Author Archives: Open House New York

  1. Now Hiring: Development & Communications Manager

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    Position Available:
    Development & Communications Manager (Full-time)

    Extended Deadline: February 7

    Open House New York seeks an energetic, entrepreneurial, and highly organized professional to serve as Development & Communications Manager. This position plays a central role in supporting and growing OHNY’s fundraising, outreach, and organizational visibility.


    This position requires 5+ years of fundraising experience across a range of activities, including special events, individual giving, membership, sponsorship, and grant-writing plus a proven ability to draft clear and compelling messages across platforms and audiences, from donor correspondence to social media and press releases. The successful candidate will also bring a Swiss Army knife skill set, a desire to collaborate and build systems, and an aptitude for engaging diverse stakeholders. Knowledge of Salesforce is a must; fluency in Adobe Creative Suite is highly desired.


    The Development & Communications Manager will be an integral part of a small but growing and ambitious team. This position will best suit a detail-oriented self-starter who is able to problem-solve and effectively manage multiple tasks simultaneously. A sense of humor and optimism alongside ideas about New York’s future will also be important for this role.

    The position is an ideal platform to explore themes and issues around the civic, physical, social, cultural, economic, and environmental future of cities in general and New York in particular. This is a unique opportunity to work at a fast-paced civic non-profit committed to catalyzing access, transparency, and equity across the five boroughs.


    Primary responsibilities include:

    • Support core fundraising activities including: membership, individual giving, special events, sponsorship, and grant writing
    • Manage donor research, tracking, and correspondence through Salesforce—database experience is a must
    • Maintain organizational and data systems to support membership, fundraising, and finances
    • Coordinate logistics and production for special events, including Spring Benefit and OHNY Weekend Launch Party
    • Author or co-author content for website, digital newsletter, donor materials, social media, and other communications platforms
    • Recruit and manage volunteers to support special events as needed
    • Respond to public inquiries (particularly around membership)
    • Leverage communication strategies to expand and diversify OHNY’s audiences
    • Additional administrative and operational duties as needed

    Experience and Qualifications

    • 5+ years of experience in fundraising required
    • Track record of successful donor engagement, from prospect research to solicitation to stewardship
    • Experience coordinating a variety of events, from intimate gatherings to large-scale galas
    • Demonstrated track record growing audience on social media
    • Ability to manage multiple projects at once and work independently
    • Strong written and verbal communication skills
    • Ability to initiate and maintain relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders including: Board members, donors, members, and program partners
    • Must be both a strategic thinker and detail oriented
    • Fluency with Microsoft Office, WordPress, and team platforms (Asana, Slack, etc.)
    • Familiarity with online video conferencing platforms including Zoom, GoTo, etc.
    • Ability to attend events in the evening and some weekends
    • Must bring a commitment to racial equity and the principles of diversity, openness, and access
    • Curiosity and passion for New York City

    Application

    Please email a cover letter and resume as a single PDF to [email protected]; please include Dev/Comm Manager + “Your Name” in the subject line. No phone calls, please. The deadline to apply is February 7, 2022. The anticipated start date is mid-March 2022.


    More information

    Salary is commensurate with experience, in the range of $60,000—$75,000. Full benefits provided, including health insurance and retirement contribution. Open House New York encourages candidates from any and all backgrounds, nationalities, ethnicities, gender identities, and lived experiences to apply. We are an organization that is committed to diversity, equity, access, and inclusion in all aspects of our work, most importantly our team.


    About Open House New York

    Open House New York promotes broad, unparalleled access to the city—to the places, people, projects, systems and ideas that define New York and its future—and fosters civic dialogue about how the city functions and who it serves. Through year-round programming and the annual OHNY Weekend, which ranks among the largest public design festivals in the nation, Open House New York offers a citywide platform for public education and engagement. For more information, visit ohny.org.

  2. OHNY Weekend Reservation Day Tips

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    While we are thrilled to offer in-person program for this year’s OHNY Weekend, the pandemic still poses a challenge and some experiences are Reservations Required due to space limitations, security restrictions, or social distancing—look for a red ticket icon or see the full Reservations Required list. Reservations Day is October 7, 2021 and tickets become available starting at 11:00 am Eastern Time.

    Securing reservations can be competitive! In 2019, more than 10,000 reservation slots went live on Reservation Day, and 8,000 were booked within the first hour. If you’re a seasoned OHNY Weekend participant, you know it’s an intense day for everyone regardless of how successful you might have been in getting the tours you wanted. What Beyonce is to concerts and Hamilton is to musicals, OHNY Weekend is to architecture tours, and Reservation Day generates a range of emotions that run from exhilaration to frustration.

    If this is your first Reservation Day, we recommend taking a few points into consideration as you get ready for the big day. Above all, keep in mind that tens of thousands of people compete for limited spots; last year upwards of 23,000 users visited ohny.org on Reservation Day, and viewed more than 200,000 pages–in one day! While OHNY staff make every effort to work with Weekend Partners to facilitate as much access as possible, some sites have very limited capacity, and tours can be booked seconds after reservations open. If it seemed like all of the tours sold out immediately, it is because they did. If there are 100 slots at a site and 2,000 people are trying to reserve tickets, it can literally come down to a difference of milliseconds!

    Where to Go

    Reservations are only available online and OHNY uses Eventbrite to manage all reservations for OHNY Weekend. Each Reservations Required tour has its own web listing at ohny.org and a corresponding reservation page on Eventbrite. Reservation links to Eventbrite will be revealed on each site’s webpage on ohny.org at exactly 11am ET on October 7 so you won’t need to refresh – just watch the countdown clock reveal a “Get Tickets” button. See the list of all Reservations Required experiences.

    How it Works

    There is a $5 fee, per guest, for each reservation, and you will be able to reserve up to two spots at a time. If you are reserving for more than two people on a tour, you will need to go through the reservation process multiple times. This is done to ensure that no one guest is able to book large numbers of spots on any one tour. Once you begin a reservation, Eventbrite gives you eight minutes to complete your reservation, so have your payment information ready before you begin. Note that Eventbrite only allows you to have one active registration at a time so you will not get an edge by trying to register for multiple tours at once.

    Know your Priorities

    The more excited you are about a tour, the better the chances that lots of other people are excited about it, too. Try your top choice first, but also have a backup ready. Because it comes down to milliseconds, Reservation Day is a lot like a lottery–if you’re lucky, you’ll hit the reserve now button a millisecond faster than someone else. If not, check out the Open Access sites (no reservation required) or Virtual experiences.

    Speed it Up

    You do not need an Eventbrite account to make reservations for OHNY Weekend tours, but having one can help speed up the reservation process, as Eventbrite will save your name, address, and credit card info (if you grant it permission to do so). This cuts down on the time each reservation will take to complete.

    Experience the Weekend Safely

    Open House New York Weekend is designed to engage a wide public audience while also protecting everyone’s health and safety and adhering to local and New York State guidelines. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination with ID and mask is required for all in-person OHNY Weekend experiences. OHNY Volunteers and Weekend Partners will be checking for proof of vaccination and ID at entry, and collecting contact information for contact tracing. Participants who do not wear a mask or provide proof of vaccination and ID may not be allowed entry into in-person OHNY Weekend sites.

    Open What?

    Many OHNY Weekend experiences can be visited on a first come, first served basis without reservations on October 16 and 17. These experiences are Open Access because they don’t have the same space and security constraints as Reservations Required experiences do. If you can’t get a reservation for a tour, there are still many beautiful, fascinating, and wonderful places to explore during OHNY Weekend, including:

    Good luck and happy exploring!

  3. Meet Rowan Wu, Program Manager

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    Rowan Wu joined Open House New York as Program Manager in July 2021. As Program Manager, Rowan plays a lead role in conceptualizing and organizing all of OHNY’s programs, including the annual Open House New York Weekend and year-round tours and talks. We’re thrilled to welcome her to our team!

    What brought you to Open House New York?
    As someone who has centered most of her academic and professional career around urbanism, I’ve always admired Open House New York’s ability to bring people together for experiences and conversations about the built environment, regardless of their knowledge of architecture or design. I’m particularly excited about expanding those conversations to communities that have historically been excluded from planning and architecture spaces. Some of my most rewarding experiences at HR&A Advisors involved designing and executing public programs and engaging with diverse communities and stakeholders, so being able to do that full-time as the Program Manager for Open House New York is a dream come true.

    What can the Open House New York audience look forward to in the coming months?
    Without spoiling too much, lots! We are about to launch an open call for the Open House New York Weekend program sites, which will be the first time organizations and sites can nominate themselves as Weekend partners. The Weekend itself will feature broader participation from all five boroughs, and we’ll be pushing the boundaries of what we can open up for public access, as well as getting creative with the format of our programs, from virtual and in-person events to podcasts and bike tours. Look out for lots of exciting programs beyond the Weekend too, including a series designed by and for youth and a celebration of the Port Authority’s centennial.

    What’s your most memorable Open House New York experience?
    Seeing fields of green, skies of blue, and the Manhattan skyline from Brooklyn Grange’s massive rooftop urban farm in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The Brooklyn Army Terminal was incredible too! I’m a huge nerd for an industrial waterfront.

    If you could open up any site for OHNY Weekend, what would it be and why?
    I would love to be able to feature some of the sites and community projects out of the NYC Department of Probation’s Neighborhood Opportunity Network (NeON) initiative, which include community-based centers, murals and art installations, and urban farms and gardens that serve justice-involved individuals. I’m particularly inspired by the partnerships and programs coming out of the Brownsville Community Justice Center, and interested in exploring how these spaces can physically embody what restorative justice, healing, and alternatives to incarceration can look like.

    I’m an Open House New Yorker because …
    Open House New York’s values of promoting transparency, access, and civic dialogue deeply resonate with me and my work in and around cities. Being at an OHNY site captures the excitement and wonder of being a kid on a field trip; there is something magical about physically taking up space somewhere you may not normally have the opportunity to be in or visit. As a member of New York’s LGBTQ and AAPI communities, I think that expanding access and ownership to the places that define New York is especially critical for people with marginalized identities, and I am excited to contribute to shaping spaces where all New Yorkers can feel like they belong, regardless of who they are or where they come from.

  4. Statement of Solidarity with Jewish Community

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    Openness is a New York Value

    Over the last few weeks, our city and our country have seen an escalation of anti-Semitic violence targeting American Jews. These attacks are unconscionable and the opposite of what we stand for. We cannot allow our Jewish neighbors to be intimidated or attacked because of who they are or the faith they practice. The Jewish community is an integral and vital part of our city, and they, like anyone, deserve to be free from discrimination and hatred.

    Open House New York has always stood for openness, accessibility and civic dialogue—the same values that make our democracy work. A year ago, OHNY began the hard work of examining the realities of New York and more purposely advocating for a truly open city—one where streets, libraries, parks and other democratizing places are safe and accessible to all New Yorkers, regardless of skin color, religion, sexuality, or other marker of difference.

    Right now, a toxic combination of hatred, discrimination, and lies is putting our fellow New Yorkers at risk. As stated in our responses to the murder of George Floyd and the recent anti-Asian violence, we recognize that we cannot remain passive, silent bystanders.

    Our embrace of an open city is as much about people as it is place. As we continue our work to broaden and deepen an understanding and appreciation of the richness of diversity and experiences that define our city, we are also developing initiatives that prioritize equity and inclusion.

    Your input is not only welcome, but necessary. We know that our actions count more than our words, and that we are stronger together.


    Warmly,
    Open House New York

  5. Open House New York Honors the Trust for Governors Island with 2021 Open City Award

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    May 13, 2021—Open House New York announces the presentation of the 2021 Open City Award to the Trust for Governors Island in recognition of their visionary stewardship. Over nearly two decades, the Trust has led efforts to open up more of the island’s unique public spaces and create year-round access through diverse cultural, environmental, and educational experiences. The award will be conferred at Opening the City: Spring Benefit 2021, an in-person sunset celebration taking place Tuesday, June 8, 2021 on Governors Island.

    The Open City Award recognizes efforts which make New York a more open, accessible, and equitable city. Whether through the creation of welcoming public spaces, the launch of innovative initiatives that broaden opportunities for marginalized New Yorkers or the city at-large, or by fostering forward-thinking models for engagement and transparency, the Open City Award celebrates openness as a defining feature of New York today and into the future. Past award winners include Cornell Tech (2018) and the TWA Hotel (2019).

    This year, the Open City Award will be given to the Trust for Governors Island, a nonprofit organization responsible for the planning, operations, and ongoing development of Governors Island. The Trust accomplishments include building over 43 acres of new, award-winning park space, offering a robust lineup of public programs, rehabilitating historic buildings in partnership with educational and cultural tenants, investing in the island’s infrastructure, and welcoming nearly one million visitors annually.

    “As New York begins to open up after more than a year of lockdown, we could not think of a more deserving honoree. Over nearly 20 years, the Trust has steadfastly opened up the island to provide magical experiences for visitors. Its latest plans demonstrate a compelling vision and commitment to excellence, which will together help shepherd the city’s growth well into the future,” said Rob Rogers, president of the Governing Board of Open House New York.

    “We are thrilled to receive the Open City Award, and thank Open House New York for this incredible honor” said Clare Newman, President and CEO of the Trust for Governors Island. “Governors Island is an amazing resource for the entire city, and we are proud to continue our work in realizing its full potential as a one-of-a-kind public place that will be enjoyed for generations to come. Since the early days of its transformation as a beloved destination, Open House New York has been an incredible partner in introducing visitors to Governors Island, and we look forward to continuing our partnership as we connect more New Yorkers to this special place.”

    The Spring Benefit will provide Open House New York supporters and friends an opportunity to gather for a picnic dinner while enjoying entertainment and stunning views of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.

    As part of the Open City Award, Open House New York and the Trust for Governors Island will partner on public programs to help New Yorkers reconnect with their city and their communities and experience the marvel of our resilient city following the year-long lockdown from the pandemic. These efforts include launching a new audio walking tour, in collaboration with Brooklyn-based media tech company, Gesso, to create an immersive audio experience that invites audiences to explore how Governors Island’s layered history shapes its future design and development plans.

    “In its earliest days, Open House New York brought the first public audiences—nearly 1,000 excited visitors—to Governors Island and nearly two decades later, the island continues to delight and inspire New Yorkers and tourists alike,” said Pamela Puchalski, executive director of Open House New York. “Given the Trust’s commitment to ramp up access while also creating pathways for equity and inclusion, there is no one more deserving of the Open City Award.”

  6. Statement of Solidarity with Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities

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    We at Open House New York vehemently condemn harassment and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI)—here in the five boroughs and across the nation. What drives our work is a deep commitment to the principles that define an open city—diversity, access, and equity for all.

    We also acknowledge that as individuals and as an organization, we have not done enough to educate ourselves and our community of Open House New Yorkers about the rich and important history and experiences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and their contributions to our beloved city. Nor have we done enough to dismantle the systemic racism that perpetuates oppression and acts of violence against non-whites.

    The outbreak of COVID-19, and the misinformation and lies that have been spread about the virus, have fueled xenophobia and scapegoating against Asian communities. As detailed by New York City’s Commission on Human Rights, reports of anti-Asian discrimination and harassment have skyrocketed in 2020. And we know many more incidents occur than ever get reported.

    As we begin May, a month to reflect on and celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage, we stand in support of and solidarity with New York’s diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. Open House New York welcomes and values all members of our society as fellow human beings, and fellow New Yorkers.

    As you reflect on what you can do to help create a more tolerant, safe, and open city, we ask you to please consider taking any or all of the following actions, among many others offered across the city and the country:

    We will soon be announcing new initiatives that celebrate AAPI communities, experiences and stories alongside other programs that foster a deeper appreciation for our city’s extraordinary diversity.

    Warmly,
    Open House New York

  7. Governors Island is Open! Q&A with Clare Newman, President & CEO, Trust for Governors Island

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    As New York starts to re-open, we’re excited to get out and explore the city. Top of our list? Governors Island.

    This site is a long-time OHNY Weekend partner—we first brought visitors to tour the island in 2004, before it officially opened to the public—and, on June 8, will host Opening the City: Spring Benefit 2021, a fundraiser that will honor the Trust for Governors Island with OHNY’s Open City Award.

    We recently chatted with Clare Newman, President and CEO of the Trust for Governors Island about equity, ice cream, and everything New Yorkers can look forward to when they visit the island.

    OHNY: Governors Island opened to the public on May 1. Congrats! Tell us a little about what visitors can look forward to this season.

    Clare Newman: Thank you! We reopened last weekend, and it was an incredible feeling to welcome New Yorkers back to Governors Island, and to see so many people enjoying the park. It goes without saying, but COVID impacted our city so drastically, and the importance of our parks and cultural spaces has never been more apparent.

    This year, we will be open every day through October 31 and are really encouraging visitors to come out and enjoy the Island’s wide open park space, take in the views, and hop on a bicycle while enjoying the feeling of being a world away. Our fantastic arts and cultural programming will also return, including free programs from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the New Art Dealers Alliance, MoCADA, American Indian Community House, Billion Oyster Project and more. We just opened our 2021 public art commission, a new mural by Duke Riley which explores the history of New York Harbor, and the impact of climate change on our waterways.

    A visit to the Island is not complete without a visit to one of the many food businesses operating here. We have almost 20 vendors returning, including brick oven pizza, Jamaican jerk chicken, Thai-style papaya salads, and cocktails overlooking the Lower Manhattan skyline.

    In 2019, nearly one million New Yorkers visited Governors Island with representation from every zip code in the city. Can you share some of your efforts to provide equitable access to the Island? How many New Yorkers are you hoping to welcome in 2021?

    We view Governors Island as an amazing resource for the entire city. We’re really proud of the fact that our visitors reflect the diversity of the communities that make up the five boroughs and are constantly working to reach more New Yorkers, and much of that is in thanks to our outreach efforts, and strategic partnerships with over two dozen cultural organizations who help draw visitors who might not normally come to just enjoy the park.

    In the last few years, we’ve really doubled our efforts to partner with community organizations throughout the city to invite more New Yorkers to visit the Island, and have expanded free ferry access for seniors, children and residents of NYCHA. We’ve also worked to expand ferries, including to Red Hook, which was incredibly popular in 2020 and returns this year. Ferry expansion is a key goal of ours, and we’re particularly committed to reaching communities with less access to open space.

    Mayor de Blasio recently described Governors Island as “One of New York City’s crown jewels.” What would you say to encourage visitation to folks who have yet to make the trek across the harbor?

    Part of the sell is the journey, and my main pitch is that the ferry is part of the magic of Governors Island. The ferry is easy, accessible, and is one of the most joyful parts of the visit. The ride has a calming effect, and the views of the city from a boat are just unmatched. Once you arrive, there’s so much to discover.

    Governors Island lightning round: Favorite spot? Favorite viewshed? Favorite off-the-radar (or little-known) fact? Slides or hammock? Oysters or ice cream?

    Favorite spot – Nolan Park, a collection of two dozen former military homes. The houses are incredibly charming and host our seasonal cultural programs.
    Favorite view shed – The view from the Parade Ground, with the skyline peeking behind Fort Jay. It showcases the special feeling of New York’s history meeting the present, and future.
    Favorite little known fact – During the Island’s history as the largest Coast Guard base in the US, it was home to the only Burger King that sold beer.
    Slides or Hammock – Hammock
    Oysters or Ice cream – Ice Cream!

    Last but not least, tell us about the sheep …

    The sheep are our newest, and by far most popular employees. They are spending the summer with us from Tivoli Farms and Preserve in Albany to help us control the invasive species in Hammock Grove. Sheep have a taste for herbaceous weeds, and will be grazing on them all summer. This is an eco-friendly solution that helps our horticulture team focus on caring for the area’s 1,200 young trees.

    Governors Island is open every day through October 31, 2021, 10:00am to 6:15pm on weekdays and 10:00am to 7:00pm on weekends. The Island’s 2020 health, safety and social distancing protocols remain in place for 2021 to ensure a safe environment for all visitors. See visitor info. 

  8. New Leadership: Meet Pamela Puchalski, Executive Director

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    Open House New York is thrilled to welcome Pamela Puchalski, who joined the Open House New York team as Executive Director in March 2021.

    1. What excites you about joining Open House New York? 

    Open House New York presents a new set of challenges for me to learn from, in a city I proudly call home. Over nearly two decades, OHNY has come to symbolize the very essence of New York City’s greatness—its openness and energy, and its richly diverse cultures and communities. However, New York City is now at an inflection point. Whatever lens one takes—be it fiscal or the health of residents or the health of our environment, or most urgently, systemic racial injustice—our city is in crisis and needs its civic organizations to step up and reach out in new ways. I am deeply committed to OHNY’s vision for an open city, and we have important work ahead of us to realize that vision.


    2. Under your leadership, what can the Open House New York audience look forward to in the coming months? 

    A lot remains unknown due to COVID-19. And there is a lot of healing that needs to be done given the loss of life and isolation too many of us have endured through the pandemic, and the decades of racial inequities, suffering, and unheeded calls for change. So, I am taking my first few months to work with the board, staff, members, volunteers, community and site partners, and countless others on a strategic plan—the roadmap for our future—to create a truly open city. I believe that after two decades OHNY is ready to make a huge leap—who we serve, what we do, and how we do our work. I suppose I see it as a crucial “yes, and” moment for OHNY and the city. Rest assured that OHNY Weekend will continue to anchor our work, and the 2021 OHNY Weekend on October 16-17 is going to be quite celebratory.


    3. In this challenging time for New York, what role can civic organizations like Open House New York play in the city’s recovery? 

    Organizations across the city and the country are adopting strategies to reposition themselves and achieve impact around issues of equity and access. Activating residents in both consciousness-raising and decision-making is, I believe, critically important to a thriving democracy and our collective well-being. An engaged and diverse public also creates a more vibrant and culturally dynamic city for all. The OHNY Weekend has a remarkable track record – thanks to OHNY, New Yorkers welcome fellow New Yorkers and tourists alike to sites of cultural significance or architectural distinction—places that are not usually open to the public. No doubt OHNY’s most commanding resource is its robust volunteer base. Civic organizations like OHNY can find new ways for their constituencies to serve as active agents within their programs rather than passive audiences being presented “at”. I believe by doing so we can create new paradigms of what is possible.


    4. What’s your most memorable Open House New York experience?

    I joined forces with [Open House New York founder] Scott Lauer the year Open House New York was founded because of our shared commitment to engaging the public about the history and future growth of New York City. In 2003, the Center for Architecture, which I was then overseeing, moved up its opening to serve as the official welcome center for the first OHNY Weekend. It was one of my proudest moments as a New Yorker, welcoming people who came through our doors simply because they wanted to be a part of the OHNY Weekend.


    5. I’m an Open House New Yorker because …

    I am drawn as much to the city’s rooftops as its subway tunnels. I also have a piece of Manhattan schist, excavated from drilling down the height of the Empire State Building. Above all, I believe in the people of New York. What we can accomplish together. Diverse personalities and backgrounds all comingling in hundreds of neighborhoods across one of the densest cities in the world. That’s just awesome.

  9. Radical Knowledge: Libraries as Community Catalysts

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    Radical Knowledge: Libraries as Community Catalysts

    Radical Knowledge: Libraries as Community Catalysts is a year-round program examining how libraries serve as both vibrant learning institutions and centers for their communities, providing physical and virtual spaces to enrich civic life. This work is made possible in part with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts. We are grateful to our program partners: The New York Public Library, Queens Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and the Metropolitan New York Library Council.

    This series is being developed with learning institutions, community activists, and leaders across New York City’s diverse communities. Virtual, experiential, and participatory experiences for Radical Knowledge include conversations, workshops, site visits, self-guided tours, and a scavenger hunt. These activities are being designed to reach OHNY’s core audience of city explorers while also engaging underrepresented communities that are often not included in the power structures of New York City.

    The series Moderator and thought partner, anthropologist Dr. Shannon Mattern is a Professor of Anthropology at The New School for Social Research. Her writing and teaching focus on archives, libraries, and other media spaces; media infrastructures; spatial epistemologies; and mediated sensation and exhibition. She is the author of The New Downtown Library: Designing with Communities, Deep Mapping the Media City among other titles. Check out her regular column in Places.

    Future program activities will soon be announced. If you would like to receive future Radical Knowledge announcements, please sign up here. Radical Knowledge is the sixth installment of OHNY’s Urban Systems infrastructure series.

  10. Pamela Puchalski Appointed Executive Director of Open House New York

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    Organization providing unparalleled public access to New York’s built environment commits to catalyzing new models for inclusion and equity.

    NEW YORK, February 16, 2021 — Open House New York (OHNY) announced today that it has appointed Pamela Puchalski as its Executive Director. Puchalski brings twenty years of leadership experience working to promote resilient, inclusive, and equitable urban environments in the U.S. and internationally. She will assume the role on March 1, 2021.

    “As a result of COVID and long-standing racial injustice, Open House New York is at an inflection point. After nearly two decades of engaging and educating New Yorkers and visitors, our work is only just beginning. We recognize that OHNY must heed the call to make our city truly open and equitable,” said Rob Rogers, FAIA, OHNY’s board president. “Pamela is the leader we need right now—and, more broadly, the kind of civic leader that New York needs right now—to expand our mission, our audience, and our impact.”

    Building on OHNY’s track record of dynamic public programming and signature Open House New York Weekend festival, which reach close to 100,000 New Yorkers each year, Puchalski foresees a growing civic leadership role for the organization. Under her direction, OHNY will bring community, philanthropic, and business leaders together to tackle head-on a myriad of challenges confronting the city. Whether addressing the decline in tourism from COVID or the increase in racial activism, which Puchalski calls “one of New York’s greatest assets,” OHNY will ramp up its public engagement around issues that are central to New York’s future. With her appointment, the board has committed to catalyzing a vision for New York City defined by access, inclusion, and hope.

    Puchalski has led in strategic planning, program design, and fundraising for a range of organizations across public, private, and nonprofit sectors, including Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities, Tishman Speyer, and The Africa Center. Puchalski has dedicated her career to helping cities and communities persevere and prosper in the face of a growing list of threats linked to climate change, economic instability, and racial inequities. In joining OHNY, she brings a varied and impressive background advancing forward-looking models for inclusive urban growth and civic engagement.

    “Given the fallout from the pandemic and the urgent call to action from Black Lives Matter and other activists, our city needs its civic organizations to step up and reach out in new ways,” Puchalski said. “Recovery begins with precisely the principles OHNY stands for and celebrates—openness, access, and diversity—and a commitment to serving neighborhoods and New Yorkers across the city. I am deeply honored to be joining Open House New York at such an auspicious time and believe OHNY can—and will—establish a new paradigm for engagement, education, and advocacy in New York.”

    Puchalski’s recent efforts to foster inclusive economic growth through city-to-city learning and collaboration include co-founding the Global Institute on Innovation Districts, a new nonprofit dedicated to driving equitable growth and climate resilience for innovation districts, which are dense hubs of economic activity where innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity, and placemaking intersect. In her previous role as Executive Director of The American Assembly at Columbia University, she also incubated the national Middle Neighborhoods movement, which has been formally established at the National Community Stabilization Trust.

    Prior to that, Pamela was part of the founding team at Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities, where she led the work to design community-based strategies for building urban resilience in member cities. Earlier in her career, Pamela served as an advisor and senior fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings Institution and was a fellow at New America. She also played an instrumental role establishing LSE Cities at the London School of Economics.

    Notably, Puchalski also launched New York’s Center for Architecture—raising the necessary funds and overseeing construction and its first years of operations. Under Pamela’s leadership, the Center for Architecture, which is home to the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects, emerged as a vital resource for the design and real estate communities, policy makers, and the general public. Puchalski’s leadership ultimately helped to establish the Center for Architecture as a national model for cultural institutions dedicated to architecture and the built environment. At Puchalski’s behest, the Center for Architecture served as the official welcome center for OHNY during its first few years.

    “Over nearly two decades, Open House New York has come to symbolize the very essence of New York City’s greatness—its openness and energy, and its richly diverse cultures and communities,” said Puchalski. “New York City is a model of civic, cultural, and design innovation, and I look forward to positioning Open House New York on the front lines of this important work, particularly as we recover from this current crisis and drive impact in underserved communities.”

    Puchalski was selected as Open House New York’s executive director following a national search. She succeeds Gregory Wessner and takes the helm from Dorothy Dunn and Saundra Thomas, who served as interim co-executive directors. Puchalski holds degrees in Economics and Literature (Phi Beta Kappa) from the University of Maryland and a M.S. in Urban Planning from Columbia University.