IBO

Arden Armbruster. Arden is a 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.

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.

Logan Clark. Logan is 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.

Richard DiSalvo. Richard joined IBO in July 2023 as a Senior Economist. His focus is on the city's property tax, including forecasting property tax revenues and explaining the workings of the property tax system. Prior to joining IBO, Richard taught statistics at Princeton University and published research in education policy. Richard received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Rochester and his B.A. from SUNY Oswego.

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.

Monserate Fernandez. Monserate joined IBO as MIS director in May 2006 and has kept our expanding technology network online since then. He previously worked for five years at a medical accounting firm as head of corporate information technology. A student of philosophy and biotechnology, Monserate attended the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Drejuan Fitzpatrick. Before joining IBO as our network support specialist in January 2015, Drejuan served in the dual role of IT project coordinator and network & systems administrator for a Long Island law firm. He also previously worked as a systems administrator for an international education exchange organization. In both jobs Drejuan provided IT support to staff, managed existing systems, and executed major IT projects.

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.

Michael P. Jacobs. Michael is the assistant director for our Economics and Taxes unit. He joined IBO in September 1996 as one of our original staff members. Michael’s previous experience includes working as a revenue forecaster and analyst with the City Council's Finance Division and as a research consultant to Governor Mario Cuomo's Advisory Panel on Financial Services at the New York State Department of Economic Development. A Brooklyn native, Michael enjoys travel—he has made it to 47 states—and is an avid hiker and filmgoer. He received his Ph.D. in economics from The New School and B.A. from Oberlin College.

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. Stephanie, an education budget and policy analyst, joined IBO in September 2014. In June 2021, she was named Senior Budget and Policy Analyst. Her previous experience includes working in hospitals and clinics in Pennsylvania, where she was a case manager for HIV-affected patients and analyzed health data to understand linkages between economic instability, depression, and quality of health. Stephanie later served as a research intern at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. At IBO Stephanie has been observed eating lettuce out of a bag at random times, but this has not precluded her from maintaining the agency’s cookbook. She earned a master’s in social work from Fordham University and a B.A. from Dickinson College.

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.

Lisa Neary. Lisa became IBO's First Deputy Director in May of 2023. She joined IBO as General Counsel in 2004. Prior to her work at IBO, she was a legislative counsel for the New York City Council Finance Division. In her spare time, Lisa enjoys jogging in Riverside Park and seeing concerts at the various music venues the city has to offer. She received her J.D. from Rutgers University and her B.A. from Yale University.

Jordan Paige. Jordan joined IBO in July 2022 as an environmental budget and policy analyst, focusing parks and recreation, environmental protection, and sanitation . Jordan hails from North Carolina where in prior roles, he spent time working as a budget and evaluation analyst for the City of Winston-Salem and as a data analyst for Downtown Greensboro Incorporated. As a newly minted New York City resident, Jordan spends his time venturing around the city exploring places to play basketball, roller skate, bike ride, and visiting museums. Jordan attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro where he earned his B.A. and master’s in public affairs.

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.

Cole Rakow. Cole 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.

Claire Salant. Claire is a 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.