Our Staff
Peter H. Kostmayer
Chief Executive Officer
Peter was a member of the US Congress for seven terms from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and served in the first Clinton administration as a senior official at the Environmental Protection Agency overseeing the agency in five middle Atlantic states and the District of Columbia. After leaving government, he became President of Population Connection in Washington DC working on the environmental aspects of population growth and toward universal family planning for all women. Peter is a graduate of Columbia University and lives in the West Village.
Arif Ullah
Director of Neighborhood Resources
Arif manages the organization's micro-grants program, which awards grants to volunteer-driven grassroots groups in low-income neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs. Additionally, he facilitates skills-building workshops and delivers project planning assistance to such groups. Prior to joining Citizens Committee, Arif worked for five years as an immigrants rights community organizer with American Friends Service Committee, an international peace and justice organization. He is committed to various issues of social and environmental justice.
Andrew Gounardes
Director of External Affairs
Andrew manages Citizens Committee's government, media, and community relations. He earned a B.A. in Political Science from Hunter College-CUNY and a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School. Andrew has extensive experience in government, working for the New York City Council, New York State Assembly, and most recently, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (NJ). He is a member of Community Board 10 in Brooklyn.
Jane Slater
Director of Development
Jane oversees Citizens Committee's fundraising and Love Your City Volunteer program. Prior to joining Citizens Committee, Jane served in variety of roles at the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, launching a social media strategy and helping to secure a three-year national Ad Council campaign. She was also a fulltime volunteer at Casa Alianza in Nicaragua, working with at-risk youth living in the streets of Managua. Jane earned a B.A. in International Relations from Connecticut College.
Saleen Shah
Associate Director, Neighborhood Resources
Saleen works with grantees and resident-led neighborhood groups across the city, and conducts skills-building workshops and outreach efforts. Previous to his work at Citizens Committee for NYC, Saleen worked as a tenant organizer at Housing Conservation Coordinators to help preserve affordable housing in Manhattan’s Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen district. In 2005, he led coordinating efforts with State Senator Liz Krueger and her Senior Advisory Board on Manhattan’s East Side in an effort to form more solid relationships between older city residents and their elected officials. He is a graduate of Hunter College School of Social Work.
Wilfredo Florentino
Program/Latino Outreach Coordinator
Will is responsible for raising awareness of Citizens Committee's work throughout existing 'Groundbreaker' communities and those where they have not traditionally been present. Additionally, he facilitates skills-building workshops and offers project planning assistance. Before joining Citizens, Will worked for NYC Council Member Diana Reyna as a community organizer and the link between the community and its elected officials. Will also served in the United States Military attaining the rank of Lieutenant, which allowed him to travel to the Middle East where he trained foreign military forces. Upon returning to the states, Will served as the Senior Officer in charge of the Fort Totten Burial detail team. He received his B.A. from the University at Albany and is currently a member of Community Board 1 in Brooklyn.
Joe Eastman
Project Coordinator
Joe Eastman was born and raised in Briarwood, Queens, NY. He attended the CUNY Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College, where he received a degree in Political Science and Economics. He has previously worked for the NYC Departments of Parks, Small Business Services and Citywide Administrative Services. He has also worked at the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network. Joe is the recipient of a Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship and NYC Urban Fellowship.
Emi Wang
Project Coordinator
Emi graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in History. Her academic studies concentrated on twentieth century urban history in the United States, particularly community development and social reform movements. She has previously worked with Poughkeepsie Plenty, a project aimed at reducing food insecurity and one of ten projects nationwide awarded a grant by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2011.
Thelma Leemans
Executive Assistant
Thelma joined Citizens Committee in July 2004. She functions as Executive Assistant to the CEO and also handles HR and accounting issues. Prior to coming to Citizens, Thelma worked in the music industry in Los Angeles, London, and New York.