Meet the Neighborhood and Community Services Team

Before she was appointed Commissioner of the Department of Neighborhood & Community Services, Faye was Director of the Albany Community Development Agency (ACDA) for 12 years, where she oversaw a department that provided needed housing services to City of Albany residents, including a variety of rehab grants and HUD Community Development Block Grants. Prior to that, she served as Commissioner of Youth & Workforce Services for eight years. In her current position, Faye oversees four departments at 200 Henry Johnson Boulevard that provide key services to City neighborhoods: Planning & Development, Buildings & Regulatory Compliance (BRC), Neighborhood Services, and the Albany Community Development Agency (ACDA).

Prior to becoming the Director of Neighborhood Services, Sarah served in a variety of roles in the Mayor’s Office for more than 10 years, most recently as Special Projects Coordinator. Sarah has extensive experience with constituent services and communications including managing a migration of the City's website and managing content on the website, social media, Mayor's newsletters and other forms of communications for more than eight years. Sarah also has years of experience as a Public Relations manager for a variety of clients and served as Senior Public Information Officer for the New York State Thruway Authority for more than four years as well as a Communications Assistant for the New York State Division of Budget. 

Phillip manages inter-departmental projects and works to improve the City’s SeeClickFix system through data and performance metrics. Prior to joining Neighborhood & Community Services, Phillip played a leadership role in the administration of a variety of City programs. He helped lead the team preparing the grant application for Cities RISE, winning the City of Albany $1 million from the NY State Attorney General’s Office for projects designed to mitigate urban blight and vacant buildings. During the COVID pandemic, he led the PPE Procurement Task Force, helping to find scarce PPE for the City’s first responders. Phillip has a Master of Public Administration degree from Rockefeller College at SUNY Albany. The tallest person at 200 Henry Johnson Boulevard, Phillip is often seen wearing bright, colorful shirts.

Sam leads the effort to make the City's vacant buildings habitable by preventing homes from deteriorating, as well as assisting on related housing issues. "My focus is finding solutions to vacant buildings and getting them re-occupied," Sam says. "It's a challenging task." Sam notes that the vacant building problem is multi-layered, with solutions dependent on the condition of a building, where it's located, as well as ownership and legal issues. He has a Bachelor’s Degrees in Environmental Design & Political Science, and a Master’s in Urban & Regional Planning, all from SUNY Buffalo. Sam is also a licensed drone pilot and a board member of the Albany County Land Bank. Outside of work, you will likely find Sam playing hockey, working on his old North Albany house, or spending time with family & friends.

Amanda’s mission is to prevent housing discrimination and promote equity. Amanda takes in housing discrimination complaints, conducts investigations, and engages in mediation between landlords/tenants or buyers/lenders. Before joining the City of Albany, Amanda served as a paralegal for the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, where she launched a pilot program to help individuals living with HIV/AIDS learn about their benefits, and conducted advocacy to help people apply and recertify for SNAP benefits. “Consistently throughout my career, my mission has been to help people” Amanda says. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys reading, crocheting, watercolors, cooking, and spending time with her daughter and her three cats.

Michele manages office matters at Neighborhood & Community Services, which includes the four departments at 200 Henry Johnson Blvd. Her duties include handling finances and bookkeeping, planning events and trainings, as well as ordering supplies and maintaining office protocols. She previously worked in Housing & Community Development as an Accountant. For 14 years prior, Michele worked in the Treasurer’s Office and in the City’s Payroll Department. She was also employed as a senior payroll administrator for the City of Albany School District. “It’s a breath of fresh air to walk into the office in the morning,” she says. “It’s an awesome atmosphere and everyone makes you feel welcome.”

Ashley’s focus is on informing and assisting tenants and landlords regarding their rights and responsibilities. Previously, Ashley dedicated 10 years towards youth and families in crisis. “The same problems I saw that led to youth homelessness are the same problems I see in housing across the City,” says Ashley. She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., and outside of work, she likes to listen to music, shop, travel and spend time with her loved ones.

In her role as a Housing Services Advocate with an emphasis on Homelessness, Tabora assists individuals with getting into shelters or apartments, and connecting them to other community resources as needed. “I enjoy being helpful. I enjoy helping people find sustainable living conditions” she says. Prior to becoming the Housing Services Advocate, Tabora served as the Neighborhood Specialist for the South End and was the Fellow for the city’s Love Your Block Program. Tabora is currently the President of the West Hill Neighborhood Association. Outside of work, Tabora enjoys live music and travelling, and has been to 46 US states.

Shneecka started with the Department of Neighborhood Services in in 2024. Prior to becoming a Neighborhood Specialist, she worked as an Information Clerk. In that position she worked with residents filing building permits, receiving and triaging quality of life issues for residents and learning various city services in order to explain them to residents and help them navigate city issues. She enjoys engaging with people, helping them find solutions to their problems and giving them the satisfaction of achieving their goal. “Every job I’ve had since I was a teenager has involved helping others, that’s a passion of mine. Any way I can be a helping hand, that’s what I like to do,” Shneecka says. Prior to joining the City of Albany, Shneecka worked as a Behavioral Health Technician, conducting peer group sharing circles for individuals struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues. Outside of work, Shneecka enjoys shopping, watching action movies, spending time with family, and attending her grandson’s basketball games.

Kenneth’s goal is to “make the city work more efficiently for residents by connecting them with various resources, streamline connections to city departments, and make the city more approachable” he says. “I like being able to help people, make sure they feel like they’re being heard and respected, and get the quality-of-life services that they’re entitled to.”

Prior to joining the City of Albany, Kenneth worked at the University of Albany in Off Campus Student Services, connecting students to housing resources and the local community. Kenneth is a graduate of Plymouth State University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences. Outside of work, Kenneth is a volunteer Firefighter with the Westmere Fire Department, and enjoys hiking, wood-working, video games, and spending time with friends.

Born and raised in Albany, Laneka has dedicated her career to uplifting her community through human services. With years of hands-on experience supporting adolescents as a Senior House Manager in a residential treatment facility, as well as serving in case management and leadership roles within local shelters, she has built a strong reputation for compassion and commitment.

Laneka’s goal is to continue being a resource for the citizens of Albany—bridging gaps in services, empowering families, and helping strengthen the fabric of New York’s capital city. Her work is driven by a belief that every person deserves access to stability, opportunity, and hope.

A graduate of SUNY Albany, Maribel has worked at Albany Medical Center connecting patients to needed community resources. And at the Albany College of Pharmacy, she worked to help students find the resources they needed to stay in school. An immigrant from Mexico, she has provided support to her family to help them succeed here, and sees herself now as extending similar support to Albany residents so that they can build neighborhoods that are thriving.

Lisa has been a part of Neighborhood Services since the department’s inception in 2023. Prior to becoming a Neighborhood Specialist, she worked as an Information Clerk, learning about the functions of City departments, such as General Services, Code Enforcement, Community Development, and Planning. “I see my role as a connector, teacher, and walking information desk, informing Albany residents of services that the City provides, and referring residents to outside resources that are available” Lisa says. “As a Neighborhood Specialist, we encounter everything from quality-of-life issues to emergency services. The more information I have the better I can serve the community.”

Prior to joining the City of Albany, Lisa worked for over 20 years in various administrative positions in the private sector. During COVID, she launched her own business as a Virtual Assistant, providing a variety of essential administrative and social media services for small businesses. Outside of work Lisa enjoys reading and salsa dancing. 

Erin is in her fourth year working for the Love Your Block program, which aims to help Albany residents through neighborhood improvement projects and access to City services and resources. She has a BA in Environmental Studies from SUNY Potsdam and is passionate about environmental justice, building community, and grassroots activism. Erin has a wide range of employment experience from teaching youth, to Contact Tracing, and managing various community gardens. In her off hours, she enjoys gardening, volunteering, reading, and spending time with her cat, Buddy.

Before joining the Neighborhood Services, Michelle worked with the Department of General Services (DGS) for 23 years. While there, she did frontline constituent service, helping the public connect to all DGS functions, from trash issues to property maintenance. In Neighborhood Services, she provides similar services, but to staff and departments throughout the City of Albany. “In my years of government service, I gained a wide range of knowledge about city government and customer service,” Michelle says. “I enjoy working with the public and helping them receive any of the city services they need.”

Naomi oversees the SeeClickFix system for the City, ensuring efficient responses and accountability to constituents. Naomi also handles social media and other communications for Neighborhood Services. She was raised in Albany, and was drawn to human services at the Sister Maureen Joyce Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen, where she gained a “deeper understanding of the struggles people face.” She previously worked for Healthy Alliance, where she connected thousands of underserved New Yorkers to over 500 community resources that provide healthcare, food, housing and more.

Before joining the Neighborhood Services Department, Jackie worked for the City of Albany’ Department of General Services. While working for eight years at the Rapp Road Landfill and then at DGS headquarters, Jackie worked in a variety of ways to address constituent issues – a service she continues to provide in her current role. “Change is good,” Jackie says. “I’m really happy here. I like to learn, and I’m now learning and growing in ways I’ll be able to take with me.”