Liz Northcutt, LMSW, our Executive Director, has been working in the child welfare system for almost twenty years. She received her MSW from New York University. She worked within the child welfare system as a Social Worker at St. Vincent’s Services, Borough Coordinator at Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and a Forensic Social Worker at Comprehensive Family Services. Ms. Northcutt founded CLNY with the help of other licensed social workers and business professionals who were aware of and concerned with the issues facing youth as they age out of care. Ms. Northcutt is deeply involved in the housing and foster care communities and works with a cross section of agencies and initiatives advocating for policy shifts to benefit her community. Ms. Northcutt developed and currently facilitates city-wide trainings for all foster care personnel.

Young-In Shin, LCSW, is the full time Program Director at CLNY and has been with the organization since 2017. Ms. Shin has an MSW from New York University and almost fifteen years of experience advocating for children and families. She started her career at CASA – NYC, later working for a child protective service agency in Washington State. She also provided one-on-one counseling with young people involved in the juvenile justice system, and later to adults with mental illness in New Jersey.

Gabrielle Breslow, MBA/LMSW, is Director of Operations with CLNY. Prior to coming to CLNY in 2018, Ms. Breslow served as Director of Financial Planning and Strategy for the Center for Employment Opportunities, a criminal justice nonprofit providing employment services to individuals with criminal convictions. Earlier in her career, she worked as a deputy director and analyst for the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services. Ms. Breslow has an MBA and MSW in Social Work from Columbia University.

Ana Brilliant, LMSW, is a full-time social worker with CLNY. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from the University of New Hampshire. She began her career as a research assistant at Boston Children’s Hospital before earning her Master of Social Work with a concentration in Community Organizing and Social Action from the University of Pittsburgh in 2023. Anna has worked with different non-profits and afterschool programs, and at Covenant House. She brings a broad range of educational and professional experience, particularly working with youth of diverse ages and offers both local and global perspectives.

Melody Gradowski, LMSW, is the Alumni Program Supervisor at CLNY. She received her master’s in social work from Lehman College in May 2022. While working for the Board of Education, she became interested in the lives of the families she served and decided to pursue a social work degree. Ms. Gradowski worked at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center supporting homeless veterans. Prior to her education and social work careers, Ms. Gradowski was also a US Army Reservist from 1998-2006 and is an alumna of the NYC foster care system.

Demetri Kavadas, LMSW, is a full-time social worker with CLNY who received his MSW from Columbia University in May 2023. Prior to joining City Living, Demetri attended Washington University where he received a BA in Archeology and worked as an educator in Chicago Public Schools. At Columbia University, Demetri interned with the Osborne Association and then Hot Bread Kitchen while serving as the Editor in Chief for the Columbia Social Work Review. Demetri is passionate about the holistic nature of social work and strives to support the whole person in his work.

Joan Leslie is the Director of Development and Communications at CLNY, where she oversees fundraising efforts and manages external partnerships. Joan holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College and completed a grassroots community organizing fellowship with the DART Institute, specializing in issues-based community mobilization and donor stewardship. Originally from Harlem, Ms. Leslie has led diverse campaigns supporting youth and underserved communities across the Southeast prior to returning home. Before joining CLNY, she founded a consulting practice focused on fundraising education for nonprofit Boards.

Adreanna Maier, LMSW, is a full-time social worker with CLNY. She received her Master’s in Social Work from Fordham University in May 2015. As the child of a social worker, she was inspired to become one herself. Ms. Maier interned at Catholic Charities assisting homeless clients with locating community resources and housing. Ms. Maier then spent seven years working in the child welfare system in the Therapeutic Foster Care program at Forestdale.

Kathleen McIlraith, LMSW is a full-time social worker with CLNY who received her MSW from Columbia University in 2019. Kathleen started her social work career at The Legal Aid Society in The Bronx where she worked on an interdisciplinary team representing children and young adults in family court for six years. Prior to obtaining her MSW, Kathleen graduated from The College of New Jersey in 2017 with her BA in Sociology.

Antonina Poplawski, LMSW, is a full-time social worker with CLNY who received her MSW from Binghamton University in 2023. She previously worked with young students in upstate NY through the Upward Bound Math Science (UBMS) & Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP), specifically by providing supportive counseling and coordinating afterschool programs. Before joining CLNY, she also assisted individuals in securing stable housing through the YWCA of Binghamton and Broome County.

Erica Rosenberg is the Operations Associate at CLNY and a senior Human Resources generalist with experience in legal and financial start-ups, sports and entertainment, and non-profits. She is a graduate of the University of Rochester with a degree in Political Science and holds SPHR and SHRM-SCP certifications.