Frampton Tolbert
Executive Director
framptont[at]hdc.org | 212-614-9107 x405
Frampton is Executive Director of the Historic Districts Council. He is a New York City-based preservationist and non-profit management leader, with extensive experience in historic preservation advocacy and community outreach, fundraising, communications, and a deep knowledge of New York’s architectural and cultural history. He previously served as HDC’s Deputy Director from 2005-2014.
Tolbert graduated with a BA in Historic Preservation from the University of Mary Washington, and has held positions at the Center for Urban Pedagogy, Brooklyn Museum, and the Phillips Collection.
He has received a New York State Council on the Arts grant and a James Marston Fitch Foundation Fellowship for his work examining vernacular modernism in the borough of Queens, and currently serves on several boards including Docomomo New York/Tri-State and the Victorian Society in America. He lives in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn and serves on the board of the Society for Clinton Hill.
Michelle Arbulu
Director of Communications and Programs
marbulu[at]hdc.org | 212-614-9107 x404
Michelle is the Historic Districts Council’s Director of Communications and Programs, and has been with the organization since 2009, when she began as a volunteer researching historic districts in the Bronx. Ms. Arbulu is responsible for both in-house and outreach communications, and disseminates hard news, action alerts, policy statements, white papers, and programming support.
Ms. Arbulu manages the Historic Districts Council’s online presence, and helps coordinate the organization’s extensive website, e-mail, and social media content. In addition, she oversees the creation and production of printed matter for the Council’s activism and special events.
Ms. Arbulu is also responsible for all of the Historic Districts Council’s free and fundraising events and programs.
Ms. Arbulu has a B.A. in Historical Studies from SUNY Empire State University, and lives in Stamford, CT.
Kaija Mendez-Bryan
Development and Administration Manager
kmendez-bryan[at]hdc.org | 212-614-9107 x403
Kaija is Historic Districts Council’s Development and Administration Manager. She is responsible for HDC’s development efforts, including individual and institutional giving, fundraising campaigns, cultivation events, and grant management. Prior to her role at HDC, Kaija worked as a Membership Coordinator consecutively at Dia Art Foundation and Black Gotham Experience developing both membership programs in the wake of a new normal for cultural institutions.
Kaija received a B.A. in History from University at Albany, SUNY in 2018 and most recently received her M.A. in Museum Studies from New York University in 2022. Born and raised in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and with her immense passion for her Trinidadian roots, her academic research primarily focused on the preservation of cultural history and spaces in New York City, the relation of museum architecture and race, and the practice of accessibility and inclusion within cultural institutions.
Kaija is an avid appreciator of visual and performance art and she currently lives in the neighborhood of Kew Gardens, Queens.
Lucie Levine
Preservation Advocacy and Community Outreach Manager
llevine [at] hdc.org | 212-614-9107 x406
Lucie Levine is a writer, historian and New York City tour guide. She founded the historical tour and event company Archive on Parade, and has offered tours and lectures on New York City history in collaboration with The New School, CUNY, NYU Langone, The American Institute of Architects, The Municipal Art Society, The Historic Districts Council, The New York Public Library, The 92nd Street Y, Village Preservation, The New York Preservation Archive Project and Landmark West. She is also a Public Space Programming Partner for the New York City Department of Transportation, and has published widely on New York City history at outlets including The Gotham Center for New York City History Blog, Jstor Daily, and 6sqft, where she was the Contributing History Writer. She lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
Diego Robayo
Public Relations Specialist for Hispanic Communities
drobayo[at]hdc.org | 212-614-9107 x402
Born and raised in the vibrant streets of Colombia, I traded in my salsa dancing shoes for the hustle and bustle of New York City in 2016. As a journalist and public relations expert, I spend my days working with the diverse and underrepresented communities in the outer boroughs of the city, using my skills in public engagement and programming to make a difference. When I’m not busy working, you can find me hitting up the latest blockbuster at the movie theater or chowing down on some delicious eats in my favorite neighborhood for trying new foods – Jackson Heights. But when the night falls and I’m feeling a little more low key, you can catch me hanging out in the Lower East Side, the ultimate place for a good time.