PICCED Staff 2001

Todd drafts and coordinates construction documents, develops scopes of work and cost estimates for building rehabilitation, and files applications and drawings with the NYC Department of Buildings. He is proficient in 3D Studio Max and Dreamweaver. If you have any AutoCAD questions, or you need something drafted, see Todd.

Rudolph Bryant

Director of Training

[email protected]

x.6431

Rudy is in charge of all PICCED's training programs. Currently he is working on our CHDO contract as well as providing technical assistance to a number of colleges and non-governmental organizations in other countries to replicate aspects of PICCED's training and capacity-building programs. He worked on the Bedford-Stuyvesant Fannie Mae Foundation neighborhood team and other projects to be included at a later date.

(more)

Joan Byron

Architectural Director

[email protected]

x.6447

Joan is a licensed architect and is in charge of the Pratt Planning and Architectural Collaborative, where she provides a full range of technical services from programming and budgeting, design, bidding and field supervision to nonprofit community-based clients. She is also directing our brownfields project and her projects range from low-income housing to youth centers and other community facilities. Joan has also been working on a special project with the School Construction Working Group and the Institute for Education and Social Policy to develop a new streamlined program for the development of leased school space by community-based nonprofit organizations. She is currently working on The Bronx HUD Community.

(more)

Melissa Caruso

Project Manager

[email protected]

x.6439

Melissa has experience in projects ranging from maps for a new public park to the designing of marketplaces. She is currently working on the Cooper Square Supportive Housing Project, a six-story residential building in Manhattan. She is experienced in the governmental approval processes and details of federal, state, and local laws. Melissa is familiar with design, land use and zoning requirements.

Indradeep Chakrabarty

Planning Intern

[email protected]

x.6450

Indradeep is working with the GIS staff on the Fannie Mae project. The purpose of this project is to help community groups and residents prepare plans for themselves like in Williamsburg and Sunset Park. Indradeep is also a good person to consult if you have a question about mapping. He is also helping to create GIS Basemap files and work on the Metadata project, which will enable us to source and search our GIS databases.

Paula Crespo

Assistant Planner / Geographic Information Systems Specialist

[email protected]

x.6455

Paula is an assistant planner who contributes research, writing, data analysis, and GIS mapping skills to PICCED's land use and community development projects. Some of the more recent projects she has worked on include the citywide Manufacturing Land Use and Zoning Initiative.

She is currently involved in preparing a community plan for western Astoria, being part of the city's post-9/11 alliances for rebuilding, and in working with young adults from the South Bronx as part of a youth project to identify neighborhood concerns and opportunities.

Rex Curry

Associate Director

[email protected]

x.6461

Rex’s shares the responsibility for the management and direction of the urban planning staff. His specialty is community-based planning, neighborhood analysis, historic preservation, and related economic development services such as commercial real estate analysis. Rex also teaches a variety of urban planning seminars and studios in Pratt’s School of Architecture.

(more)

Mannix Gordon

Senior Planner / Geographic Information Systems Specialist

[email protected]

x.6466

Mannix works on community-based planning projects, including affordable housing development, land use & zoning and transportation issues. His expertise is in Geographic Information Systems and he coordinates with our computer consultants and maintains our computer systems as well as the PICCED website. Mannix develops new relational databases for GIS applications and new survey instruments. He provides technical assistance and training on GIS to a number of our clients and teaches a graduate course on Planning and GIS at Pratt Institute.

Naomi Johnson

Director of Operations

[email protected]

x.6429

Naomi is in charge of overall office operations at PICCED. She supervises secretarial staff and students and handles timesheets, expense reimbursements and building maintenance issues.

Anely Latalladi

Architectural Designer

[email protected]

x.6448

Anely is an Architectural Designer and Draftsperson for the Pratt Planning and Architectural Collaborative at PICCED working on housing, childcare and school projects. Currently Anely is on a team researching possibilities for maintaining the "Casitas" in many Green Thumb gardens located around the city. She is proficient in preparing construction documents and researching architectural materials.

Errol T. Louis

Associate Director, Development

x.6436

Errol has been active in Brooklyn politics for more than 15 years. In the early 1990s, he co-founded and managed the Central Brooklyn Federal Credit Union, and has worked on economic development projects throughout the United States. At present, in addition to working on public policy and development issues for PICCED, he is a part-time student (at Brooklyn Law School) and a columnist for Our Time Press and the New York Sun.

Mercedes Narciso, RA

Senior Planner / Project Manager

[email protected]

x.6449

Mercedes is a registered architect who is currently working as a senior planner and project manager. At present, she is responsible for coordinating the Bedford-Stuyvesant 197-a Planning process, including communications, data and research management; assisting in the design, preparation and facilitation of workshops; and coordinating the research, analysis and preparation of the final plan. Mercedes has also been responsible for coordinating planning efforts and providing planning assistance to community-based groups who are preparing Section 197-a plans throughout New York City.

Ms. Narciso managed the research, analysis and preparation of The Manufacturing Land Use and Zoning Initiative, issued in May 2001. This is a policy report that provides a comprehensive analysis of land use, zoning, financial, technical assistance, and environmental strategies to revitalize New York City's manufacturing and mixed use districts. As an architect, Mercedes has extensive experience in building design and construction rehabilitation of affordable housing in New York City.

Maki Okage

Planning Intern

[email protected]

x.6455

Maki is working with the GIS staff on the Metadata Project which implements a management information system that will enable PICCED to make much better use of the raw data we collect and facilitate searches of data. Maki was part of the team that worked on the Manufacturing and Land Use Sloan project. She is skilled at various database programs such as MapInfo and Excel.

Judy Pantano

Administrative Assistant

[email protected]

x.6465

Judy maintains Director Ron Shiffman's calendar, schedules meetings, drafts correspondence, coordinates travel plans, greets and gives tours for visitors to the Pratt Center and orders supplies for the office. She also does similar work for Associate Director Rudy Bryant.

Mohendra Ramsarup

Director of Fiscal Affairs

[email protected]

x.3507

Mo is responsible for preparing PICCED's operating budget, reviewing proposals and contracts for compliance with funder requirements, authorizing expenses and reviewing all expense reports. He prepares financial reports for foundations and outside agencies, auditors and for internal use. Mo also meets with staff to monitor project expenses to keep budget estimates on target.

Bill Riley

Senior Construction Projects Manager

[email protected]

x.6451

Bill oversees housing construction projects ranging from $250,000 single-building projects to $20 million multi-site rehabilitations. He supervises staff performing construction monitoring; reviews scopes of work, specifications, construction drawings and cost estimates; conducts building evaluations; and performs engineering-related tasks on various projects. Bill is also teaching classes on the construction phase of the housing development process in PICCED's training programs.

Leena Shanbhag

Assistant Planner / Geographic Information Systems Specialist

[email protected]

x.6454

Leena is a member of our GIS team. She has worked on community planning as well as citywide policy projects. She conducts research, spatial and data analyses, land use surveys and mapping. Some of the recent projects she has worked on include the Childcare Needs Assessment study which involved a demographic and geographic analysis of issues affecting childcare in New York and also the recent Manufacturing Land Use and Zoning Initiative, an extensive study on issues and opportunities in
Manufacturing areas.

Ronald Shiffman

Director

[email protected]

x.3494

As the co-founder and Director of PICCED, Ron is a city planner with experience in providing program and organizational development assistance to community-based groups in low and moderate-income neighborhoods. His expertise is in financial packaging, innovative community-based financing, real estate development and community-based planning. Ron is a professor at the Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment with emphasis of studies on such topics as sustainable development and Brownfields revitalization. He is member of Salzburg Congress on Urban Planning and Development (SCUPAD) and the International Research and Exchange for Development (IRED). Both groups work on global policies and environmental issues and projects.

(more)

Katie Taylor

Senior Planner

[email protected]

x.6453

Katie manages our HUD CHDO (Community Housing Development Organization) training and technical assistance contract, where she works with CHDOs and potential CHDOs in New York City and surrounding areas developing technical assistance plans and coordinating the provision of services. She coordinates the training series we provide several times a year, which includes classes on all elements of the development process. Katie also provides research and technical assistance to groups on housing finance applications and on a variety of community development issues under the Fannie Mae and LISC initiatives and serves as a planner on neighborhood 197a plans in Brooklyn.

E. Perry Winston

Senior Architect

[email protected]

x.6452

Perry is the Pratt Planning and Architectural Collaborative Senior Architect, acting as project manager and architect of records for housing (both rehabilitation and new construction), childcare, and community service projects. He participates in architectural research and neighborhood planning studies, training and workshops and is coordinator of East New York work under the Fannie Mae Foundation grant. He is also working on an urban agriculture project "ENY Farms!" where community gardeners sell their produce at a new farmers market in East New York. Perry is interested in "green" building materials and in urban "Brownfields" redevelopment.

Dean Zias, AICP

Associate Planner/Assistant Professor

[email protected]

x.4416

Dean produces customized computer-generated planning materials, assembles statistical and narrative documents relating to proposed housing, community services, land use, site development and economic development projects. He maintains a library of planning, census and Dun & Bradstreet data and is expert in database creation, maintenance and analysis and spreadsheet construction. He is also involved in training programs and teaches statistics in the graduate program. Dean maintains PICCED's mailing list and is currently coordinating the SEEDCO AmeriCorps Community Volunteer program.

Back to PICCED Home Page

[ Education/Training | Technical Assistance | Policy/Advocacy | Resources ]


	379 DeKalb Ave. 2nd Floor Steuben Hall Brooklyn, NY 11205 Phone 636-3486 Fax 636-3709	STAFF DESCRIPTIONS

PICCED Staff 2001 Todd Bruce- Architectural Job Captain Rudolph Bryant- Director of Training Joan Byron- Architectural Director Melissa Caruso- Project Manager Indradeep Chakrabarty- Planning Intern Paula Crespo- Assistant Planner / Geographic Information Systems Specialist Rex Curry- Associate Director Mannix Gordon-Senior Planner / Geographic Information Systems Specialist Naomi Johnson- Director of Operations Anely Latalladi- Architectural Designer Errol T. Louis- Associate Director, Development Mercedes Narciso- Senior Planner / Project Manager Maki Okage- Planning Intern Judy Pantano- Administrative Assistant Mohendra Ramsarup -Director of Fiscal Affairs Bill Riley - Senior Construction Projects Manager Leena Shanbhag - Assistant Planner / Geographic Information Specialist Ronald Shiffman- Director Katie Taylor- Senior Planner E. Perry Winston- Senior Architect Dean Zias- Associate Planner/Assistant Professor Todd Bruce Architectural Job Captain [email protected] x.6462 Todd drafts and coordinates construction documents, develops scopes of work and cost estimates for building rehabilitation, and files applications and drawings with the NYC Department of Buildings. He is proficient in 3D Studio Max and Dreamweaver. If you have any AutoCAD questions, or you need something drafted, see Todd. Rudolph Bryant Director of Training [email protected] x.6431 Rudy is in charge of all PICCED's training programs. Currently he is working on our CHDO contract as well as providing technical assistance to a number of colleges and non-governmental organizations in other countries to replicate aspects of PICCED's training and capacity-building programs. He worked on the Bedford-Stuyvesant Fannie Mae Foundation neighborhood team and other projects to be included at a later date. (more) Joan Byron Architectural Director [email protected] x.6447 Joan is a licensed architect and is in charge of the Pratt Planning and Architectural Collaborative, where she provides a full range of technical services from programming and budgeting, design, bidding and field supervision to nonprofit community-based clients. She is also directing our brownfields project and her projects range from low-income housing to youth centers and other community facilities. Joan has also been working on a special project with the School Construction Working Group and the Institute for Education and Social Policy to develop a new streamlined program for the development of leased school space by community-based nonprofit organizations. She is currently working on The Bronx HUD Community. (more) Melissa Caruso Project Manager [email protected] x.6439 Melissa has experience in projects ranging from maps for a new public park to the designing of marketplaces. She is currently working on the Cooper Square Supportive Housing Project, a six-story residential building in Manhattan. She is experienced in the governmental approval processes and details of federal, state, and local laws. Melissa is familiar with design, land use and zoning requirements. Indradeep Chakrabarty Planning Intern [email protected] x.6450 Indradeep is working with the GIS staff on the Fannie Mae project. The purpose of this project is to help community groups and residents prepare plans for themselves like in Williamsburg and Sunset Park. Indradeep is also a good person to consult if you have a question about mapping. He is also helping to create GIS Basemap files and work on the Metadata project, which will enable us to source and search our GIS databases. Paula Crespo Assistant Planner / Geographic Information Systems Specialist [email protected] x.6455 Paula is an assistant planner who contributes research, writing, data analysis, and GIS mapping skills to PICCED's land use and community development projects. Some of the more recent projects she has worked on include the citywide Manufacturing Land Use and Zoning Initiative. She is currently involved in preparing a community plan for western Astoria, being part of the city's post-9/11 alliances for rebuilding, and in working with young adults from the South Bronx as part of a youth project to identify neighborhood concerns and opportunities. Rex Curry Associate Director [email protected] x.6461 Rex’s shares the responsibility for the management and direction of the urban planning staff. His specialty is community-based planning, neighborhood analysis, historic preservation, and related economic development services such as commercial real estate analysis. Rex also teaches a variety of urban planning seminars and studios in Pratt’s School of Architecture. (more) Mannix Gordon Senior Planner / Geographic Information Systems Specialist [email protected] x.6466 Mannix works on community-based planning projects, including affordable housing development, land use & zoning and transportation issues. His expertise is in Geographic Information Systems and he coordinates with our computer consultants and maintains our computer systems as well as the PICCED website. Mannix develops new relational databases for GIS applications and new survey instruments. He provides technical assistance and training on GIS to a number of our clients and teaches a graduate course on Planning and GIS at Pratt Institute. Naomi Johnson Director of Operations [email protected] x.6429 Naomi is in charge of overall office operations at PICCED. She supervises secretarial staff and students and handles timesheets, expense reimbursements and building maintenance issues. Anely Latalladi Architectural Designer [email protected] x.6448 Anely is an Architectural Designer and Draftsperson for the Pratt Planning and Architectural Collaborative at PICCED working on housing, childcare and school projects. Currently Anely is on a team researching possibilities for maintaining the "Casitas" in many Green Thumb gardens located around the city. She is proficient in preparing construction documents and researching architectural materials. Errol T. Louis Associate Director, Development x.6436 Errol has been active in Brooklyn politics for more than 15 years. In the early 1990s, he co-founded and managed the Central Brooklyn Federal Credit Union, and has worked on economic development projects throughout the United States. At present, in addition to working on public policy and development issues for PICCED, he is a part-time student (at Brooklyn Law School) and a columnist for Our Time Press and the New York Sun. Mercedes Narciso, RA Senior Planner / Project Manager [email protected] x.6449 Mercedes is a registered architect who is currently working as a senior planner and project manager. At present, she is responsible for coordinating the Bedford-Stuyvesant 197-a Planning process, including communications, data and research management; assisting in the design, preparation and facilitation of workshops; and coordinating the research, analysis and preparation of the final plan. Mercedes has also been responsible for coordinating planning efforts and providing planning assistance to community-based groups who are preparing Section 197-a plans throughout New York City. Ms. Narciso managed the research, analysis and preparation of The Manufacturing Land Use and Zoning Initiative, issued in May 2001. This is a policy report that provides a comprehensive analysis of land use, zoning, financial, technical assistance, and environmental strategies to revitalize New York City's manufacturing and mixed use districts. As an architect, Mercedes has extensive experience in building design and construction rehabilitation of affordable housing in New York City. Maki Okage Planning Intern [email protected] x.6455 Maki is working with the GIS staff on the Metadata Project which implements a management information system that will enable PICCED to make much better use of the raw data we collect and facilitate searches of data. Maki was part of the team that worked on the Manufacturing and Land Use Sloan project. She is skilled at various database programs such as MapInfo and Excel. Judy Pantano Administrative Assistant [email protected] x.6465 Judy maintains Director Ron Shiffman's calendar, schedules meetings, drafts correspondence, coordinates travel plans, greets and gives tours for visitors to the Pratt Center and orders supplies for the office. She also does similar work for Associate Director Rudy Bryant. Mohendra Ramsarup Director of Fiscal Affairs [email protected] x.3507 Mo is responsible for preparing PICCED's operating budget, reviewing proposals and contracts for compliance with funder requirements, authorizing expenses and reviewing all expense reports. He prepares financial reports for foundations and outside agencies, auditors and for internal use. Mo also meets with staff to monitor project expenses to keep budget estimates on target. Back to Top Bill Riley Senior Construction Projects Manager [email protected] x.6451 Bill oversees housing construction projects ranging from $250,000 single-building projects to $20 million multi-site rehabilitations. He supervises staff performing construction monitoring; reviews scopes of work, specifications, construction drawings and cost estimates; conducts building evaluations; and performs engineering-related tasks on various projects. Bill is also teaching classes on the construction phase of the housing development process in PICCED's training programs. Back to Top Leena Shanbhag Assistant Planner / Geographic Information Systems Specialist [email protected] x.6454 Leena is a member of our GIS team. She has worked on community planning as well as citywide policy projects. She conducts research, spatial and data analyses, land use surveys and mapping. Some of the recent projects she has worked on include the Childcare Needs Assessment study which involved a demographic and geographic analysis of issues affecting childcare in New York and also the recent Manufacturing Land Use and Zoning Initiative, an extensive study on issues and opportunities in Manufacturing areas. Back to Top Ronald Shiffman Director [email protected] x.3494 As the co-founder and Director of PICCED, Ron is a city planner with experience in providing program and organizational development assistance to community-based groups in low and moderate-income neighborhoods. His expertise is in financial packaging, innovative community-based financing, real estate development and community-based planning. Ron is a professor at the Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment with emphasis of studies on such topics as sustainable development and Brownfields revitalization. He is member of Salzburg Congress on Urban Planning and Development (SCUPAD) and the International Research and Exchange for Development (IRED). Both groups work on global policies and environmental issues and projects. (more) Back to Top Katie Taylor Senior Planner [email protected] x.6453 Katie manages our HUD CHDO (Community Housing Development Organization) training and technical assistance contract, where she works with CHDOs and potential CHDOs in New York City and surrounding areas developing technical assistance plans and coordinating the provision of services. She coordinates the training series we provide several times a year, which includes classes on all elements of the development process. Katie also provides research and technical assistance to groups on housing finance applications and on a variety of community development issues under the Fannie Mae and LISC initiatives and serves as a planner on neighborhood 197a plans in Brooklyn. Back to Top E. Perry Winston Senior Architect [email protected] x.6452 Perry is the Pratt Planning and Architectural Collaborative Senior Architect, acting as project manager and architect of records for housing (both rehabilitation and new construction), childcare, and community service projects. He participates in architectural research and neighborhood planning studies, training and workshops and is coordinator of East New York work under the Fannie Mae Foundation grant. He is also working on an urban agriculture project "ENY Farms!" where community gardeners sell their produce at a new farmers market in East New York. Perry is interested in "green" building materials and in urban "Brownfields" redevelopment. Back to Top Dean Zias, AICP Associate Planner/Assistant Professor [email protected] x.4416 Dean produces customized computer-generated planning materials, assembles statistical and narrative documents relating to proposed housing, community services, land use, site development and economic development projects. He maintains a library of planning, census and Dun & Bradstreet data and is expert in database creation, maintenance and analysis and spreadsheet construction. He is also involved in training programs and teaches statistics in the graduate program. Dean maintains PICCED's mailing list and is currently coordinating the SEEDCO AmeriCorps Community Volunteer program. Back to Top Back to PICCED Home Page [ Education/Training \| Technical Assistance \| Policy/Advocacy \| Resources ]

This page copyright June 2001 - 2017, Pratt Institute Center for Community and Environmental Development (PICCED) Questions, comments, or suggestions should be sent to Mannix Gordon