New Faces At FPWA

Sarah Fajardo – Human Services Policy Analyst

Sarah is responsible for formulating policies and implementing campaigns to promote policies that improve the social and economic well-being of New York City’s low income residents.

Sarah most recently worked at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget as a Senior Analyst on the Education Task force, focusing on city, state, national legislative, budget analysis and initiative development. Previously, she worked as a Policy Manager at the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, specializing in education, child welfare, and budgetary policy advocacy.

Sarah completed a master’s degree in public policy at the New School University in New York City, and a bachelor’s degree at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. Sarah enjoys traveling, cooking and baking, photography, rock climbing and is afraid of snakes.

**You can reach Sarah at sfajardo@fpwa.org or 212-801-1319.

Derek Thomas – Budget and Policy Analyst

Derek is responsible for analyzing and interpreting budget and policy priorities at the national, state, and local levels, with a particular focus on impacts on the social and economic well-being of low-income New Yorkers. The position involves collecting and analyzing data, developing accessible policy documents, and examining pending legislative and policy options.

Before joining FPWA, Derek was as a Fiscal Policy Fellow at Connecticut Voices for Children where he led the fiscal policy and economic-security research and advocacy efforts. Before joining Voices, Derek was a Senior Policy Analyst for the Indiana Institute for Working Families, where he focused on labor-related policy and improving mobility for low-income families. His research and analysis has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor and national outlets, such as the Wall St. Journal, a Reuter’s series on income inequality, The Guardian, and Sony Pictures’ Ricki and the Flash.

Derek received his master’s in Public Affairs/Policy Analysis at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) at Indiana University. Derek likes to run, bike, and garden. New to the city, he looks forward to making new friends, exploring, and living car-free for the first time ever.

**You can reach Derek at dthomas@fpwa.org or 212-801-1344.

Karey Wallace – HR Manager

Karey has served as an HR professional in the New York City area for nearly two decades. Prior to joining our organization, she was the founder of HR Factor, LLC, an HR consulting firm, which provided multi-faceted HR support to several local businesses. She developed her HR expertise in various industries, including, fin-tech, construction and auto.

Karey obtained her undergraduate education from Pace university, where she majored in Human Resources Management. She is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and holds the Society for Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certificate.

Karey lives in Brooklyn with her family. She serves as a PA representative for Brooklyn Technical High School and enjoys reading, writing poetry, home decorating, cooking, hosting and traveling. Her favorite books are How to Win Friends and Influence People and Mindset. Her favorite destination is Jamaica, her native country.

**You can reach Karey at kwallace@fpwa.org or 212-801-1340.