2026 Joint Legislative Budget Hearing - Human Services
February 5, 2026
9:30AM
Hearing Room B, Legislative Office Building, Albany

Transcript Pending
Testimony
Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden     (Testimony Pending)
Commissioner
New York State Office of Children and Family Services

Barbara Guinn     (Testimony Pending)
Acting Commissioner
New York State Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance

Greg Olsen
Acting Director
New York State Office for the Aging

Rev.Viviana DeCohen     (Testimony Pending)
Commissioner
New York State Department of Veterans’ Services

Beth Finkel
State Director
AARP New York

Gail Myers
Deputy Director
New York Statewide Senior Action Council

Marcella Goheen     (Testimony Pending)
Founder
Essential Care Visitor

Ann Marie Cook     (Testimony Pending)
President/ CEO
Lifespan of Greater Rochester

Rebecca Preve
Executive Director
Association on Aging in NY

Barbara Baer
Director
New York Foundation for Senior Citizens

Shanita Bowen
Chief Operating Officer
ECE on the Move

Alice Bufkin
Associate Executive Director of Policy
Citizens Committee for Children of NY

Meredith Chimento
Executive Director
Early Care & Learning Council

Chris Bennet     (Testimony Pending)
CEO
Wonder School

Kimberly George
President and CEO
Project Guardianship

William Gettman
CEO
Northern Rivers Family of Services

Chanya Holness     (Testimony Pending)
Campaign Manager
The New York Foundling

Sylvie Nelson     (Testimony Pending)
Executive Director
New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals

Michelle Newman
Associate Executive Director, Upstate
Council of Family and Child Caring Agencies

Pete Nabozny
Policy Director
The Children’s Agenda

Dona Anderson
Executive Director
NY Early Childhood Professional Development

Jenn O’Connor
Policy Consultant
New York State Network for Youth Success

Gregory Brender
Chief Policy Officer
Day Care Council of NY

G Galloway     (Testimony Pending)
Advocacy Manager
Ali Forney Center

Kari Kurjiaka
Director of Literacy & Public Policy
Reach out and read of Greater NY

Perry Junjulas     (Testimony Pending)
Executive Director
Albany Damien Center

Stuart Kaufman
Managing Attorney
Legal Services Access Alliance

Lisa Sutz
Senior Director SAGEserves Supportive Services
SAGE

Kate Wurmfeld
Senior Director of Family Court Programs
Center for Justice Innovation

Pascale Leone
Executive Director
Supportive Housing Network of New York

Gabriela Sandoval Requena
Director of Policy Communications
New Destiny Housing

Leah Kabran Eden
Executive Director
Equity Advocates

Dave Basnet     (Testimony Pending)
Senior Manger of Immigrant Rights Policy
New York Immigration Coalition

Dora Fisher
State Policy Director
Liveon NY

Dede Hill
Vice President of Policy
Schuyler Center for Analysis And Advocacy

Michelle Jackson
Executive Director
Human Services Council of NY

Krista Hesdorfer
Director of Public Affairs
Hunger Solutions New York

Joan Gerhardt
Director of Public Policy and Advocacy
NYS Coalition Against Domestic Vioelnce

Kristin Miller
Executive Director
Homeless Services United

Loretta Glover
Tenant
The Woodstock

Ann Marie Scalia
Chief Executive Officer
JCCA

Samuel Waxman     (Testimony Pending)
MD
Samuel Waxman Institute for Aging And Caner

Ryan Schofield     (Testimony Pending)
Chief Executive Officer
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

Karin Romans
Executive Director
Friends of NYC Nurse-Family Partnership

Lindsey Vigoda     (Testimony Pending)
NY Director
Small Business Majority

Maggie Collins
Director of Public Policy
Alliance of NYS YMCA’s

Lori Rivenburgh
President
NYS Alliance of Boys and Girls Club

Oybek Ochildiev
Youth Advocate
Chinese-American Planning Council

Written Testimony
All Our Kin

Allison Lew

Alyssa Gomes

Annie Brinich

Anthos | Home

Ashley Martinez

Brandon Scott

Bring Up Minimum Pay (BUMP)

Can Code Communities

Center for New York City Affairs at The New School

Child Care Workforce Collaborative

Children’s Aid

Children’s Defense Fund – New York (CDF-NY)

Corey C.

East New York Farms

Elaine Lamm

Empire Justice Center

Empire State Campaign For Child Care

Field & Fork Network

Gabriel Glasser

Grand St. Settlement

Her Justice

JCCA

Kathleen Caamaño

KinderCare

Laurie Donohue

Legal Services NYC

Madeleine Garner

Montessori Children’s Center

NYC Family Policy Project (FPP)

New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU)

New York Immigration Coalition

New York Legal Assistance Group

ParentChild+

Prevent Child Abuse New York’s (PCA-NY)

Richa Gupta

Sandra Itainen

Sarah Ribeiro

The Legal Aid Society

The University of Rochester and the Mt. Hope Family Center

Tricia Lacy

UJA-Federation of New York

United Way of New York State

Urban Pathways

Urban Resource Institute (URI)

WNY Women’s Foundation

Yadira Jimenez