NAMI-NYC Welcomes New Board Members Natasha Bowman, Cindy Helen Brea, and Matt DeMasi

June 14, 2023, New York, NY–NAMI-NYC is proud to welcome three new Board Members, Natasha Bowman, Cindy Helen Brea, and Matt DeMasi.  

“We are thrilled to welcome Natasha Bowman, Cindy Helen Brea, and Matt DeMasi to our Board of Directors,” said NAMI-NYC CEO Matt Kudish. “At NAMI-NYC, we are deeply committed to recruiting diverse Board Members who bring unique lived experiences to the table. With more voices, we continue to build an equitable Board and inclusive organization serving over 23,000 families and individuals affected by mental illness.”  

“My own bipolar disorder diagnosis during the pandemic shook my world and made me realize the importance of support and understanding. NAMI-NYC played a pivotal role in providing me and my husband with the resources we needed to navigate this new chapter of our lives,” said Natasha Bowman, JD, President of The Natasha Bowman Consulting Group and The Bowman Foundation for Workplace Equity and Mental Wellness. Natasha has led HR roles for Fortune 500 companies and healthcare organizations, including a behavioral health hospital.  

Cindy Helen Brea is Head of Client Engagement at Lafayette Square, an impact investing private credit firm. Cindy is a finance professional with nearly 20 years of experience at major finance firms such as Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse. She lives in Brooklyn, NY by way of the Dominican Republic, and is a first-generation college student.  

“My own father’s battle with mental health conditions and his eventual loss to suicide has fueled my passion for improving the healthcare system. No one should ever feel ashamed to ask for help, and everyone deserves access to safe and effective mental healthcare,” said Matt DeMasi (he/him), Head of Clinical Operations at FOLX Health, which offers affirming life-saving services to LGBTQ+ people across the country. Matt is a mental health professional with over a decade of direct care experience and clinical program development. 

Learn more about our Board. All NAMI-NYC programs and services are available to any New Yorker who needs them: www.naminyc.org/find-support.