Our People

Born in the Philippines and raised in Flushing, Maria is a working parent and public education advocate. After the 2016 General Elections, Maria felt compelled to become more active in politics. She now serves her community as the Female Queens County Democratic County Committee Member for Election District 23 of Assembly District 28 in Forest Hills, Steering Committee Member of Queens County Committee for All (QCC4ALL), and Treasurer for Amplify Her. 

Queens has been Heather's home for over 30 years. After 12 years of corporate work for Fortune 500s and start-up's Heather became Mama to twins. This kick-started 12 years of volunteer service to NYC public schools as a member of the School Leadership Team at various schools. Heather also worked on Participatory Budgeting for her City Council district and then worked on it citywide. In 2019, she joined Queens Community Board 6 and is now the Chair. 

Ashley is a lifelong resident of LeFrak City, Queens. She holds a BA from the University at Buffalo and an M.P.A. from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Ashley works for the City of New York Human Resources Administration where she assists families and individuals experiencing financial hardship. She has a passion for civic engagement and  is currently an executive board member of Queens Community Board 4.

Ximena Frankel was born in Lima, Perú and immigrated to the U.S. as a child where she grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC. She currently lives in Forest Hills, Queens with her spouse and son. A long-time activist and community organizer, she holds a MSW in Community Organizing, Planning and Development from Hunter College of CUNY. She is the NYC Employer Organizer and National Social Media Manager at Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network where she advocates for domestic workers rights, and works to dismantle systemic racism as a parent organizer with D28 Action for Equity, and for police-free schools with the Alliance for Quality Education. A former yoga teacher, Ximena grounds her work in 20-plus years of yoga and meditation practice. Since becoming a parent in 2017 she has been working even harder to help envision and create a more just world.

Christopher Hanusa arrived in New York City  in 2008 and now calls Kew Gardens, Queens  his home. He is a professor of mathematics at Queens College of CUNY, where he advocates for student-centered education and robust shared governance. He has been an active member of CQuID since the inaugural meeting in 2021 and regularly participates in poll visibility events during primary and general elections.

Soumaly King