Executive Director

Annemarie Gray joined Open New York as Executive Director in Fall 2022, after serving New Yorkers for nearly three years as a Senior Policy Advisor in City Hall. She oversaw land use and housing policy, including the SoHo/NoHo and Gowanus rezonings and the Where We Live NYC fair housing plan, across two Mayoral administrations under Deputy Mayor Vicki Been and Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. She previously worked for the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the Cambridge Housing Authority in Cambridge, MA. In her spare time, Annemarie enjoys biking around the city, drawing, and swimming in lakes.

Chief of Staff & Policy Director

Andrew joined Open New York in November 2022 after running fair housing policy at the NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD), where he helped shape Federal, State, and City legislation to advance equitable housing policy and played a central role in everything from the Where We Live NYC plan to the SoHo/NoHo rezoning. He also previously served as a judicial clerk in Albany and as an Assistant Corporation Counsel at the City’s Law Department. He and his husband live in Brooklyn, and in his free time he loves exploring every nook and cranny of the five boroughs, from South Beach in Staten Island to Wave Hill in the Bronx.

Director of Organizing

Asia is a seasoned advocate and organizer working to advance equity, address historic exclusion, and serve our communities' most basic needs. Previously, Asia worked to end homelessness in New York City, and increase educational opportunities for New Yorkers. While advocating to end homelessness, Asia helped educate over 2,000 New Yorkers on how ending homelessness is possible. Asia believes that more public education is needed in every advocacy fight. Asia and her family live in Staten Island and enjoy family game nights and helping out in their community.

Political Director

Logan Phares joined Open New York as the Political Director in February 2022, after serving as the primary liaison between the de Blasio Administration and the City Council on all legislation and hearings related to worker protections, civil and human rights, consumer affairs, labor relations, and administrative trials and hearings as a Legislative Representative at the Mayor’s Office of City Legislative Affairs. During her time at City Hall, Logan led the negotiations on many pieces of legislation, including a minimum wage for delivery workers, just cause protections for fast food workers, and a domestic workers’ bill of rights. In her free time, she enjoys vintage shopping, live music, and hanging out with friends in Prospect Park.

Director of Development

Michael Spinelli joined Open New York as the Director of Development in 2024. He comes to the work with over a decade of experience fundraising for organizations of all shapes and sizes, including the New York City Anti-Violence Project, Film @ Lincoln Center, and Housing Works. Michael thinks of fundraising as a form of advocacy and of donors as activists. A lifelong New Yorker who lives in Tudor City, he is intimately familiar with the challenges of finding affordable, accessible housing in New York and the impact of restrictive zoning on suburban families. In his free time, Michael loves to hike, play video games, and travel.

Director of Communications and Digital Strategy

Nick Berkowitz joined Open New York as the Director of Communications and Digital Strategy in October 2023. With over a decade of experience, Nick has led strategic communications for clients such as the City of Newark, Enterprise Community Partners, The National Council of State Housing Agencies, and Columbia University. He has also consulted on electoral and advocacy campaigns and serves on his local Community Board and Land Use committee, helping to approve over 1,000 units of housing.

A New Yorker born and raised, Nick is a proud product of NYC Public Schools and holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Hunter College.

Policy Manager

Kirsten Bladh joined Open New York in July 2025 after several years serving as Associate Director of State Policy for Streets For All in California, where she worked on housing and land use legislation. Prior to a career in planning and policy, she spent many years playing bass guitar in a punk band.

Kirsten lives in Brooklyn with her partner and daughter, with whom she loves to ride bikes and eat sushi.

Content Coordinator

Andrea (she/her) is Open New York's first Content Coordinator, leading the organization's digital storytelling and online engagement strategies. With a background in political communications, Andrea has shaped digital campaigns across the local, state, and federal levels. Most recently, she worked on marketing efforts for a renewable energy developer in New York City.

Originally from upstate New York, Andrea lives in Brooklyn and loves spending sunny afternoons in the park, doing yoga, and going to Mets games.

Communications Coordinator

Andrew joined the Open New York staff in 2023, after joining as a member when it was an all-volunteer organization. Andrew believes New York can be a more affordable place, and he believes that walkable, mixed-use urbanism should be legal to build across New York. Before Open New York, Andrew was a producer with work in Rolling Stone and The Atlantic. Andrew lives in Manhattan and in his free time you can find him at a museum, Central Park, or anywhere a train from Grand Central goes.

Organizing Coordinator

Sarah (she/her) joined the team in March 2025. Prior to joining, she was working on electoral campaigns with Battleground New York, The Outreach Team, and Working Families Party. Sarah has been a community organizer since she was eighteen, where she began mobilizing the people of Chicago to advance LGBTQ+ equality and raise awareness around police brutality. She's excited to work with the dedicated members of Open New York to advance abundant housing for New Yorkers. 

Outside of work, Sarah enjoys road tripping, going to shows, and exploring new neighborhoods with her dog.