Board Member Bios

Meet the President

Meet the Board

Victoria Cantrella (2006) ) is a graduate of Rutgers College- Rutgers University, a New Jersey native, and a New York City transplant. During her fellowship, she worked at the New York City Law Department’s Family Court Division. She later attended St. John’s University School of Law where she focused on Labor and Employment Law studies. Thereafter, Victoria became an Assistant Corporation Counsel in the Brooklyn Tort Division of the New York City Law Department, represented New York State public school districts as an Associate Attorney at a mid-size private firm, and served as a Director for Labor Relations at multiple NYC Health + Hospitals facilities. Currently, she is the Director of Labor & Employee Relations at Bowery Residents’ Committee (BRC), a not-for-profit which provides a variety of services to homeless individuals in New York City. Victoria enjoys reading, volunteering, photography, and traveling in her free time.

John Guzek (2015) serves as Senior Program Manager at the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) where he was placed as a fellow. In his current role, he manages SBS’s online business education programs and its workforce services for small employers. Originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, John graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in economics and history. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring the city, cooking, and runs in Prospect Park.

Justin Henry (2015) serves as Press Officer for the Office of New York County District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. In this role, he supports the development and execution of the communications strategy for one of the nation’s most prominent local prosecutors and advises the district attorney on matters of public affairs and media relations. As an Urban Fellow, Justin was placed at the New York City Economic Development Corporation on their government and community relations team. Justin is a 2014 graduate of Fordham University where he earned a dual degree in American Studies and Political Science.

Jibreel Jalloh (2018) serves as the assistant to the New York City Mayor’s Chief of Staff.  Prior to working in the mayor’s executive office, Jibreel served as an Urban Fellow in the First Deputy Mayor’s office, primarily focusing on education and criminal justice portfolios. Jibreel previously interned in Washington, D.C. for U.S. Representatives Hakeem Jeffries and Yvette Clarke; in Albany, NY for New York Assembly Member Charles Barron; and in New York City with City Council Member Jumaane Williams. Jibreel discovered a passion for public service and organizing events around things that matter while at Baruch College. He is the proud son of Sierra Leonean immigrants.

Albert Kramer (2011) is a native New Yorker and former President of the Urban Fellows Alumni Association. Albert started his career with a placement at the Mayor’s Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability and now works at the Department of Environmental Protection. He studied History at Wheaton College in Massachusetts and is a keen follower of current events.

Jason Labate (2005) is an Associate at the law firm Goldstein Hall PLLC where his practice focuses on affordable housing, community development, and not-for-profit law. Jason graduated from Brooklyn Law School where he was a Sparer Public Interest Law Fellow, from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service with a Master of Public Administration, and from the College at the University of Chicago with a degree in Public Policy. Prior to becoming an attorney, Jason spent 10 years developing and improving programs and operations at the City of New York and at various not-for-profits. Jason lives in New Rochelle with his wife and two daughters.

Sam Pedreiro (2013) has maintained a strong commitment throughout her career to advancing opportunity, equity, and justice for vulnerable groups in our society. During her fellowship, Sam served in the Commissioner’s Office of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. There she helped launch and run the NYC Parks Fellowship and Conservation Corps, a public service program designed to engage Parks’ next generation of leaders. Since then, she has worked in a variety of social justice nonprofit organizations on issues such as gender equality and empowerment, low-income housing, environmental justice, and workforce development. Presently, Sam is a Policy Advisor at the NYC Department of Homeless Services. In her free time, Sam enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, going to the theater, volunteering, and serving on several non-profit boards. Sam holds a B.A. in Government with a concentration in Human Rights from Cornell University.

Ebonie V. Simpson (2013) is a Dallas, Texas native and Duke University graduate, with a degree in public policy studies. She served as an NYC Urban Fellow in the Finance Office of NYC Human Resources Administration when Hurricane Sandy hit NYC, throwing her into a role coordinating HRA’s emergency response efforts and representing the agency as liaison to the City Hall Taskforce to support Sandy-affected CBOs and NGOs. Her recovery work during Urban Fellows led her to the newly established Mayor’s Office for Housing Recovery Operations, managing the City’s long-term disaster recovery and resiliency efforts. She served in many roles from 2013 until her departure as Associate Director in 2016. She is currently the Managing Director of Government Relations & Special Development Initiatives at The Lower Eastside Girls Club of NY, where she oversees government relationships/ contracts and special development projects; created and implemented a new citywide girls civic leadership initiative; and manages the strategic planning and implementation of the organization’s long-term vision. Her background and passion heavily lie at the intersection of gender justice and policy and her work at LES Girls Club allows her to creatively and strategically engage them both. In her free time, she loves spending time with her pup, partner, friends and family, dancing, singing, running, yoga, cooking and traveling.

Konstantine Tettonis (2018) is a native Brooklynite. He serves as Senior Policy Analyst in New York University (NYU)’s Office of Government Affairs, where he acts as the University’s liaison to NYC government. Prior to NYU, Konstantine served as Legislative Liaison in the NYC Fire Department’s Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, where he began as an NYC Urban Fellow. Konstantine is pursuing a J.D. at New York Law School. He earned his Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) with a specialization in financial management and public finance from NYU’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from NYU’s College of Arts and Science.