Norah Yahya
BROOKLYN,NY
Summary
Seasoned leader with 15 years of experience in government, policy, and advocacy. Expertise in strategic community engagement, government relations, and public policy. Proven track record aligning institutional missions with community and government needs. Skilled at cultivating strategic partnerships to amplify institutional impact and influence with local, state, and federal entities. Trusted advisor on policy issues, effective communicator and known for leveraging analytical thinking and creativity to solve problems and deliver high impact solutions in fast paced environments.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Government Affairs Officer
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York, NY
01.2021 - Current
- Secure millions ($36M in FY24) in annual operating funds and critical capital support for a wide range of infrastructure projects.
- Cultivate, deepen, and strengthen relationships with federal, state, and local elected officials to influence policy and legislation.
- Lead as Manhattan Vice Chair of the Cultural Institutions Group (CIG) to continue coalition-building efforts to advocate for cultural institutions across the city and state, and to help lead the Culture for All campaign.
- Aid in complicated city issues and advise museum leadership on best practices, strategic planning, and risk management.
- Coordinates cross-departmental initiatives to streamline community engagement and audience development.
- Collaborates with board committees in decision-making processes and helped to lead strategy related to public policy for the museum.
- Successfully created community engagement tactics and strategies, like 'Community Wednesdays,' which bring in community groups from all five boroughs and strengthen public relations.
- Supported creation of grant requests for innovative projects within the Museum.
- Supervise and lead team members.
Vice President
The Parkside Group
New York City, NY
01.2019 - 12.2020
- Through the use of legislative contacts and advisement, secure millions in City and State funding for non-profit clients across New York City.
- Led and organize advocacy strategies for multiple capital campaigns, specifically for non-profit building acquisitions.
- Develop and maintain relationships with any and all elected officials from city and state levels of government, along with agency staff, and community leaders.
- Analyze public policy, including proposed legislation and administrative changes, to determine impact on the City budget and non-profit clients.
- Extensive outreach to city leadership to garner support for budget advocacy, gain insight on future budget changes, and influence budget decisions.
- Draft and edit testimony for legislative committee hearings, as well as organized State and City Lobby Days for clients.
Associate Director of Government and Community Affairs
The New York Public Library
New York City, NY
09.2015 - 01.2019
- Manage the Manager of Policy and the Manager of Community Engagement and create sustainable goals and measure employee successes
- Represent the New York Public Library (NYPL) four research libraries and 88 circulating branch libraries at the federal, state, and city levels of government
- Additionally, represent the NYPL at Community Board meetings, act as a liaison to various neighborhood and civic organizations, and coordinate and manage visits from foreign dignitaries and delegations who visit the Library
- Design and implement the NYPL’s annual advocacy campaign, in FY 2018 it resulted in $16 million in expense and $60 million in capital funding
- Collaborate with the Communications, Capital Planning, and Design teams at the NYPL to coordinate messaging and strategy for the Fiscal Year 2017 budget advocacy campaign
- Provide trainings and presentations to staff and key stakeholders on advocacy and the City and State budget process as it relates to the library systems
- Establish and maintain relationships with elected officials and their staff as well as effectively communicate capital and expense needs on behalf of all library systems
- Lobby City and State elected officials for full restoration of funding and closely partner with City agencies to implement citywide initiatives such as: IDNYC, City’s First Readers, and Reading is Cool
- Organize the 'Building for You' campaign which highlights the critical capital needs of branches across the City and implements transparent communication with community leaders and branches’ constituencies
Senior Legislative Financial Analyst
New York City Council
New York City, NY
10.2012 - 09.2015
- Conduct thorough analysis of the expense and capital budget for New York City’s Department of Education $21 billion budget to inform Council Members in preparation for the Budget Adoption process
- Supervise junior analyst and develop working plans for analysts and assist with training of new analysts
- Research and publish financial reports on the agencies, facilitate in depth conversations regarding Council initiatives; manage relationships with agency officials, departmental leaders and advocacy organizations
- Worked collectively and collaboratively with Council Members and the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), on the $57.4 million restoration in child care funding for nearly 4,500 children throughout the five boroughs
- Worked closely with CUNY Professional Development Institute, and ACS to identify and troubleshoot implementation and ongoing programmatic barriers and work collectively towards a solution
- Develop presentations and reports on pressing issues concerning the Council and the financial assessment of agencies such as presentations on ACS’ EarlyLearn roll out and its impact on children served and the Department of Cultural Affairs’ (DCLA) 255 Cultural After-School Adventure (CASA) programs
- Conduct City, State, and federal financial budget analysis for the Finance Division, primarily in the areas of Education, Child Care, Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice, Culturals, and Libraries
- Committees: Education, General Welfare, Juvenile Justice, Women’s Issues, and Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations and Select Committee on Libraries
- Representative of the Council on the Mayor’s School Discipline and School Climate Taskforce and the Department of Education’s Council on Sustainability
- Produce fiscal impact statements for potential legislation and prepare comprehensive budget modification reports
Policy Analyst
United Neighborhood Houses
New York City, NY
08.2010 - 10.2012
- Advocate to State and City legislators on behalf of a federation of 38 community centers and settlement houses to communicate organizational priorities including: after-school programs, summer jobs, in-school youth programs
- Orchestrate and facilitate annual advocacy conference of more than 100 attendees
- Managed planning of conference on budget, was able to lead other organizations and individuals to advocate to their elected officials for their priorities
- Develop budget summaries, testimonies, concept paper responses, statements, press releases, and other written materials related to organizational priorities
- Facilitate the advocacy work of member agencies through the management of advocacy and youth workgroups, creation of advocacy materials, etc
- Ensure cross-sector coordination between various advocacy campaigns including but not limited to the Campaign for Children
- Further the organization’s communications and social media presence through web development, Twitter, Facebook
Research & Policy Associate
Annenberg Institute for Education Reform
New York City, NY
09.2009 - 05.2010
- Edit and produce reports for Youth Organizing Institute, and perform research for Coalition of Educational Justice related to college readiness; and assist senior researcher in best strategies for college preparedness in NY public schools
- Synthesize data for quantitative and qualitative analysis for reports related to education reform in NYC and US
Research/ Administration Assistant & Website Coordinator
National Association of State Units on Aging
Washington, DC
03.2008 - 06.2009
- Create issue briefs for state aging directors and distribution materials for national aging conferences; created profiles of State Governor’s aging agendas as related to the Older Americans Act
- Edit and produce articles for monthly newsletter addressing most recent issues in aging policy
- Assisted in organization’s redesign of website for specific audiences; maintained and troubleshot website
Education
M.A - Urban Education Policy
Brown University
01.2010
BA - Public Policy
Duke University
01.2007
Skills
- Project Management
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Coalition Building
- Public Policy
- Community Relationship Building
- Budget & Policy Analysis
- Public Speaking
- Program Evaluation
Affiliations
- La Cima Charter School, Board of Trustees Member 2016-2020
- Children of Promise, Junior Board 2012-2014
- New York Needs You, Young Leadership Board Member 2012-2013
- Duke University, Alumni Admissions Advisory Committee
Hobbies and Interests
- Curator, Women’s Rights=Human Rights?, Brooklyn, NY, 05/15
- Comedian & Host, New York, NY
Accomplishments
- City and State Responsible 100 awardee
Timeline
Senior Government Affairs Officer
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
01.2021 - Current
Vice President
The Parkside Group
01.2019 - 12.2020
Associate Director of Government and Community Affairs
The New York Public Library
09.2015 - 01.2019
Senior Legislative Financial Analyst
New York City Council
10.2012 - 09.2015
Policy Analyst
United Neighborhood Houses
08.2010 - 10.2012
Research & Policy Associate
Annenberg Institute for Education Reform
09.2009 - 05.2010
Research/ Administration Assistant & Website Coordinator
National Association of State Units on Aging
03.2008 - 06.2009
M.A - Urban Education Policy
Brown University
BA - Public Policy
Duke University
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