Planning for Brooklyn’s Climate Future

Morgan Monaco

President and Park Administrator, Prospect Park Alliance

As Park Administrator and President of the Alliance, the non-profit that operates Brooklyn’s flagship park in partnership with the City, Morgan Monaco leads a workforce of more than 200 Alliance and NYC Parks staff, and oversees fundraising and revenue-generating activities that provide $14 million in operating support for the park each year. Monaco is the first Black leader of the Alliance, further diversifying executive leadership within the open space sector. Morgan previously served as Executive Director of the Red Hook Initiative, a youth and community development nonprofit impacting the 6,500 residents of Brooklyn’s largest public housing development. Prior to that she led a team within the NYC Mayor’s Office of Operations, where she managed broad-reaching equity initiatives, including OneNYC, which combines sustainability, equity and resiliency policy into one plan for NYC’s future. Morgan is a member of the NYC Environmental Justice Advisory Board, serves on the board of Nonprofit NY, and is co-chair of the Parks and Open Space Partners leadership committee. She serves on the Brooklyn Community Foundation Spark Prize committee, and received a Robin Hood Power Fund grant. Morgan lives in Windsor Terrace with her husband, a fellow public servant, and their son. Her family is an avid user of Prospect Park.

Adam Ganser

Executive Director, New Yorkers 4 Parks  

Trained as an architect, Adam Ganser has spent his career advocating for, designing, and developing creative urban scale public realm ideas that emphasize economic, environmental, and social impacts. As Executive Director of New Yorkers for Parks, Adam has led the citywide campaign for increased funding for the city’s 30,000 acres of parkland. Prior to NY4P, Adam was vice president of planning and design for the High Line.  Adam oversaw the preservation, design, and development of the third section of the High Line and led partnership with two mayoral administrations. Adam was also instrumental in creating and developing the High Line Network, a national consortium of infrastructure re-use public space projects. Prior to the High Line, Adam worked for Enrique Norton at TEN Arquitectos focusing on urban scale projects. Adam received a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from Columbia University, a Master of Architecture from Yale University, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. 

Maria Garrett

Community Advocate and President, Fresh Creek Civic Association 

Maria Garrett was raised in Brooklyn and has long been passionate about preserving the beauty of her community. She is a steadfast advocate for the cause of keeping Brooklyn clean and green as a dedicated organizer of the Fresh Creek Nature Preserve, which is also a wild bird sanctuary. In 2005, when city neglect left the preserve in disrepair, Maria recognized the importance of the green space to the community, and organized a cleanup event that has since led to decades of work and commitment to ensuring it remains intact for future generations. Maria also sits on the board of the Brooklyn Parks Open Space Coalition, an organization that helps negotiate funding for city parks, and has also campaigned with New Yorkers for Parks advocating for increased funding for city parks. Through these efforts, Maria continues to work with local organizations, volunteers, and government offices to advocate for sustainable protection, clean air, and green spaces in Brooklyn. Her dedication has earned her respect in the community and recognition as a true environmental champion in Brooklyn. 

Nicolas Almonor

Chair of CB9 Parks, Recreation, and Culture Committee

Nicolas Almonor has deep roots in Brooklyn spanning nearly five decades. For over 35 years, he served the community as an educator, teaching chemistry and general science at Prospect Heights High School, Brooklyn Technical High School, and Home Instruction Schools until his retirement in 2020. He has also served as Adjunct Faculty at NYU and taught in the Science Skills Center’s After School and Summer Program.

As a longtime community activist, Mr. Almonor has been involved in numerous political campaigns for local leaders. He was a founding member of the HASA Association and the Haitian Education Foundation. Since his appointment to CB9 four years ago, he has initiated several community projects as the Chair of the Parks, Recreation and Culture Committee and as a Member-at-Large, including the CB9 Community Fair and the presently developing “Biennial Conference of Brooklyn’s Green Oasis.” Mr Almonor brings a wealth of experience in both public service and education to his community work, combining his scientific background with his passion for civic engagement to help shape the future of his Brooklyn neighborhood.

Rhonda Keyser

Chair Brooklyn Solid Waste Advisory Board

Rhonda Keyser, Program and Policy Director of Cafeteria Culture (CafCu), is an actress, director, environmental educator, and grassroots organizer. She leads the creation of CafCu’s education + action toolkits, a growing collection of lesson plans and activities that align with CafCu’s award-winning movie, Microplastic Madness and our ongoing curriculum. Her work in school cafeteria waste reduction has centered students in schools across New York City (NYC) as leaders in diverting 85 to 97% of their cafeteria waste away from landfills and incinerators. In addition, she is a leading advocate for indoor air quality in schools and has successfully united stakeholders and advised New York Lawyers for the Public Interest in creating Safe School Renovation, a know-your-rights manual for public school students, teachers, administrators, and staff. She serves on the Board of Sure We Can, NYC’s only non-profit bottle and can redemption center, and is Chair of the Brooklyn Solid Waste Advisory Board. 

Matthew Civello

Chair Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board   

Matthew Civello’s dedication to environmental causes began in his youth on Long Island’s North Shore, mentored by environmentalists Dr. Robert Cushman Murphy and Albert Hostek (The New York Times, 1972). He currently serves as Treasurer of the Board of Sure We Can and Chair of the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board, and and as a board member of the New York Association of Conservation Commissions representing Region 2. Previously, he was Treasurer of Earth Matter. Matt has held executive roles in banking and brokerage, including VP at Deutsche Bank and Regional Senior VP for TD Bank. Currently, he is CEO of ScanScraps, Inc., a company focused on increasing participation in municipal organics programs. Matthew has studied at the City University of New York and Harvard University, and traveled extensively in the Middle East and Europe. 

Nebraska Hernández

Environmental Justice & Geospatial Analyst, UPROSE 

Nebraska Hernández (he/him/él) is the Environmental Justice & Geospatial Analyst at UPROSE. With a deep passion for GIS, critical cartography, and spatial analysis, Nebraska uses maps as tools for advocacy—visualizing the disproportionate impacts of environmental pollution on frontline communities. His work spans research, teaching, coalition building, and advising government agencies, integrating both quantitative and qualitative approaches to confront environmental injustice at multiple scales.

He works on a variety of issues at UPROSE, including air quality research, brownfield opportunity areas, and last-mile concerns in Sunset Park. Rooted in both grassroots activism and academic training in geography, Nebraska is dedicated to making data accessible and actionable for communities fighting for their right to clean air, water, and land. When he’s not mapping or organizing, he enjoys reading, spending time with friends, and listening to music.

J. Phillip Thompson

Brooklyn Communities Collaborative Board of Directors 

J. Phillip Thompson is an urban planner and political scientist, and is currently a Professor of Urban Planning and Politics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The former Deputy Mayor of Strategic Initiatives for the City of New York, Thompson has been a longtime champion of diversity and community-action. As Deputy Mayor, he was responsible for spearheading a diverse collection of priority initiatives and oversaw New York City’s signature Pre-K for All program, as well as overseeing the Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises Program, the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development, Department of Youth and Community Development, and the Department of Small Business Services, among others. Thompson serves on Brooklyn Communities Collaborative’s board of directors. 

Kat Trujillo

Deputy Director at UPROSE, a member of The PEAK Coalition 

Kat Trujillo (she/her) grew up in South Central Los Angeles, where she saw firsthand how environmental injustices often fall hardest on underserved communities—and how grassroots organizing can shift power back into their hands. These early experiences drive her work as Deputy Director at UPROSE, where she supports a variety of community-driven initiatives. Prior to UPROSE, Kat led the Social Justice Innovation Awards, which recognize entrepreneurs leveraging technology for good. At Libraries Without Borders, she helped launch pop-up libraries and learning centers in laundromats and other nontraditional spaces. Earlier in her career, she advocated for early childhood and higher education at the National Head Start Association and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Kat holds a BA from UC Berkeley, an MA from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and an LLM from the Transitional Justice Institute. Off the clock, she enjoys teaching yoga, diving into ambitious baking projects, and creating elaborate backstories for her gray tabby, Mr. Meyers. 

Jinean Robinson

Community Solar and Engagement Lead at RETI Center 

Jinean Robinson has over a decade of experience in getting results in social impact driven work throughout the US, Haiti, Mexico, Malawi and the Caribbean. She currently leads RETI Center’s Community Solar Program and Engagement Department. RETI Center’s Community Solar Program works with building & land owners, residents and investors to grow their 2.9+ MW in development portfolio of community benefiting solar; 800+ community members receiving energy savings, managing community funds, receiving workforce training opportunities and 2,330 metric tons of CO2 avoided. RETI Center’s Community Engagement Department supports relationship building to support impact through energy, waterfront and workforce development. 

Elizabeth Hodges McQuade (Lizzie) is the Senior Program Manager for Resiliency at NYCHA where she is developing the capital program for resiliency-focused projects.  She is an architect with a background working on design teams for a range of cultural and public buildings. She will be talking about NYCHA’s first climate adaptation plan and the resiliency work currently that is currently being implemented.

Andrea Silverman is an Associate Professor of environmental engineering in the Department of Civil and Urban Engineering at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Dr. Silverman’s research focuses on water quality, wastewater treatment, and urban flooding, with an overarching goal to protect public health and environmental quality. In addition to laboratory-based research on disinfection of waterborne pathogens, wastewater-based epidemiology, and the design of natural wastewater treatment processes, Dr. Silverman co-directs applied urban projects, including the FloodNet project, which involves collaboration with community-based organizations and local and federal government agencies. 

Victoria Sanders

Climate and Health Programs Manager at the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA) 

Victoria Sanders is the Climate and Health Programs Manager at the NYC Environmental Justice Alliance (NYC-EJA). At NYC-EJA, her work includes research and advocacy to support NYC-EJA’s environmental health initiatives to promote equitable, resilient, and healthy communities. Her work primarily focuses on climate change induced extreme weather, pollution prevention, air quality, and promoting green infrastructure in environmental justice communities.   

Antonio Reynoso is Brooklyn’s 20^th Borough President. The son of two Dominican immigrants, Antonio was born and raised in Los Sures, Williamsburg, just three blocks down from where he lives today with his wife and two sons. He grew up in Section 8 housing, relying on food stamps for family meals and scholarships for education opportunities. He experienced firsthand how a little help can go a long way for a young family trying their hardest to put down roots and have a fair shot at the life they want.

Juan Camilo Osorio is an Associate Professor at Pratt Institute’s Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment. He serves as a Commissioner at the New York City Planning Commission, appointed by the Brooklyn Borough President, Antonio Reynoso, to leverage 18 years of professional experience working as an architect and urban planner in collaboration with grassroots leaders locally and abroad. His work explores the tension between cities and the political economy of climate action and disaster recovery, where socio-economic and environmental inequality exacerbate each other at all stages of the planning process. 

Theodore Moore is ALIGN’s Executive Director, setting the organization’s strategic vision for worker power and climate justice, and building campaigns with unions, community groups, and partners across the movement. He has 20+ years of political advocacy experience, including with the New York Immigration Coalition, Working Families Party, and the New York City Council, and was among the original staff of ALIGN in 2012. Theo serves on several Boards of Directors including Riders Alliance, New Yorkers United for Child Care, and Brooklyn Movement Center. A lifelong Brooklyn resident, Moore was born and raised in East Flatbush and now calls Bed-Stuy home.