Adina works on projects to create more inclusive cities, build digital equity, and advocate for criminal justice reform. She is guided by the principle that where you live should not determine your quality of life.

As a Research Analyst, Adina started her work at HR&A as a core team member of the NYC Speaks project, a civic engagement initiative designed to translate the ideas of New Yorkers into meaningful policies and help inform the priorities of the mayoral administration. Adina has always been drawn to this type of community-based work, where rigorous analysis of data produces actionable solutions to the most critical challenges facing our communities.

Adina graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, and is interested in the intersection between urban planning and community health outcomes. Previously, she has worked for the No Boundaries Coalition, a nonprofit and advocacy organization, where she worked to help launch sustainable food markets to improve health outcomes in west Baltimore. In addition, she has experience in community organizing in the Bronx, Public Health research, and in the real estate & mortgage industry in NYC. Adina hopes to reconcile her diverse interests and background through her work at HR&A. As a longtime resident of New York City, Adina is excited to work with New York office colleagues to tackle the complex challenges facing the city.

Sam helps HR&A tell its story — guiding our communications strategy to support intentional growth and advance our mission.

Sam brings over a decade of experience working with professional services firms to develop compelling messaging, strong visual identity, and effective marketing and communications strategies. Prior to joining HR&A, she managed Marketing and Communications Teams for architectural firms Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and WRNS Studio, stewarding the organizations through significant business transitions via strategic planning and thoughtful brand development. In these roles, as well as others with professional service firms like LaunchSquad and Forell/Elsesser Engineers, Sam helped create brand standards, refreshed websites, marketing collateral libraries, and editorial calendars to support recruitment and business development.

Sam’s professional career is bolstered by her personal art practice and volunteer work with arts organizations like the Industrial Arts Workshop in Pittsburgh and the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco. Her art practice often incorporates photography and written narrative to explore themes like empathy, identity, and our relationship with the natural world.

Sam holds a Masters in Design from the Glasgow School of Art and a Bachelors in English from UCLA.

With a background in both government and non-profits, Rachel advances equitable placemaking at the project, neighborhood, and city-wide scales.

Rachel helps her clients translate their vision and goals into plans and strategies using strategic stakeholder engagement, market analysis, and narrative building.

Through New York State’s NY Forward, she worked with an inter-disciplinary team to develop investment strategies with capital projects totaling $5 million in value in strategic neighborhoods in New York City. Rachel also advanced the design and implementation of SAGE District Framework, a community-led model for investment in affordability, racial justice, and green infrastructure in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood. She facilitated key stakeholder meetings with City of Dallas staff to create the City’s Economic Development Policy that for the first time prioritizes Southern Dallas and communities of color, including crafting updates to economic development incentives, historic preservation policies, and community development functions.

Prior to joining HR&A, Rachel was a Senior Project Manager for New York City Economic Development Corporation with a focus on grant compliance for large infrastructure projects. During her time at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), she advised on grantmaking strategies and managed economic mobility programming. During a moment of major federal and city investment in a transit-oriented development project in Phoenix, Rachel disrupted philanthropies traditional grantmaking process by integrating residents’ anti-displacement concerns.

Rachel started her career as the Director of Constituent Services for former New York City Councilmember Jumaane Williams after completing her B.A. in Political Science at Macaulay Honors College at Brooklyn College. She completed coursework in pursuit of her Master of Urban Planning at New York University including Land Use Law, History and Theory of Urban Planning, Urban Economics, and Financial Management.

In her free time, Rachel enjoys biking, playing volleyball, mentoring high school students, and visiting with loved ones.

Sarah is a leader in HR&A’s Inclusive Cities practice working with partners inside and outside of government to build greater political power for marginalized communities, increase accountability of local governments, and institutionalize mechanisms for more just and equitable cities.

Sarah brings extensive experience working within government to reshape the operations of complex systems and design innovative programs. Previously, Sarah was the Deputy Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health, where she helped to set the strategy for $250 million in annual investment in new mental health services designed to close racial, ethnic, and geographic gaps in care. In this role, Sarah was part of the team that designed a new program in which social workers and emergency medical technicians – not police officers – are responding to 911 mental health calls in Northern Manhattan and the Southern Bronx.

Sarah has also served as the Deputy Director of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. In this role, she was an author of the City’s ten-year strategic plan to close the Rikers Island jails and oversaw the team responsible for community-based jail diversion programs. Prior to joining NYC government, Sarah was a campaign and communications strategist on criminal justice reform for the American Civil Liberties Union.

Sarah holds a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University, a Masters in Public Affairs from Princeton University, and a B.A. from Colorado College.

Tara coordinates the overall operations of HR&A’s financial processes.

Prior to joining HR&A, Tara worked as Head Bookkeeper at Brocade Creations, where she managed the accounts, secured revenue, and managed the business’s cash flow, accurately verifying and processing all monetary transactions. Tara holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Saint Thomas Aquinas College.

Sophia provides analysis for real estate development, economic development strategy, and knowledge economy projects across the country.

Prior to HR&A, Sophia was an intern with Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, where she provided research support on station upgrade prioritization based on ridership trends. She has also interned with a real estate appraisal firm, where she helped with market research for HUD contract renewals.

Sophia received her Master of City Planning from University of Pennsylvania and her B.S. in Urban Studies from Cornell University.

Melida provides general administrative assistance for HR&A staff in addition to providing direct support for several of the firms partners.

Melida joins HR&A after earning a bachelors degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Manhattan College in Riverdale. A native New Yorker, born and raised in Inwood, Manhattan, Melida interned at several leading investment firms such as Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch where she facilitated the day-to-day operations and business ventures of several executives such as financial advisors, money managers and overall firm-wide staff gaining widespread experience in administrative assistance.

Clark provides financial and data analysis for real estate development, asset repositioning, and workforce development projects across the U.S.

Prior to joining HR&A, Clark worked as an Analyst at Column Capital Realty in Boston, where he analyzed the financial feasibility of new development and served as a project manager for development work in the Greater Boston area, including a 100-acre medical office campus. Clark also has four summers of internship experience at FoxRock Properties where he gained exposure to the entitlement and design processes for multiple mixed-use developments in Quincy, MA.

Clark received his Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College, where he majored in Mathematics and concentrated in urban studies.

Austin brings experience in data analysis and community organizing to support inclusive development, housing affordability, and economic empowerment.

Prior to joining HR&A, Austin spent two years advancing wealth generation opportunities by assisting in the development of a new non-profit organization, the North Carolina Employee Ownership Center (NCEOC), whose goal is to increase the number of employee-owned firms (such as HR&A) in North Carolina. Additionally, Austin worked as an Analyst for NCGrowth, an EDA-affiliated organization, where he provided economic development services for rural communities throughout North Carolina, including conducting economic impact assessments, developing economic resilience plans, and assisting in master planning workshops.

Austin received his Master of City and Regional Planning from UNC-Chapel Hill, specializing in economic and workforce development and urban data analytics. His master’s paper explored the policy implications of algorithmic bias in machine learning methods used to predict vacancy rates.