Our Board of Directors includes leaders from the design, planning, architecture, real estate, legal, transportation, visual arts, and communications fields. We are excited to announce two new members to our diverse leadership team:

Varun Sanyal, Vice President Gotham Organization 

Varun Sanyal is a Vice President in the Development group at Gotham Organization, where he leads governmental and external affairs and oversees discretionary land use processes, political strategy, urban design, community outreach, and environmental review for new projects, including the 10.5-acre Innovative Urban Village in East New York that will deliver nearly 2,000 affordable homes. With more than a decade of experience in urban planning and economic development, he previously served as Vice President of Real Estate at Kasirer, advised clients on public approvals and land use strategy, and held leadership roles at the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation, as well as on land use and legislation in the New York City Council. A 2017 City & State NYC Rising Star and 2021 City & State Real Estate 40 Under 40 honoree, Varun holds a B.A. in Geography and Urban Studies from Temple University and a Master’s in Urban Planning from NYU Wagner, and enjoys traveling, soccer, and discovering great food around NYC. 

 Christian Hylton, Hylton Law Group, Leverage NYC.

Christian Hylton is an Attorney-at-Law and Managing Member of Hylton Law Group PLLC and Leverage NYC LLC, representing property owners, developers, investors, and other stakeholders in land use, zoning, economic development, and commercial and residential real estate matters. He regularly works with state and federal agencies, including the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals, the New York City Planning Commission, the New York City Department of Buildings, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Hylton serves as a lobbyist, providing government relations counsel to not-for-profits, trade associations, and social service organizations. He previously served as Legislative Attorney and Acting General Counsel to the Land Use Division of the New York City Council, where he advised on zoning applications, school sitings, landmark and historic district designations, public property dispositions, and drafted land use legislation and position papers, while also directly counseling the Speaker and Council Members on land use matters.

Meet the full board here!