Board of Directors & Staff
Save Harlem Now!’s board and staff at Preservation Conference 2022
Rear l-r: Angel Ayon, board vice president; Valerie Jo Bradley, board president; Leslie Jill Hanson, board member; James Singletary, former Executive Director | Front l-r: Carey King, board secretary; Lisa Rachel Nickie, board member; Roberta Washington, board member; Lynn Kilgore Hendy, board treasurer
Board Officers
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Valerie Jo Bradley
BOARD PRESIDENT
Valerie Jo Bradley is a founding member of Save Harlem Now! She also is co-founder and President of the Marcus Garvey Park Alliance, which advocates for Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park. Valerie received the Preservation League of NYS 2023 Pillar Award, and the 2022 Women of Distinction honor for her preservation work from the NYS Senate. She is a graduate of Indiana University and completed graduate studies at UC Berkeley School of Journalism. For 26 years, Valerie owned a public relations and event planning firm. She is co-author of Harlem Travel Guide, the first tour book to focus exclusively on Harlem.
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Angel Ayon AIA, NACAR, NOMA, LEED AP
BOARD VICE PRESIDENT
Angel Ayón is a founding member of Save Harlem Now! He is Principal of AYON Studio Architecture • Preservation P.C. (AYON Studio), which provides services in the fields of architecture and historic preservation. Starting in 2000, Angel worked with the Harlem community to save the Mount Morris Fire Watchtower in Marcus Garvey Park. Angel is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Preservation League of NYS, and an Advisory Board member of the NYC Historic Districts Council. Angel holds Architecture and Preservation degrees fromHavana’s Higher Polytechnic Institute and Columbia University.
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Carey King
BOARD SECRETARY
Carey King traces her roots to a family of farmers and preachers in North and South Carolina, who loved talking about history and family trees. She is currently the Director of Uptown Grand Central, a nonprofit focused on small business and community development in East Harlem. Carey is a product of Wake Forest University, Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She has been named a Forty Under Forty Rising Star by the NYC Food Policy Center, and a 2020 Manhattan Hero by Borough President Gale Brewer.
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Lynn Kilgore Hendy
BOARD TREASURER
Lynn Kilgore Hendy is a retired television advertising sales and account manager, and local television ratings expert. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. At age one, Lynn moved from North Carolina to New York City, when her father, the Reverend Dr. Thomas Kilgore, Jr., was called to pastor the Friendship Baptist Church in Harlem. Lynn was greatly influenced by her father’s strong advocacy for civil rights and African American history. Since 1986, she and her family have owned and lived in a Harlem limestone townhouse, built in 1901.
Board Directors
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Britt Densmore
Britt Densmore has been an active member of the New York City preservation scene for 30+ years. For the past six years, he has been Vice President of Development at the Municipal Art Society of New York, a 130-year-old nonprofit working at the intersection of planning, policy, and preservation across New York City. A Massachusetts native, Britt fell in love with historic preservation after buying and restoring an 1863 brick bow-front townhouse in Boston’s South End Landmark District, the largest intact Victorian row house district in the country. Britt lived in Harlem for 14 years.
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Leslie Jill Hanson
Leslie Jill Hanson is a founding member of Save Harlem Now! She is an architect and founder of Jill Hanson Studio in New York City. Jill has 25 years of experience, including a school for 650 students in rural Tanzania, interior design team leader for the New American Embassy in Mexico City, and award-winning boutique commercial projects in New York City. Prior to starting her practice, Jill worked at Richard Gluckman, Keenen/Riley, and Tod Williams Billie Tsien. A past resident of Harlem, Jill now lives with her family in a landmarked townhouse that she renovated in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx.
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Joseph Landon
Joseph Landon is a New York City native. He was a member of the world-renowned Boys Choir of Harlem, and has been affiliated with Harlem institutions for the past 16 years, including Bill’s Place Speakeasy and the Harlem Boys and Girls Club. Joseph worked in the tourism and hospitality industries for more than 20 years. In 2021, he founded Jojo’s Ventures, a tourism company offering historical walking tours in the five boroughs, showcasing New York City’s cultural heritage, diverse neighborhoods, and vibrant history. Joseph resides in the University Heights section of the Bronx.
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Henrietta Lyle
Henrietta Lyle is a community activist. She is a co-founder of the Supportive Advocates of Lenox Terrace, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Harlem Senior Citizen’s Center. Henrietta served as Chair of Manhattan Community Board 10, and the Harlem Hospital Community Advisory Board. Professionally, she was with NYC Small Business Services, NYC Commission for the United Nations, United States Mission to the United Nations, and H. Carl McCall during his tenure as both NYC Comptroller and NYS Senator. Henrietta is a graduate of Fordham University. She has lived in Harlem’s Lenox Terrace for 50+ years.
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Rachel Lisa Nickie
Rachel Lisa Nickie has been a Harlemite for 10+ years, where she has been restoring her now- landmarked brownstone. She became involved in preservation during the designation of the Central Harlem 130th- 132nd Streets Historic District. Rachel began her career working at international banks and Fortune 500 companies in the West Indies and Canada. She moved to New York to work for the United Nations. Rachel received a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, and holds a joint-school program MBA from NYU Stern School of Business, London School of Economics and Political Science, and HEC Paris.
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Mark Satlof
Mark Satlof, a fourth-generation New Yorker, has a deep connection to New York City. His family has lived in upper Manhattan for over a century. Although raised in Connecticut, Mark returned to New York to pursue his college education and soak in the vibrant energy and rich history of the city. A resident of West 138th Street/Strivers Row since 1999, he is a licensed NYC Sightseeing Guide specializing in jazz age Harlem, and is an advocate for preserving Harlem’s architectural gems and historic sites. With 30+ years in entertainment PR, Mark brings unique expertise to Save Harlem Now!
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Georgia Siampalioti
Georgia Siampalioti has worked in philanthropy for 20+ years, in New York, São Paulo, and Athens. She held leadership positions with American Ballet Theatre, Central Park Conservancy, New York City Ballet, Whitney Museum of American Art, Guggenheim Museum, American Symphony Orchestra, and Foundation for Hellenic Culture. Currently, she is at Women in Need, leading the organization’s fundraising and volunteer services. After graduating from the University of Athens with a BA in Archaeology and Art History, she pursued graduate studies at Columbia University’s Arts Administration Program. Georgia lives with her family in Manhattan.
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Roberta Washington FAIA, NOMAC
Roberta Washington has been Principal of Roberta Washington Architects P.C. since 1983. She holds architecture degrees from Howard University and Columbia University. From 1991-1998, Roberta was chairperson of Manhattan Community Board 10’s Housing and Land Use Committes. She also served as a NYC Landmarks Preservation Commissioner from 2007-2015. Roberta is a past president of the Center for Architecture Foundation, and the National Organization of Minority Architects. She also currently serves on the board of the Society of Architectural Historians.
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Staff
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Claudette Brady
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Claudette Brady is Executive Director of Save Harlem Now! She is a community activist who successfully spearheaded the efforts to designate the Bedford Stuyvesant/Expanded Stuyvesant Heights Historic District in Brooklyn. Claudette served as an Advisory Board Member of the NYC Historic Districts Council, and a member of the Brooklyn Community Board 3 Land Use and Landmarks Committee. Claudette believes that the designation of historic districts in Harlem is not just about architecture but the preservation of African American and Afro-Caribbean cultural legacies. Claudette attended Hofstra University and Fashion Institute of Technology
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Yvonne Tate
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Yvonne Tate is the Administrative Assistant for Save Harlem Now!
She is a retired legal assistant of 20 years from one of New York’s top law firms, and an entrepreneur in her own right, specializing in business operations and systems strategy.
She is passionate about serving, restoring and preserving the African Diaspora.
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André A. Pina
TECHNOLOGY CONSULTANT
André A. Pina, a seasoned tech professional with two decades of SaaS industry expertise, excels in communication, programming, and innovative design. As Technology Consultant at Save Harlem Now!, he built its technical backbone, fostering seamless team support. His adept problem-solving and collaborative skills drive successful project management. André's journey spans roles at Currencycloud, JW Player, YuMe, and Right Media LLC, delivering top-tier tech solutions and training. With a Telecomm Management degree from Syracuse University, and web development and Python certifications, he offers expertise in JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and more to the nonprofit tech sphere.
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