Martell French
Board Engagement
Courtenay O’Connor
Chair
Courtenay has been serving as Board Chair of Neighbors Together for the past two years, providing thoughtful leadership and guidance to help our organization thrive. As Board Chair, Courtenay works closely with our Executive Director and fellow board members to strengthen our mission, set strategic goals, and ensure we have the resources to keep fighting hunger, homelessness, and poverty in Brooklyn. She helps steward the vision of Neighbors Together while championing the voices of our members and community. We are deeply grateful for Courtenay’s commitment, leadership, and dedication to building a more just and compassionate city.
Anna Hecker
Vice Chair & Board Engagement
Anna Hecker is a creative director, writer, and mom. In her 20-year advertising career she's worked on brands as diverse as American Express, Google, and M&M’s—she currently leads a digital innovation studio within the global advertising and media agency Dentsu Creative, where she specializes in creating transformative experiences for B2B and finance clients. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Cosmopolitan, and Refinery29, and she has published several YA novels. A longtime Brooklyn resident, she was drawn to Neighbors Together’s work helping feed and advocate for her literal neighbors, and joined the board in 2019. She currently chairs the Board Engagement Committee, which feeds her passion for asking intrusive questions about people’s motivations and desires.
Martell French
Board Engagement
Martell has been with EY for 18 years and is a Managing Director with Ernst & Young’s Business Consulting Office, and has been with Ernst & Young for 18 years. He focuses his time working on IT risk and management controls for various sectors including M&E. Martell focuses on D&I initiatives including working with Advancing Black Executives as a mentor as well as helping to implement initiatives to retain professionals through Ecosystem of Care. Martell’s experience includes the development of global approaches, coordination, and execution of control testing for global and start-up external audits, third party reporting, and system implementation/conversion reviews. Martell has an bachelor’s degree in Accountancy from University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. Martell was a board member of Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art.
Alex Wright
Treasurer
Alexander Wright is an IT Audit Manager at The Estée Lauder Companies and a licensed CPA with nearly a decade of experience in internal audit, financial due diligence, and risk advisory. He began his career at EY, where he supported clients across multiple industries. As Treasurer, Alex assists the Director with financial oversight and partners with Finance Committee board members on budgeting and governance. He also supports the presentation of financial results to the board. A former resident of Flatbush, Brooklyn, Alex’s time in the neighborhood—and his wife’s current work as a public school teacher in Park Slope—have fueled his commitment to giving back. He lives in Valley Stream with his wife and daughter.
Jennifer Nelson
Secretary
Jennifer Nelson is a multifaceted creative and hospitality professional. She came to Neighbors Together via her work at Buttermilk Channel, where she was a longtime managing partner. She has run thriving restaurants in New York City, Nantucket, Mass., and Portland, Ore. She now divides her time between New York City and Los Angeles, where she works as a writer and editor, food stylist, and freelance branding consultant for small businesses.
Andrew Cunningham
Erin Shakespeare
Erin Shakespeare is a Managing Director at Macquarie Group, leading the company’s philanthropy and community engagement. Erin joined Macquarie in 2014 to direct the company’s philanthropic grant portfolio and employee engagement activities in the Americas region, which has since included the $A50 million Macquarie 50th Anniversary Award. City and State named Erin one of the “Responsible 100” for philanthropy in New York.Prior to Macquarie, Erin spent 15 years launching and leading multiple social impact organizations, and has expertise in strategy; program development, evaluation, and replication; management and operations and fundraising. Erin was the founding Executive Director and current advisory board member of Brooklyn Boatworks. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and two children who both attend New York City public schools.
Mariko Hirose
Mariko Hirose is a civil rights lawyer and a non-profit leader, with experience advocating for low-wage workers, immigrants, people interacting with the criminal justice system, and others. She is currently the Chief Program Officer at Americans United for Separation of Church & State. She lives in Brooklyn.
Esther Spencer
Mary Hsu
Mary Hsu is a seasoned finance executive and leader, currently serving as a Managing Director at HPS Investment Partners, where she is the Global Fund Controller, overseeing the fund accounting team. Prior to HPS, Mary held roles focused on alternative investments at The Carlyle Group and Goldman Sachs. She is a Certified Public Accountant and earned a Master’s degree from Vanderbilt University and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida. Mary joined the board in 2025 and is a member of the finance committee.
