For scheduling inquiries, please email: mmalloy@council.nyc.gov
For press inquiries, please email: slavin@council.nyc.gov
For general inquiries, please email district39@council.nyc.gov and we’ll connect you with the relevant staffer.
| Name | Position | |
| Matthew Malloy | Chief of Staff | mmalloy@council.nyc.gov |
| Emmet Teran | Senior Advisor & Legislative Director | eteran@council.nyc.gov |
| Channa Camins | District Director | ccamins2@council.nyc.gov |
| Simone Lavin | Communications Director | slavin@council.nyc.gov |
| Sabine Aronowsky | Land Use and Public Housing Director | saronowsky@council.nyc.gov |
| Iqra Shafiq | Constituent Liaison — Park Slope and Windsor Terrace | ishafiq@council.nyc.gov |
| Jacqueline Nieschmidt | Constituent Liaison — Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, and the Columbia Waterfront | jnieschmidt@council.nyc.gov |
| Tazkira Sattar | Constituent Liaison — Kensington and Borough Park | tsattar@council.nyc.gov |
| Anisha Uppal-Sullivan | Legislative Fellow | auppal-sullivan@council.nyc.gov |
Matthew Malloy (he/him), Chief of Staff
Matthew Malloy oversees the office’s daily operations across all staff portfolios – don’t hesitate to contact him directly! You can also reach out to Matt with any scheduling requests for the Council Member. Before becoming the office’s Chief of Staff, he served as Council Member Hanif’s Constituent Services Director. He is a lifelong Brooklynite and a graduate of CUNY Hunter College. Matt has roots in public housing and has utilized his experience as a tenant to identify solutions to hard-to-solve problems. In addition to his experience as a staff member at the office, Matt has served as a Bargaining Committee and Executive Board Member with the Association of Legislative Employees, which just secured a historic first union contract for City Council staff.
Email Matt at mmalloy@council.nyc.gov
Emmet Teran (he/him), Senior Advisor and Legislative & Budget Director
Emmet Teran has spent his career in public service roles leading the political and comms operations of dozens of electeds, winning hundreds of millions in city budget dollars and earning national headlines for hearings and legislative campaigns. As Senior Advisor, Emmet moves legislation, manages the multi-million dollar discretionary budgeting process, and provides strategic planning for Council Member Hanif. Previously, he served as Executive Director of the NYC Council Progressive Caucus where he set the 23-member Caucus’s citywide priorities.
Emmet’s a born and raised New Yorker who has low vision. He’s excited to staff the Council Member in her role as Chair of the newly created Committee on Disabilities. He’s also a dogged Knicks and Yankees fan, and earned his B.A. from Wesleyan University and M.S. from Hunter College at CUNY in Urban Policy.
Email Emmet at eteran@council.nyc.gov
Channa Camins (she/her), District Director
Channa has over 20 years experience in the non-profit and public sectors, specializing in program and project management, operations, community organizing, urban placemaking, event planning, and the design and facilitation of participatory processes for community decision-making in advocacy and land use planning. Before joining the office, she served as the Director of Organizing & Strategic Initiatives for Council Member Restler. As District Director, Channa oversees our Constituent Services Team and leads community engagement and events throughout District 39, ensuring the office remains responsive to residents’ needs.
A longtime Brooklyn resident, Channa grew up in East New York and Nassau County and has lived in District 39 for the past 20 years. She is deeply committed to advancing environmental, economic, and racial justice, with a particular focus on creating accessible, equitable public spaces and strengthening climate resilience and green infrastructure. Outside of work, she has been known to take on ambitious (and often overly complicated) knitting and woodworking projects.
Email Channa at ccamins2@council.nyc.gov
Simone Lavin (she/her), Communications Director
Simone Lavin manages the office’s communications, including the weekly newsletter (subscribe!), social media, short-form video, and press coverage. For press inquiries or assistance uplifting community events in the newsletter, please reach out to her directly. Simone is committed to clear, engaging communication that keeps constituents informed, connected to city government, and empowered to advocate for a more affordable, equitable, and just New York City.
Prior to joining the office, she managed Council Member Hanif’s 2025 re-election campaign. Simone is a proud fourth-generation Jewish New Yorker. She lives in Crown Heights and is passionate about multi-modal transit—find her on an e-Citi Bike.
Email Simone at slavin@council.nyc.gov
Sabine Aronowsky (she/her), Land Use and Public Housing Director
Sabine Aronowsky is the Director of Land Use and Public Housing for Council Member Shahana Hanif, leading major district planning and housing initiatives, including modernization projects at Wyckoff Gardens and Gowanus Houses. Her work centers on transparency, accountability, equity, and community voice in shaping neighborhood futures. Previously, she served as South Brooklyn Accountable Development Campaign Manager at the Fifth Avenue Committee, negotiating community benefits agreements and advancing affordable housing and climate resiliency efforts. With over a decade in public service, she has championed deeply affordable housing, environmental justice and open space preservation. A lifelong resident of Brooklyn’s District 39, Sabine holds an MPA from Baruch College and a BA from Tulane University. She is raising her daughter locally and remains committed to a just, resilient Brooklyn.
Email Sabine at saronowsky@council.nyc.gov
Iqra Shafiq (she/her), Constituent Liaison — Park Slope and Windsor Terrace
Iqra Shafiq (she/her) is the Constituent liaison for Park Slope and Windsor Terrace A Kensington resident and dedicated public servant, Iqra is passionate about empowering Brooklyn communities through civic engagement and grassroots organizing. She brings valuable experience from government, campaigns, and advocacy, working to make local government more accessible and responsive to Brooklyn’s diverse neighborhoods.
Before joining our team, Iqra served as a Senior Aide at the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office, where she led community outreach, constituent services, and policy initiatives on housing, transportation, and civic participation. A Political Science graduate from the City College of New York, Iqra is committed to housing advocacy, youth mentorship, and strengthening civic engagement across Brooklyn.
Email Iqra at ishafiq@council.nyc.gov
Jacqueline Nieschmidt (she/her), Constituent Liaison — Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, and the Columbia Waterfront
Jacqueline serves as the Constituent Services Liaison for Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill, and the Columbia Waterfront. She is a passionate community organizer who loves connecting neighbors to the civic process and to each other. Jacqueline has a background in Congress, the American Immigration Council, teaching English and civics to immigrants, and most recently completed the city’s Urban Fellows program. She loves the r/NYC Reddit thread, poetry in meter, and post-modern theory. You may bump into her on daily walks to the Columbia waterfront, stowed away writing a political commentary beside the Prospect Park Boathouse or taking ballet classes at Dancewave.
Email Jacqui at jnieschmidt@council.nyc.gov
Tazkira Sattar (she/her), Constituent Liaison — Kensington and Borough Park
Tazkira Sattar is the Constituent Services Liaison for Kensington and Borough Park, where she helps close the gap between city agencies and the community. Taz has a background in international journalism, working in Dhaka, Bangkok and Singapore before finding her home in New York.
A first-generation immigrant, Taz is passionate about climate and immigration justice, and how environmental changes impact global migration and resettlement. In her free time, Taz loves to recreate her childhood dishes from scratch. Her favorite is her aunt’s “secret” biriyani recipe which she unfaithfully shares with everyone.
Email Taz at tsattar@council.nyc.gov
Anisha Uppal-Sullivan (she/her), Legislative Fellow
Anisha Uppal-Sullivan is the Legislative Fellow for the office, where she leads Participatory Budgeting efforts, supports the office’s legislative agenda, and provides support wherever needed. She graduated from Tufts University with a degree in Political Science, where she spent much of her time organizing the Resident Assistants union.
Born in New York City and raised in New Delhi, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi, Anisha brings a global perspective to her work and is passionate about shaping the future of local city politics. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, reading cookbooks, and discovering new neighborhood restaurants.
Email Anisha at auppal-sullivan@council.nyc.gov
