NEDAP Staff

Sarah Ludwig

Sarah Ludwig, NEDAP's Co-Director, is a leading advocate on community equity and financial justice issues.  Since founding NEDAP in 1995, she has worked with hundreds of grassroots groups to develop local organizing and advocacy strategies to address redlining and lending discrimination.  Sarah co-founded New Yorkers for Responsible Lending, a state-wide coalition of more than 140 community and consumer groups and community financial institutions dedicated to combating predatory lending practices.  Sarah was a 2000 fellow in the Rockefeller Foundation's Next Generation Leadership Program, and in 2002 received the Union Square Award.  In 2004, she was selected as a Ford Foundation Leadership for a Changing World awardee.  Sarah recently completed a 3-year term on the Federal Reserve Board's Consumer Advisory Council, and serves on the boards of directors of the Consumer Federation of America and North Star Fund.  In December 2008, she received New York Lawyers for the Public Interest's Felix A. Fishman Award, for "her exceptional service on behalf of low income communities."  This year, she is completing a Revson Fellowship at Columbia University.

Josh Zinner

Josh Zinner has been a leading advocate for more than a decade on issues related to abusive and discriminatory lending.  He joined NEDAP’s staff as Co-Director in December 2007.  He has trained numerous attorneys, community advocates, and policy-makers around New York City and State, and is a frequent speaker at conferences and forums.  He previously served as long-time Director of the Foreclosure Prevention Project at South Brooklyn Legal Services (SBLS).  While at SBLS, Zinner litigated numerous cases in federal and state court, and was at the forefront of policy and advocacy work around abusive lending practices.  Before founding the Foreclosure Prevention Project, Zinner worked at Legal Services for the Elderly, where he litigated housing and consumer law cases.  Prior to law school, Zinner worked for five years as a social worker, primarily with the homeless.  In 2001, Zinner was awarded the Denison Ray Award by the New York State Bar Association, given to a New York State attorney who demonstrates “extraordinary commitment to providing zealous and skilled representation to low income and disadvantaged clients.” 

Deyanira Del Río

Deyanira Del Río, NEDAP's Associate Director, leads initiatives to promote fair lending and financial services access in low income and immigrant communities.  She has trained community groups and financial institutions throughout the country on economic justice issues, co-authored NEDAP's financial education and homeownership courses, and conducted research and GIS mapping on subprime lending and foreclosures.  Dey serves on the board of the National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions and is board chair of the Lower East Side People's Federal Credit Union.  She was a 2005-2006 Revson Fellow, and in 2007 was selected for the Coro Immigrant Civic Leadership Program.  In 2009, she received the Mujeres Destacadas (Outstanding Women) award from El Diario/La Prensa.

Claudia Wilner

Claudia Wilner joined NEDAP in September 2005 as a Staff Attorney with the Consumer Law Project.  She directs the NYC Financial Justice Hotline and Consumer Law Clinic.  Claudia previously worked as a Skadden Fellow at the Mental Health Project of the Urban Justice Center and as a law clerk for Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  She graduated from New York University School of Law in 2002.

Alexis Iwanisziw                                                 

Alexis Iwanisziw joined NEDAP in July 2008 as Program Associate.  She conducts research and field work for several anti-predatory lending and immigrant financial justice initiatives.  Alexis recently received her master's degree in Community Organization and Planning at Hunter College School of Social Work and previously worked in the Research and Statistics Group at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Susan Shin

Susan Shin joined NEDAP in October 2008 as Staff Attorney with the Consumer Law Project.  She coordinates the Consumer Law Clinic, a new initiative to provide legal assistance to members of community groups in NYC.  Susan previously worked as a Skadden Fellow and Staff Attorney at The Legal Aid Society in New York City.  She graduated from New York University School of Law in 2006.

Mireille Martineau

Mireille Martineau joined NEDAP in November 2008 as Office Manager.  She coordinates production of NEDAP's monthly television show, "On the Money with NEDAP," works on a variety of administrative tasks, and provides Spanish translations for the Consumer Law Project. She is currently a graduate student at NYU's Wagner School of Public Service in the Urban Planning program.  She previously worked at the NYC Department of Design and Construction before interning at NEDAP starting in September 2008.

Herman De Jesus

Herman De Jesus joined NEDAP as Senior Program Associate in July 2009.  His responsibilities include serving as Paralegal to the Consumer Law Project, helping manage the NYC Foreclosure Prevention Gap Loan Fund, overseeing technical assistance to community groups, and working on special research, policy, and advocacy initiatives.  Herman previously served as Supervising Paralegal of the Foreclosure Prevention Project at South Brooklyn Legal Services, where he interfaced with hundreds of homeowners, investigated complex predatory mortgage lending cases, negotiated and resolved cases, and worked with attorneys to build cases for litigation in both state and federal court. 

Luis Daniel Caridad

Luis Daniel Caridad joined NEDAP in July 2009 as the Community   Education Coordinator. He oversees NEDAP's community financial education and fair lending training programs. Before joining NEDAP, Luis Daniel worked for four years at ACCIÓN USA, a leading domestic microfinance organization, first as a Loan Consultant and then as the manager of a lending team.