Introducing TakeRoot’s Interim Co-Directors

We recently shared the news that Elizabeth Clay Roy was departing from her role as TakeRoot’s Executive Director, and that two long-time TakeRoot staff, Sadia Rahman and April Herms, would be taking over as Interim Co-Directors while TakeRoot searches for new permanent leadership. We are grateful to Elizabeth for her leadership and guidance of the organization over the past two years. The team is also excited to have these two leaders at the helm, continuing TakeRoot’s work from a place of deep knowledge and community.

Many of you may already be familiar with Sadia and April from their many years at TakeRoot, but we wanted to share some additional information about their work and professional backgrounds so you can get to know them a bit better.

Sadia Rahman has been at TakeRoot for more than 11 years, most of which she has spent as the supervisor of TakeRoot’s dynamic Housing Rights practice area. Under her leadership TakeRoot pioneered its innovative movement lawyering approach to supporting tenant organizing, which now serves as a model for many other housing legal service organizations. Before joining TakeRoot Justice, she was a staff attorney at the Immigrant Tenant Advocacy Project for over three years, where she litigated against abusive landlords on behalf of tenants living in substandard buildings along the 7 subway line in Queens. She graduated from Tulane University with a degree in African & African Diaspora Studies and received her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.

April Herms recently celebrated 15 years at TakeRoot and has served in a variety of capacities during her time with the organization, including fundraising, technical assistance for partner groups, fiscal management, contract management, human resources, and more. Most recently she has served as the organization’s Chief Operating Officer, overseeing internal operations as TakeRoot spun off from the Urban Justice Center in 2019.  April has a master’s degree in Public Administration with a focus on nonprofit management from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service, and a bachelor’s degree in Hispanic Studies from Brown University. Prior to working at TakeRoot, April worked on LGBT, HIV and immigrants’ rights issues at the Hispanic AIDS Forum and the Lesbian and Gay Immigration Rights Task Force (now called Immigration Equality).

Sadia and April are deeply committed to TakeRoot’s long-term success and its mission to build a more equitable New York and support movements for racial, social and economic justice. They both look forward to keeping the organization on a steady course while TakeRoot finds new leadership to carry it into its next successful era.

We will continue to keep you updated about TakeRoot’s work and leadership in the upcoming months. Thank you for your support of our work – it means so much to all of us!