As a trial lawyer at Quinn Emanuel, Stephanie Kelemen represents high-profile clients through complex legal battles, ranging from corporate disputes to homicide charges. Her passion for advocacy includes giving a voice to underrepresented communities, and she has dedicated significant time to pro bono representations of criminal defendants and victims of domestic violence. Previously, Stephanie was involved in efforts to respond to the refugee crisis in Greece and studied models for grassroots advocacy and community driven solutions. Stephanie approaches issues with a multi-disciplinary perspective, having worked as a management consultant at a Big 4 consulting firm where she advised businesses on commercial strategy and M&A transactions. Stephanie holds a JD from Harvard Law School and BA in Political Science from Amherst College. Her lifelong interest in history has taken her from the small railroad town in Colorado, where she grew up, to Tribeca, where she lives in a pre-depression era bank on Greenwich Street.

BJ is a longtime IPN resident and community activist who has had a career in publishing for the last 25 years, initially as a magazine editor, then at Book of the Month Club, where she was editor in chief of one of the ‘specialty book clubs,’ and most recently as a senior editor at St. Martin’s Press, a division of Macmillan Publishing. She currently runs BJ Berti Books, which represents authors, develops books, and supplies editing services for a variety of clients. She is the author of numerous how-to books, including Flea Market Makeovers. BJ is also a member of the IPN executive board. 

Renee has called Tribeca home since 1992, when she moved with her husband into IPN. Since then, they have raised two daughters, both of whom attended Washington Market School and P.S. 234. Recently retired, Renee worked for over thirty years in an internationally acclaimed law firm, holding various management positions and overseeing a department of professionals responsible for supporting and developing lawyers across nine offices. When not engaged in CFDC activities, you’ll often find her happily tending her humble garden plot in Washington Market Park.

Richard Corman is principal owner of RC Management Services, Inc., an operations and financial management consulting business. He brings to the CFDC more than 30 years of experience guiding the growth of large and small companies, startups and turnarounds. A life-long New Yorker and Lower Manhattan resident for many years, Richard has most recently focused on community, political and environmental work. Earlier, he was a founding member and Chair of the Tribeca Organization, dedicated to the recovery of the community after 9/11. He currently serves as a member of Community Board 1 and as a Director of the Trust for Governors Island. While Executive Director of The River Project, he spearheaded the merger of the organization into the Hudson River Park Trust. Richard is also President of Downtown Independent Democrats. He holds a BA in Psychology from Cornell University and an MBA from NYU in Computer Applications & Information Sciences.

Eric is a real estate development consultant who has lived in Tribeca for over 30 years. He has been interested in supporting a full contextual rezoning of Tribeca since simultaneously serving as a member of Manhattan’s Community Board 1 and as the project executive for the Jenga building, the Herzog & de Meuron designed tower at 56 Leonard Street in Tribeca.

Stuart W. Gold is a retired litigation partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.  He has lived in Tribeca for almost 40 years. He has served on several not-for-profit boards, including City and Country School, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, The Lark Theatre Company, and the Legal Aid Society.

Meredith James received a BA from Harvard University in 2004 and an MFA from Yale University in 2009. James has exhibited throughout the United States and internationally. She recently completed public art commissions for Manif d’Art in Quebec City, Canada and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway in Boston. She had solo exhibitions at Jack Hanley Gallery (NYC), LaMontagne Gallery (Boston, MA) and Marc Jancou Contemporary (NYC). She serves on the boards of a number of non-profit organizations, including the Environmental Integrity Project, Lighthouse Works, The Signet Society, and The Africa Center.

Diane Lapson has been a resident and advocate of Tribeca since 1974. In the mid-seventies, she helped turn Washington Market into the Tribeca that it is today, working with neighbors and early residents to build a park, erect a school (P.S. 234), and pave the streets. In the 1980s, she worked with 21 attorneys to change the child abuse laws in New York. After 9/11, she collaborated with local officials, DOH, FEMA, Safe Horizon, Red Cross, OEM, and the Department of Environmental Protection on the community’s behalf. During this time, Diane also worked with the Department of Health to establish a health registry. Diane has been the President of the Independence Plaza North Tenants Association (IPNTA) since 2003 and served for ten years on Community Board 1. She is recently retired after 40+ years in the entertainment industry. Diane raised her daughter in Tribeca and is now enjoying being a grandmother.

With more than 25 years of experience in growth, strategy, and leadership, Emily Moyer is the principal of Impact Ilk Brands, a consultancy that works with purpose-driven organizations to achieve impact and scale through strategic marketing, partnerships, and revenue strategy. Traversing a diverse career in NYC non-profits, media, and consulting, Emily has held executive positions at The Michael J. Fox Foundation, Partnership to End Addiction, Thomson Reuters, The New York Times, Time Warner, and Ziff Davis Media. She earned an MBA from The Wharton School and a BA in Philosophy and Religion from Bowdoin College. Emily lives in Tribeca with her son and two cats. Duane Park is her happy place, and she is passionate about building a future Tribeca that reflects its exceptional community.