budget of $35,000 with one program to its current status. Michelle serves on the Board of Directors of the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development and of United Neighborhood Houses. Michelle earned a BA in Urban Studies from Barnard College and MS degrees in Social Work and Urban Planning from Columbia University.

Emily joined the organization in 1994 as the Director of Youth and Family Services, and she held that position for six years. In 2003, after supervising youth programs at Good Shepherd Services, she rejoined CHLDC as the Director of Development. She became the Director of Programs in 2004. She supervises five Division Directors, including the Directors of College Success Programs, Career and Education Programs, Community Organizing, Housing Counseling, and Youth and Family Services. She has an MSW from Columbia University School of Social Work and a BS degree in Human Services from Springfield College.

Joseph joined CHLDC in 2013 as our first-ever Director of Human Resources. He has over 20 years of human resources management experience at large and small nonprofit agencies and for-profit businesses. Joseph has a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management from Baruch College.

Erica Oquendo joined CHLDC in 1999 and has extensive experience in our Youth and Family Services Division as the ExpandEd After School Program Director at PS 89. She was Promoted to Assistant Division Director in 2015, and Division Director in 2019. She has a BS in Psychology from Hunter College and a Master's Degree in Education. Erica also attended our after school and Beacon programming while growing up in Cypress Hills.

Shalina Akoko is the Assistant Division Director of Elementary Programs. Shalina joined the agency in 2015 as the Assistant Community Learning Center Director and transitioned into the role of Director in 2017, overseeing 2 middle school programs and our Middles School Success Center.  Shalina has a Bachelor's Degree from Hofstra University and has had a long career commitment to the youth development field.  Shalina's work in serving the children of the Cypress Hills Community continues with her dedication to creating strong programs and partnerships with the Elementary School Leadership Teams and Parents to better serve our youngest community members. 

Yasmin is in her fifth year working for Cypress Hills LDC as the Director of Middle School Programs. She oversees the middle school SONYC programs. In her role, she leads a team of directors to deliver programming focused on leadership, SEL, STEAM, Literacy, and more. 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. Born in Israel, raised in NJ, she now lives in Crown Heights. She received her Master’s in Education at Lesley University and earned her BA in Women and Gender studies at Rutgers University.

Lowell joined CHLDC in 2003. He oversees all employment training, placement and retention services and adult education programs. He has a B.A. in Social Work from Cedarville University and a Master's of Social Work from Ohio State University.

Nicole joined CHLDC in 2014. She has served as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for YouthLEAD, Director of Potencia NOW (ESL program) and most recently the CHAMPION Network where she has served our community's young adults as they chart a new career pathway. Nicole is a firm believer in empowerment through education. She has a BA in Psychology from Rutgers University-Camden’s Honors College and Master’s degree in Education from Mercy College.

Courtney initially joined the agency in 2012 as the Assistant Director of the Student Success Center on the Franklin K. Lane campus. Since then, Courtney has continued to deepen her expertise in college access, and returned to CHLDC as the Director of College Success Programs in 2018. She supervises all of the college related programming for the agency, including our Student Success Centers, college persistence work at the College STEPS office, Community Schools on the Franklin K. Lane campus, and our youth organizing program, Future of Tomorrow. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Bloomsburg University, and a Master's of Education in School Counseling from St. John's University.

Tania Rivera joined CHLDC in 2017. She oversees all of CHLDC’s fundraising efforts and agency communications. She has a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University and spent nine years working at Columbia University Medical Center in fundraising and development. Tania grew up in Cypress Hills, attended local public schools and worked in CHLDC’s Inter-generational Services program through SYEP.

Basil joined CHLDC in 2014. He is responsible for researching and evaluating data on CHLDC’s programs and outcomes. He has a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and an MPH from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

Rene joined CHLDC in 1992 as a Job Matching Program Coordinator, and he was promoted to his current position in 2002. He oversees our programs in first-time homebuyers counseling and education, mortgage foreclosure prevention counseling and financial literacy counseling.

Gaudi joined CHLDC in September 2019.  She is a Certified Public Accountant with extensive nonprofit, affordable housing finance and property management accounting experience. 

Shawn joined CHLDC in September 2022. Shawn has built his career in a variety of roles managing youth and adult employment programs as well as family shelters. He has experience in providing employment training, housing, and counseling  services within the community. He has also emphasised staff development to assist in creating new leaders within the nonprofit sector.