The NYCOSH Team

Charlene Obernauer has served as Executive Director of NYCOSH since 2014, leading statewide campaigns to improve workplace health and safety through research, education, training, and coalition building. She co-founded the New York Healthy Nail Salons Coalition, which secured statewide protections against wage theft and health hazards in nail salons and continues to advocate for strong enforcement standards. Charlene also oversees NYCOSH’s “Deadly Skyline” construction fatality report and helped advance Carlos’ Law to strengthen accountability for worker deaths. Previously, she was Executive Director of Long Island Jobs with Justice. Charlene chairs New Immigrant Community Empowerment and holds degrees from Stony Brook University and the CUNY Graduate Center.

Lara Maldjian is the Associate Director at NYCOSH, where she leads safety and health education, training initiatives, campaigns, and overall program operations. Before joining NYCOSH, Lara spent nearly six years with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She most recently served as the Overdose Education and Naloxone Manager in the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use Prevention, Care and Treatment, where she worked to protect and support New Yorkers who use drugs. She oversaw a major expansion of the City’s naloxone distribution program, increasing annual distribution from 15,000 to over 100,000 kits. Lara holds an M.P.H. from Columbia University and a B.A. from UC Berkeley.

Terry Ferreira is the Finance Director at NYCOSH, where she oversees budgeting, financial planning, invoicing, and overall financial management to support the organization’s long-term sustainability. She also supervises the Development and Administrative team, ensuring strong internal systems and smooth daily operations. Terry brings a genuine enthusiasm for nonprofit finance and careful planning to her work at NYCOSH. Before joining the organization, she served as Finance and Operations Manager at the Financial Clinic and held roles in operations and volunteer management at Third Wave and Angel’s Gate Animal Hospice and Rehabilitation Center. Terry holds a B.A. in Economics from Hunter College.

Lewis Quezada is the Finance and Operations Associate at NYCOSH, where he supports staff training, prepares reports, provides technical assistance, and helps maintain organizational systems and platforms. He also assists with invoicing, vouchering, and finance-related reporting, contributing to strong internal operations. Before joining NYCOSH, Lewis worked as a healthcare case manager, coordinating medical care for clients and providing crisis intervention and health education services. His background reflects a commitment to supporting people and improving systems that impact their daily lives. Lewis is fluent in English and Spanish and holds a B.S. in Business from Empire State College and a B.S. in International Business from UNAPEC.

Charlie Uruchima is the Program Coordinator for the Manhattan Justice for Workers Collaborative (MJWC) at NYCOSH, where he supports partners in increasing reporting of wage theft and unsafe working conditions. A native New Yorker, Charlie has extensive experience as an organizer in immigrant worker rights organizations, including Brandworkers and New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE). At NICE, he organized with day laborers, domestic workers, and immigrant construction workers, helping transform their experiences into worker-led legislative advocacy. Charlie is also a founder of Kichwa Hatari, an indigenous media collective that strengthens and empowers the local Kichwa community in New York City through media, education, and community-based support.

Blanca Vidal joined NYCOSH as a Program Coordinator in 2021. She serves as an educator and trainer in NYCOSH’s nail salon worker program and is a New York State Department of State-certified instructor for the New York Nail Salon Worker School. Blanca provides training on workers’ rights, health and safety, and best practices in nail salons, and is a key leader in outreach and community education efforts. Her work has been featured in local and international outlets, including 19th News, NYU News, and the U.S. Department of Labor’s blog. Before joining NYCOSH, Blanca worked as a nail salon worker for thirteen years.

Luzdary Giraldo is a Safety and Health Specialist at NYCOSH, where she leads outreach to immigrant workers and provides training on workplace rights and common job hazards. She also trains community-based organizations and Latino consulates on disaster preparedness to support communities in protecting themselves during emergencies. Since joining NYCOSH in 2006, Luzdary has trained tens of thousands of workers across New York. Prior to NYCOSH, she worked as a safety and health trainer with organizations including Make the Road New York. Luzdary holds a B.A. in psychology and sociology from Hunter College and is deeply committed to worker empowerment and safety.

Emily Marte is a Safety and Health Specialist at NYCOSH who joined the organization in 2020 during the Coronavirus crisis. She supports worker education, outreach, and advocacy with a focus on promoting safe and healthy workplaces. Prior to NYCOSH, Emily worked with WE ACT for Environmental Justice, where she organized and advocated alongside communities in Upper Manhattan to address social, economic, and environmental inequities in both Spanish and English. Emily also serves as Communications Chair for the American Public Health Association’s Environment Section. She holds a Master of Public Health from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Toxicology with a chemistry minor from St. John’s University.

Chris Fox is a Health and Safety Specialist at NYCOSH, where they lead outreach and education to help workers understand their rights, recognize workplace hazards, and organize for safer working conditions. Chris is a licensed social worker (LMSW) and graduate of the Columbia University School of Social Work, with a focus on Social Enterprise Administration and services for immigrants and refugees. Their commitment to worker justice grew through labor organizing at New Immigrant Community Empowerment, where they helped launch a Community Job Center and organize immigrant construction day laborers. Chris later specialized in occupational health and safety as a member and worker-owner of the Action OSH Worker Cooperative.

Diego Palaguachi is a Safety and Health Specialist at NYCOSH, where he coordinates the Construction Safety School for day laborers and immigrant construction workers. He provides training on job-site hazards, worker rights, and safe practices, helping workers earn their required Site Safety Training Cards for employment in New York City’s construction industry. Diego joined NYCOSH in 2019 after serving as the Director of Safety and Health at the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, where he supported workplace safety initiatives across multiple sectors. He holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Latin American and Latino Studies from CUNY Queens College and is committed to empowering workers to protect themselves at work.

Samantha Fisher is NYCOSH’s Industrial Hygienist, supporting unions, workers, and community organizations with health and safety expertise. She conducts site visits, performs assessments, leads trainings, and provides technical guidance to help reduce workplace hazards. Before joining NYCOSH, Samantha worked with nail salon workers across New York City to monitor and reduce exposure to harmful airborne chemicals. She trained salon workers and managers to use low-cost air quality tools and recommended improvements to ventilation practices. Samantha is pursuing her PhD in Environmental Health at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and holds an MPH from New York University’s School of Global Public Health.