As a leader in HR&A’s Inclusive Cities work, she brings over 16 years of experience reshaping complex government systems and designing innovative programs that serve marginalized communities. Her background includes senior roles in NYC government directing major initiatives in mental health services and criminal justice reform, where she managed hundreds of millions in public investment while addressing racial, ethnic, and geographic gaps in service delivery. Sarah’s approach focuses on helping local governments direct existing resources more effectively to solve enduring challenges affecting people who have been left out and left behind. 

Sarah’s work ending homelessness centers on building municipal capacity to restructure how governments deploy resources toward the most impactful interventions. Recognizing that homelessness sits at the intersection of criminal legal system involvement, mental health challenges, and housing affordability, she helps cities think proactively about directing resources rather than seeking new funding. This approach demonstrates how governments can make real change on challenges that don’t need to exist when systems are properly designed and implemented. 

Government innovation drives Sarah’s expertise in redesigning public systems to better serve communities that have been historically marginalized or over-policed. Her experience creating alternative response models where social workers and emergency medical technicians respond to mental health calls instead of police officers illustrates how intentional program design can fundamentally shift how cities address community needs while building trust and improving outcomes. 

Sarah’s criminal justice reform background reflects her expertise in developing policy frameworks that reduce incarceration and expand community-based alternatives. Her role authoring the strategic plan to close Rikers Island jails and overseeing jail diversion programs demonstrates her ability to navigate the intersection of policy development, system redesign, and community engagement required to advance transformative justice initiatives that create safer, more equitable cities. 

Philanthropic strategy informs Sarah’s work helping foundations develop investments that strengthen local governance and everyday democracy. Her advisory work on major initiatives addressing mental health, mass incarceration, and municipal capacity building demonstrates how strategic grantmaking can support government transitions and foster advocacy that bolsters public sector effectiveness, convening public, private, and philanthropic partners around shared goals.