Archives: Board of directors

Charles S. Warren, chair of the Environmental practice at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel, LLP, is recognized as one of the pre-eminent lawyers in his field, and counsels and represents clients in a comprehensive range of environmental law matters. A former regional administrator with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Chuck brings more than 35 years of knowledge and experience in environmental law, both in government and private practice, to his work on behalf of clients.

Chuck advises public and privately held corporations as well as other organizations on compliance under state and federal environmental statutes and regulations, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, solid waste and brownfield laws, the Superfund law and other hazardous waste statutes, as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Act. He also provides environmental auditing, environmental impact review and due diligence for these corporate clients, and represents them in permitting and enforcement procedures and litigation. Chuck’s clients have included major real estate developers with environmental problems such as hazardous waste issues; industrial companies with air pollution, water pollution and hazardous waste issues; and creditors’ committees in bankruptcies involving major environmental issues.

As a member of interdisciplinary teams, Chuck also performs critical environmental review and due diligence in the context of corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and bankruptcies and restructurings as well as in some of the largest and most wellknown real estate transactions and developments in New York.

Chuck serves as a member of the Policy Committee of the New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program. He previously served as regional administrator for Region II (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands) of the EPA, as director of the EPA’s Office of Legislation and as chief legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. Jacob K. Javits of New York.

Chuck is a fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers. Chambers, Best Lawyers and the Guide to the World’s Leading Environmental Lawyers have repeatedly ranked him as a leading practitioner. Best Lawyers named him New York’s Best Environmental Lawyer of the Year 2014, and in 2011 he received the Global Award for the New York Environmental Attorney of the Year from Corporate INTL magazine.

Bryan’s expertise in providing financial services customized to meet the needs of nonprofit organizations will be a strong asset to our organization as we work to expand our programs and further our mission to reach more members of the Bronx community.

Mr. Fryer brings with him over 18 years of experience in public accounting and financial advisory. Over the course of his career, he has overseen all aspects of the accounting function, including payroll, account receivables and collections, disbursements, taxes, revenue recognition and reporting. His expertise also includes risk and reputation management, vendor management, data-driven management, and KPI reporting, nonprofit attestation, internal controls, and budgeting and cash flow forecasting.

Rachel Grossman has been Director of Wells Fargo Multifamily Capital since October 2007, where she manages bond-financed affordable housing production at the Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac lender/servicer. She is also Wells’ in-house expert on affordable housing regulations. Previous to that, she was the Senior Vice President for Development at the New York City Housing Development Corporation, where she led the Development Department during HDC’s largest period of growth from 1998-2007, issuing $4.3 billion in multifamily bonds. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and International Studies from Yale University and a Master of Public Policy in Housing and Urban Development from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government

Judy is Settlement Housing Fund’s chief executive. She initially joined Settlement Housing Fund as Director of Housing Development in 2017, and served as Vice President of Real Estate from 2022 to 2024. Prior to joining SHF, she worked as a Project Manager at Douglaston Development, where she was responsible for managing the process to design, finance, and construct new low- and moderate-income housing in New York City. She previously worked in Washington, DC at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Office of Community Planning and Development. She has an AB from Harvard University, an MPA from New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. At Settlement Housing Fund, Judy is responsible for the housing development portfolio.

Latoya Joyner is a proud resident of the Bronx and has dedicated her life to serving her community. She currently serves as Senior Labor Advisor at Montefiore Health System. Previously, Latoya represented the 77th Assembly District, which includes the Bronx neighborhoods of Claremont, Concourse, Highbridge, Mount Eden, and Morris Heights. During Latoya’s tenure in the New York State Assembly, her work as a legislator brought real change to areas such as affordable housing, education, healthcare access, and workers’ rights. Under her leadership, the Labor Committee saw the historic passage of New York’s most robust wage theft protection, the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, and the successful increase of New York’s minimum wage. Latoya played a key role in establishing New York’s Maternal Mortality Review Board, dedicated to protecting the health and rights of mothers of color throughout the state.

Committed to education, Latoya supported programs like the New York Legal Educational Opportunity Program, which opens pathways for underrepresented students to enter the legal profession. She is a proud graduate of the SUNY system, attending Stony Brook University and the University at Buffalo Law School. Latoya’s career reflects her deep-seated belief in justice, equity, and the transformative power of public service.

Patricia is a dedicated advocate for education reform and expanding opportunities for underserved communities. As the Director of Strategic Impact at Zeta Charter Schools, she leads Marketing, Communications, Development, and Board Management. With a strong background in strategy from McKinsey & Company and degrees from MIT Sloan and Cornell, Patricia brings a wealth of expertise and passion to New Settlement’s mission and programs.  

Chi Nguyễn (she/her/hers) leads narrative change, storytelling, and communications at Einhorn Collaborative, a non-profit foundation working to address the crisis of connection in the U.S.

Previously, she was the Managing Director of Strategic Communications at The Bronx Defenders. During her tenure in New York City government, Chi served as a Senior Advisor at the NYC Racial Justice Commission working to dismantle structural racism within the NYC Charter and advance racial equity for New Yorkers. While at the NYC Mayor’s Office, she worked on key Mayoral policies and programs, civic engagement to combat environmental racism, digital accessibility for people with disabilities, and language access for immigrant New Yorkers. She co-founded the first annual NYC Digital Inclusion Conference to provide hands-on workshops and networking opportunities for digital workers in public and private sectors on internet human rights, digital accessibility, and inclusion by design.

Chi has worked extensively with brands, non-profit organizations, and the NYC government to shift mindsets on tough issues, galvanize national and international audiences to take action, and advocate for equity and justice in and outside the workplace.

Chi is also a practicing and teaching artist in The Bronx who uses weaving and community-based art projects to talk about racial justice, immigrants’ rights, reproductive justice, and economic justice.

Dr. Porter has dedicated her career to empowering Bronx communities. As a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Center for Education Innovation (CEI), she’s leading CEI Bronx to drive transformative education reforms. Previously, she was the inaugural President & CEO of The Bronx Community Foundation and made history as the first Black woman Chancellor of NYC’s Department of Education, overseeing 1.1 million students.  

Nishat (Bella) Tabassum, a native New Yorker, currently serves as an Executive Agency Counsel at the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB). With an unwavering commitment to accountability and justice, Bella focuses on prosecuting egregious misconduct within the NYPD. Prior to her role at CCRB, she held positions as a cross-designated Assistant Corporation Counsel and Assistant District Attorney, specializing in juvenile delinquency matters at the New York City Law Department in the Bronx. Bella’s passion for addressing inequity and expanding access extends beyond her legal career. In her leadership roles as the Youth Chair and Vice President of the Bronx Young Democrats, she spearheaded the development of financial literacy and mentorship programs for Bronx youth. Additionally, Bella actively contributes to esteemed legal associations including the New York Bar Association City Affairs Committee, Women in the Law Committee, South Asian Bar Association, and Muslim American Bar Association of New York. She holds a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Gender Studies from Hunter College, a Juris Doctorate from CUNY School of Law, and a Master of Public Administration with a concentration in Management & Innovation from Columbia University. She is also part of the esteemed 2023 fellows at the Council of Urban Professionals.