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 is an emergent strategist, place-based planner, and systems thinker who designs for connection—across people, place, and purpose. Her work integrates play and rigor to align people, processes, and possibilities, shaping environments that reimagine what’s possible.

Based in HR&A’s New York office, Alexandra advances cross-sector business development strategies within Affordable Housing and Cultural Capital. She began her tenure in the Executive Office as the firm’s first Special Assistant, serving as a force multiplier by translating leadership priorities into strategic initiatives that strengthened internal functions and deepened collective purpose.Alexandra spearheaded the design and execution of HR&A’s first Firmwide Summit, bringing staff together from across the country to reflect on the company’s past, present, and future. She also launched a series of studio retreats in cities across the U.S., ensuring that staff engage directly with the communities where their work takes shape. These place-based gatherings strengthen collaboration with partners while celebrating the people and places HR&A serves.

Before joining HR&A, Alexandra contributed to New York City’s first Climate Adaptation Roadmap while working in the Mayor’s Office of Climate Resiliency, helping to shape cross-agency strategy. At Pratt Institute’s Graduate School for Planning and the Environment, she partnered with community organizations like UPROSE to co-develop a framework for realizing the Green Resilient Industrial District in Southwest Brooklyn. In the Pacific Northwest, she led public engagement strategies for sustainable utility expansion and major transit infrastructure upgrades.

Alexandra holds a Master of Science in Place-Based Planning and Management with distinction from Pratt Institute. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Environmental Studies, cum laude, from Macalester College, where she also studied in the International Honors Program on the Politics of Land, Water, and Energy Justice.

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

Tamika Maise works with HR&A’s People team as a Talent and HR Coordinator, helping to support recruitment, onboarding, and HR-focused initiatives.

Tamika was born and grew up in Jamaica, where she studied History and International Relations at the University of the West Indies. She is currently in her final year of study at SUNY Empire State College pursuing an MBA in Human Resources Management. Before joining the HR&A team, she served in administrative and HR capacities in the academic, medical, and non-profit fields. Tamika enjoys researching, volunteering and helping find solutions to workforce challenges.

Tamika is a mother of two toddlers who help to keep her active. She has a positive outlook on life and always finds a reason to laugh and celebrate small victories. She enjoys music and dance, and she dreams of one day visiting Soweto, South Africa to explore the land and culture of a country she fell in love with while studying its rich history.

Laura uses quantitative and qualitative analysis to achieve place-based urban development.

Based in HR&A’s New York office, Laura supports market and demand studies, placemaking strategies, as well as governance analyses for projects such as a large mixed-use redevelopment in Portland, Oregon, and a new cultural institution in upstate New York.

Laura studied urban planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a focus on City Design and Development and researched diverse issues such as the post-pandemic public realm and the role of place brands in changing neighborhoods. While at MIT, she had experiences as the Summer Associate at Hudson Companies, where she managed the pre-development phase for an affordable housing development in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Laura was the Carbon-Neutral Buildings Fellow at the City of Boston, where she supported community engagement processes leading up to Building Emissions Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance 2.0. She spent a semester in South Korea working on a creative Public-Private Partnership strategy for abandoned public buildings and helped build a rooftop skatepark. She has also served as a Teaching Assistant for Intro to Urban Design and Development at MIT.

Prior to planning school, Laura had five years of experience as a brand strategist in NYC. She has crafted brand narratives and marketing campaign executions for clients such as Bank of America, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Organic Valley. She also enjoys writing about cities with a published column and posts in various publications.

Laura holds a Master in City Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.A. in International Comparative Studies from Duke University.

Samuel Jacobs is an analyst in HR&A’s Raleigh office, bringing broad experience across key practice areas including transit-oriented development, affordable housing, sports and entertainment, and the knowledge economy. Combining strong financial analysis skills with strategic governance and organizational advisory, Samuel delivers actionable recommendations that help clients achieve meaningful, lasting impact for the communities they serve.

Prior to HR&A, he worked as an organizer with the North Carolina Democratic Party and before that as an organizer for the 2020 Democratic National Coordinated Campaign based in Phoenix, Arizona. Originally from Phoenix, Samuel has lived and worked in Boston and San Francisco before settling in Durham, drawing on these diverse perspectives to inform his approach. Samuel earned a B.A. in Political Science from Boston College, before moving to Durham, North Carolina in 2021.