Staff Directory

Wilson Valentin is associate vice president of Columbia News and Columbia Neighbors. He directs the team that produces a suite of e-newsletters on every aspect of learning, work, and life at Columbia University and the surrounding community. His team also helps to build, curate, and manage the content on the University’s home page, Columbia News and Columbia Neighbors websites, and collaborates on content for the University’s main social media channels.

A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, he has a multifaceted background in journalism and digital media production, including stints managing the national copyreading desk at The Wall Street Journal, overseeing science and technology coverage at Fox, crafting financial news at CNN, and working both on-set and behind the scenes at HBO and PBS. When not on campus at Columbia, he teaches undergraduate writing at CUNY City College, where he earned an MFA in creative writing. His play, The Actons, won the David Dortort Prize.

Wendy Felton has built social media presences in the nonprofit and education spaces for more than a decade. 

After starting her career in online communications, she went on to lead social strategy and create content in roles at UCLA, Pace University, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. She was ASME’s first social media manager and oversaw the organization’s social presence for nearly eight years. During her time there, she was selected for the NASA Social program and covered the InSight lander’s arrival on Mars.

Outside of work, Wendy is a licensed New York City tour guide, has led tours of Grand Central Terminal, and volunteers with the Friends of Governors Island. 

Wendy holds a degree in history from UCLA.

Susan Ellingwood is the associate vice president of public affairs at Columbia University, where she is the editorial director of the University’s home page, news outlet, and social media channels. She oversees a social media team, a video team, and two public affairs officers who liaise with communications staff at three undergraduate schools, 14 graduate and professional schools, and more than 200 centers and institutes at the University.

Prior to joining Columbia in 2019, she spent more than 25 years in journalism, most recently at The New York Times on the Books desk for three years, and in Op-Ed and Opinion for 15 years, where she was a founding editor of Room for Debate, The Conversation, and On Campus. Susan has also worked at the Committee to Protect Journalists, The Wall Street Journal, Brill's Content, The New Republic, and The New Yorker. She holds a BA in Russian and international studies from Dickinson College and did her graduate work at St. Antony's College, Oxford University. She is the editor of two books (What We Saw and America At War) and a producer of the Times-HBO documentary, Last Letters Home, an idea she developed based on her years of service as an officer in the United States Army.

Spencer Snyder is a videographer for the Office of Public Affairs. Spencer’s responsibilities include filming, editing, and occasional 3D work for the small but powerful video production team. His video background is predominantly in politics where he crafted campaign ads for candidates running for state, local, and national office. Before going into video Spencer was a full-time piano and guitar teacher.

Spencer holds a BFA from The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in drum set performance and an MA from The City College of New York in classical composition.

Sheri completed her undergraduate studies at Columbia University, Columbia College, where she studied architecture and anthropology. After working for Robert A.M. Stern Architects, she switched professions, moving to magazine publishing. She memorized the major style guides at Black Enterprise and Ms., where she was managing editor. She joined Columbia’s Office of Public Affairs in 2004 and, having added quantitative data gathering to her skill set with a master’s degree in sociology from Columbia’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, is now associate vice president of digital strategy, helping set editorial and branding guidelines and leading university-wide digital projects and advertising. In her spare time, she loves sailing, kayaking, and trying to turn her hydrangeas blue. She also really wishes Simon Kinberg would make a movie about Roque and Mystique.

Samantha joined the Office of Public Affairs from Columbia World Projects where she was director of communications. Prior to coming to Columbia in 2018, she spent nearly a decade on Capitol Hill, serving as a communications director in both the Senate and House of Representatives and as executive director of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. A native New Yorker, Samantha graduated from Brandeis University and received a master's in public administration from the School of Public Affairs at Baruch College. She started her career as a journalist for Politico.

Sadie Arsenault is a graphic designer and illustrator at Columbia Creative. Before coming to Columbia, Sadie worked as a freelance designer while she pursued an MA in communication design from the National College of Art & Design in Dublin, Ireland. Additionally, she holds a BFA of graphic design and digital media from Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. 

Rosibeli Gomez joined Columbia University in 2014 and has since held various finance roles within the different university campuses, including Central Finance. In her most recent role as Procurement Manager, Rosibeli led a team of three analysts through all aspects related to purchasing and accounts payable. She received her B.S. in Accounting from Lehman College and serves on the Executive Board as Treasurer for NYS TESOL, a non-profit organization of teachers dedicated to advancing the profession of teaching English as an additional language. She finds great passion in traveling and enjoys learning about different cultures.

Robert Branch is the director of video production for the Office of Public Affairs and manages the video production team. A videographer, video director, and consultant with more than 20 years of video production experience, Robert directed the award-winning short documentary Manhattanville: A New York Nexus Sheffield Farms, The Milk Industry, and The Public Good. He holds a BFA from The Cooper Union Advancement of Science and Art and has an EdM in instructional technology and media from Teachers College, Columbia University. He is a long time member of Tim Rollins and K.OS. art collective, whose work is exhibited internationally and is a part of the MOMA and Tate Modern collection. Before joining Columbia, he worked as a public school teacher in the Bronx. 

Phoebe-Sade Arnold is director of community affairs at Columbia University. A multifaceted role, Phoebe’s focus is to create mutually beneficial engagement between Columbia and the Harlem community. She received her BA in political science from SUNY Old Westbury, and her Masters in public administration from Baruch College.

Noreen Mangan is a seasoned office manager and executive assistant with more than 17 years in the field. She has extensive experience with administrative tasks and a track record of strong performance in high-volume, fast-paced environments.

She is also active in many organizations in her community. She is a member of the steering committee of her local League of Women Voters chapter and a hospice volunteer for Visiting Nurse Service of New York.

Noreen loves to play bridge and she is an oenophile.

Nicoletta works with Columbia faculty and staff to create complex illustrations, digital paintings, animations, and info graphics that support and enhance ideas, vision and research. Before joining the Columbia University communications staff, she worked as a staff illustrator and graphic designer at Raven Press Medical publishers, Wolters Kluwer Health, and Oxford University Press. With over 20 years of experience in graphics and illustration, she believes that there is no greater challenge and no more satisfying reward than taking research ideas and transforming them into impactful, striking images. 

Nicoletta has a master of education degree in visual art from Columbia University, Teachers College and a bachelor's degree with a major in studio art, from Sarah Lawrence College, and studied graphic design, illustration and animation at the School of Visual Art. Nicoletta is a member of the guild of Natural Science Illustrators.

Nathan serves as associate vice president for government relations in Government and Community Affairs. In this role he focuses on federal and state policy, advocating on a variety of priorities for the University, including federal support for scientific research and student financial aid. Prior to his work at Columbia, Nathan served as a political analyst at the Japanese Consulate in New York. Nathan received his BA and MA from the University of Chicago.

Monique is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College, where she earned a bachelor's degree in theater. She also holds a master's degree in media management from Metropolitan College of New York. Before coming to Columbia, Monique worked in healthcare, managing credentialing for hospitals and other medical practices. Her favorite spot on campus is the new Manhattanville campus, where she embraces her love of the arts by visiting the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery. When she's not building websites, Monique loves watching professional basketball, reading, and sight-seeing.

Michael Orrange is a digital marketing and communications specialist who has worked to expand and enhance the social media presence of top academic institutions.

Beginning his career at the University of Michigan (U-M), Michael developed and implemented social media campaigns to engage current and prospective donors and highlight the impact of philanthropy at U-M. Prior to joining the Office of Public Affairs, Michael oversaw social media and email marketing efforts at Columbia University's Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center and provided social media guidance to departments and centers across Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

In his free time, Michael loves to cook for family and friends, travel, and support the New York Mets.

Michael received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Michigan.

Marisol Estevez manages media strategy, publicity, and advertising at Columbia Creative. Prior to joining the team, Marisol worked in media production for educational institutions including Columbia, New York University, The New School, Parsons, Fordham, and Yeshiva. Marisol is a native New Yorker, born and raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She attended Lehman College at the City University of New York (CUNY).

Loftin Flowers is the vice president for government relations and leads the University’s engagement and advocacy efforts with federal, state, and city government. Loftin holds a BA in History from Haverford College and an MPA from Columbia University. Prior to his role at Columbia, Loftin worked in Washington, DC at the national offices of the Children's Defense Fund, the Democratic National Committee, and John Kerry’s 2004 campaign for president.

Kymani Hayden is a New York City native with a passion for building community, social justice, and creative collaboration. Previously, she worked at City Year, an AmeriCorps program - where she was a recruitment manager within the talent acquisition team. The core of her work was led through the lens of Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity. During her time there, she led and supported outreach tailored to disadvantaged youth and primarily young people of color, with the aim of employing them at public schools across the country, where building academic retention and improving learning for students are key pillars that drive the program’s success. Throughout her undergraduate career, she studied abroad in London where she worked as a Public Relations intern at a BBC Studios casting agency. While there, she expanded her interest in talent acquisition, social media strategy, and publicity work. Kymani is an alumna of Columbia’s Upward Bound program at the Double Discovery Center and prides herself on being a true Harlem-American. She also works in fashion production from time to time, having experience working on major productions such as New York Fashion Week.

She holds an MS in Social Media and Mobile Marketing from Pace University’s Lubin School of Business and a BA in Culture and Communication from Ithaca College. Kymani is a digital creator by heart and enjoys capturing and creating organic content around day-to-day living in the city, local community events and travel.

Kelly Moffitt-Hawasly is a passionate storyteller who works at the intersection of digital media and storytelling and serves as the director of digital content strategy for the Office of Public Affairs, working on Columbia News, Columbia Neighbors, and the homepage. She leads audience-focused content and analytics strategy, including SEO, across these channels and manages the Neighbors team.

Previously, she worked as a producer at StoryCorps, traveling the country recording stories from everyday Americans and editing those recordings for broadcast on NPR's Morning Edition. While there, she was the recipient of the MJ Bear Fellowship, which identifies and celebrates three digital journalists under 30 whose work represents the best of new media, for her creation of a newsletter dedicated to podcasts produced between the coasts. She also teaches classes in digital media, personal branding, and podcast creation at institutions like NBCUniversal LIFT Labs and IFP.

Originally from St. Louis, she loves to explore the quirky side of New York and is a proud mentor with Girls Write Now. She holds an MA (clinical psychology) from Teachers College at Columbia University (TC'24), as well as an MA (journalism), BA (international studies), and BJ (magazine journalism) from the University of Missouri, where she wrote her master's thesis on how engagement editors assess success in their work. You can find her work at www.kmariemoffitt.com. 

Junior works on community engagement programs related to the Columbia community and the surrounding community, and on human resources strategies and the implementation of human resources best practices in talent acquisition, professional development, onboarding, and orientation. As the human resources administrator, he leverages employee analytics and HR expertise and experience to provide consultation and guidance regarding HR policies, best practices, and strategies for managing HR issues. Additionally, Junior manages the annual performance appraisal process; troubleshoots, researches, and reports on performance issues, and implement strategies for their resolution; and creates onboarding plans for new hires and educates them on HR policies, internal procedures, and regulations.

In his role as director of community outreach, he brings more than 15 years of experience to manage campus community outreach initiatives such as University-wide blood/bone marrow drives, skin cancer screening, volunteer lunchtime reading program, in conjunction with organizations that run these operations. Working closely with the vice president of operations, and the director of budget and administration, Junior coordinates accounts payable procedures, including review/approval of travel and business reports; manages the update/maintenance of suppliers in the accounts payable system; and GCA’s fiscal support for community-based organizations. He also serves as liaison between GCA and external consultants, relating to compliance management and procurement management, invoicing, and check remittance.

Junior holds an undergraduate degree in business administration from Baruch College (’01), and graduate degrees in HRM / public administration from John Jay College (’04) and organizational learning and leadership from Columbia University (’12). Junior holds a certificate in diversity, equity, and inclusion: DEI strategies for business impact from University of Cambridge Judge Business School; is a SHRM certified professional, with a specialty in inclusive workplace culture; a chartered professional in human resources – international (CPHR); and is a duly sworn and commissioned notary public officer of the State of New York. Additionally, he is a member of the auxiliary police department of the NYPD; an active volunteer with New York Cares in the area of adult literacy; and iMentor, an organization dedicated to fostering relationships with first-generation students so they graduate high school and succeed in college.

Junie Lee is responsible for the overall output of Columbia Creative, leading the team and its processes, and focusing on building and maintaining collaborative partnerships throughout the university. With more than 20 years of experience in university and nonprofit settings, Junie has consulted with multiple nonprofits and publishers including Mount Sinai Health Systems, International House, and Penguin Books. Junie oversees university branding and is the creative lead for Columbia Creative. She has received numerous awards for her work, including several Circle of Excellence awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. A native New Yorker, Junie received a BFA from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Joan Griffith-Lee has been with Columbia University for close to 30 years. She completed her BA at the School of General Studies, MPA at the School of International and Public Affairs and a masters in non-profit management at the School of Professional Studies. As director of Columbia Community Service (CCS), she works to expand the scope of the CCS Annual Appeal, which solicits employees and retirees of Columbia University, Barnard College, and Teachers College for contributions. The on-campus campaign raises money to help fund more than 60 local community organizations with grants allocated for specific projects. The campaign also includes a food, clothing, and back-to-school drive.

Jennifer Pellerito grew up in Italy before earning a BA at Colorado College, where she majored in French and minored in German. After several years of fashion merchandising for Ralph Lauren in New York City (with travel to Asia and the Americas), she earned an MFA at Columbia School of the Arts, wrote two feature-length screenplays, produced three award-winning films, and co-founded the New York City Short Film Festival, now in its twentieth year. Jennifer manages and curates images for the University's website, articles, social media, and newsletters. 

Jason Cummings has worked and studied at Columbia University for many years. Most recently, he was director of budget and administration in the Office of Public Affairs. In fall 2022, he received his MBA from Columbia Business School. Jason is an experienced consultant, entrepreneur, and small business owner. He excels at thinking strategically, leveraging his analytical skills, and calculating risks to support his and his clients’ ambitions. Highlights of his professional accomplishments include: creating a departmental surplus over five years and growing his team to four members and purchasing a distressed retail store and continually increasing its profitability after rebranding, revamping marketing, and regaining community and customer support. Jason values honesty, reliability, and integrity, all of which he demonstrates himself. 

Geoffrey is responsible for developing the strategic direction and for managing the art department at Columbia Creative. His work spans over 20 years, with a focus on business and brand strategy in education, medicine, the arts, and finance. His design and creative strategy has been featured in Graphis and Communication Arts, and includes Carnegie Hall, the National Institutes of Health, New York University, Rémy Cointreau USA, and Weill Cornell Medicine, among others. He holds a BFA in communication design from the University of North Texas, a master of science in strategic communication from Columbia, and an Executive MBA from Columbia Business School.

Franz Paasche was appointed executive vice president for public affairs and communications in August 2024. His portfolio includes government and community affairs.

Franz comes to Columbia, most recently, from PayPal where he served as chief corporate affairs officer, with responsibility for global strategic communications, public affairs, social impact, government affairs, and community culture and employee engagement. Some of his previous experience includes working for McKinsey and Company as the head of external relations for North America, as a leadership communications and reputation management consultant at Communications Consulting Worldwide, as a litigator for Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, and as general counsel for Market Data Corporation. He began his career working on the legislative team of New York’s Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Franz is a New Yorker and a graduate of Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He has a BA with high honors in political science, English literature, and American economic history from Swarthmore College.

As the director of arts and humanities communications in the Office of Public Affairs, Eve’s portfolio includes art history and archaeology, English and comparative literature, music, philosophy, oral history, and classics. She also serves as liaison to School of the Arts; the School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, Columbia Libraries, Miller Theater, Wallach Art Gallery, and the Arts Initiative. Before arriving at Columbia in 2013, Eve spent more than 25 years in publishing, as a magazine and newspaper editor, reporter, and writer, working at Travel & Leisure, Art & Auction and The New York Times, among other publications.

As the administrative coordinator, Erica acts as a liaison between departments, outside vendors, and staff members. She provides staffers with support in organizing their schedules, assisting with projects, and aiding the department in purchasing supplies, working with facilities management, and securing maintenance for equipment.

Eileen Barroso joined Columbia in 1985 as a photo lab assistant and darkroom technician, where she developed black and white film and printed black and white photos for The Record, the university's newspaper for faculty and staff. In 1998 she was promoted to university photographer, a job she still holds, where she is responsible for photographing all aspects of campus life for Columbia’s worldwide audience. She supervises a group of professional freelance photographers who provide their services to the University community and news media, as well as Columbia faculty, staff and students. In addition to covering 23 commencements (so far), she has photographed the campus visits of world leaders such as Barack Obama, Vaclav Havel, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Gorbachev, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Muhammed Ali, Joe DiMaggio, to name only a few.

Beyond Columbia, Eileen has worked for the New York Yankees as a freelance sports photographer for Yankee Magazine and is the official photographer for Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation, which helps young people turn from drugs and alcohol and follow healthy lifestyles. Eileen is a native of New Jersey.

Dustin Foote is a video producer for the Office of Public Affairs. In his role, he records, edits, and produces video content for the University. Before Columbia, he worked in sports media as an associate producer and journalist. Outside of the office, he directs independent documentaries. His films have been screened at festivals across the country.

Dustin holds a MFA in documentary filmmaking from Wake Forest University and a BA in American Studies from Skidmore College. You can view his work at www.dustinfoote.com.

Before joining Columbia in 2007, Deb was acting vice president of institutional advancement at Hunter College and executive director of the Hunter College Foundation. Prior to Hunter, she worked in the for-profit sector as vice president of marketing communications at MasterCard International and DealTime, which is now owned by eBay under the name Shopping.com. Deb began her career working in politics and government. She has a BA from Pomona College. 

Dan is the digital content strategist for the Office of Public Affairs. He received his BA in international relations from Johns Hopkins University. Before coming to Columbia, he worked in digital content production and digital marketing for Major League Baseball, the Institute of International Education, and WebMD. He is a four-time Jeopardy! champion.

Claire Levenson is the director of executive communications in the Office of Public Affairs. She received her BA from Columbia University, Columbia College and her PhD in history from the University of Cambridge. 

Cindy has been a part of Columbia University, serving the CUIMC and Morningside campuses, since 2018. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Digital Media from NYU Tandon. As Data Manager, Cindy oversees and optimizes the Salesforce Marketing Cloud technical architecture. Before joining Columbia, she gained valuable experience working in finance, entertainment, and digital health. Her expertise in data management and analysis has enabled her to lead data-driven decision-making and improve operational processes.

Cindy is passionate about staying up to date with the latest trends in data visualization and technology management.

Christopher Shea joined the Office of Public Affairs from Columbia World Projects. Before joining Columbia in 2018, Christopher was a Bosch Foundation Fellow based in Berlin. Prior to that, he worked for The New York Times in London and reported for the paper on academic findings and disputes, arts leaders in London and Berlin, and major cultural events across Europe. He has master's degrees from Columbia Journalism School and Humboldt University of Berlin, and a BA from the University of Chicago.

Cecile Alexis is the production editor for digital and print projects at Columbia Creative. Cecile previously worked at the cultural nonprofit Paley Center for Media, where she developed strategic fundraising content and directed communications with corporate, foundation, government, and individual donors. She holds a BA in French literature from Columbia College and graduate degrees in psychology and counseling from Columbia’s Teachers College

Cassandra Nathan is the assistant director of internal communications in the Office of Public Affairs. In her role, Cassandra manages workshops, professional development training, and programming for communications employees. Prior to joining Columbia's communications team, Cassandra served as a community center administrator, human resource manager and database analyst.

Cassandra was born and raised in Brooklyn. She holds an MSSW from Columbia University. 

Carol Balistreri has been an account manager at Columbia Creative since 2014 and manages the production of marketing, digital, and print publications. With more than 15 years of project management and editorial experience, Carol has focused her time in the academic and nonprofit sector. Formerly an English teacher in Japan, Carol returned to the United States to become an editor of EFL textbooks at Oxford University Press. She honed her client and team management skills at the College Board, where she managed the Marketing Services project management team. Carol received a BA in English literature from Barnard College.

Brandee Sanders is a multimedia storyteller who serves as the associate director of communications for the Office of Public Affairs. Born and nurtured in Harlem, she uses her work—which intertwines content, community, and culture—as a vessel to amplify the voices of underrepresented and diverse communities. Channeling her passion for service, she’s dedicated her career to leading marketing and communications efforts for mission-driven organizations centered on advancing diversity and inclusion, gender equity in the workplace, and social and economic justice. 

Prior to joining the Columbia University team, she served as the marketing and communications lead at Black Girls CODE, a nonprofit that has a mission rooted in eradicating socioeconomic barriers that impact accessibility to STEM education. She has also served as a writer for NewsOne where she wrote uplifting narratives related to entrepreneurship and community impact. Her work has been featured on The Root, Fast Company, Hello Beautiful, and several other outlets. 

Brandee is a proud member of New York Cares in which she participates in volunteer projects focused on combatting hunger and food insecurity in Harlem. She holds a BA in journalism from SUNY Purchase College.

Audrey Litvak serves as the assistant director of government affairs working closely with the University on federal, state, and local issues. She received her M.P.A. at the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs and her B.A. from UC Santa Cruz. Prior to this role, Audrey worked on Shaun Donovan's mayoral campaign as well as for Congressman Hakeem Jeffries.

April Brazil is the administrative coordinator to the executive vice president of public affairs. She manages multiple communications databases, provides research support to senior management, and plans and executes University-related programs and other collaborative projects. Before joining Columbia in 2017, April’s employment experiences included companies such as Nordstrom, Integral Ad Science, and Full Beauty Brands, serving as a human resources assistant and analyst. April has also worked for the Cardiovascular Research Foundation as a program coordinator.

A native New Yorker, April holds a BS in business administration from Nyack College. In her spare time, April writes and sketches.

A member of the Government and Community Affairs staff for more than 10 years, Annette Ralph is the primary contact for the coordination of select GCA meetings and special events often serving as a GCA liaison to University Events Management, catering and other related departments. Annette is a go-to for assistance with many GCA community outreach initiatives along with providing oversight for the communications and queries (both internal and external) received by GCA.

As director of government affairs, Alexis works closely across the University on key state, local, and neighborhood priorities.  Alexis has a breadth of experience in and around the local, state, and federal government.  Most recently, she worked for the Bronx Borough President, and prior to that served for several years as the Bronx Borough Director for Mayor de Blasio’s Community Affairs Unit.  Her additional experience includes roles with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the Office of the Governor, and Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential Campaign.