Mayor Adams Nominates Rasmia Kirmani-Frye, David Gold to City Planning Commission, Chris Yoon to Board of Standards and Appeals

June 15, 2022

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today nominated Rasmia Kirmani-Frye and David Gold to the City Planning Commission (CPC) and Chris Yoon to the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA). The nominations will be presented to the New York City Council for its advice and consent.

CPC commissioners serve five-year terms. BSA commissioners serve six-year terms.

“I am thrilled to nominate these three highly capable individuals to join the team of the ‘City of Yes,” said Mayor Adams. “This team combines skills and expertise with a commitment to community engagement and partnership, and I hope the City Council will agree and confirm them promptly so we can ‘Get Stuff Done’ together.”

“We are very pleased to nominate Rasmia Kirmani-Frye, David Gold, and Chris Yoon to fill these critical positions on CPC and BSA to help shape the many critical land use decisions that our city will be making in the coming years,” said Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. “They each bring significant expertise, experience, and a commitment to our city that will serve New Yorkers across the five boroughs.”

“As we work to get our economy back up and running, and to solve our decades-long housing crisis, I am deeply excited to be working with these talented new commissioner nominees,” said City Planning Commission Chair and Department of City Planning Director Dan Garodnick.

“I am deeply honored to be nominated to the City Planning Commission by Mayor Adams,” said Rasmia Kirmani-Frye, nominee, CPC; and interim executive director, Hester Street. “Mayor Adams has put forward a bold and inclusive vision of growth for our incredible city. I would be so thrilled to work alongside City Planning Commission Chair Dan Garodnick and all the commissioners to center neighborhoods and equitable and imaginative planning throughout our city. New York City is at a crucial moment, and in order to move forward, we must respond with creativity and a commitment to planning efforts that support inclusive transformation. I look forward to working with our diverse communities, partners, and the administration to ensure that the future of New York City represents all New Yorkers.”

“I am thrilled to be considered for this important position and look forward to working collaboratively with Mayor Adams, Deputy Mayor Torres-Springer, the commission, and the broader city leadership to advance the success of our city, while emphasizing inclusion and economic improvement for all,” said David Gold, nominee, CPC; and partner, AdvisIRy Partners Group. “Thoughtful planning is a prerequisite to success; my background working with and advising both for-profit and nonprofit entities will help enhance the mayor’s meaningful ‘City of Yes’ vision. I personally want to thank Mayor Adams for his vote of confidence. I look forward to working with all of the stakeholders to advance our mission.”

“It is an honor to be selected by Mayor Adams to serve as a commissioner at the BSA,” said Chris Yoon, nominee, BSA; and associate, Office for Metropolitan Architecture. “My diversity of experience in architecture, engineering, design, and development will guide me in this important role to comprehend objectively, interpret fairly, and ultimately uphold the intent of the building regulations that shape this incredible city.”

“Rasmia began her career at University Settlement more than 30 years ago running a Summer Youth Employment Program in Sara D. Roosevelt Park, and her commitment to the early lessons learned about community development and community organizing have never changed,” said Melissa E. Aase, CEO, University Settlement. “Since then, her career has always centered New York City communities and their expertise in shaping their lives, spaces, and future — particularly communities of color. I have worked closely with Rasmia in her role as director of the Brownsville Partnership and then in her role at NYCHA and as president of the Fund for Public Housing, as a consultant specifically as she led the COVID / NYCHA Working Group, and now in her role at Hester Street. In all of these roles, Rasmia has combined her understanding of complex systems and her understanding of human aspiration and community in order to create the opportunity for all New Yorkers to thrive. She knows how to bring together diverse stakeholders to work towards a just and inclusive New York City, and our communities need her more than ever as we work to ‘come back.’ I am thrilled and applaud Mayor Adams for nominating Rasmia to the City Planning Commission, where her values, expertise, and work ethic will ensure New York City is planning an inclusive city.”

“As a community institution providing broad-based support to an immigrant population and the broader community, we have numerous challenges each day. David is on my short list of people to call on as a resource, and we appreciate the help and community service he has provided to us on countless occasions,” said Alex Budnitskiy, executive director and CEO, Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst. “I congratulate Mayor Adams on this prudent nomination.”

“I have known David Gold for many years,” said Mark DeFazio, CEO, Metropolitan Commercial Bank. “I consistently find him to be very thoughtful in his approach towards his board position at Metropolitan Commercial Bank, his efforts to support the NYPD and the FDNY, and his family. David cares about the well-being of others, and he is results-oriented. I am confident that Mayor Adams’ decision to nominate David as a commissioner on the City Planning Commission will be beneficial to New York City for the long term.”

“I met Rasmia nearly a decade ago when she was the director of the Brownsville Partnership and have worked with her in her subsequent roles at NYCHA and as a consultant and have always been impressed by her passion and commitment to inclusion and ensuring that all New Yorkers can benefit from this incredible city’s change and growth,” said Michelle de la Uz, executive director, Fifth Avenue Committee; and former commissioner, City Planning Commission. “I am excited that Mayor Adams is nominating her to the City Planning Commission, where her many talents will inform the future of the city and how its diverse communities can thrive.”

“Chris is an exceptional choice for the Board of Standards and Appeals — the rare person who has both worked extensively as an architect and has experience developing affordable and supportive housing in New York City,” said Martin Dunn, founder and president, Dunn Development Corporation. “She not only has technical expertise in a wide range of areas including zoning, building codes, financing parameters, construction logistics, and architectural design, but she is also thoughtful, fair, and diligent, a person who will dedicate herself to finding the best solution for a given problem.”

“Henry Street Settlement applauds Mayor Adams for nominating Rasmia Kirmani-Frye to the City Planning Commission, where her deep commitment to communities and track record of getting things done will ensure New York City is planning an inclusive city,” said David Garza, president and CEO, Henry Street Settlement. “Rasmia’s unique ability to bring together diverse stakeholders to work towards a more just and more fair New York City will benefit our city as it comes back stronger than ever. The settlement movement is defined by bringing caring minds and voices to together to chart the most progressive way forward, and so we’re grateful that Rasmia’s voice will be at the table.”

“Chris is a smart, thoughtful, knowledgeable architect with an excellent knowledge of codes and technical information,” said Mark Ginsberg, founding partner, Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP; and president, Citizens Housing and Planning Council. “She works well with people finding common ground for the greater good. Her experience at Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP has given her an excellent understanding of the issues related to the design and construction of affordable housing in New York City, and her versatile skill set will be an asset while serving at the BSA.”

“David is a strong community leader, and his advice and counsel have been extremely meaningful to me personally and to our school. He is clearly passionate about the future of the children and making the world a better place,” said Jimmy Haber, board chair, The Ramaz School. “David has been a strong advocate for the over 1,000 children at our institution. Like Mayor Adams, we recently asked him to join our board, and we applaud Mayor Adams on selecting David for the City Planning Commission.”

“Chris Yoon is a unique architect whose expertise in the art of building is married with a passion and dedication for the city and equity,” said Jason Long, partner, Office for Metropolitan Architecture. “As an associate at OMA New York, she has spearheaded our most robust efforts to expand affordable housing and grounded all our efforts with a rich understanding of how buildings work. She combines an eye for aesthetics with experience and pragmatism, and I am sure that her fair and considered judgement will guide her work at the BSA.”

“As a developer, I worked with Chris as an architect during planning and design and also as a development partner in later phases of construction and financing of a multi-phase, large-scale, mixed-use project near the Brooklyn Navy Yard,” said Tell Metzger, senior vice president of equity investments, Community Preservation Corporation. “Chris immediately stood out as a responsive, creative and reasonable, straight-shooting partner who could both clearly deliver needed technical information but could also navigate the multiple levels of relationships necessary to smoothly move through a complicated project. Her technical, personal, and design skills and comprehension will be assets in her position as a commissioner at the BSA.”

“David and I worked closely together during my tenure with the Fire Department to create numerous scholarships and deliver other support for the department,” said former New York City Fire Department (FDNY) Commissioner Daniel Nigro. “David is a community member that I knew I could count on, and I always looked forward to presenting with him at FDNY Medal Day. He was there for us at our times of need. I am glad to see David nominated for this commission.”

“David is a high-quality strategic thinker,” said Peter Riguardi, chairman and president, New York, Jones Lang Lasalle. “As a lawyer and a Chartered Financial Analyst who is active with many charities, David brings a valuable 360-degree perspective. He will be a terrific addition to the City Planning Commission.”

“I have known David for a number of years and can firmly say he has been a strong voice of community support,” said former New York City Police Department Commissioner Dermot Shea. “His training as both an attorney and strategic advisor allow him to offer important insights. I am thrilled with his recommendation by the mayor for this important position.”

“I am thrilled to support Rasmia Kirmani-Frye’s nomination to New York City’s City Planning Commission,” said Barika X Williams, executive director, ANHD. “For her entire career, and across multiple roles, Rasmia has a proven track record of raising her voice and moving the work needed to serve low-income communities of color and immigrant communities. New York City’s recovery will require bold ideas and changes to land-use planning that center equity if we are to ensure a bright future for all New York City neighborhoods. I am pleased that Rasmia will bring her relentless commitment to innovation and outcomes that advance justice on the CPC and in New York City land use.”

About Rasmia Kirmani-Frye

Rasmia Kirmani-Frye serves as the interim executive director at Hester Street, an urban planning, design, and community engagement nonprofit that believes that neighborhoods are shaped by the people who live there. She works as an independent consultant focusing on urban problem-solving, housing, movement-building, governance design, nonprofit management, narrative development, and strategic planning. She is also an adjunct associate professor at New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, where she teaches in the urban planning and urban policy disciplines.

Kirmani-Frye works with the Ford Foundation on public housing transformation — most recently leading a 38-member resident-centered working group that released a collective response to the impact of COVID-19 on public housing residents in New York City. Additionally, in partnership with Hester Street, Kirmani-Frye is developing a national social housing network. She contributed to and helped advise on the New Deal for Housing Justice: A Housing Playbook for the New Administration , which was released in January 2021.

Previously, Kirmani-Frye was the director of the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) Office of Public-Private Partnerships, where she developed and managed NYCHA’s strategic relationships with external cross-sector entities. In 2016, she founded and served as the first president of the Fund for Public Housing, which invests in the well-being of public housing residents and their communities by collaborating with partners to reimagine and improve the way public housing works in New York City. Before that, she was the director of the Brownsville Partnership, a community-based organization focusing on collective impact, working with community residents, governments, and nonprofit organizations.

Kirmani-Frye is a trustee of the New York Foundation; a board member of the Center for Court Innovation, The OSS Project, and Green City Force; and chair of the Youth Design Center (formerly Made in Brownsville, Inc). In 2018, she was named a Sterling Network fellow by the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation. Kirmani-Frye is a co-founder of The Other Desi Girls, a creative narrative and multi-media project exploring the experiences, and definitions, of being South Asian.

Kirmani-Frye earned an M.S. in urban and public policy from The New School and a B.A. in urban studies from the College of Wooster in Ohio.

About David Gold

David Gold is a partner at AdvisIRy Partners Group, a consulting firm providing strategic investor relations and capital markets advisory services to senior management of publicly held companies. Prior to founding AdvisIRy Partners, Gold was an equity analyst at a Wall Street firm. He has also been active in real estate property management and is a licensed real estate broker.

Gold sits on the board of directors of Metropolitan Commercial Bank. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a member of the CFA Institute and the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Gold is the vice chairman of the Centurion Foundation, a nonprofit focused on supporting those in law enforcement and their families. He is an honorary police commissioner and a Fire Department of New York honorary deputy chief. In April 2014, he was awarded the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director’s Community Leadership Awardin Washington, D.C. by FBI Director James Comey.

Gold holds a B.S. in finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. He also holds a CERT certificate in cyber oversight from the Software Engineering Institute of Carnegie Mellon University.

About Chris Yoon

Chris Yoon, R.A. brings a wide range of experience in architectural design and development, specializing in affordable housing, urbanism, and multi-family and mixed-use developments. She is currently an associate at the New York office of the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). While at OMA, she has overseen the New York office’s first two affordable housing projects and has also worked on an array of high-rise, mixed-use, adaptive re-use, and commercial projects in North America.

Prior to OMA, Yoon focused on the design and development of multi-family affordable housing projects in New York City, serving as a project architect at Curtis + Ginsberg Architects LLP and as a real estate development professional with Dunn Development Corp LLP.

Yoon holds a B.S. in architectural engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and is a registered architect in New York State.

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