Andrew Brunsden
Chief Legal Officer
Senior StaffAs Chief Legal Officer, Andrew leads all legal operations and strategy for The Foundling and oversees the organization’s Compliance program. Andrew has over 20 years of experience as an attorney and in legal leadership roles, focusing on risk management, investigations, litigation, ethics, and compliance. Prior to his role at The Foundling, he worked for more than a decade at the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) where he most recently served as General Counsel and Deputy Commissioner of Legal Affairs. In this role, Andrew was responsible for managing legal and operational risks for DOI, the anti-corruption agency overseeing New York City government’s 300,000 employees and $115 billion budget. Prior to this, he worked as a DOI Inspector General (IG) overseeing City agencies and contractors, was an associate at Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason & Anello, P.C., and clerked for federal judges on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Additionally, Andrew is an Adjunct Professor of Law at New York Law School. Andrew received his Juris Doctor from UCLA School of Law, his Master of Letters in philosophy and anthropology from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, and his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and political science from the University of Michigan.
As Senior Vice President for Developmental Disabilities Services, Patrick oversees and provides strategic direction for our Residential, Day and Community Habilitation, and Employment Services programming. He is a seasoned executive with over 18 years of leadership experience in nonprofit, healthcare, and residential services, most recently serving as Chief Program Officer at The Arc of Lehigh & Northampton Counties. In this role, Patrick led strategic initiatives that significantly expanded services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), diversified revenue streams, and strengthened organizational resilience. He oversaw a broad portfolio of programs, implemented a comprehensive data management system to enhance performance tracking, drove policy and process reforms to ensure regulatory compliance and sustainable growth, and advocated for inclusive policies at the state and local levels. Patrick holds a BA in Psychology from Johns Hopkins University and is pursuing an MBA in Management at La Salle University.
“For me, serving as a New York Foundling Trustee is both a privilege and a responsibility. I connect to our mission on a personal level — I’ve lived the impact of Head Start as a student, as a mother, and as part of a family of educators. I’m excited to help ensure that every child and family in our communities has access to the same opportunities for growth, learning, and support that have shaped my own life.”
Yesenia Matos is a dedicated professional with a Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Tourism and a Master’s degree in Human Resources. Over the past five years, she has built extensive experience as a Recruiter, specializing in connecting individuals with meaningful career opportunities. In addition to her professional work, Yesenia has served in various customer service roles and as a Verbatim Hearing Recorder, demonstrating her commitment to accuracy, confidentiality, and public service.
Her connection to the New York Foundling is deeply personal. A proud mother of a three-year-old in the Head Start program, she was also a student at Head Start herself, having attended the program in the 1990s. Her mother and aunt were both Head Start teachers, creating a legacy of commitment to early childhood education within her family.
Yesenia is honored to serve on the Policy Council and the Governing Board, where she advocates for families and works to ensure equitable access to quality early childhood education in Puerto Rico.
David Taub is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and is head of the firm’s Financial Institutions Advisory Practice. With many years of experience representing leading financial institutions and other participants in the global capital markets, David is a widely recognized industry leader for his advice on innovative financial products and complex securitization transactions. His versatile practice focuses on several core areas: derivatives and financial products, where he specializes in municipal derivatives, finance and municipal credits, and fintech/blockchain. He regularly teaches a course on blockchain in the Masters of Law program at Cornell Tech in New York City. David is a magna cum laude/Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brown University (1981) and a graduate of Berkeley Law at the University of California at Berkeley (1984)
As Chief Advancement Officer at The Foundling, Jennifer oversees the Development Department and the board’s Development Committee and leads The Foundling’s fundraising strategy and operations, with a focus on expanding our major donor program and corporate funding streams.
Prior to her role at The Foundling, Jennifer served as the Executive Director of the Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York (CCC) for the last 17 years. A passionate advocate for children, youth, and families, she has led successful legislative, policy, and budget reforms, achieving historic victories across New York City and State. Under Jennifer’s leadership, CCC expanded its staff and budget and developed the Keeping Track Online database, a key resource for understanding and advocating for children’s needs. She has championed campaigns to address the wage gap for early educators, expand early childhood education, and raise the age of criminal responsibility in New York. Jennifer has personally co-authored publications and oversaw the publication of numerous reports and analysis while at CCC.
This work follows 15 years in the public sector, including senior roles at the New York City Council’s Finance Division and as CCC’s Associate Executive Director.
She holds a bachelor’s in history and French from LeMoyne College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Fordham University.
Christine Stokes is Head of Client and Retirement Education at Nuveen, focused on leading the learning and development strategy for Nuveen’s retirement organization and creating proprietary practice management and thought leadership for financial professionals.
Christine has 20 years of experience in the financial services industry spanning wealth planning and defined contribution plan design across all market segments, contributing to thought leadership and industry publications while frequently speaking at industry events. Prior to joining Nuveen, Christine was the head of Multi-Asset Product at Voya Investment Management. In prior roles at AllianceBernstein, L.P., Christine developed and launched custom target date solutions and supported multi-asset product strategy. Christine began her career at MetLife Financial Services as a financial advisor.
Christine graduated with a B.A. from Fairfield University and holds the FINRA Series 7 and Series 24. She lives in New York with her two daughters and serves on the Board of Trustees for Mott Haven Academy Charter School focused on serving children in child welfare system.
As the Medical Director of The Foundling’s Home for Integrated Behavioral Health and Vice President of the Vincent J. Fontana Center for Child Protection, Dr. Akeem Marsh oversees the medical operations and strategy of our pediatric mental health center, while also managing programs and initiatives including professional development training events, public tours, practice related research, and advocacy efforts to reduce child maltreatment. As a practitioner, researcher, and thought leader, Dr. Marsh brings his extensive experience and expertise in the mental health and child welfare fields to this dual role. Dr. Marsh is a published author and notable expert – in 2022, he released his book Not Just Bad Kids: The Adversity and Disruptive Behavior Link, a co-edited work that draws upon his clinical experience with systems-involved children and adolescents. Additionally, he has been published in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice, the Journal of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychotherapy, and in International Clinical Psychopharmacology. Dr. Marsh has presented locally, nationally, and internationally at numerous professional conference settings including the iHeart Radio/MWA Mental Wealth Expo and a Presidential Session at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Annual Meeting by invitation. Prior to joining The Foundling in 2020, Dr. Marsh served as a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Bellevue’s Juvenile Justice Mental Health Services, working closely with ACS’ secure detention centers. Dr. Marsh is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), serves as a member of the Board of Directors of both the New York Council on Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (NYCCAP) and the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC), and was admitted to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (AΩA ) chapter at CUNY School of Medicine. He maintains a faculty appointment as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine. Last year, he was appointed by Mayor Adams to serve on the city’s first-ever Juvenile Justice Advisory Board.