Featured Resources
Malek Al-Shammary. Malek currently serves as the Press Secretary at IBO, having previously held the position of Director of Communications for the Deputy Speaker at the New York City Council. Alongside his professional accomplishments, Malek enjoys a variety of hobbies, including video games, fantasy novels, and engaging in geo-political reading before bedtime. Malek is a proud graduate of the University of Connecticut, where he earned his B.A. in Communications.
Arden Armbruster. Arden is a lead budget and policy analyst on the Social and Community Services team. Her portfolio includes the city’s criminal legal agencies, cultural affairs, and libraries. Prior to joining IBO in September 2022, she worked for New York institutions including The New York Public Library, Hunter College, and the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission. Arden earned her undergraduate degree in music performance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and her master's in public administration at Baruch College (CUNY). Arden is grateful to live near Brooklyn’s backyard—Prospect Park—and enjoys cooking, her cats, and contemporary art.
Gloria Basant. Before joining IBO, Gloria served the public as a Civil Servant for over 19 years with the Departmenr of Consumer and Worker Protection. She loves serving the public, helping small businesses obtain a license in more than forty different industries. Over the years with DCWP, under the Licensing Division she supervised two units (311 Licensing Call Center / Fitness Review Unit). Her passions include traveling, gardening, and listening to music. Gloria was raised and still lives in Brooklyn with her husband and three children and enjoys living in the melting pot of the world.
Jacob Berman. Jacob is the assistant director for the Social and Community Services team. He joined IBO is January 2022. Previously, Jacob was an analyst in the Mayor’s Office Center for Innovation through Data Intelligence (CIDI). At CIDI, Jacob conducted big data research and policy projects spanning New York City’s health and human services agencies. Jacob also has previous experience at Everytown for Gun Safety and the Police Executive Research Forum in Washington DC. Outside of work, Jacob enjoys ballroom dancing, which he used to compete in, and going for walks in Central Park with his dog Luna (objectively the greatest dog in the known universe). Jacob earned a master’s in public administration from New York University and a B.A. from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Andrew Bossie. Andrew joined the IBO in May of 2024 as a senior economist. Before joining the IBO Andrew was an Associate Professor at NJCU in Jersey City. His academic research focuses on the impact and interaction of monetary and fiscal policy in the US, particularly during WWII. Andrew received his Ph.D. from the CUNY Graduate Center and earned his B.A. from Brooklyn College. When not at the IBO Andrew spends his time with his wife and four kids, preferably outdoors swimming and hiking.
Brian Cain. Brian is the Assistant Director of Housing, Environment, and Infrastructure. He started at IBO in August 2022 as the Budget Review Analyst. He is a licensed CPA and worked for two years as an auditor at Ernst & Young. During graduate school he focused on municipal budgeting, working with eight different cities on a wide array of budgeting projects. Brian has been in the Northeast his whole life: he grew up in Vermont, attended college in Rhode Island, worked at EY in Boston, and completed graduate school in Cambridge. He moved to New York City in summer 2022. In his free time, he loves to cook, travel, play tennis, and explore his new city. Brian received his master’s in public policy from Harvard and a B.A. from Providence College.
Louisa Chafee. Louisa Chafee became the Director of the New York City Independent Budget Office in March of 2023. Louisa is a government policy and operations expert, with over two decades of leadership experience in both government and the non-profit sector. She served in the Office of the Governor of New York, as Deputy Secretary for Human Services. She served in several key positions in New York City government, including as Executive Director for Management Innovation at the Office of the Mayor, and also served for many years as Senior Vice President for External Relations and Public Policy at the UJA-Federation of New York. Chafee received a B.A. from Macalester College and an M.P.A. from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service. She resides in Brooklyn with her husband, daughters and their dog.
Cameron Chapman. Cameron Chapman joined IBO in January 2024 as a Budget and Policy Analyst. Prior to joining IBO, Cameron worked as a graduate assistant at SUNY Binghamton while completing his M.A. in Economics, following the completion of a B.S. in Financial Economics. As a graduate assistant they helped to facilitate co-ed recreational activities throughout campus and conduct reports regarding data collected from these activities. Beyond this, Cameron enjoys watching football, basketball and MMA, and playing basketball and video games.
Logan Clark. Logan is IBO's Chief Financial Officer and the Assistant Director of Budget Review. He joined IBO in September 2022, after six years working in various portfolios at the NYC Office of Management and Budget. During his time there he worked on issues relating to open space, waste and refuse management, capital planning, federal disaster grant programs, and government operations. When not at work, Logan enjoys cooking, reading, old RPG and strategy games, and hanging with his wife and cats. A recovering lax bro, he also will play whatever sports his knees will permit him, which is currently government league softball, municipally owned pitch and putt, and some East Coast skiing. Logan has his B.A. from McGill University and an M.S. in Urban Planning from Columbia University.
Gianpaolo Defelice. Gianpaolo joined IBO in February of 2024 as an Assistant Budget Analyst. He graduated from Johns Hopkins University where he got his Bachelor's degree in International Studies and Economics, Besides this, he enjoys watching and playing basketball in his free time.
Ed Dolan. Ed Dolan joined the IBO in February 2025, after serving for eight years as a Deputy Fire Commissioner with the Fire Department of New York. He has more than thirty years of management experience, in both the public and private sectors. He spent ten years in Federal service after the 9/11 terrorist attack; working in the Secretary of Homeland Security’s Policy office and for more than two years on the National Security Council staff at the White House. He began his career in the New York City Mayor’s Office under Mayor Koch, and was later appointed as a Deputy Fire Commissioner at the FDNY, where he oversaw the merger of the City’s emergency medical service (EMS) into the FDNY. He holds a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Benjamin Ferri. Benjamin joined IBO as an Economist in September 2023, with a primary focus on New York City’s Personal Income Tax. He graduatedwith a double majors B.A. & B.S. from Union College in Schenectady, NY, and recently completed a Ph.D. in Economics at Boston College. He has done a variety of economics and data science consulting work with both public and private entities, as well as teaching. Outside of work Benjamin is an adventurer, exploring New York and other cities on foot, meeting new people, and developing his series of science fantasy novels.
Julie Anna Golebiewski. Julie Anna returned to IBO in June 2022 as a senior economist, contributing to the local economic forecast and performing economic policy analysis. She previously worked as an analyst and deputy director in the Office of Tax Policy at the NYC Department of Finance, as the acting chief economist of the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee, and as senior economist at IBO, focusing on labor issues and business, sales and hotel tax revenue forecasts. Since leaving IBO in 2015, she has been an economics professor at Canisius College in Buffalo, NY, teaching microeconomics, statistics, and public finance. Julie Anna earned her Ph.D. in Economics at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University.
Emma Gossett. Emma joined IBO in July 2023 as a Policy and Budget analyst on the Education team. Previously, she worked at the Urban Institute on the Early Childhood Education team and has also worked at the National Head Start Association. When she’s not at work, Emma enjoys baking, reading, going to live theater performances, and spending time with her dog and family. Emma received her master’s in education policy and analysis from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and her B.A. from Bard College.
Tainá Guarda. Tainá is the Chief Outreach and Engagement Officer. She joined IBO in July 2018 as an education budget and policy analyst with a specialization in data visualization. Before arriving at IBO she created the data visualizations for a report on segregation and school choice by the Center for New York City Affairs and provided research on higher education for the Professional Staff Congress. Tainá has a wide variety of interests and can be found in a pool, on a bike, or at a concert. She has a master’s in environmental policy and sustainability from The New School as well as a B.A. from Swarthmore College.
Valerie Gudino. Valerie is a Budget and Policy Analyst on the Social and Community Services team. Her portfolio includes the city’s public safety agencies. Before joining IBO, Valerie worked at the New York State Department of Financial Services as a Research Assistant. She graduated from American University in 2020 with a BA in Public Relations and a Minor in Political Science and recieved her her M.P.A. with a specialization of Management and Operations from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2024. Outside of work, Valerie enjoys reading, visiting art museums, and yoga.
Labiba Haque. Labiba joined IBO as a scheduler/advisor in October 2024. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the City College of New York in 2023. Before IBO, she worked at the New York City Council. Born and raised in Queens, she can't imagine living anywhere else. Outside of work, Labiba enjoys hanging out with family and friends, traveling, and overall creating unforgettable memories.
Zachary Herman. Zach is the Lead Capital Budget and Policy Analyst. He Joined IBO in December 2023 after five years at the NYC Office of Management and Budget. While at OMB he conducted budget review and analysis across several portfolio areas including parks, citywide sustainability and resiliency efforts, and municipal energy efficiency retrofits. In his free time, Zach can be found biking, doing crosswords, rock climbing, playing soccer or tennis, identifying trees, reading, and complaining about inefficient uses of public space. Zach has a B.A. in Economics from the University of Vermont and an M.S. in Public Policy from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service. After growing up in Manhattan, Zach now enjoys a quiet tree-lined life in Kensington, Brooklyn.
Bobby Holliman. Bobby is a lead education data manager. Before this role, he spent nine years as a teacher at bilingual schools in China and Washington, D.C., where he managed grade-level teams and used data to enhance curriculum development and improve student outcomes. In addition to his work in education, Bobby conducted research on mental health literacy in China. He holds an M.S. in Data Science from Eastern University, an M.A. in International Studies from Concordia University Irvine, and a B.A. in Psychology from North Carolina State University. He lives with his partner and dog in Harlem. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Sarah Internicola. Sarah is a housing policy and budget analyst on the Housing, Environment, and Infrastructure team. Prior to joining IBO in November 2023, she attended NYU Wagner, where she focused on housing and community development. During her studies, she worked in research roles at the NYU Furman Center and the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development. In her free time, Sarah loves to play guitar, explore the city, and start art projects that she may or may not complete. She is also a cautiously optimistic Buffalo Bills fan. Sarah earned her B.A. in Urban and Public Policy Studies from SUNY at Buffalo, and her Master of Urban Planning at NYU Wagner.
Elliot Jackson-Ontkush Elliot joined IBO in 2024 as a Data Analyst. He graduated from Skidmore College in 2024, studying Economics and Political Science. His thesis analyzed the relationship between absentee voting policy and the cost of election administration. He completed another project analyzing the effect that political resignations have on restoring public faith in government, which he presented at the Midwest Political Science Association conference of 2024. Outside of IBO, he plays guitar, ultimate frisbee, and loves watching basketball.
Naushad Khan. Prior to IBO, Naushad previously served as an Assistant Director in the Office of IT Security at NYC DOHMH. He has been in city service for over 17 years and has served in multiple IT roles, including IT Security Administrator. Naushad has been involved in multiple technological initiatives that have served the NYC public and will continue to dedicate his career to city service. Naushad completed his graduate degree at Brooklyn College (CUNY). He resides in Queens with his family and enjoys movies, traveling, and all the different cuisines NYC has to offer.
Julia Konrad. Julia is the Assistant Director of the Education team. She joined IBO in June 2022 as an education budget and policy analyst. Previously, she studied housing policy and government responses to the pandemic as a research assistant at the NYU Furman Center. Before that, Julia taught 11th grade U.S. history at a Brooklyn public school. She loves to visit NYC’s parks, where you might find her biking or rollerblading, looking for birds, or spending time with friends. Julia received her master’s in public administration from NYU Wagner, her master’s in education from Vanderbilt University, and her B.A. from Harvard College.
Stephanie Kranes. Steph currently serves as a Senior Education Policy Analyst at IBO, having previously worked in public health doing data collection, analysis, and case management for clinics serving low-income individuals with chronic illness. She graduated from Fordham University with a master’s in research methods in the field of social work.
Xin-rui Lee. Xin-rui Lee is the newest addition to IBO's growing communications team, serving as Community Engagement Specialist. Prior to IBO, Xin-rui worked as a marketing professional in NYC's independent music sector. Her experience includes tenures at the American Association of Independent Music as their Communications Lead, as well as Head of Marketing and Box Office at Brooklyn venue Baby's All Right. Outside of building a career in public policy, Xin-rui is an avid climber, knitter, and DJ with an inclination towards D&B, Dancehall, Reggaeton, Jungle, and Afrobeats. Xin-rui moved to NYC in 2015 from her home country of Singapore to earn her B.A. in Philosophy from NYU in 2019.
Jan Mendez. Jan is a Budget and Policy Analyst on the Housing, Environment, and Infrastructure team. Before joining the IBO, Jan worked at the New York City Council as a Community Liaison and Legislative Aide, where he helped the public navigate the complexity of New York City bureaucracy and helped passed major legislation. Before that, Jan gained experience in the policy field by working as a housing advocate and working as a researcher in a policy thinktank. He graduated from CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice with a BS in Public Administration and a Minor in Political Science and is currently working to complete his M.P.A in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy from NYU Wagner. In his free time, Jan enjoys hiking, exploring New York City, playing video games, and writing his science fantasy novel.
Eric Mosher. Eric is a lead economist at IBO, where he focuses on forecasting and analysis related to the city’s sales tax and hotel occupancy tax. Before joining IBO in January 2023, Eric worked in communications consulting, supporting clients in financial services, international development, healthcare, and other fields. He has a B.A. from Bennington College and a master’s degree in economics from Columbia University. Outside work, Eric enjoys music, travel, cooking, and baseball. Eric grew up in Queens and now lives in Manhattan.
My Nguyen. My is a Budget and Policy Analyst on the Education Team. She started her career in New York City as a high school science teacher, instructing courses in physics and biology, where she also felt the importance of public policy and its effects on people’s livelihoods. During graduate school, she focused on broad skills including data analysis and policy evaluation while also working on projects explicitly related to public education reform in NYC, welfare, and financial regulation. My was born in Vietnam, raised in Seattle, lived in Cape Town, South Africa, and moved to New York City in summer 2020. In her free time, she loves to travel, read historical fiction books based on other countries, and spend time with family. My received her master’s in public administration from NYU Wagner, a master’s in teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education, and a B.A. in biology from the University of Washington.
Kaitlyn O'Hagan. Kaitlyn joined IBO in April 2024 as a Senior Policy and Budget analyst on the Education team. Previously, as an IES-PIRT fellow at NYU, she studied education finance and policy, co-authored numerous academic articles, and presented her research at APPAM, AEFP, and SREE. Before that, Kaitlyn worked at the New York City Council in the Finance Division covering the education and infrastructure budget. In her spare time, she enjoys Irish step dancing, spending time with her dog and family in Brooklyn, and rooting for the NY Liberty and Knicks. Kaitlyn received her PhD in public administration from NYU Wagner (exp. May 2024), her MPA from CUNY Baruch, her BA from CUNY Hunter, and is a proud graduate of NYC PK-12 public schools.
Sarah Parker. Sarah is Senior Research and Strategy Officer for Infrastructure, Environmental and Economic Analysis. She previously served as the assistant director for the Housing, Environment, and Infrastructure team. She joined IBO as a housing and homelessness analyst in 2015. Previously, Sarah was the Ed Koch Memorial Student Fellow at the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy at New York University. Sarah’s role at the Furman Center focused on data analysis and regulatory research related to affordable housing development and preservation. Her experience in housing also includes overseeing residential energy efficiency grants for New York State Homes and Community Renewal. Outside of IBO, Sarah can be found wearing a tartan as a Scottish country dancer and playing viola in orchestral and chamber music groups. Sarah earned a master’s in public administration from New York University and a B.A. from Bryn Mawr College.
Emily Pramik. Emily is a lead budget and policy anlayst who joined IBO as its transportation budget and policy analyst in October 2021. Emily previously worked for the New York City Department of City Planning’s Capital Planning Division. She has also served as a Fellow with the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab, assisting the State of Rhode Island in the performance management and evaluation of new job training strategies. Emily began her policy career as a research assistant at MDRC. When not in the office, she can be found exploring the city’s small museums or spending quality time with her cat, Luigi. Emily has a Master’s of Public Policy from the University of Michigan and an A.B. from the University of Chicago.
Amanda Raikes-Williams. Amanda Raikes-Williams is a Budget and Policy Analyst on the Social and Community Services team. Prior to joining IBO in January of 2024, Amanda served as a Civil Servant for the City of New York and many non-profits for over a decade. Amanda’s prior experience includes program evaluation at the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, and policy writing, training, and community engagement at the New York City Department of Homeless Services. Amanda is your classic native New Yorker with little desire for the tourist attractions but can be found finding random fun in New York City, museum hoping, food crawls, spending quality time with her family, or sharpening her cooking skills from her deep-rooted Jamaican heritage.
Cole Rakow. Cole was named Assistant Director for Economics in September of 2024. He joined IBO in June 2017 as an economist, focusing on the city’s business taxes, including keeping tabs on how federal tax changes could affect local revenue. In June 2021, he became Senior Economist. Prior to joining IBO, Cole taught economics and research methods to both undergraduate and graduate students, while carrying out research about state and local taxation. He hails from the Chicago suburbs and spent the six years before coming to IBO living in Lexington, Kentucky. His after-work interests include architecture, especially of New York’s iconic bridges, and classical music. Cole received his Ph.D. in public policy and administration from the University of Kentucky and B.S. from Truman State University.
Yolanda Rodriguez. Yolanda is an excutive assistant, who was born, raised, and still lives in Brooklyn. She came to IBO in March 2007 as an administrative assistant after working for two years at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services and four years at the Department of Consumer Affairs. She has experience in purchasing, payroll, and timekeeping.
Joydeep Roy. Joydeep is IBO's Economist at Large. He joined IBO in April 2010 as one of the first members of our expanded education research team. An economist by training, he previously worked at the Economic Policy Institute, where his research focused on school choice and accountability, school finance and adequacy issues, teacher labor markets, and topics in higher education. He has published articles in a number of academic journals and coauthored a book on high school graduation rates and trends. Joydeep earned a Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University and his B.A. from Presidency College.
Hayden Sahl. CHayden joined the IBO in March 2024 as a Desktop Support Engineer. Prior to joining IBO, Hayden worked as a Junior Project Engineer at a managed service provider, providing IT onboarding and maintenance services to hedge fund clients. Hayden also has experience in human resources which he worked in prior to pivoting to a technology career. Hayden is originally from West Orange, NJ but moved into Manhattan after college. In his free time, Hayden enjoys watching hockey (Rangers) and football and trying out new restaurants in the Upper East Side with his wife. Hayden received his first bachelor's degree in Sport Media and Management from Ithaca College and a second bachelor's degree in Data Management & Analytics from Western Governor's University.
Claire Salant. Claire is a lead budget and policy analyst on the Social and Community Services team. Her portfolio focuses on the city’s social service agencies, including the Department of Social Services and the Administration for Children’s Services. Before coming to IBO in October 2022, she worked in education, most recently as an instructor at SEO Scholars, a free program for low-income teens in New York City. When not at work, Claire enjoys dancing, playing board games, seeing live performances, and hiking. She has a B.A. from Barnard College and a master’s in public policy from the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.
Sarah Sayavong. Sarah is a lead database manager. She joined IBO in October 2015 as a SAS analyst/programmer and in 2017 was promoted to data manager. Sarah previously worked as a data analysis consultant for UNICEF and was involved in research and program evaluation for the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Saint Louis University. Raised in a small town in Illinois, Sarah has lived in New York City since April 2015. She enjoys ballet, opera, and the symphony and claims to have the best cat in the world. Sarah received her master’s in public health and B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis.
Indera Segobind. Indera became one of IBO’s first employees when she joined the agency in May 1996. She is now IBO's director of administration. Before coming to IBO, Indera held administrative positions in the Offices of the Public Advocate and City Comptroller for 10 years. A native of Guyana, she now lives in Brooklyn and keeps an herb garden year-round. Indera earned an A.D. in liberal arts from LaGuardia Community College.
Jacqueline Sherman. Jackie Sherman joined IBO as General Counsel in February 2022, and was additionally appointed Chief Innovation Officer in August of 2023. Before coming to IBO, Jackie was the Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel of JCCA, a non-profit child welfare and children’s behavioral health agency. Prior to JCCA, Jackie worked for the New York City Administration for Children’s Services, launching the City’s Close to Home Initiative. She has also served as General Counsel in the Office of the New York City Public Advocate, and as legislative counsel for the New York City Council’s Committee on General Welfare. Jackie received her J.D. from Harvard Law School and her B.A. from Amherst College. Jackie enjoys baking and bicycling in her spare time.
Marla Simpson. Marla joined the IBO team in March 2023, having worked in the NYC public and nonprofit sectors for 40+ years, most recently as Associate Director for Immigrant and Refugee Services at Catholic Charities Community Services and Chair of the NY State Not-for-Profit Government Contracting Advisory Committee. Previously, she served as CEO of Brooklyn Community Services, and as NYC’s Chief Procurement Officer/Director of the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services. Although she now considers herself a recovering attorney, her earlier legal career included stints with the Manhattan Borough President, the New York Attorney General’s Charities Bureau, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, legal services and private practice. She holds a B.A. from Michigan State and a J.D. from the University of Michigan. Marla lives in Brooklyn with her husband, and is an enthusiastic baker and crossword puzzle maven.
Youngwan Song. Youngwan joined IBO in August 2023 as an education budget and policy analyst. His research interests center on education finance and policy efforts that 1) reduce resource disparity within large urban school systems, 2) reflect voters' voices in school districts' budgeting, and 3) help students gain access to and succeed in post-secondary education. He loves walking with his wife, swimming with his daughter, and watching baseball and soccer games. He earned his Ph.D. in public policy from Georgia State University and his Master's in public administration from Florida State University.
Cassandra Stuart. Cassandra joined IBO in May 2023 as a health budget and policy analyst. She has held various titles in the public health space including that of research assistant and clinical research coordinator. Immediately prior to joining IBO, Cassandra earned master's degrees in public health and business administration from Drexel University. She also holds a B.A. in biology from Rutgers University. In her free time, she enjoys reading books (of the fiction variety), partaking in (amateur) printmaking and photography, and traveling when possible.
Sarita Subramanian. Sarita is the Senior Research and Strategy Officer (for Education, Human and Community Services. She previously served assistant director of IBO's Education unit. She joined IBO in June 2009 as an education budget and policy analyst with a focus on capital budgeting. Sarita previously worked in the Federal Reserve System for four years, first in Washington, D.C. and then in New York. When not at work Sarita enjoys knitting, playing with Legos of all sizes with her two sons, and is an avid watcher of sports—tennis, soccer, baseball (Mets!) and hockey (Rangers!). She received her master’s in public administration from Columbia University and B.A. from Wellesley College.
Tara Swanson. Tara joined IBO in September 2006 as communications assistant and is now the senior production coordinator for our digital and print publications and resources. A Staten Island native who now lives in Brooklyn, Tara previously worked as the communications associate at St. Bartholomew's Church. When not crocheting in her off hours, Tara enjoys going to museums and then posting snarky tweets about the art. Tara graduated with a B.A. in English from York College of Pennsylvania.
Alaina Turnquist. Alaina is a lead budget and policy analyst who joined IBO in August of 2022 as the economic development budget and policy analyst focusing on small business services, the city’s Economic Development Corporation, and city planning. Before coming to IBO, Alaina worked in performance auditing for the City of Austin as well as at the federal level with the Government Accountability Office. She is originally from the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) where she spent time working in non-profit development for an organization specializing in food security. In her personal time, Alaina is an avid runner, reader, and cook. She enjoys discovering new music, especially anything related to theatre and classical choral music. Alaina received her B.A. from Bethel University and her master’s in public affairs from the University of Texas.
Lizzy Zarate. Lizzy has served as IBO's Archivist since October 2024, having previously joined as an intern in June 2024. Prior to this role, she was the Web Archives Student Assistant at NYU. In her free time, Lizzy enjoys journaling, reading, and trying new coffee shops. She received her MA in Archives & Public History and her BA in History from NYU.