Leadership

Sideya Sherman, Executive Director

Sideya Sherman, Executive Director

Sideya Sherman is Executive Vice President for Community Engagement and Partnerships at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). In this capacity, she oversees a partnership-based, collective impact model for engaging and connecting public housing residents to economic opportunities and services across six departments. Prior to her appointment as Executive Vice President in 2016, Ms. Sherman served as NYCHA’s Vice President for Strategy and Partnership and as Director of Resident Economic Empowerment and Sustainability (REES) earlier in her NYCHA career.

In 2020, Ms. Sherman was appointed Executive Director of the City’s Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity. The Taskforce was launched in response to the racial disparities laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic. As Executive Director, Ms. Sherman works across City agencies to advance new programs, policies, and initiatives that center equity in the City’s ongoing response and ensure the communities hardest-hit by COVID-19 come back stronger.

Prior to joining NYCHA, Ms. Sherman acquired over a decade of community and economic development experience at various community service organizations. Ms. Sherman previously served as Project Director for the Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS), where she provided training and technical assistance to community-based organizations and neighborhood advocates confronting local planning, land use, and economic development challenges. Ms. Sherman has also held positions with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation and the Lower East Side Business Improvement District, where she helped implement urban commercial corridor revitalization programs at both a national and local scale, respectively.

Ms. Sherman holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Utica College in political science and a Master of Science degree in urban affairs from Hunter College.

Dabash Negash, Acting Deputy Executive Director

Dabash Negash is the Acting Deputy Executive Director for the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE) and has over 10 years of experience in government and politics. She most recently served as Senior Advisor for Strategic Planning, Operations, and Sustainability to former NYC First Lady Chirlane McCray, helping to craft the strategy and implementation plan for TRIE in May 2020 during the height of the pandemic; overseeing the operations and transition for Cities Thrive, a national coalition of more than 220 cities and counties working together to build a stronger, better-funded, and more integrated approach to behavioral health; and advancing other local policies affecting children and families. Dabash previously served in multiple roles within the NYC Mayor’s Office including Chief of Staff and Interim Chief Service Officer at NYC Service, a division dedicated to advancing volunteerism and civic engagement in NYC. Prior to joining the NYC Mayor’s Office, Dabash was Deputy Director of the Fund for Public Advocacy, supported several political campaigns, and served in the Obama White House.

Ashley Ross-Teel, Chief Content Officer

Ashley Ross-Teel is the Chief Content Officer for the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion & Equity (TRIE). Creating substantive, longstanding change for communities of color and developing equitable solutions addressing racial and economic disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic is the goal of the Taskforce. Utilizing her skills as a seasoned strategist and communications professional, Ashley creates engaging programming that amplifies awareness around critical community resources. Her multi-dimensional approach to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion work centers social impact and racial justice.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic she’s been integral in establishing vital initiatives and development projects for BIPOC audiences. She helped create the 2020 TRIE Report and the Taskforce website. Ashley also launched the Juneteenth 2021 Economic Justice Plan and developed numerous program initiatives including A Divine Conversation: Past, Present & Future, COVID-19 + Vaccines: A South Asian Community Conversation, Spread Love: Stop Asian Hate, and La Familia Es Todo: Protecting Our Loved Ones From COVID-19. 

Ashley's decades-long career includes senior positions at some of the nation’s most iconic institutions and multicultural organizations. Her experience runs the gamut from leading racial justice programs to developing nationally lauded experiential campaigns. Throughout her career Ashley has used her talents to develop strategic campaigns and targeted programs that engage audiences through multimedia experiences. 

She’s currently pursuing a graduate degree in Organizational Development & Knowledge Management for Public Policy, and she's a proud graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications.