Real neighbors guide Neighbors Project.

The National Board is a group of regular people from around the country who are motivated to ensure that Neighbors Project is more than just a good idea.

Alexandra Cosima Budabin
Co-Treasurer
Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Skills
Experience founding and growing a non-profit.
Outreach for a network of Chapters.
Background in social capital and grassroots politics literature.
Ability to establish public-private partnerships in schools.

Education
Harvard College AB 2000 in History and Art History
New York University MA in Social Thought and Humanities 2003
New School for Social Research PhD in Political Science 2009 (expected)

Affiliations
Girls Learn International, Inc.
Working Group for Girls
Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust

Justin Crane
Area 4 / Central Square, Cambridge

Skills
Masters of Architecture and 3 years professional experience at architecture firms.
Co-chair of Common Boston, a volunteer group working to engage the public in learning about and shaping Boston’s built environment through free tours, open buildings, neighborhood forums, and design displays.
Condo-owner

Education
B.A. in Visual and Environmental Studies, Harvard University
Masters of Architecture, MIT

Affiliations
Cambridge Seven Associates
Boston Society of Architects
Common Boston
Appalachian Mountain Club

Amanda de Zutter
Co-Treasurer
Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Skills
Have a traditional finance background and did a good amount of pro bono work for a few non-profits while getting my MBA.
Loved my neighborhood growing up – Lakeview in Chicago, IL – and want all kids and other folks in urban areas to have the kind of experiences I did.

Education
Pre-College: Various public magnet schools in Chicago, IL
Undergrad: Yale College, 2001
Graduate: Yale School of Management, MBA, 2006

Affiliations
Active alumna of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, a non-profit that provides minority students with internships in a variety of different kinds of companies and philanthropic organizations.
Co-Chair of the Native American Yale Alumni Group.
New member of Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn, a grassroots coalition of community groups and concerned neighbors who oppose the ill-planned and potentially destructive Atlantic Yards development project in Brooklyn.

Jake Donham
Secretary
Duboce Triangle, San Francisco

Skills
Over 10 years in software/Internet industry.
Currently programmer at Skydeck
Volunteer with sensible transportation groups.
Creator of the Pittsburgh night biking society.

Education
B.A. Yale University 1994
Graduate work at New York University and Carnegie Mellon University

Affiliations
Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association Transportation Committee member
Bay Area Functional Programming Group
San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
Transportation Alternatives
Former Friendship Preservation Group (Pittsburgh) board member

Kit Hodge
CEO
Duboce Triangle, San Francisco

Skills
Extensive experience leading fundraising, management, issue campaigns, communications and events for grassroots and grasstops non-profits.
Deep familiarity with neighborhood issues, politics and organizations.

Education
Harvard University, A.B. magna cum laude in American History, June 2000
Columbia Unversity and NYU, audited (informal) graduate level classes, 2002-2003

Affiliations
Duboce Triangle Neighborhood Association (DTNA)

DTNA Transportation Committee chair
DTNA Land Use Committee

West Lakeview Neighborhood Association - Liaison to the Lakeview Citizens Council (former)
Lakeview Citizens Council (former)
Chicago Mayor’s Pedestrian Advisory Council (former)
Transportation Alternatives
SPUR
Tutor for SMART

Nick Jackson
D.C.

Skills
Co-director of the nation’s largest bicycling and walking advocacy organization where I have worked as bike lane designer, map maker and policy planner. My hobbies include traveling and spending time with my family on the east coast. I am also a photographer, sailor, and amateur architect & builder. If I think about it, I guess I am also an pretty ardent neighborhood activist, landlord, gardener, street sweeper and snow shoveler.

Education
B.A. Carlton College

Affiliations
Logan Square Walks
Logan Square croquet club

Ethan Kent
Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn

Skills
World-renowned expert on placemaking, with a special emphasis on cities.
Launched the Great Cities Initiative, and key member in the creation of the NYC Streets Renaissance Campaign.

Education
B.A. Bowdoin College
Masters Degree in Environment and Community at Antioch University Seattle.

Affiliations
Make Music New York board member

Jeffrey Longhenry
President
Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

Skills
Practicing landscape architect/urban designer with previous professional experience in non-profit program management and fundraising.
Embedded neighbor experience includes organizing a street tree planting in San Francisco’s Mission District, founding member of WalkSanFrancisco and participating in neighborhood design charettes for a streetscape redesign of Valencia Street.

Education
University of California, Berkeley, Master of Landscape Architecture
Indiana University, Bloomington, BA

Affiliations
San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
Walk SanFrancisco
Livable City

Ami Novoryta
Somerville, MA

Skills
Nonprofit management, fundraising and communications.

Education
Pursuing Masters of Public Policy at the JFK School of Gov't, Harvard University (anticipated graduation 2009).
B.A. in Speech Communication from the University of Illinois, 2000.

Affiliations
Worked at Erie Neighborhood House in Chicago as Director of Development and Communications, through June 2007...
Member of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs
University of Illinois Alumni Association

Marina Psaros
The Sunset, San Francisco

Skills
Business development and grant writing.
Program development and project management.
Knowledge of, and experience with, many organizations in San Francisco.

Education
Master of City Planning, MIT
B.A. in Political Science, UCLA

Affiliations
Lions Clubs International