Our People

Lisa Bloodgood (she/her) joined North Brooklyn Parks Alliance in 2022 as the Director of Horticulture & Stewardship. She brings to the role a deep knowledge of the area, from plants to pollutants, as well as a wealth of experience engaging with North Brooklyn communities on matters relating to the local environment and sustainability.

Lisa currently resides in Williamsburg and can trace her ancestry all the way back to Dutch settlers in Queens and Brooklyn in the 1660’s! However, she first fell in love with plants in California: her family moved there from West Nyack, New York when she was a teenager, and the drastic differences between the natural environment on the east vs. west coast helped spark her curiosity in the natural world.

As an adult, Lisa moved to Brooklyn to pursue a career in the arts—but found herself repeatedly drawn to horticultural endeavors: tending to her own backyard garden and helping to establish gardens at local schools. She pursued her passion in academic and applied ways, obtaining a degree in Earth & Environmental Science from Brooklyn College while working as the Environmental Policy Advisor and Community Liaison for the office of Stephen Levin, former NYC Council Member for District 33.

Lisa went on to work at Newtown Creek Alliance as Director of Advocacy & Education, aiding the organization in their community-based approach to revitalizing this fraught waterway. She has also served, and continues to serve, on several boards, advisory councils, and steering committees for organizations like New York City Brownfield Partnerships and Mt. Sinai Transdisciplinary Center on Early Childhood Environmental Exposures.

At NBK Parks, Lisa looks forward to helping ensure that Under the K Bridge Park is stewarded responsibly and can thrive as a public green space in an unlikely setting: under the Kosciuszko Bridge, in the Greenpoint Industrial Business Zone, and abutting the Newtown Creek.

Edwin Hernandez joined North Brooklyn Parks Alliance in spring 2022 as the Operations Manager. Born and raised in Cooper Houses, Edwin has seen firsthand how under-utilized industrial sites in Greenpoint and Williamsburg—like Under the K Bridge Park—can be transformed into vibrant community spaces. Outside of his role at NBK Parks, Edwin is an accomplished creative fiction writer and has self-published more than a dozen short stories!

Katie Denny Horowitz became Executive Director of NBK Parks in May 2019. She brings nearly two decades of public and nonprofit experience to the role. Having steered the fundraising, communications, and government relations at Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City for six years. Prior to which she served as the Director of Development for New Yorkers for Parks and the Director of Special Projects at the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. 

A longtime Greenpoint resident, Katie has held past volunteer positions with NBK Parks, when it was Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn (OSA), and chaired its Community Committee. Katie was also a board member of Greenpoint Waterfront Alliance for Parks and Planning (GWAPP), co-founder of the North Brooklyn Public Art Coalition, and a Community Advisory Member of the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund (GCEF).

Native New Yorker, and twenty-plus year resident of Greenpoint, Lynn del Sol is a park lover. Which is great, since she joined one of the oldest nonprofits in the neighborhood fighting for equity and innovation in our public spaces. As the Deputy Director, her job is to obsess over social media engagement, unearth an archive, and fire up a neighborhood’s philanthropic soul.

Lynn was an art dealer and curator for almost fifteen years -responsible for over two hundred exhibitions, including Lebanon’s first attempt at a National Pavillon during the 2005 Venice Biennale. She also served as a Visiting Scholar to the New School’s Humanities Action Lab where she partnered with OutHistory.org, ACT Up! Oral History Project, and the New York Public Library Archive Division. 

When she’s not spending an inordinate amount of time in a park with her best friend and pup, Lola, you can find her leading groups of folks around the neighborhood on walking tours discussing everything from rezoning and affordable housing to art, architecture, and history.

Joe Vance is the owner of the architectural and interior design firm Joseph Vance Architects. Specializing in townhouse and brownstone renovations. He is a founding member of the North Brooklyn Parks Alliance and currently serves as Board Secretary. Previously, he served as the co-chair of the Greenpoint Waterfront Association for Parks & Planning for five years and on the board of the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative for eight years. Joe has been a resident of the neighborhood for over 35 years.

Michael Happel has over 30 years of experience investing in real estate, including acquisitions of office, retail, multifamily, industrial, and hotel properties. Including 25 Kent, Brooklyn’s first ground-up, speculative commercial and manufacturing building in 40 years. Offering unobstructed views of Bushwick Inlet Park, East River, and Manhattan skyline

Mr. Happel received a B.A. in economics from Duke University in 1985 and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1988.

Originally from Alabama, Dr. Love completed her undergraduate education at the University of Alabama, where she graduated summa cum laude. She received her Doctor of Medicine from Emory University School of Medicine, after which she moved to New York to complete residency training at The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology. She served as chief of aesthetics during her final year.

Elyse is a fitness enthusiast that lives in Williamsburg and has completed the NYC marathon twice.

Kate Bernstein is a two-time Emmy Award-winning television producer and writer. Kate graduated Summa Cum Laude from Swarthmore College with a B.A. in Film and Cultural Studies. She received an M.A. in Cinema Studies at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Kate was born in Moscow, Russia, and raised in Southern Brooklyn. She’s been a proud resident of Williamsburg since 1999, and has raised her two children in the neighborhood.

Co-founded Grovehouse, a hospitality company in Brooklyn. Sean helped usher in Williamsburg’s foodie staples – Lilia & Misi- both of which received three stars from The New York Times.

Sean joined the NBK Parks board in 2022. He also sits on the board of the Food Education Fund, a nonprofit organization supporting NYC high school students through experiential learning in culinary arts, hospitality, and entrepreneurship. And is a co-founding member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC) & Relief Opportunities for All Restaurants (ROAR), both started in 2020 to help save the restaurant industry and protect those who work in it.

Sean grew up on the Jersey Shore and currently lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with his bride Maria and their 3 children

David Lombino is a director at Two Trees Management. He oversees the development pipeline for the Dumbo-based company. His current projects include the redevelopment of the Domino Sugar Factory in Williamsburg and the development of BAM South in Downtown Brooklyn. Two Trees also developed and co-owns the Wythe Hotel. Previously David served as executive vice president at the New York City Economic Development Corporation under Mayor Bloomberg. He is the former city editor of the New York Sun newspaper. A native New Yorker, David now lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Heather, and their two children.

Keith Berger is a director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and has lived in Williamsburg since 2008. He enjoys spending time on the waterfront and is excited to see our parks improve. Keith is a member of the board of directors and a past chair for Urban Pathways, a homeless services non-for-profit in New York City.

Jane Pool is a soccer mom who has resided in Greenpoint for more than 15 years. She is a co-owner of Excello Recording Studio in Williamsburg and as such, has organized several events (including a Patti Smith concert) for the Greenpoint Williamsburg Waterfront Task Force. In addition to serving on the NBK Parks board, Jane is on the board of the Firehouse, North Brooklyn Neighbors, and the PTA at PS 132 in Williamsburg.

Ward Dennis is a partner at Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, a preservation consulting firm based in New York City. In addition to serving on the NBK Parks board, Ward is a board member and former co-chair of North Brooklyn Neighbors, and a founding member of Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park and the Waterfront Preservation Alliance. From 2003 until 2012 he served on Community Board 1 in Brooklyn. Participating in the ad hoc task force for the 2005 waterfront zoning. A neighborhood resident since 1993, Ward lives in Williamsburg with his wife, Carol, and two children.

In addition to serving on the NBK Parks board, Spencer Baim is a chief strategic officer (CSO) of VICE Media and founder of Virtue, VICE’s creative agency. Baim is steering the company to become the most exciting and successful youth media company in the world. Prior to VICE, Baim was a brand strategist for advertising agencies Fallon and Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Holding a B.A. from the University of Kent (England), Spencer currently lives in Greenpoint.

Doug Steiner spearheaded the rehabilitation of the Navy Yard back in 1999. Converting his “little” corner of the former shipyard into an enormous, state-of-the-art film studio. Over a decade later, the studio shows no signs of slowing down, hosting blockbuster productions, creating educational partnerships with both Brooklyn College and Carnegie Mellon, and setting an aggressive goal of creating 6,000 jobs over the next decade.

Brooklyn Parks Commissioner

NY City Council, District 34 

NYC City Council Member for District 33.

NY State Assembly, District 50