Meet the Team

  • Pam Harris

    President

    Pam has spent her career engaging New Yorkers and driving them to take action. She led marketing for the NY Knicks through two NBA Finals, then was CMO for Madison Square Garden, responsible for all properties, including Radio City Music Hall and MSG Network. She was the global marketing chief for Blue Man Group and served as the founding Executive Director for Fotografiska New York. Raised in Brazil and Mexico, Pam has an MBA from The Wharton School and a BA from Stanford University.

  • Julie Raskin

    Executive Director

    Julie joined the Sanitation Foundation in 2019, after working at American Express in partnership marketing and at the NYC Parks Department on sustainability projects and a public-private partnership to install free public Wi-Fi in parks citywide. She holds a B.A. in Urban Studies from Columbia University, an M.B.A. from NYU and is a recipient of the Waste 360 40 Under 40 Award.

  • Caroline Towbin

    Director, Development & Partnerships

    Caroline leads the Foundation’s development strategy and fundraising, creating mission-aligned opportunities to grow the organization. Prior to joining the Foundation in May 2021, she spent eight years building and leading marketing, communications, and sales strategy teams at a search advertising company. A lifelong New Yorker, Caroline is also a longtime volunteer and supporter of several NYC civic organizations and parks. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Middlebury College.

  • Halima Johnson

    Director, Volunteer Programs

    Halima empowers communities to make positive change. She leads the Foundation’s volunteer programs with a human-centered lens, using design methodology to craft innovative models for change and mobilize her fellow New Yorkers to take action. She has over 10 years of experience in design education leadership—at the Smithsonian and Pratt Institute—guiding communities across the country to design collaborative solutions for a better future. She holds a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and an MPS from Pratt Institute.

  • Fran Agnone

    Youth Education Director

    Fran joined the team as the Youth Education Director to help develop a strategic vision for how youth and educators can work together to re-think our collective responsibility to waste. She draws on her program development experience working with The New York Botanical Garden, The National Wildlife Federation and ExpandED Schools. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology from NYU and a M.A. in Education from Brooklyn College.

  • Antoinette Daley

    Volunteer Program Manager

    Antoinette is a Program Manager at the Sanitation Foundation. She managed the Clean City Alliance pilot program for 8 months. She currently helps to manage the volunteer program, where she works on the Foundation’s mission-aligned cleaning initiatives that foster community and corporate partnerships. Antoinette comes from a background focused on guest experience and guest journeys in different hospitality industries and believes in making meaningful connections with everyone she meets. Antoinette is passionate about initiatives that preserve and protect our oceans from pollution and waste reduction. She is an alum of the University of Technology in her native country, Jamaica.

  • David Stern

    Youth Education Program Manager

    David supports the Foundation’s educational programming. Given his background in K-12 education and journalism, he is particularly focused on storytelling, and advancing educational programs related to recycling and sustainability, such as the Foundation’s Follow Your Waste game and curriculum. He holds a B.A. in Journalism from Ithaca College, and is pursuing an M.S. in Sustainability in the Urban Environment at the City College of New York.

  • Michele Kaufman

    NYC Service Member

    Michele is a serving AmeriCorps member working with the Sanitation Foundation. She supports programming, partnerships and communications. She’s excited to meaningfully engage the community around waste diversion and creating a more sustainable NYC . Prior to joining the Foundation, she spent twelve years building and leading the Programming and Events Department at Brooklyn Grange. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Pitzer College.

  • Jessica Lyman

    NYC Service Member

    Jessica is a serving AmeriCorps member working with the Sanitation Foundation. She assists with partnerships and programming as well as communications. Jessica graduated from Hofstra University with a B.A. in Sustainability at the beginning of the covid pandemic and is looking forward to making a meaningful impact on our city this year.

  • Jenny Lin

    Project Manager

    Jenny first joined the team as the project manager for the Zero Waste Academy (ZWA) and worked on launching its inaugural iteration in 2021. She currently manages the NYC Trash Academy (formerly ZWA) program and assists with a variety of other projects. Jenny is most passionate about wellness, education, and community building. She has an affinity for the visual arts and holds a B.A. in Biology from the University of Delaware, and a M.S. in Sustainability from the City College of New York.

  • Deborah Lohse

    Project Manager - Education & Outreach

    Born and raised in California, Deborah is an educator, collaborator, and creator living and working in New York City. Her love for community building, education, and cheering on NYC’s Strongest has led her to the magical work of the Sanitation Foundation. A 2021 Zero Waste Academy graduate and current Sustainability Strategies Master’s Certificate candidate at The New School, Lohse also holds a Certificate in Filmmaking from NYU School of Professional Studies and a B.A. in Dance and B.A. in Theater from UC San Diego.

  • Joyce Xu

    NYC Service Member

    Joyce is a serving AmeriCorps member working with the Sanitation Foundation, supporting programming, partnerships and communications. She’s passionate about fostering cleaner, greener, more sustainable neighborhoods through community-driven environmental action while also supporting those in need. Prior to joining the Foundation, she volunteered with local cleanups and food distribution programs. In her free time, she volunteers with Heart of Dinner’s Call Team. She holds a B.S. in Advertising and Marketing Communications from the Fashion Institute of Technology and has over six years of experience in marketing and logistics within the food and beverage industry, with expertise in direct-to-consumer (DTC), retail, wholesale and consumer packaged goods (CPG).

  • Johari James

    Project Manager - Community Outreach & Youth Education

    Born and raised in Brooklyn, Johari "Nova" James is a Youth Mentor, business owner, community activist, hip-hop artist & artist manager. Through his company Str8OuttaBklyn Media LLC, he creates employment opportunities for youth, as well as youth and community initiatives such as art programs, neighborhood cleanups, and youth resume workshops. Creating safe and sustainable spaces in the black community, controlled by community residents, is at the core of what Johari is all about.

  • Michael Garcia

    Lead Volunteer & Outreach Associate

  • Brenda Paredes

    Volunteer & Outreach Associate

    Brenda is a Volunteer & Outreach Associate assisting with community cleanups. She enjoys engaging with her community by volunteering at her local park in the Bronx. In 2022 she completed the Compost and Farm Apprenticeship Program at Earth Matter in Governor’s Island, where she familiarized herself with a variety of commercial and homemade compost devices. Brenda seeks to broaden her knowledge in sustainability to educate the public and reduce waste in NYC.

  • Farhana Akthar

    Volunteer & Outreach Associate

  • Jessica Aguilar

    Volunteer & Outreach Associate

    Jessica is a Brooklyn native of Mexican American heritage, has pursued her academic passions with a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and a Master's in Criminology. Outside of her academic pursuits, Jessica commits her spare time to a noble cause: keeping the streets of New York clean. Whether through volunteering, community initiatives, or personal efforts, her dedication to maintaining a safe and orderly environment underscores her commitment to serving her community beyond her professional endeavors. Jessica's proactive approach exemplifies her proactive spirit and desire to make a positive impact in her hometown.

  • Lorial Crowder

    Volunteer & Outreach Associate

    Lorial is focused on the importance of community involvement through stewardship, volunteerism and citizen science in NYC. After visiting a landfill in the Philippines (her Motherland), her eyes were opened to the blight of the waste we generate. She has an MSW in Community Organizing and Planning from Hunter College. She is also an Adv. Tree Steward, a Zero Waste Academy graduate, a NAC: Trail Maintainer, and a member of the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board.

  • Marta Schlitzer

    Volunteer & Outreach Associate

  • Sai Satav

    Volunteer & Outreach Associate

    Sai is a native of Mumbai, India and has lived in New York for 21 years. In her spare time, she likes to learn and educate herself on being a zero-waste ambassador for the community and has an interest in the sustainability space. She is a graduate of Zero Waste Academy and Master Composter certified. She loves taking care of her succulent plants and is learning not to overwater them. She is also training in Hindustani (Indian) classical music since 2020.

  • Shavonte McClinton

    Volunteer & Outreach Associate

  • Stela Xhiku

    Volunteer & Outreach Associate

    Stela believes in building a solar-powered future. She is a recent graduate of NYU - ITP where she spent three years constructing a heliostat, or a reflective sculpture with motors programmed to follow the sun’s path. Due to a lifelong compulsion for rescuing litter (‘trash-ures’) from the city streets, Stela made the heliostat from only found objects – mostly broken car parts – and intends to make many more.

  • Walter Arzu

    Volunteer & Outreach Associate

    A Bronx native and afro-indigenous (Garifuna) from Honduras, Walter is strongly committed to using his skills in advocacy, social work, and project management to promote social equity and environmental justice. He has created the Garifuna Support Network (GSN), a project tackling environmental and social issues affecting the Garifuna community in Honduras. He holds a B.A in Psychology and an MPA from City College of New York.

Board of Directors

Caryl Englander, Chair

Alex Costas, Vice-Chair

Jeffrey A. Tannenbaum, Treasurer

Pam Harris, Secretary

Michael Brown

Daisy Helman

Russell Hernandez

Bob Jeffrey

Rebecca McGregor

Tommy Mottola

Robin Nagle

Ushma Pandya Mehta

Spencer Rice

Wendell Vaughan Winton