Executive Vice President

Maxine Griffith

Executive Vice President, Government and Community Affairs & Special Advisor for Campus Planning

Maxine Griffith is the Executive Vice President for Government and Community Affairs at Columbia University and Special Advisor for Campus Planning.

Reporting to Columbia’s president, Lee C. Bollinger, Ms. Griffith is responsible for the oversight and coordination of Columbia's collaborations with government at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as the strengthening of Columbia's many partnerships with local organizations. In addition, she is a senior member of the team planning for the University’s proposed campus expansion.

Griffith brings more than 20 years of experience and a strong background in both urban planning and government affairs. From 2000 to 2005, Griffith served as executive director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and as the Secretary (Deputy Mayor) for Strategic Planning. Previously, Griffith served in the Clinton administration at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), first as the Regional Representative for New York and New Jersey and then in Washington as HUD's assistant deputy secretary. From 1988 to 1996 she was principal of Griffith Planning and Design, a firm providing planning, urban design, and development services to a diverse list of clients.

She has also served on the New York City Planning Commission, on the New York State Commission on the Restoration of the Capital, the national Planning Accreditation Board, and the Board of Directors of the American Planning Association. She now serves on the boards of directors of the Architectural League of New York, the Regional Plan Association, and Seeds, an organization building schools and libraries in West Africa.

Griffith was born in Harlem, graduated cum laude from Hunter College in New York, and holds a master's degree in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. She has taught city planning and urban design at Columbia University, New York University, and the University of Pennsylvania and is an accredited member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Assistant Vice Presidents

Victoria Mason-Ailey

AVP, Planning and Project Coordination

Victoria Mason-Ailey is charged with the coordination and communication of urban planning and development matters, particularly those activities associated with the University’s proposed campus expansion into Manhattanville.  Her work requires that she maintain frequent contact with community leaders, public officials as well as University officials, staff and consultants. Her activities extend from initiatives on the Morningside campus to those of the Medical Center in Upper Manhattan.

Trained as an Urban Planner with a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from Columbia and 20+ years of experience, Victoria has participated in a range of inter-agency, as well as public and private planning initiatives in several major cities, including New York City and Philadelphia.  Victoria holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Brown University and is professionally certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

Flores A. Forbes

AVP, Strategic Policy and Program Implementation

Flores A. Forbes is charged with coordinating and implementing economic development opportunities and entrepreneurial activities with local organizations on behalf of the Office of Government and Community Affairs.  He maintains relationships with community-based organizations, government officials, corporations, minority entrepreneurs and developers, and others.  Currently, Flores' work is largely focused on activities related to the University's proposed expansion into Manhattanville.

Flores last served as Chief Strategic Officer for the Abyssinian Development Corporation.  Prior to his tenure at Abyssinian, Flores worked for the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, where he served first as Deputy Director of Land Use Housing and Development and then as Director of Borough President Fields' Northern Manhattan Office.  Flores has also written extensively; his work includes a study of his life as a radical in the 1970's.

Flores holds an undergraduate degree from San Francisco State University.  He received a Masters in Urban Planning from New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and was a Revson Fellow at Columbia.  Flores and his wife, Jill Nelson, live in Harlem.

Theodore J. Gershon

AVP, Community Based Initiatives & Special Advisor, Workforce Development

Theodore J. Gershon is charged with the design, implementation and management of workforce development initiatives associated with the University’s proposed campus expansion into Manhattanville. His work requires that he maintain frequent contact with the New York City and State Departments of Education, community-based organizations, government sponsored workforce development agencies, community leaders, public officials as well as University officials, staff and consultants. In addition, his activities include providing consulting services related to workforce development to the University and the community and faith based organizations located in Upper Manhattan.

Ted has over 40 years experience in education and workforce development. He has served as a consultant on workforce development in Federal Empowerment Zones with the U.S. Department of Education and assisted The White House Community Empowerment Board in the design and implementation of workforce development programs. Additionally, he served as Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Education in New Jersey and participated in the management team responsible for state operated facilities including the Katzenbach State School for the Deaf, Regional Day Schools for the Handicapped, academic and vocational education in state correctional and mental health facilities, New Jersey Job Corps, and research and demonstration sites providing vocational and technical training. Ted has a Master’s Degree in Vocational and Technical Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Education of the Handicapped. He has published numerous articles on workforce development and has assisted many national organizations in the development of education and workforce development delivery models.  Ted has worked in the Harlem community for the past fourteen years.

Karen Jewett

AVP, University Relations and Partnerships

Working closely with other Government and Community Affairs senior staff, Karen Jewett organizes and manages interactions between the Office of Government and Community Affairs and various segments of the University community.  She works closely with the Office of the Provost and others to foster dialogue within the Columbia community about neighborhood issues and concerns.

Karen previously worked at New York University, where she served as Acting Assistant Dean, Arts and Humanities Programs, School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and director, Liberal Arts Programs, McGhee Division, School of Continuing and Professional Studies. She also held the title of Master Teacher at the University. Prior to her ten-year stint at NYU, Karen was the program manager for Cooper Union’s Extended Studies Program.  Karen received her A.B. from Dartmouth College in English and her M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. from Columbia University in English and Comparative Literature.

Marcia Lynn Sells

AVP, Program Development and Initiatives

Marcia started life in New York as a ballerina with the Dance Theatre of Harlem before going to college.  After receiving her Law Degree, she spent five years as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, trying rape and child abuse cases, and moved from there to Chadbourne and Parke as an Associate in the Litigation Department. After leaving the law firm, Marcia returned to Columbia and was appointed Dean of Students at the Law School.  She left Columbia to work for the National Basketball Association as Vice President of Organizational Development and Human Resources  for 4 years before leaving the NBA to join Reuters America as Vice President of Human Resources.  Marcia is a graduate of Barnard College and Columbia University School of Law.

Officers and Support Staff

Junior M. Benjamin

Senior Project Coordinator

Working closely with several Assistant Vice Presidents in the Office of Government and Community Affairs, Junior Benjamin reports directly to Executive Vice President Maxine Griffith. His responsibilities include event planning and coordination and the execution of special projects and activities.  He is also the primary coordinator of the University’s semi-annual blood drive campaigns.  Additionally, Junior works directly with the Associate Director of Budget and Administration to ensure the Office's compliance with Columbia's financial protocols, and is the primary person responsible for the continued development and maintenance of both the GCA and Neighbor's Web sites.

A native of Grenada, W.I., Junior taught high school business and social studies in his homeland before migrating to Brooklyn, New York. He graduated magna cum laude from Baruch College in 2001 with a B.B.A. in Human Resources Management. He then joined Columbia as the Executive Assistant to the Chairman of Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery at Columbia University's Medical Center (CUMC).  During his time at CUMC, Junior completed a M.P.A. Degree (summa cum laude).  Junior is an active volunteer with NY Cares, iMentor organization and the Brooklyn Public library, serving as mentor, tutor, and overall helper within the five boroughs of New York City.

Kevin Brannon

Administrative Coordinator

Kevin Brannon is an Administrative Coordinator for the Office of Government & Community Affairs, working with Karen Jewett, Assistant Vice-President of University Relations.  Kevin edits the GCA Community Newsletter, coordinates GCA’s Community Internship program, and assists in outreach activities for the campus.

Born in Little Rock Arkansas, Kevin received B.A.’s in English and Philosophy from Hendrix College in 1999.  As a United States Peace Corps Volunteer, Kevin taught conversational English in Rakvere, Estonia before moving to New York.  He comes to Columbia University from Volunteers of America Greater New York where he provided administrative support for one of that organization’s housing programs.  Currently he is working toward his Masters Degree at Columbia’s School of Journalism.

Monica T. Brown

Project Coordinator

Monica Brown works directly with Karen Jewett, Assistant Vice President for University Relations and Partnerships.  Her work primarily focuses on providing fundraising and philanthropic technical assistance to community non-profit organizations surrounding the University.  Monica also works closely with other Assistant Vice Presidents and some of the University's corporate partners on philanthropic projects and needs.

A native of Harlem, Monica received her B.A. from Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, NC, in Communication Arts, with a concentration in Broadcast Journalism and Public Relations.  Prior to joining Columbia she worked for the United Way of New York City and other civic and cultural institutions around the city.  Most recently, she worked in the Development Office of the New York Weill-Cornell Medical Center as part of a major gifts team responsible for a portfolio of over 200 of the City's most influential philanthropists.  Monica is an active member of Women in Development and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Yanira Cantres

Project Coordinator

Yanira Cantres works directly with Karen Jewett, Assistant Vice President for University Relations and Partnerships.  Her work focuses primarily on space coordination and event planning assistance to community non-profits within the Columbia community.  Additionally, she coordinates special projects and student related activities.  Her efforts facilitate inter-departmental communications between the Morningside campus and the wider university community.

Yanira is a native of the Bronx and holds a B.A. in Psychology, with a minor in Social Work, from St. John's University. 

Ashley Johnston Emerson

Senior Project Coordinator

Ashley Emerson works with Victoria Mason-Ailey, Assistant Vice President for Planning and Project Coordination on communication of urban planning and development matters. Her focus is on the University’s proposed campus expansion into Manhattanville, as well as other planning related matters on the Morningside Campus and at the Columbia University Medical Center.

Originally from Ridgewood, New Jersey, Ashley received a dual Master’s Degree in Urban/Regional Planning and Public Administration from the University of Colorado and a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Denison University.  She comes to Columbia after having worked in real estate development and non-profit endowment investing.

Lauren L. Feighan

Project Coordinator

Lauren Feighan works directly with Executive Vice President, Maxine Griffith, on a range of projects.  She also frequently works closely with Assistant Vice Presidents on the coordination of special events and program initiatives. 

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Lauren attended Cornell University and received a B.S. in Policy Analysis and Management, with a concentration in Family and Social Welfare.  She has past experience in the field of community development.  Previously, Lauren served as Program Assistant at Seedco, in New York City, in the areas of workforce and economic development, and most recently spent time in Tamil Nadu, India as Regional Associate with an international nonprofit organization.

Loftin Flowers

Director, Government Relations and Policy Coordination

Loftin Flowers works with Ellen Smith, Assistant Vice President for Government Relations.  He also works with the Executive Vice President and other senior managers on a wide range of matters related to project planning, policy development, and project management, with a special emphasis on projects requiring interdivisional coordination.

Loftin is a native of Florence, Alabama, and a graduate of Haverford College with a B.A. in history. He comes to Columbia from Washington, D.C., where he worked most recently at the national offices of the Children's Defense Fund.

Joan Griffith-Lee

Senior Project Coordinator

Joan Griffith-Lee works with Assistant Vice President Karen Jewett and other senior staff in the Office of Government & Community Affairs.  Her primary role is to manage the Columbia Community Service Annual Appeal, which is an on-campus campaign that raises money to help fund more than 55 local community organizations.  Joan has worked in various capacities within the University for the past seventeen (17) years, and with the Office of Government and Community Affairs for the last ten years. 

Joan completed her B.A. in Sociology at Columbia University’s School of General Studies and her M.P.A. in Public Management and Institutional Analysis at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.  She also achieved a Certificate of Completion in the Leadership Development Program with the Columbia Business School - Institute for Not-for-Profit Management.  Joan also serves on the boards of several community based organizations in her hometown.

Shaneen Grinage

Administrative Coordinator

Shaneen Grinage is an Administrative Coordinator for the Office of Government and Community Affairs. She works with Victoria Mason-Ailey, Vice President of Planning and Project Coordination, providing operational support and general office coordination.  In addition, she contributes to staff presentations, and other physical planning and development events in association with the Manhattanville expansion.

Shaneen currently lives in the Bronx and holds a B.A. in Business Management from Monroe College.  She plans to continue her education at Columbia's Teachers College.

Valerie G. James

Assistant to the Executive Vice President

Valerie is the Assistant to the Executive Vice President for the Office of Government and Community Affairs, providing operational support and general office coordination.

Formerly, Valerie worked as the Administrative Coordinator to Roger Toussaint, President of Transport Workers Union Local 100.  Prior to that, she was the Regional Representative for United States Secretary of Labor Alexis M. Herman in the northeast region, and Assistant to the Vice President of MacAndrews & Forbes Holding, Inc.  She has also been the administrative assistant to the vice president for Merrill Lynch Capital Markets and, to the Managing Director of Bear Stearns & Co.  Additionally, Valerie worked on the Clinton/Gore campaigns and with former New York City Mayor David N. Dinkins.

Valerie received her Associates degree at New York University and plans to return to school for her Bachelors degreee in Communications.

Lamar Lovelace

Project Coordinator

Lamar Lovelace works with Marcia Sells, Assistant Vice President for Program Development and Initiatives. His work focuses on developing and generating collaborative projects and programs between Columbia University and community arts and cultural organizations, as well as providing services to help promote the awareness of existing community institutions and programs.

Lamar has worked as a successful fundraiser with organizations such as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, August Wilson Center for African American Culture, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.  Additionally, Lamar has worked with the Krannert Center for the Arts and the Upper Manhattan Council Assisting Neighbors on strategic community outreach and community revitalization activities.  He received his M.A. from the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University and a B.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Allen Poole

Associate Director, Budget and Administration

Reporting directly to Executive Vice President Maxine Griffith, Allen Poole is responsible for the development and monitoring of the administrative budget and final submission to the Office of Budget and Management. Allen oversees all finance and human resources related functions.

Allen began his career at Columbia with Urban Technical Assistance Project (UTAP) School of Architecture & Planning as the Administrative Manager.  Prior to joining Columbia, Allen was the Controller and Director of Finance and Administration for the Harlem Urban Development Corporation (a subsidiary of the NYS Urban Development Corporation).  Allen’s additional work experience includes Control Data Corporation (City Venture Corporation Division) as Project Director and Chase Manhattan Bank as Internal Consultant. He has a B.S. in Accounting from Hampton (Institute) University and an M.B.A in Financial Management from Long Island University.

Vicente Villalba

Community Affairs Officer

Vicente works with Assistant Vice President Victoria Mason-Ailey and other senior staff in the Office of Government and Community Affairs. His responsibilities include working with elected officials and community-based organizations to provide translations, simultaneous interpreting, and sound services at University-related conferences and meetings. He is also the coordinator of the Everybody WINS Power Lunch volunteer reading program and the GCA-sponsored ESL program - in conjunction with Dominican Sunday, Inc.

Prior to joining GCA, Vicente worked for the NYC Department of Education for 22 years in various capacities.  He received his B.A. from Mercy College and is completing his Master’s in School Supervision and Administration.  Vicente grew up in the Washington Heights area and has worked in West Harlem his entire life.

Orit Yakuel

Senior Project Coordinator

Orit Darwish works directly with Marcia Sells, Assistant Vice President for Program Development and Initiatives. Her work focuses on developing and generating collaborative projects and programs between Columbia University and community arts and cultural organizations, as well as providing services to help promote the awareness of existing community institutions and programs.

A native of Long Island, Orit received her M.A. in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania and her B.A., cum laude, in Art History and Criticism from SUNY at Stony Brook. Prior to coming to Columbia, Orit worked as the Coordinator of the Burrison Art Gallery, housed in the University of Pennsylvania’s Faculty Club.  Most recently, she worked at Drexel University in Philadelphia as a Program Coordinator for the College of Engineering. Orit has also worked on exhibition-related projects at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Jewish Museum in New York.