CODA
Executive Board
Andrea Gordillo is President of CoDA, an Peruvian-American cultural organizer, writer, intersectional feminist, and long time resident of the Lower East Side. She currently serves as Devolpment Director for The Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Education Center, as chair of Manhattan Community Board 3’s Arts & Culture Subcommittee, as the New York City Council Speaker’s Representative to the Board of Trustees of the Public Theater, and previously, as Program Manager at the Loisaida Cultural Center. Over the years, she has helped lead the expansion of artistic residency programs focused on artists of color, revamped Loisaida Festival, spearheaded advocacy efforts for cultural equity in New York City, and has helped mentor dozens of artists in their individual and social practice. She has contributed to public and scholarly research on race, media, and inequality through Walter Stafford Project, which resulted in the anthology Racial Inequality in New York City since 1965 from SUNY Press, the Institute for Policy Studies and the Brooklyn Rail. She began organizing as a teenager with Mobilized Youth against Florida’s Republican-controlled state gerrymandering in 2005.
J
Alana Sivin ( Vice-President) is an attorney, advocate, and staunch advocate for racial justice. As a former public defender, she is committed to reducing the jail and prison population and advancing the rights of people incarcerated. She previously served as the counsel to the New York City Council’s criminal justice committee, drafting and advancing over a dozen pieces of legislation aimed at improving the conditions for people incarcerated in city jails. Since then, she has worked as an advocate, and has made media appearances on programs including The Appeal, the Law and Crime Network, and Univision to talk about the criminal justice system. She also – with CoDA’s support – previously ran for state Assembly in the Lower East Side. As a Puerto Rican Jewish vegan, Alana’s love for the Lower East Side runs deep. In her spare time you can find her enjoying the music, culture, and people that makes LES feel more like home than any other place.
Jake was born and raised in the east village by a school teacher (PS41 and the 14th street Y) and a mens’ magazine editor. As a 6-year-old he learned a fake address so he could attend public schools above 14th street. This knowledge proved useful in tricking the recs who monitored the stuy town playgrounds. He has a 10-year-old son who loves sports, video games and occasionally hustling his dad on the Tompkins Square Park courts. He joined CODA to lend support to an organization that tackles problems that have existed here his whole life; obscene class/racial inequities, lack of social/economic mobility, lack of affordable housing. His youth in the 1980’s/90’s can make him obstinate on local issues. However, he has been known to occasionally acknowledge that the neighborhood, as well as himself, has never been perfect, needs to be dynamic, and can always be made better.
Alberto Mercado Recording Secretary
Alberto Mercado is a long time lower east side resident and advocate. Alot of his recent work has been concentrated on advocacy for equitable accesibility.
Jesus Salas
Jesus Salas
