Van Alen Announces New Board Chair and Members

Van Alen Institute’s Board of Directors is an exceptional group of people who share our belief that local knowledge and care enrich the design process. We’re delighted to announce Diana Reyna as our new Board Chair, and welcome five new members to the Board this year.

For over twenty years, Diana Reyna has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to communities across the Greater New York Area through government service and advocacy. She is founding principal at Diana Reyna Strategic Consulting, LLC, where she connects clients with her extensive network of relationships cultivated in the public and private sectors.

Diana is the former Deputy Brooklyn Borough President (2014–17), and a former New York City Council Member for the 34th Council District (2001–13). She garnered citywide attention for her efforts in championing affordable housing, economic development, improving equity in education, park space, waste and environmental justice as well as expanding youth and senior services. Diana joined Van Alen’s Board in 2024, and assumed the role of Board Chair in June 2026. See Diana’s full bio and read a Q&A with her here.

Anand Amin is a Senior Development Manager at DBI Projects, where he advises universities, nonprofit organizations, public entities, and private clients on complex real estate and urban development initiatives. His work spans feasibility and strategic planning, owner’s representation, public-private partnerships, capital planning, and the implementation of large-scale institutional and mixed-use projects.

Prior to joining DBI, Anand served as Senior Advisor for Real Estate in the New York City Mayor’s Office, where he led major development initiatives involving affordable housing, mixed-use redevelopment, civic infrastructure, and public-private partnerships. His work included advancing the redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory, Willets Point, SPARC Kips Bay, and publicly owned sites across the five boroughs. See Anand’s full bio.

Ben Cruz is the founder of Gold Rhino, a Brooklyn-based brand and creative studio. Before that, he was co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of A Different Kind of Animal and Chief Creative Officer of Fly Communications. His work is built on one conviction: a story only works if the people it’s meant to reach can see their truths resonating in it.

His current work is the brand and creative platform for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s $1.5 billion bicentennial campaign, RPI Forward, built from interviews with donors and alumni whose lived histories with the school, before and after it, became the campaign’s pillars. See Ben’s full bio.

Denzil Gallagher is the US Managing Director and Partner at Buro Happold, specializing in integrated environmental solutions. With over three decades of experience at Buro Happold, Denzil is known for his leadership on climate change action and oversees 12 offices and over 450 professionals in the United States, driving innovation and growth.

A leader in delivering groundbreaking design and technologies, he helps forge new models for collaborative design by engaging the full project team – clients, architects, consultants, and builders – to enhance building performance. His creativity and passion have contributed to pioneering integrated, high-performance buildings worldwide, including the Genzyme Center in Cambridge, MA – one of the first LEED Platinum Certified office buildings in the United States – and the Tower at PNC Plaza in Pittsburgh, PA, which exceeded LEED Platinum certification and was billed as the “greenest commercial building in the world.” See Denzil’s full bio.

Suchi Reddy is an architect, designer, and artist based in NYC. In 2002, she founded Reddymade, which focuses on public art installations, large-scale commercial spaces, and residential projects ranging from single-family homes to interiors and prefab architecture. Guided by her mantra “form follows feeling,” Reddy’s architectural and artistic practice is informed by her research on neuroaesthetics, which examines the impact our environments have on the brain and body.

Reddy has presented and lectured on the firm’s work at numerous venues including Bloomberg’s CityLab 2023, The Salk Institute for the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture’s annual conference, the WSJ Future of Everything Festival, the Aspen Ideas Festival, the University of Illinois, and the University of Wisconsin. Reddy teaches at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation and serves on several boards, including the Design Trust for Public Space and Storefront for Art and Architecture. See Suchi’s full bio.

Michelle Roelofs, PE is a structural engineer and the founder of Michelle Roelofs Structural Studio (MRS Studio), a New York-based practice focused on cultural, institutional, and civic projects. Founded in 2026, MRS Studio collaborates with architects, cultural organizations, educational institutions, and public agencies to create thoughtful and enduring places that enrich communities and public life.

Prior to founding MRS Studio, Michelle spent 18 years at Arup, where she led the structural design of museums, academic buildings, civic spaces, and other complex projects across North America. Notable projects include the Gilder Center at the American Museum of Natural History, Harvard University’s David Rubenstein Treehouse, and the expansion of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum. See Michelle’s full bio.