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, D.C., 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 Programs
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.
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
Director of Communications & Outreach
Saleen, Director of Communications & Partnerships, develops and leads the implementation of a strategic communications plan. In previous roles, he arranged neighborhood grant programs with the Offices of the Mayor and Manhattan Borough President, along with city agencies. Prior to joining Citizens Committee, he worked as a community liaison for a progressive state senator and then as a tenant organizer. He holds a masters degree in community organizing from Hunter College School of Social Work.
Wilfredo Florentino
Program/Latino Outreach Coordinator
Wilfredo is responsible for raising awareness of Citizens Committee's work throughout the city. Additionally, he facilitates skills-building workshops and offers project planning assistance. Previously, Will worked for NYC Council Member Diana Reyna as a community organizer and the link between the community and its elected officials. He 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 U.S., 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.
Emi Wang
Program Coordinator
Emi supports the micro-grants programs and manages Citizens Committee's website and multimedia platforms. She graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in History, where her studies concentrated on 20th century urban American history, and particularly community development and social reform movements. Emi 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.
Rebekah Park
Development & Volunteer Coordinator
Rebekah helps to maintain Citizens Committee’s fundraising and the Love Your City volunteer program. Rebekah graduated from New York University with a B.A. in Social and Cultural Analysis, concentrating in American Studies and Gender and Sexuality Studies. Her studies reflect her interest in feminist movements among people of color. Prior to joining Citizens Committee, she worked at the Human Rights Advocacy Centre in Accra, Ghana.
Sabine Bernards
Program Coordinator
Sabine directs the Love Your Block grant program, as well as additional grant programs carried out in collaboration with our partners. She graduated from Seattle University with a degree in Political Science and Spanish, and a minor in Latin American Studies. During college, Sabine worked at an international development non-profit in Seattle and studied abroad in El Salvador. Prior to joining Citizens Committee, she was a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and worked as a Tenant Organizer in New York City.
Thelma Leemans
Executive Assistant
Thelma joined Citizens Committee in July 2004. She functions as Executive Assistant to the CEO, and additionally handles HR and accounting issues. Prior to coming to Citizens Committee, Thelma worked in the music industry in Los Angeles, London, and New York.
David Proskin
Budget Director
David serves as the Budget Director for Citizens Committee and is responsible for all aspects of the finance function for the organization. David is a Certified Public Accountant with over 25 years of experience serving a broad range of clients. Prior to joining Citizens Committee, he spent over 20 years in the financial services industry servicing securities broker-dealers and hedge funds. He is a graduate of CUNY Baruch College where he majored in Accounting. He grew up in the Bronx and currently resides in Westchester with his wife and two children.