Liz Northcutt, LMSW, our Executive Director, has been working in the child welfare system for over fifteen years. She received her Master’s in Social Work (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 over ten 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.

Jordan Smith is the Director of Development & Communications at CLNY and a professional in fundraising and grant writing. Previously, Jordan was the Director of Development at the Arab American Family Support Center and Center for Family Life in Sunset Park, where he managed multi-million-dollar portfolios and oversaw significant public and private funding initiatives. He holds a Master of Science in Humanitarian Affairs from Fordham University and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Baruch College.

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.

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.

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.