Mark supports the internal business using data analytics to aid in making decisions on strategic initiatives about growth, people, and operations.

Mark Siriban joins HR&A’s New York City office as a Business Analyst. Mark has over 3 years of financial tech consulting experience in both the delivery and sales capacity. His previous position was as an Oracle Enterprise Performance Management Consultant at Frontera Consulting, where he implemented Oracle financial systems in planning and budgeting for organizations as large as 50,000 employees across various industries. Prior to the consulting position, Mark was the sole Sales Operations Analyst and Administrator supporting the global Frontera sales team with offices in New York City, London, and Hong Kong. In this role, he assisted in all sales opportunities and worked cross functionally within the firm for data compliance, security, and data analytics.

Mark graduated with a Bachelor of Sciences in Economics from the University at Albany, SUNY.

David provides research and analytical support to projects ranging from transit-oriented development to affordable housing and real estate advisory.

Prior to his time at HR&A, David worked at SFMTA where he helped manage the planning phase of the Potrero Yard Modernization Project. He worked on joint development transit infrastructure projects that pushed forward San Francisco’s citywide transit, housing, and economic goals.

At his time at the University of Pennsylvania, David practiced planning in an interdisciplinary manner. He worked in two collaborative studio projects, a historic preservation studio titled Balancing Growth and Conservation in Cartagena de Indias and a landscape architecture studio titled Fostering Growth in Ciudad del Este. In these studios, he developed planning frameworks to reactivate public spaces in Cartagena’s historical center and to relocate informal settlements that were at high risk for flooding in the San Blas neighborhood of Ciudad del Este.

David received his Master of City Planning Degree from the University of Pennsylvania and pursued coursework in Real Estate Design and Development at both the Wharton School and the Weitzman School of Design. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies and Planning with Honors from the University of Southern California.

Sylvia shapes transformative urban development, robust planning efforts, and regulatory innovations to advance housing and economic equity.

Leveraging her planning, policy, and engagement expertise in government and non-for-profit sectors, Sylvia advises municipalities and institutions on data-informed and people-centered projects to empower communities, create housing opportunities, and drive equitable economic outcomes. Her practice also involves working with private actors to think beyond the physical to build diverse and thriving places.

Sylvia was previously a senior planner and team lead at New York City’s Department of City Planning where she oversaw the Department’s Manhattan West Side portfolio, shepherded transformative public and private development projects through planning and public review, designed in-person and virtual stakeholder engagement strategies, contributed to policy making in affordable housing, economic development, and public realm and infrastructure investment. In 2022, she was recognized by Citizens Housing and Planning Council with the Ibo Balton Community Planner Award for her work as Lead Planner for the city’s historic, equity-forward SoHo/NoHo Neighborhood Plan. Prior to her tenure in New York City government, Sylvia worked in economic development policy research at Center for an Urban Future, as an independent planning/GIS consultant to New York Academy of Medicine, and on planning and housing projects in China and Indonesia.

Sylvia holds a Master in Regional Planning from Cornell University, a Professional Certificate in Real Estate Finance from CUNY Baruch College, a Certificate of Sustainable Land Use from the University of Copenhagen, and a Bachelor of Engineering from Peking University (Beijing, China).

Garrett supports local governments and private institutions in crafting solutions to their most pressing challenges, particularly in the areas of displacement and equitable urban development.

As an Analyst in the Los Angeles office, Garrett has worked on a variety of strategic planning efforts that have guided public and private organizations to effectively serve their communities. He has also worked on several real estate and master planning projects that aim to promote vibrant neighborhoods and provide economic opportunities.

A life-long Southern Californian, Garrett is passionate about pursuing impactful work across the region – from large-scale opportunities associated with cultural events like the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics in Los Angeles to smaller-scale projects that aim to empower and strengthen underserved communities.

Garrett graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in Urban Studies. His honors thesis focused on large development projects unfolding in the city of Inglewood, CA and looked critically at conversations around gentrification and displacement.

Alexandra serves as HR&A’s Manager of Strategic Initiatives. She brings extensive experience in shaping collaborations that center dignity, generativity, and abundance.

Alexandra previously was the first Special Assistant to the Executive Office at HR&A, acting as the force multiplier for the Executive Team and a catalyst for moving leadership’s vision into strategic action. During that time, she managed the company’s first Firmwide Summit to bring everyone together for the first time to connect around our past, present, and future. Before joining HR&A, Alexandra served as Fellow for New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency where she worked on the City’s first equity-centered Climate Adaptation Roadmap. She also has experience as a consultant for public projects in the Pacific Northwest. As a consultant, she guided comprehensive community and stakeholder engagement strategies for projects ranging from the expansion of sustainable utility services in a fast growing corridor, to the connection of one of the largest regional transit systems in the country.

Alexandra holds a Master of Science in Urban Placemaking and Management with distinction from Pratt Institute’s Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Environmental Studies cum laude from Macalester College. Throughout her education, Alexandra focused on dignity-based and emergent strategies to engage in complex puzzles and patterns, and how people can be in healthy relationship with change.

Vidhee brings over 14 years of experience advising public and private sector clients in 25+ countries on developing new policies, programs, and business plans to help improve access to housing for underserved populations.

Vidhee previously had an independent consulting practice where she designed products and business projections for private financial institutions and housing developers in India and Ghana. She worked closely with multilateral agencies to assess the state of play in the green housing sector in India and made recommendations to strengthen finance and delivery value chains.

Prior to that, Vidhee was Principal at Affordable Housing Institute (AHI) where she provided housing finance and policy advisory services to governments, multilateral agencies, and housing entrepreneurs. She also co-led AHI’s Aarohi Fund, a socially motivated impact investor that assists early-stage affordable housing entities by providing capital and technical assistance.

Vidhee holds a Master in Regional Planning from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Architecture from Mumbai University.

Melanie supports HR&A’s growing Broadband & Digital Equity Practice in the public interest broadband ecosystem.

As Practice Manager of Operations for Broadband in Digital Equity based in the New York Office, Melanie oversees the practice’s business administration and growth.

She brings deep experience in managing a diverse portfolio of broadband and digital equity projects. Prior to joining HR&A, Melanie was a broadband consultant at a US firm, working closely with more than 70 local governments to develop and implement broadband plans and policies that meet the needs of their communities. Her work included overseeing the project cycle to produce timely, quality deliverables including strategic plans, feasibility studies, and business plans for clients to bridge the digital divide, enhance economic development, and stimulate innovation.

Melanie has a background in business administration and technical communication and specializes in development of processes and communication tools, business development, and project management. She holds an M.A. from the University of Central Florida and a B.A. from the University of Florida.

Alexandra joins HR&A’s New York City Office as an Executive Assistant where she brings over 6 years of executive assisting experience across private and public sector projects.

In her previous roles, Alexandra’s day-to-day work included assisting the President/CEO as well as the sales team.  She worked closely with an abundance of clients — facilitating all communications for their requests and preparing for market presentations and tradeshows.  Alexandra also managed calendars, coordinated travel arrangements, and provided administrative support wherever it was needed.

Alexandra holds a Bachelors degree in Fashion Merchandising and Retail Marketing from Johnson & Wales University

Julian leads Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, and Resource Management at HR&A.

As a member of the People team based in the New York office, Julian plays a key role in shaping strategy, policies, procedures, and systems to ensure that we attract, develop, and retain a team of talented individuals.

Julian brings over 20 years of experience in education, nonprofit program development, foreign affairs, conference management, and politics to the role. Most recently Julian led HR operations and strategy at S9 Architecture and was an HR Business Partner at Edelman. Prior to her work in Human Resources, Julian spent time as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, representing the U.S. overseas in Jordan and Colombia. She began her professional life as a high school history teacher in Boston.

Julian holds a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from New York University along with an M.Ed. from the University of Massachusetts and a B.A. from the University of Arizona.