{"id":158105,"date":"2026-03-09T16:54:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T16:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/158105\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T16:54:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T16:54:21","slug":"the-2026-albany-40-under-40","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/158105\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2026 Albany 40 Under 40"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n \"Permalink\"
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\n John Ahearn III<\/p>\n

Partner, Couch White<\/p>\n

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John Ahearn III
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\n Michael Tamburri<\/p>\n

John Ahearn III\u2019s experience remodeling buildings when he was growing up instilled values that put him on the path to becoming a successful attorney as an adult.<\/p>\n


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\u201cHard work and long hours taught you that you had to put in the effort if you wanted to get the reward,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was also always better to do it right the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The Ulster County native graduated from the College of Saint Rose in 2012 and went to Albany Law School, where he specialized in environmental law. Ahearn\u2019s first job as an attorney was for a firm in Orange County. He represented the town of Goshen, where Legoland New York wanted to build its theme park, and intense community interest in the permitting process surprised him.<\/p>\n


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\u201cHundreds of people who were largely opposed came out,\u201d he says. \u201cThey couldn\u2019t hold the meetings at the town hall, so they moved it to the auditorium at the county\u2019s emergency center.\u201d<\/p>\n


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In 2021, Ahearn joined Couch White, where he has helped commercial developers and industrial businesses obtain air, mining and wetlands permits. He recently assisted an Albany developer in resolving litigation to get a stalled $13 million apartment project moving. He also worked on more than 300 renewable energy projects comprising 1 gigawatt of power.<\/p>\n


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This year, he\u2019s tracking the governor\u2019s efforts to reform the state\u2019s environmental review laws, known as SEQRA.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cSEQRA is being used as a weapon to oppose developments that people don\u2019t like and that\u2019s not really the purpose of it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


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\u2013\u00a0Aaron Short<\/p>\n

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\n Madeline Austen<\/p>\n

Director of Support Services, Transfinder<\/p>\n

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Madeline Austen
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\n Timothy Austen<\/p>\n

Madeline Austen is a problem-solver at heart.<\/p>\n


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Leading support services at Transfinder, Austen has put her desire to help others and solve problems to work. Transfinder focuses on software in the school bus transportation industry, working to improve travel experiences for students, along with transportation safety.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI\u2019ve always been really drawn to problem-solving,\u201d Austen says. \u201cI never thought I\u2019d be able to find so many opportunities to problem-solve in a logistics company.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Austen\u2019s proudest accomplishment to date is overhauling the way that client support services are handled at Transfinder. She reviewed the fact that the previous system was mainly just a format of taking service requests in the order they were received. After doing a deep dive into client service data for the past several years and determining the key areas, Austen saw that the company could do more for specialized enterprise service clients.<\/p>\n


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Austen used this data to overhaul the support services department into what she describes as almost a brand-new department in terms of its approach to client support services.\u00a0<\/p>\n


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\u201cI\u2019m very proud of having that be the initial part of my legacy with the company,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


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Austen credits much of her interest in client services come from having previously worked as a waitress, bartender and at a golf course, giving her the opportunity to develop her skills.<\/p>\n


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\u201cEventually it became a passion for me, I think because of all the time I spent doing that from a very young age,\u201d Austen says.<\/p>\n


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\u2013 John Celock<\/p>\n

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\n Jill Behrmann<\/p>\n

Vice President, Albany Strategic Advisors<\/p>\n

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Jill Behrmann
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\n Modern Mother Photography<\/p>\n

When Jill Behrmann didn\u2019t know how to land a job in state politics, she turned to bartending at City Beer Hall.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Fortunately, the Albany native picked the perfect place to launch her career. Her regulars were often labor leaders, state legislators and members of the Executive Chamber. When she complained about her day job as a legal secretary, one responded with an offer.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI was in this world I wanted to break into and I didn\u2019t realize everyone around me could help me do that,\u201d she says. \u201cOne of them said, \u2018Why don\u2019t you just come work for me?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n


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Behrmann started out as a legislative intern for District Council 37 in 2013, and temporarily relocated to Boston to work with the Massachusetts Teachers Association. In 2016, she returned to New York and began coordinating the governor\u2019s travel logistics as a scheduler.<\/p>\n


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But Behrmann missed working on legislation and joined Albany Strategic Advisors in 2017 to track legislative bills. She got promoted to legislative director a couple months later and started taking on clients.<\/p>\n


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She has been working with state\u2019s volunteer firefighters, for whom she helped change a law allowing them to bill for their ambulance services, and with paid firefighters to phase out flame-retardant chemicals in their gear.<\/p>\n


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These days, Behrmann is the one hosting events at Albany\u2019s famed watering holes.<\/p>\n


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\u201cWe do fundraisers at City Beer Hall now,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of weird seeing the next generation of people getting their big break into politics.\u201d<\/p>\n


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\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n Niyah Booker<\/p>\n

Program Associate, Early Care & Learning Council<\/p>\n

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Niyah Booker
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\n Early Care & Learning Council<\/p>\n

Niyah Booker couldn\u2019t narrow down her professional aspirations when she was young.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI kind of wanted to do everything,\u201d she says. \u201cI was going to be a farmer, a teacher, an actress, an astronaut \u2026 so are you going to be a pop star in space?\u201d<\/p>\n


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The Dutchess County native graduated from the University at Albany in 2015, and started her career at Children\u2019s Home of Poughkeepsie, where she assisted with foster children counseling and placement.<\/p>\n


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\u201cThere were definitely times I would be the only one that the child wanted to talk to,\u201d she recalls. \u201cThey wanted to be loved, cared about and told that they mattered.\u201d<\/p>\n


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In 2016, Booker joined St. Anne Institute, where she provided one-on-one counseling for a special needs student before serving as a teacher in the residential and community-based treatment center.<\/p>\n


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When Booker saw the Early Care & Learning Council had an opening for an associate to run racial equity initiatives, she jumped at the opportunity. Now she helps run a monthly webinar to provide diverse perspectives on early childhood topics, advocates for more child care resources and works on a curriculum toolkit for providers.<\/p>\n


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This year, Booker is tracking the governor\u2019s push to expand universal child care statewide and has assisted her organization\u2019s Albany advocacy days.<\/p>\n


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\u201cWe want children to be in thriving education programs that support their age-appropriate curriculum,\u201d she says. \u201cWe saw when child care shut down during the pandemic how important it was. People realized our workers need child care and the system isn\u2019t working.\u201d<\/p>\n


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\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n Robert Carroll<\/p>\n

Assembly Member<\/p>\n

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Robert Carroll
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\n Gerry O’Brien<\/p>\n

Assembly Member Robert Carroll is passionate about literacy reform, environmental protection and bringing the Winter Olympics back to New York.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI care deeply about issues around education and the environment,\u201d the Brooklyn lawmaker says. \u201cI care deeply about making New York an interesting place for people to come and to dream.\u201d<\/p>\n


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His passion for evidence-based literacy reform, in particular, is fueled by his experience growing up with dyslexia. He has broken ground in dyslexia policymaking, most recently establishing a statewide center for dyslexia and dysgraphia within the state Education Department.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI personally struggled with dyslexia when I was a young man,\u201d he says, \u201cand I would not have been able to become a successful student if not for early identification and early interventions that changed my life.\u201d<\/p>\n


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One of the ways Carroll achieves his goals is working with other elected officials to solve problems \u2013 even if it means getting arrested for seeking access to a federal immigrant detention facility.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI\u2019ve had great collaborative roles with so many of my colleagues and so I\u2019m hoping to build on that,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


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Similar\u00a0to how he brings issues close to his heart to the Assembly floor, Carroll thinks young professionals interested in politics should do the same.<\/p>\n


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\u201cThe most successful people I\u2019ve seen have usually come to this work because they are uniquely passionate about a specific thing that state, local or federal government impacts,\u201d he says, \u201cand they want to make sure that the voices of people who those issues impact are heard.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0Alisha Allison<\/p>\n

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\n Amanda Cavanaugh<\/p>\n

Lobbyist, Malkin & Ross<\/p>\n

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Amanda Cavanaugh
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\n Kimberly Alexis Photography<\/p>\n

Amanda Cavanaugh studied nursing in college before getting a job as a nursing assistant at Saratoga Hospital in 2010. Two years later, the Fulton County native began working for an insurance company, but the experience of watching her partner suffer prompted her to change her career.<\/p>\n


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\u201cMy partner Chrissy had a rare form of pancreatic cancer, and she was sick for a few years and ultimately passed away,\u201d Cavanaugh recalls. \u201cI started volunteering a few months later.\u201d<\/p>\n


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In 2015, Cavanaugh came aboard the end-of-life care advocacy group Compassion & Choices as a campaign organizer. Four years later, she helped get the Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act passed in New Jersey.<\/p>\n


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New York would take several years longer. After joining Malkin & Ross in 2021, Cavanaugh ramped up her coordination of lobby days and lawmaker meetings on the issue. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in December that she would sign the Medical Aid in Dying Act.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThere were people who allowed us to be with them in their final moments, talking with them in their hospice beds with their loved ones around, and that was taxing to tell their stories,\u201d Cavanaugh says.<\/p>\n


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She has also broadened her portfolio to work with the New Pride Agenda to secure funding for the LGBTQ+ community. She helped win $1.8 million for a youth hotline and funding for mental health clubhouses.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI enjoy being close to the results,\u201d she says. \u201cBeing able to bring people in and teach them to be good advocates and build those relationships themselves is rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n


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\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n Kara Cumoletti<\/p>\n

Albany Press Secretary, Office of the Governor<\/p>\n

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Kara Cumoletti
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\n Brian Styck<\/p>\n

Kara Cumoletti never planned on pursuing a career in politics. \u201cPolitics was the absolute last thing on my mind growing up,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


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The day after her college graduation, she arrived for her first day as a legislative intern, intending to take a gap year while she applied for law school. The office initially told her they didn\u2019t have the capacity for her.<\/p>\n


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\u201cThe phone was ringing off the hook and I just said, ‘Well, I\u2019m here,’\u201d she recalls. \u201cDo you want me to answer that?\u201d She completed the internship, which led to full-time roles in the state Senate, launching a career that eventually propelled her to a key post serving the state\u2019s top elected official.<\/p>\n


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Cumoletti credits a mentor for encouraging her to stay in government instead of going to law school. \u201cShe helped me understand that there is so much value in being able to help people tell their stories,\u201d Cumoletti says.<\/p>\n


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She had a particularly difficult period a few years ago, when her father and uncle both died, and the state senator she worked for lost a reelection campaign.<\/p>\n


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But after President Donald Trump was reelected, she knew she couldn\u2019t stay away. \u201cHaving worked in the Legislature when he was president before and understanding how much damage that really did to communities and people here in New York, it was really a big wake-up call.\u201d Now, there\u2019s no place she\u2019d rather be than in the governor\u2019s office, continuing to help tell New Yorkers\u2019 stories.<\/p>\n


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\u2013\u00a0Grace Thomas<\/p>\n

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\n Matthew Delaney<\/p>\n

Government Relations Manager, National Bleeding Disorders Foundation<\/p>\n

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Matthew Delaney
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\n Lauren Mlack, National Bleeding Disorders Foundation<\/p>\n

Matthew Delaney had to adapt to a bleeding disorder growing up, which kept him from playing contact sports or joining most gym classes at school.<\/p>\n


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\u201cA concussion with a bleeding disorder could be pretty fatal,\u201d he says. \u201cI could still be a kid and play kickball, but there was always that piece in your mind.\u201d<\/p>\n


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When his parents sent him to a specialized overnight camp in the Adirondacks, he learned to empathize with other children with chronic diseases.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI credit camp with every good attribute that I have,\u201d he says. \u201cI met kids who had cancer and muscular dystrophy and some who later passed away.\u201d<\/p>\n


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Delaney\u2019s eye-opening camp experiences stayed with him throughout his career. After graduating from SUNY New Paltz in 2018, Delaney worked as a legislative aide for the state Senate, then joined the Mental Health Association of New York State.<\/p>\n


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When a position to manage state government relations for the National Bleeding Disorders Foundation opened, Delaney was a natural fit.<\/p>\n


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\u201cWhile a little bit daunting to tie my personal life and my career together, I felt I could excel at it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


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Delaney has advocated for changes that increased coverage availability and banned co-pay adjustor programs where patients had to pay thousands of dollars in deductibles upfront. Now, he worries how federal cuts to Medicaid will affect chronic disease patients.<\/p>\n


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\u201cWe are some of the most expensive patients to treat in health care,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re the canary in the coal mine when it comes to insurance.\u201d<\/p>\n


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\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n Denisse Gir\u00f3n<\/p>\n

Assistant Vice President, MultiState<\/p>\n

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Denisse Gir\u00f3n
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\n MultiState Associates<\/p>\n

Denisse Gir\u00f3n was first introduced to local politics by her mother who helped plan an annual Central American parade on Long Island.<\/p>\n


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Gir\u00f3n and her family, who emigrated from Costa Rica, attended public hearings to secure funding and met Nassau County elected officials and took photos with them at the parade every year.<\/p>\n


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\u201cIt was really important for my mom to teach us about our culture,\u201d Gir\u00f3n says. \u201cBeing a young Latino on Long Island, it\u2019s hard to stay away from politics.\u201d<\/p>\n


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Gir\u00f3n attended Hofstra University, where she saw Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Donald Trump and Hillary Rodham Clinton at two presidential debates on campus. But her interest in politics grew out of her volunteer work with Planned Parenthood and a fellowship at Make the Road New York.<\/p>\n


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After graduating in 2016, Gir\u00f3n applied for a job in Gotham Government Relations and was tasked with ensuring compliance with public ethics laws. She joined Kasirer in 2018 and had a similar lobbying compliance role.<\/p>\n


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In 2022, Gir\u00f3n moved to MultiState, where she handles compliance for the eastern half of the United States, plus Canada and Puerto Rico. It hasn\u2019t been easy to learn how different ethics laws apply in two dozen states and thousands of municipalities, but her work developing relationships with ethics commissioners helped her firm follow the law without confusion.<\/p>\n


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\u201cDealing directly with the ethics commission is a two-way street,\u201d she says. \u201cThey want information to be ethical and transparent but they have to understand there\u2019s an administrative burden to the reporting.\u201d<\/p>\n


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\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n Michael Greco<\/p>\n

Senior Associate, O\u2019Donnell & Associates<\/p>\n

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Michael Greco
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\n Yves-Richard Blanc, Blanc Photographie<\/p>\n

Michael Greco was thinking of becoming an attorney while he was in college, but an encounter with one of Erie County\u2019s top lobbyists changed his career trajectory.<\/p>\n


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When the Buffalo native was at the University of Pittsburgh, a friend connected him with Jack O\u2019Donnell, who had attended his high school. Greco sent him an email to learn about his practice.<\/p>\n


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\u201cThey were looking to bring someone on to start from the bottom rung, so that\u2019s what I did,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


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Greco has gotten used to driving on Interstate 90 to Albany, where he has represented several of the firm\u2019s clients. So far, Greco has worked with the Buffalo Zoo to help expand its campus and the Monroe County Water Authority to upgrade its cyberinfrastructure. He has also helped smaller nonprofit health services providers, including Endeavor Health Services and Horizon Health Services, identify funding.<\/p>\n


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This year, Greco is seeking to establish a motor sports caucus in the Legislature on behalf of the Watkins Glen International racetrack to recognize racing\u2019s impact in the state.<\/p>\n


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\u201cTourism is a big driver in this region, and when the economy is precarious that\u2019s the first thing people cut,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re looking for the state to help bridge the gaps.\u201d<\/p>\n


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Greco is optimistic about Buffalo\u2019s future thanks to Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers looking out for the region.<\/p>\n


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\u201cThe governor is here frequently and takes the time to hear from different stakeholders,\u201d he says. \u201cHaving that voice in an area that has been traditionally New York City-centric has benefited us.\u201d<\/p>\n


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\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n Gillian Hamilton<\/p>\n

Director of Policy, Statewide Public Affairs<\/p>\n

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Gillian Hamilton
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\n Darrell Camp<\/p>\n

Gillian Hamilton went to school for journalism, but found economics so interesting that she pursued a second bachelor\u2019s degree in the subject.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI like understanding how policy impacts the person\u2019s spending power,\u201d she says. \u201cThere are policies being made at the state level that impact people in our community and that\u2019s where my inspiration came from.\u201d<\/p>\n


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Hamilton graduated from SUNY New Paltz in 2020 in a virtual ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in which graduates submitted photographs for a virtual PowerPoint presentation. \u201cIt was odd and very anticlimactic,” she says.<\/p>\n


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After finishing her second degree at the University at Albany, Hamilton started at WNYT in Albany as a producer, then joined New York StateWatch in January 2022 where she tracked legislation, monitored budgets and wrote about energy and environmental committee meetings.<\/p>\n


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Six months later, she moved over to the Times Union as a digital producer, where she helped manage its website and wrote a newsletter while pursuing her master\u2019s degree in economics from the University at Albany.<\/p>\n


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In 2024, Hamilton left the Times Union for Statewide Public Affairs, where she could apply her knowledge of macroeconomics and the state legislative process. She has worked with the New York State Restaurant Association to pass a bill allowing restaurants to purchase small amounts of liquor without being penalized and sought funding for the Children\u2019s Institute and Metropolitan College of New York.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI\u2019ve been in school for basically the last 10 years on and off and I\u2019m open to what this work will bring and curious to learn more,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


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\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n Krista Hesdorfer<\/p>\n

Director of Public Affairs, Hunger Solutions New York<\/p>\n

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Krista Hesdorfer
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\n Jeremy Tillinghast<\/p>\n

Krista Hesdorfer\u2019s experiences on an upstate vegetable farm in high school and college made her want to tackle food insecurity.<\/p>\n


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She would wake up at 4:30 a.m., load up a truck with produce and sell it at farmers markets in Delmar and Colonie.<\/p>\n


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\u201cPeople would ask me what to do with unfamiliar vegetables,\u201d she says. \u201cI took my job very seriously and I would take vegetables home and do the very hard work of learning how to use them.\u201d<\/p>\n


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After graduating from Hamilton College in 2014, Hesdorfer moved to Delmar to work with a nonprofit helping Schoharie County residents with their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as well as Women, Infants and Children benefit applications.<\/p>\n


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She enjoyed working directly with her community but realized recipients frequently dealt with barriers accessing food assistance, so she sought a broader advocacy role.<\/p>\n


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\u201cIt\u2019s a critical responsibility not only to hold the line on current programs but build a stronger safety net so we don\u2019t pull the ladder up behind us,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


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In 2016, Hesdorfer joined Hunger Solutions New York and helped lead its healthy school meals campaign, which pushed the state to provide free meals to 2.7 million kids.<\/p>\n


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Now she\u2019s working on efforts to boost funding for SNAP and WIC at the state level after federal cuts to food assistance programs.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you asked me 10 years ago I wouldn\u2019t have guessed we would have seen universal school meals in my lifetime,\u201d she says. \u201cDuring the pandemic, everyone coalesced around the idea that people need access to food.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Cortney Hinson<\/p>\n

Senior Adviser, National Council for Mental Wellbeing<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Cortney Hinson
\n \/
\n Elissa Wehnau<\/p>\n

Cortney Hinson\u2019s experience in rehabilitation centers made her dedicate her life to ensuring no one fighting addiction falls through the cracks.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The Columbia County native struggled with substance use as a teenager and entered recovery at the age of 19. But she had just as much difficulty navigating her Medicaid insurance policy to cover her treatment as she did dealing with her detoxification side effects.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cHealing from substance use disorder and mental health challenges is not an easy path,\u201d she says. \u201cThe most challenging part is finding the right kind of care that someone needs and have it paid for.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Hinson got a job as a receptionist and worked her way up to becoming a case manager at Twin County Recovery Services. In 2013, a new community outreach coordinator position was created for her.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Hinson organized recovery rallies and sober events for young people. Soon she was invited to speak at a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services conference. She also joined the governor\u2019s opioid task force and advised the U.S. Office of the Surgeon General on policies to treat substance use disorders.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cFor so long our treatment structure was developed by people without lived experience,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Since joining the National Council for Mental Wellbeing in 2022, Hinson has launched the Start with Hope public service campaign, worked to expand access to care and supported the nation\u2019s growing substance use peer workforce.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m here because I\u2019m an advocate, it\u2019s my nature,\u201d she says. \u201cThere\u2019s so many people not getting the care they need.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Alexia Holden<\/p>\n

Vice President, The Parkside Group<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Alexia Holden
\n \/
\n Erika Reilly<\/p>\n

Alexia Holden learned the power of perseverance while volunteering on a state Senate campaign as a teenager.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The Guilderland native went door to door canvassing voters in her community in 2013, ultimately helping Democrat Cecilia Tkaczyk win a state Senate race by 18 votes.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was definitely scary at first,\u201d Holden says. \u201cI was used to going door to door to sell Girl Scout Cookies, but talking about politics and trying to get people to vote for someone is a whole different ballgame.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

When Holden graduated from the University at Albany in 2019, she found a position as a legislative assistant for state Sen. James Skoufis, where she contributed research and analysis for the Senate Committee on Investigations and Government Operations. She also worked for Assembly Member Jonathan Jacobson and pitched in on Skoufis\u2019 reelection campaign. In 2020, she became state Sen. Samra Brouk\u2019s legislative director, helping launch an effort to pass Daniel\u2019s Law, which would send a crisis response team instead of police to respond to a mental health emergency.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Holden continued her passion for health care by joining the state Office of People with Developmental Disabilities in 2022. Three years later, she was hired by The Parkside Group where she works with various clients, including Youth Villages, a nonprofit helping behaviorally challenged children; VSP Vision Care; and a company that makes naloxone.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Now she has a well-rounded view of how Albany works.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI thought being on the outside that you didn\u2019t know what\u2019s going on, but my perspective has totally changed on that,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Aung Hset<\/p>\n

Legislative Director, Dickinson & Avella<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Aung Hset
\n \/
\n Manon Productions<\/p>\n

Aung Hset didn\u2019t know much about American politics when his Burmese family immigrated to Elmhurst, Queens, in August 2008.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI remember people were excited about (Barack) Obama being the first Black president, but I did not know how profound it was,\u201d Hset says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Hset was a quick study, volunteering for local campaigns while he was a student at Brooklyn Technical High School. He enjoyed having more freedom than in Southeast Asia, going outside to a park without his parents. His neighborhood\u2019s diversity made a lasting impression on him.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a lot of diverse cultures nearby and my parents\u2019 house is near Little Thailand,\u201d he says. \u201cEven when I went to high school, you see the different cultures, so I never really felt out of touch.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

When Hset left Queens for the University at Albany in 2018, he experienced a greater culture shock. The restaurant scene was less diverse and Albany\u2019s infrequent bus transportation made it more difficult to get around.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

But Hset enjoyed his proximity to state politics. When he saw an opening for an internship at Dickinson & Avella, he applied and fell in love with the work.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

He has since been helping clients protect voting access and ensure New Yorkers can afford quality health care.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

One of his pet projects has been to destigmatize psilocybin, which people use to treat depression and addiction.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen people think about psilocybin, they think hippies and Woodstock,\u201d he says, \u201cbut expanding access to mental health is always going to be a good fight in my book.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Melissa Kees<\/p>\n

Vice President, Corning Place Communications<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Melissa Kees
\n \/
\n Nicole Stachnick, Corning Place Communications<\/p>\n

Melissa Kees has long understood the critical role that nonprofit organizations play in translating policy into practice.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The Vermont native interned with the New York State Association of Counties when she was at the College of Saint Rose, and rejoined NYSAC after graduating in 2009.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cNonprofit organizations often help deliver those services or fill in the gaps or provide information,\u201d she says. \u201cI wanted to do communications around policies that impact nonprofits and how that translates into their constituents and communities.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

In 2010, Kees joined one of the Capital Region\u2019s most well-known nonprofits, WAMC, starting out as an assistant to a sales executive and eventually managing the underwriting department.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Soliciting partners from other local organizations was sometimes a challenge, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Kees embraced the mission of public radio.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cNone of it was as intense as it is now, but there was always that looming fear that if the funding goes, how are we going to keep the lights on?\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

She left WAMC in 2022 but continued to work with nonprofit clients at the consulting firm Relentless Awareness before coming aboard Corning Place Communications in 2024. Lately, she has been working with the Retired Public Employees Association on several measures to increase cost-of-living adjustments and helping the United Way of New York State secure a stable source of funding for its 211 helpline.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cHaving stable funding means you\u2019d have a predictable budget,\u201d she says, \u201cand that helps you better execute your goals.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Jared Kraham<\/p>\n

Binghamton Mayor<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Jared Kraham
\n \/
\n Matt Ebbers<\/p>\n

For years, Binghamton was focused on the past \u2013 remembering a time when shoppers packed downtown and IBM and Endicott-Johnson Shoe Co. delivered ample middle-class jobs. Now, with the city of around 47,000 on an upswing, Mayor Jared Kraham can\u2019t stop thinking about tomorrow.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Kraham, 34, is focused on making the Parlor City a 21st century city.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cAfter college, I just knew that I wanted to return back here and be a part of that,\u201d he says of the revitalization that lured him back.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The son of a former Broome County executive, Kraham worked on former Mayor Rich David\u2019s 2013 campaign and soon after was appointed deputy mayor at age 22. In 2021, when David was term-limited, Kraham was elected mayor at 30 and was just reelected last year.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Kraham speaks with pride about record low crime rates and new housing and industry. Last year, the city received a $10 million state grant to revitalize Clinton Street in the working-class First Ward.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always viewed that as kind of our downtown 2.0 in Binghamton, a little bit grittier, more eclectic, more historic, kind of downtown that is a great balance to our proper downtown,\u201d he says of Clinton Street.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

With Binghamton now attracting young professionals, Kraham is promoting it as an affordable small city, featuring a university, growing clean energy and technology industries and minor league sports teams.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t exactly replicate Manhattan,\u201d he says, \u201cbut we can come damn close on a lot of what they have to offer.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0J.C.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Rebecca Lamorte<\/p>\n

Senior Adviser, Brown & Weinraub<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Rebecca Lamorte
\n \/
\n Timothy H. Raab<\/p>\n

For Rebecca Lamorte, a subway accident when she was 22 years old changed everything.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

In 2013, she was taking the No. 6 train home when a woman exiting shoved Lamorte, causing her to step into the gap between the train and the platform. The resulting injury caused permanent nerve degeneration in her leg and forced her to use a cane.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThat day changed my life and how other people treat me,\u201d she says. \u201cIt gave me a passion not only to fight for myself but also for others.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The Long Island native has continued to advocate for disability rights and organized labor. She got an internship with a woman-owned lobbying firm and helped construction laborers meet with elected officials. Then Lamorte joined a labor union as its in-house lobbyist in 2016.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

In 2021, Lamorte mounted a New York City Council campaign with a pledge to improve accessibility.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI ran with a campaign platform rooted in disability justice,\u201d she says. \u201cThere aren\u2019t many people with disabilities in elected office.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

In 2024, she joined the top lobbying firm Brown & Weinraub, where she helped pass legislation requiring the state to add formerly incarcerated people to New York State Industries for the Disabled\u2019s hiring program. This year, she\u2019s seeking more funding for a pediatric primary care program and hospital systems to ensure patients can get affordable prescriptions.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

She enjoys demystifying the political process for her clients.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not something we learn about in school but being able to advocate for yourself is one of the main tenets of government,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Chelsea Lemon<\/p>\n

Senior Director of Government Affairs, The Business Council of New York State<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Chelsea Lemon
\n \/
\n Patrick Bailey<\/p>\n

Chelsea Lemon once considered going to law school, but she enjoyed shaping legislative policy too much.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI was always active politically and had a little period where I thought I was going to be a lawyer, but I decided maybe that wasn\u2019t a route for me and I wanted to get back into politics,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The Hudson Falls native canvassed for then-presidential candidate John Kerry in New Hampshire in 2004 while studying at St. Lawrence University. She worked for a law firm in her first job out of school before joining U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand\u2019s office in 2013.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Three years later, Lemon staffed then-Assembly Member Todd Kaminsky\u2019s office, who then moved to the state Senate when he flipped a Republican seat in 2016. She became state Sen. Jim Gaughran\u2019s legislative director in 2019. But when he retired, Lemon was at a crossroads \u2013\u00a0and she decided to join The Business Council of New York State in 2023.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to take the feedback that members have and go advocate is very similar to what I was doing in the Legislature,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Lemon has been instrumental in preparing the organization\u2019s state business climate report, which offered dozens of recommendations to improve economic competitiveness. She helped organize roundtables with more than 500 businesses and used their feedback to push legislators to repeal or amend regulations and lower taxes.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t imagine living anywhere else but there are so many different factors in their way to being successful and growing in New York,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Anna Lis<\/p>\n

Vice President of State Legislative Affairs, Real Estate Board of New York<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Anna Lis
\n \/
\n Real Estate Board of New York<\/p>\n

Anna Lis emigrated from a small town in Poland to Latham, New York, in the 1990s, but didn\u2019t find the transition difficult.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was pretty similar in terms of weather and the size of town I grew up in,\u201d she says. \u201cI learned how to speak English by watching \u2018The Simpsons.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Lis got involved in politics at a young age when she volunteered for a Colonie town supervisor campaign, then had an Assembly internship while at the College of Saint Rose in 2010 and met then-aide Jessica Scarcella-Spanton. \u201cShe was my first mentor and taught me everything I know,\u201d Lis says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Lis returned to the Assembly\u2019s central staff after graduating in 2011, then left for Greenberg Traurig in 2017 and got to know the Real Estate Board of New York as a client. She returned to the public sector in 2019 when she joined the de Blasio administration\u2019s state legislative affairs team and helped launch the New York City Public Housing Preservation Trust.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Lis stayed on for one year in the Adams administration before leaving for REBNY in 2022. She helped the real estate industry secure $50 million for the Housing Access Voucher Program and championed the Affordable Housing Retention Act with Habitat for Humanity.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Now she\u2019s advocating for an extension for the J-51 tax abatement and other measures to streamline development.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been really rewarding being able to build relationships and work in coalitions that lead to data-driven policy wins that increase housing supply and strengthen New York\u2019s economy,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Katie McNamara<\/p>\n

Deputy Executive Director, Environmental Advocates NY<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Katie McNamara
\n \/
\n Matthew ‘Fuj’ Scher<\/p>\n

Katie McNamara could have been an anthropologist, but her love of politics led her to become an environmentalist.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI liked the premise that there was an institution where you could make fundamentally significant change,\u201d she says. \u201cI realized how much of a leader New York is and how impactful that could be.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The Albany native pursued a master\u2019s degree in applied anthropology at the University at Albany, specializing in economic development in Nicaragua. Instead of getting a doctorate, she took a program counsel role with the Assembly in 2014 \u2013\u00a0which she says wasn\u2019t a tough transition.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThe part of applied anthropology I liked was engaging communities, having stakeholder questions\u00a0and ensuring that was integrated in the decision-making process,\u201d she says. \u201cThe government really does that.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

McNamara was able to play a role negotiating what the state\u2019s landmark climate law would look like in the state Senate and helped enact it by the time she moved over to the state Department of Environmental Conservation in 2019.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Five years later, McNamara left state government for Environmental Advocates NY to work on a robust agenda including the phaseout of plastic bags; removing toxins from cookware, dental floss and menstrual products; and protecting the state\u2019s wetlands from contamination.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Her job has gotten harder now that the Trump administration has walked back efforts combating climate change, but she remains hopeful.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to find this perfect medium,\u201d she says. \u201cHow do you find the strongest law possible to protect New Yorkers and have longevity and be durable? It\u2019s very challenging.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Briana McNamee<\/p>\n

Albany Director, Tonio Burgos and Associates<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Briana McNamee
\n \/
\n Briana McNamee<\/p>\n

Briana McNamee learned a lot about politics from competing as a champion high school runner.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cRunning is an individual sport, but it\u2019s your team that gets you the great marks,\u201d she says. \u201cYou\u2019re only as good as those who you surround yourself with.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Early in her childhood, McNamee\u2019s family moved from Georgia to Niagara County, where she says \u201ccows and apple trees outnumbered people.\u201d She became a three-sport athlete in high school, helping her cross country team win titles before she was recruited to run at the University at Albany.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

McNamee was also drawn to Albany because she had enjoyed spending time with her mom watching West Wing reruns. Her mom worked two jobs and was rarely home.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up we lived check to check,\u201d she says. \u201cMy dad would come home and mom would have to leave, and I fell in love with the environment of politics.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

She went on to work in the state Legislature before working at Albany Law School. She had stints at the New York Library Association when libraries were relied on as vaccine distribution sites and social hubs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the New York State Dental Association. She joined Tonio Burgos in September, representing community health centers, veteran groups and others.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Just like in track, McNamee work is multidisciplined. She understands that some campaigns aren\u2019t sprints, and it can take multiple sessions to get across the finish line.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cPolitics is an incredibly competitive field,\u201d she says. \u201cThat can either hurt you or instill more confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Joseph Morelle Jr.<\/p>\n

Executive Director, UNiCON Rochester<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Joseph Morelle Jr.
\n \/
\n Joseph Morelle Jr.<\/p>\n

Joseph Morelle Jr. knows what it\u2019s like to be an outsider despite hailing from a well-known political family.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The Rochester native\u2019s father, Rep. Joseph Morelle, served in the Assembly as the younger Morelle grew up, and remains his closest adviser.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt really didn\u2019t matter whether you had a D or an R in front of your name, it was mostly about how you could work with people,\u201d Morelle Jr. says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

That didn\u2019t always work in practice when he was elected to the Monroe County Legislature in 2013 as one of the body\u2019s only Democrats.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI was the young loudmouth because I stood up to things that I didn\u2019t think were right,\u201d he says. \u201cYou could say, \u2018No that\u2019s not what we should be doing, we should be focusing on infrastructure, people and human capital.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Democrats reached a majority by the time Morelle left elected office in 2022. But he wanted to continue making Monroe County an attractive place to raise a family. At the union-management partnership UNiCON Rochester, he has helped secure funding to renovate the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center and to improve the ESL Ballpark. He also advocated for funding to create High Falls State Park.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Morelle also launched TRACS, a preapprenticeship program that trained 180 adults in new construction skills in the past two years. \u201cI want more private development to come to our region,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can pull someone from poverty by giving them a career in building trades and that\u2019s what I would love to see happen.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Meredith O\u2019Connell<\/p>\n

Education and Workforce Development Coordinator, NY Creates<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Meredith O\u2019Connell
\n \/
\n Siobhan Mullan<\/p>\n

Meredith O\u2019Connell wanted to be a museum curator when she was growing up, but found her calling in workforce development.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The Albany native attended Catholic University, interning with the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution while she was in Washington, D.C. Her favorite part of the experience was exploring the institution\u2019s map room in its basement archives.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cAll the old maps were all hand drawn and some had sea monsters on them,\u201d she says. \u201cI thought, \u2018Wow, these are hundreds of years old.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

After graduating in 2016, O\u2019Connell worked at an adult charter school in Washington, helping students in their 20s through their 50s gain literacy skills.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

She moved back to Albany to work for the SUNY Research Foundation, teaching Microsoft Word classes and literacy skills. Then she moved over to Hudson Valley Community College customizing training for their apprenticeship programs, before joining the Center for Economic Growth in 2024.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cIt was appealing to help people get jobs and resources that can ultimately lead to positive change in their lives,\u201d she says. \u201cFor some, being an apprentice is a life-changing opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

At the Center for Economic Growth, O\u2019Connell has managed 45 apprentices, developed a nanotechnology engineering technician apprenticeship program and worked with partners in semiconductor manufacturing.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really cool what\u2019s being created in the Capital Region and just how far it\u2019s sent across the United States and even internationally,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

This year, O\u2019Connell started a new role at NY Creates, a research and development innovation hub, partnering with workforce development employers.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Emely Paez<\/p>\n

Associate Vice President for Policy and Advocacy, United Way of New York City<\/p>\n

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Emely Paez
\n \/
\n Laura Pinckney<\/p>\n

Emely Paez has a unique relationship with the nation\u2019s most famous deli.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Her father was a chef at Katz’s Delicatessen for over three decades, and other relatives joined him there, making trips to New York City\u2019s pastrami palace feel like a homecoming.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a part of my upbringing,\u201d Paez says. \u201cI wasn\u2019t just picking up a sandwich, it was entering a place that felt cozy and familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Paez and her family left the Dominican Republic and settled on the Lower East Side in Manhattan in 1992 before relocating to Morningside Heights. After graduating from the University at Albany, Paez worked for then-state Sen. Jose Peralta, earned her master\u2019s degree, and returned as Peralta\u2019s chief of staff.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

When Paez joined the Hispanic Federation in 2019 as its government affairs director, she found even more ways to give back to the community that raised her. She mobilized Latinos to be counted during the census, then worked with a coalition of nonprofits on get-out-the-vote efforts during the 2020 election.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cOur biggest highlight was really being able to create a pipeline for engagement with Latinos when it comes to voting,\u201d she says. \u201cThat framework is being used still to this day.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Now, Paez is at United Way of New York City, where she is pushing an anti-poverty agenda that includes preventive care access, universal child care and developing a Latine studies curriculum.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re essentially advocating to help build equity independent of their demographic and looking at how we can leverage those issue areas for historically disenfranchised communities,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Michael Paulsen<\/p>\n

Counsel, Manatt<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Michael Paulsen
\n \/
\n Manatt<\/p>\n

Michael Paulsen\u2019s family ran a lumber distributor outside Albany, but he was always drawn to politics.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI remember stories from grandfather and father going to meet with legislators,\u201d he says, \u201cand it sounded like the biggest deal in the world as a kid.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

When Paulsen was at what was then called Siena College, he interned with the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities in New York. After graduating in 2009, he gravitated toward the intricacies of health care and insurance law at Albany Law School.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI became pretty fascinated by the overall policies behind it, how it impacts not just the care you receive from the doctor but the economy, your out-of-pocket costs, and expenses for living,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Paulsen started his career at Hinman Straub in 2012, serving as a health care attorney focusing on New York-related policy for nearly a decade before moving to Manatt in 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

He has helped Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center ensure its treatment innovations are covered by insurance and supported its collaboration with Jamaica Hospital Medical Center to bring cancer care to Queens. More recently, he helped Hudson Headwaters Health Network navigate the impact of the Trump administration\u2019s Big Beautiful Bill Act on health care systems and uninsured people.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

This year, Paulsen is aiming to reduce the timeline insurers have to respond to prior authorization requests for treatment, especially for oncology care.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cA few days\u2019 delay seems minor in the grand scheme of things, but for someone diagnosed with cancer it can have a demonstrable impact on their outcomes,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


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\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Nicole Payne<\/p>\n

Senior Adviser for Special Projects and Initiatives, New York City Transit<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Nicole Payne
\n \/
\n Marc A. Hermann, MTA<\/p>\n

Nicole Payne began to think deeply about the limitations of public transit while commuting an hour to her high school and to after-school jobs.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was waiting for the bus at a stop near the freeway so I could get to work on time, I became curious about who makes these decisions that make a material impact on transit,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The Maryland native moved to New York in 2013 to study urban planning at The New School and interned with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, working on its subway car serialization project.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Payne\u2019s first transit job was with the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, where she helped make taxis wheelchair accessible. She returned to the MTA in 2016 to introduce cashless tolling for its bridges and tunnels.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The following year, she joined a transportation nonprofit to help cities develop their bike and scooter rental systems.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIn a lot of neighborhoods, it\u2019s that last mile that creates barriers for people to get to jobs or schools,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Payne then had stints at New York City\u2019s Department of Emergency Management and the Federal Transit Administration\u2019s civil rights office.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Last year, the MTA lured Payne back to expedite the city\u2019s transit system accessibility and technology projects, including new station elevators, countdown clocks and bus arrival apps. \u201cEveryone has a say with what happens to public transit and it\u2019s a good challenge to work every day to juggle all those to ensure we provide what New Yorkers need,\u201d she says.\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Alex Pe\u00f1a<\/p>\n

Executive Vice President, Partnership for New York City<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Alex Pe\u00f1a
\n \/
\n Alex Pe\u00f1a<\/p>\n

Alex Pe\u00f1a set out to be a teacher, but a college internship at the Assembly changed everything.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

He witnessed how lawmakers shaped public policy and wanted to make a difference too.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI thought, \u2018Do I impact one child at a time, or do I make sure their voices don\u2019t get lost when policies are made?\u2019\u201d he says. \u201cI wanted to be part of that broader conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

After graduating from the University at Albany, Pe\u00f1a helped Rockland County Democrat David Carlucci flip a state Senate seat. He later joined the state Senate Democratic conference, moving to Rochester to support Western New York legislators, before attending law school.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Pe\u00f1a worked on the Biden campaign in Miami, then submitted his resume to the Biden administration. To his surprise, the U.S. Department of Transportation responded. Soon he was sitting in meetings with Transportation Department Secretary Pete Buttigieg.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not a lawyer, but he would ask the most astute legal questions and identify things that a team of lawyers worked hours to identify,\u201d Pe\u00f1a says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

After a stint with the Hispanic National Bar Association, Pe\u00f1a moved back to New York in 2025 to join the Partnership for New York City. He has helped its members analyze legislation regarding consumer protection and artificial intelligence, testified before the Gateway Development Corp. and helped Steven Fulop, the business organization\u2019s new president, settle in.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cMy job is to help the new president realize his vision and be a moderating, practical voice that can be a resource to the mayor, Legislature and governor\u2019s office,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Steven Perdek<\/p>\n

President, New York Mental Health Counselors Association<\/p>\n

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Steven Perdek
\n \/
\n Steven Perdek<\/p>\n

Steven Perdek didn\u2019t anticipate the challenges he would face when he moved his health care practice to Schenectady in 2019.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The state required Allied Wellness Collective to stay open during the COVID-19 pandemic because health offices were deemed an essential service. But Allied Wellness wasn\u2019t eligible for business tax credits.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThe option was to shut down or double down and go at it, and I chose the second option,\u201d Perdek says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Since then, Perdek\u2019s practice has expanded while serving more than 600 clients. Last year, its revenue surpassed $1 million.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The Long Island native doesn\u2019t take success for granted. He was drawn to the mental health care field after taking classes with SUNY Oswego psychology professor Mark Mirabito.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been one of those people who is the go-to person for others,\u201d Perdek says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

After working at a community inpatient program in Syracuse, Perdek transitioned into private practice, giving him more flexibility to treat clients before moving to the Capital Region.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

He also grew more involved with his statewide membership association and in 2022 ran to be the president of the New York Mental Health Counselors Association.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Perdek has since advocated for the state to expand its diagnostic testing authority and get counselors recognized as providers for workers\u2019 compensation claims. He\u2019s currently working to ensure communications between counselors and their clients remain privileged.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cOur services are supposed to be confidential and a court order can expose clients in ways that can be very harmful to them,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Michelle Rakebrand<\/p>\n

Assistant Vice President of Government Affairs, EmblemHealth<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Michelle Rakebrand
\n \/
\n Cara Paiuk, Face Forward Headshots<\/p>\n

Michelle Rakebrand loves capital cities, especially at the start of a new year.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI think they always have so much pride for their state,\u201d Rakebrand says. \u201cIt\u2019s fun to go up when the session starts and you see all your friends and staffers. It\u2019s like going back to school.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The Connecticut native got her start on a gubernatorial campaign in college. She then went to law school after working for candidates who didn\u2019t win.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was so challenging to just be almost unemployed after every cycle and I decided that law was fairly adjacent to politics,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Rakebrand initially practiced family and divorce law, then was hired as a sessional attorney in Hartford\u2019s legislative drafting office in 2017. She started lobbying for the Connecticut Business and Industry Association the following year. That led to a role lobbying for ConnectiCare, before she moved over to EmblemHealth in 2022.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Now, Rakebrand advocates for EmblemHealth in Hartford and Albany, which have different legislative processes.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThe committee process and the budget cycle are completely different,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a huge learning curve even if you\u2019re doing the same subject matter in both states.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Rakebrand has sought to amplify the health insurer\u2019s nonprofit status among its competitors while pushing for the Fair Pricing Act and tracking the effects of Medicaid cuts on New York\u2019s Essential Plan.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a concern about the possibility of so many people losing coverage and being uninsured,\u201d she says, \u201cand that\u2019s a sentiment the industry shares.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Grace Rust<\/p>\n

Associate Director of Government Relations and Member Engagement, Iroquois Healthcare Association<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Grace Rust
\n \/
\n iSmiles Studios<\/p>\n

Grace Rust always understood the relationship between politics and health care.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The Catskill native frequently visited the state Capitol building on childhood trips with her father, Steve Casscles, who worked as a counsel in the state Legislature for 35 years.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up around it, I thought it was the coolest thing to make laws,\u201d she says. \u201cI always knew that was what I wanted to do.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

After graduating from SUNY Oswego in May 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic at its peak, Rust was trying to start her career and took a temporary grant position with the Iroquois Healthcare Association, an independent health care trade association that represents 50 upstate hospitals across 32 counties. Six months later, her role became a permanent one.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cPart of our mission is keeping care in our communities,\u201d she says. \u201cWe don\u2019t want people to drive two hours to get care.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Rust and other New York health care advocates secured $3.7 billion in funding from the managed care organization tax for safety net hospitals and ensured stakeholder groups received $212 million through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Last year, Rust helped get a state law passed allowing health care workers to give police statements in a hospital if they experience workplace violence. Now, she\u2019s working on legislation allowing workers to display their first name and last initial on their scrubs.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThe potential for bad actors to harass them is something these workers should not have to think of when they\u2019re trying to provide the best care they can,\u201d Rust says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Binny Seth<\/p>\n

Of Counsel, Greenberg Traurig<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Binny Seth
\n \/
\n Greenberg Traurig<\/p>\n

Binny Seth learned how to play tennis from his dad, but the sport offered some prescient lessons about politics.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cTennis teaches you a lot about perseverance,\u201d he says. \u201cYou\u2019re on the court and you\u2019re alone. It\u2019s a mixture of surviving and thriving.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Seth grew up in Baldwin on Long Island, regularly competing in tennis tournaments on the same courts at the Arthur Ashe grounds where his heroes played.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

After graduating from George Washington University in 2009 and Touro Law Center in 2012, Seth started as an associate for MetroPlusHealth, then moved over to Fidelis Care three years later. Seth worked on Medicaid litigation, corporate contracts and some employment law as a \u201cjack-of-all-trades\u201d in-house counsel.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

When he joined Greenberg Traurig in 2021, he was already an expert at examining health care policy through a legal lens and could offer clients his expertise on Medicaid litigation and navigating the state\u2019s regulatory frameworks.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cWe represent a lot of managed care companies, so it was almost a perfect steppingstone,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Seth has since been involved in several mergers and acquisitions. He served as counsel to ArchCare during the sale of its managed long-term care assets to VillageCareMax in 2024. And he helped EmblemHealth with the $350 million sale of its subsidiary ConnectiCare to Molina Healthcare in 2025.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Unlike tennis, Seth appreciates the collaborative work environment of being on a team of attorneys.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cGreenberg is very much interested in ensuring attorneys are doing what they want and giving them opportunities to do so,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Olivia Sewak<\/p>\n

Economic Developer, Capitalize Albany Corp.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Olivia Sewak
\n \/
\n Capitalize Albany Corp.<\/p>\n

Olivia Sewak planned to pursue a doctorate in history, but her fascination with cities in college compelled her to take a more active role in the capital\u2019s future.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI took a class about the development of cities in the 20th century, and that got me interested in what makes a city a good place to live, its planning, affordability, attraction of businesses and how that did and didn\u2019t take place in the United States,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

After graduating in 2021, Sewak consulted with nonprofits before she joined Capitalize Albany Corp. in 2024.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Soon Sewak was in the middle of several transformative redevelopment sites in the South End historic district, including a $104 million project to build 166 units of affordable housing on 64 parcels of vacant land and a plan to redevelop an old Masonic Lodge into 12 units of market-rate housing on Madison Avenue.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very unique in that there has not been a lot of significant investment in the South End,\u201d she says. \u201cWe were able to assist with property tax exemptions that provided housing in the neighborhood, reduce blight and fill in an area that had been vacant for years.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Sewak is currently working on the transformation of Kiernan Plaza, Albany\u2019s historic former train station, into 50 units of housing with a data center and a refurbished lobby that will be available for rent.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a shame it had been vacant, but putting it back to a productive use is really awesome to see again,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Sumeet Sharma<\/p>\n

Director of Policy and Communications, Correctional Association of New York<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Sumeet Sharma
\n \/
\n Eric Leung<\/p>\n

High school debate put Sumeet Sharma on a path toward prison reform.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Sharma\u2019s family emigrated from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in 1990 and settled in Queens. He enrolled at The Bronx High School of Science, joining its famed debate team as a freshman.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was fascinating to be given a topic, look at what academics and elected officials have said, and what policies worked and what didn\u2019t,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was a way for me to structure my way of thinking when working in either communications or policy.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

After graduating from the University of Vermont in 2010, Sharma joined Assembly Member David Weprin\u2019s office in 2015 when the Queens lawmaker led the Correction Committee. Soon, he was visiting state prisons and became involved in legislation that improved conditions for incarcerated people.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

When a role opened up at the Correctional Association of New York in 2021, it was a natural fit. Sharma\u2019s organization has advanced funding for fixed cameras in state prisons and body cameras systemwide and pushed for a comprehensive study of deaths in state facilities and for notification of deaths on the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision\u2019s website.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019d get phone calls from family of incarcerated members if a death had occurred and they didn\u2019t know the details or circumstances of those deaths,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Now he\u2019s working to restore $3 million funding for his organization left out of this year\u2019s budget proposal.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re headlining things for the governor and Legislature years in advance before crises erupted,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019d think the governor would want to know about these things before they become worse.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n <\/a>
\n Emily Sischo<\/p>\n

Vice President, Ostroff Associates<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Emily Sischo
\n \/
\n JP Elario<\/p>\n

Emily Sischo isn\u2019t afraid of an uphill battle.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The Guilderland native got her start in politics knocking doors for Hillary Rodham Clinton in New Hampshire in 2016.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI had the rural parts around Concord. All the roads are dirt roads, so it\u2019s a nightmare getting around,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

After graduating from SUNY Oswego in 2017, Sischo started working in the Assembly\u2019s central staff and soon moved over to assist its Racing and Wagering Committee.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

In 2019, she became a legislative analyst, helping manage the day-to-day operations and producing research for the Assembly Local Governments Committee. She enjoyed bill drafting, but wanted a better work-life balance, so Sischo left for Ostroff Associates in 2021.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

One client was SL Green, which proposed to bring a casino into Times Square once the state could award up to three new licenses downstate. The experience guiding SL Green through the casino siting process taught her a lot about being a lobbyist.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one of those things people have an opinion on already,\u201d she says. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of misconception of what a casino brings to an area.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Sischo has also worked with the New York Association of Convenience Stores, which wants to expand the sale of ready-to-drink cocktails. And she\u2019s pushing a bill to increase access for places where pepper spray can be sold.\u201cIt\u2019s one of those things as a young woman, especially walking to fundraisers at night, you\u2019re looking over your shoulder,\u201d she says. \u201cIt would be nice to have more peace of mind.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n Alana Sivin<\/p>\n

Counsel to the Assembly Speaker<\/p>\n

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Alana Sivin
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\n Amy Lombard<\/p>\n

Everything Alana Sivin has done throughout her career \u2013\u00a0being a public defender, senior legislative counsel to the New York City Council Committee on Criminal Justice, and advocating for criminal legal reform \u2013\u00a0has led her to her new job as counsel to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.<\/p>\n


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\u201cIn all of those roles, what I have focused on has been looking at all of the different factors that are necessary to make good legislation happen,\u201d Sivin says. \u201cThis role really feels like a culmination of all the work that I\u2019ve tried to do, which has been to help New Yorkers by identifying problems and working diligently to solve them.\u201d<\/p>\n


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Weeks into the job, Sivin has been learning the ropes and meeting with legislators about their budget priorities.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI have been really learning a lot about how the Legislature works, like learning about how the budget process works, looking into all different sorts of legal issues that are necessary to research in order to properly advise Assembly members and the speaker on different policies,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


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As for what her future entails, Sivin wants to continue following her \u201cNorth Star\u201d \u2013 creating solutions and working toward equity.<\/p>\n


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\u201cFor me, it\u2019s really always been about the same thing. It\u2019s really been about pursuing roles that put me in a better position to be able to improve people\u2019s lives and to bring more equity into this world,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd so right now, I\u2019m really grateful that the speaker has trusted me to do that in this role.\u201d<\/p>\n


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\u2013\u00a0A.A.<\/p>\n

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\n Brittany Stinson<\/p>\n

Deputy Political Action and Legislation Director, District Council 37<\/p>\n

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Brittany Stinson
\n \/
\n Adrian Lewis<\/p>\n

Brittany Stinson wanted to be a defense attorney growing up, but an early role with the state Legislature altered her trajectory.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI saw how policies could change people\u2019s lives,\u201d she says. \u201cI knew my passion would help others and I found that through advocacy and legislation.\u201d<\/p>\n


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The Albany native interned in the state Senate while enrolled at the University at Albany, then worked for the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance\u2019s family eviction prevention unit after graduating in 2015.<\/p>\n


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Stinson returned to the Legislature the following year as an Assembly Education Committee clerk after she was inspired by then-Assembly Member Cathy Nolan\u2019s passage of paid family leave legislation.<\/p>\n


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In 2020, Stinson shifted back over to the state Senate as a policy analyst, providing briefing materials and helping senators prepare for committee hearings. After a stint at GE, she joined the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York for two years before joining District Council 37 as its deputy political action and legislation director, representing New York City\u2019s municipal employees.<\/p>\n


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\u201cThis was my way of getting back to what I love, driving policies that improve the lives of people and impact public workers,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


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Stinson has since testified at legislative hearings on the effects of artificial intelligence and helped pass the Loading Act to require agencies to disclose when they use automated decision-making. She has also been a point person in Tier 6 pension reform.<\/p>\n


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\u201cThis is a monumental time to make sure workers get money back into their paychecks,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


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\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n Maria Volpe-McDermott<\/p>\n

Director of Government Relations, SUNY<\/p>\n

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Maria Volpe-McDermott
\n \/
\n Valerie Caviness<\/p>\n

Maria Volpe-McDermott loved SUNY so much she decided to work for the higher education system.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI had been in public school my whole life and I wanted to work with a great leadership team,\u201d she says. \u201cAs we say here, SUNY is on the move!\u201d<\/p>\n


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The Capital Region native graduated from SUNY Geneseo in 2014 and got her master\u2019s degree in public affairs from the University at Albany\u2019s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy five years later.<\/p>\n


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After college, Volpe-McDermott joined the Assembly as a program counsel, assisting with bill drafting and research first for the Education Committee. She later provided policy analysis for other committees regarding transportation and aging as well as the chamber\u2019s budget proposals.<\/p>\n


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When a position opened up to join the government affairs team at the school system that she and much of her family attended, she exited state government in 2024.<\/p>\n


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\u201cIt was an opportunity to take a lot of my policy skills and knowledge I\u2019ve gained in the Legislature and help advocate for SUNY,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


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Volpe-McDermott has played a key role securing SUNY\u2019s operating and capital funding from the state budget as the system\u2019s enrollment continues to increase and campuses expand. She\u2019s proud of helping SUNY become a leader in artificial intelligence and quantum computing research and strengthening its educational opportunity program to provide financial aid for the next generation of students.<\/p>\n


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\u201cA lot of research our faculty are doing is leading to really great breakthroughs that could change implications for cancer research and climate science,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


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\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n Patrick Wildes<\/p>\n

Director, Government Law Center, Albany Law School<\/p>\n

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Patrick Wildes
\n \/
\n Lauren Mineau, Albany Law School<\/p>\n

Patrick Wildes\u2019 AmeriCorps service spurred him to go to law school to try to fix health inequities on a wider scale.<\/p>\n


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He was placed at a community-based health center in Middletown, Connecticut, where he was struck by the enormous disparities between its neighborhoods.<\/p>\n


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\u201cBeing on the ground connecting people to coverage and services and seeing how that actually works at a grassroots level impacts the decisions you make and the policies you pursue,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


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Wildes enrolled in Albany Law School in 2013 and nabbed an Excelsior Service Fellowship that placed him at the state Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs.<\/p>\n


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In March 2020, he left for the Executive Chamber to serve as a Freedom of Information Law attorney, pitching in elsewhere once the COVID-19 pandemic hit. He was promoted the following year to assistant secretary to the governor, managing Gov. Kathy Hochul\u2019s mental hygiene portfolio and assisting a $1 billion investment in the state\u2019s mental health system.<\/p>\n


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Last year, Wildes returned to Albany Law School as director of its Government Law Center, where he oversees student professional development, research and programming. He helped maintain the school\u2019s top ranking in the nation as a destination for government law and has since doubled the amount of student programming on campus.<\/p>\n


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\u201cMy focus is on trying to infuse the perspectives of marginalized and disenfranchised populations in our programming,\u201d he says. \u201cStudents don\u2019t get exposure to people like that historically and we\u2019re trying to change the way we approach legal education.\u201d<\/p>\n


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\u2013\u00a0A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n John Zaccaro Jr.<\/p>\n

Assembly Member<\/p>\n

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John Zaccaro Jr.
\n \/
\n Carina Allen, Major Crush Photo<\/p>\n

Assembly Member John Zaccaro Jr. never imagined he\u2019d become a lawmaker.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI couldn\u2019t tell you that my desire was ever to be in politics, or in government for that matter,\u201d he says. \u201cSeeing the impact that government has in communities like mine really catapulted me.\u201d<\/p>\n


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Raised in the Bronx by a single mother, Zaccaro grappled with housing and food insecurity \u2013\u00a0experiences that now drive his work in public service. He interned in the New York City Council, then became a constituent affairs liaison while serving as president of the Bronx Young Democrats. After a brief stint at the New York City Department of Education, he ran Rafael Salamanca Jr.\u2019s successful 2016 special election campaign for New York City Council and served as his chief of staff for 7 1\/2 years.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Along the way, Zaccaro won a district leader race in 2018 but lost reelection during the COVID-19 pandemic. It didn\u2019t shake him. \u201cIt was never about the election, it was never about a title,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was always about: How can I contribute to the success of the community that I\u2019m living in?\u201d<\/p>\n


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Elected to represent the East Bronx in the Assembly in 2022, Zaccaro quickly tackled the proliferation of illegal cannabis shops. What began as a town hall complaint led to legislation targeting unlicensed stores. As a father of three, his work hits close to home.\u00a0<\/p>\n


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\u201cI take it as a personal responsibility for all families to make sure that we\u2019re building something in the Bronx,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


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\u2013\u00a0G.T.<\/p>\n

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