Celeste co-founded Public Works Partners, a WBE/DBE/SBE-certified urban planning and consulting firm, out of a passion for helping mission-driven organizations increase their positive impact on local communities. A well-known expert in designing and implementing multi-stakeholder initiatives and building strong connections across the nonprofit, government, and private sectors, she’s spent over 20 years cultivating healthy communities and organizations.

Celeste combines her planning and organizational management expertise to help organizations leverage their strengths and engage stakeholders in creating sustainable, actionable strategies. As a distinguished woman business owner, she frequently contributes to publications such as Crain’s New York, New York Nonprofit Media, City & State, and Architype, sharing insights on workforce development, urban planning, and entrepreneurship. She leads the firm by setting its overall vision, direction, and strategy and guiding our consulting practice areas.

Prior to Public Works, Celeste held leadership roles in the New York City government.  She was a Senior Analyst at the Office of Management and Budget, and later at the Department of Small Business Services, she led the agency’s budget and human resources teams and launched large-scale business-based hiring and training initiatives.

Celeste is an AICP-certified planner with a Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also a graduate of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses program and Coro Leadership New York. Celeste serves on the board of Housing Plus and is a member of the Regional Plan Association’s Connecticut Committee. Recognizing her impact, she was named to Crain’s New York’s 2018 Notable Women in Accounting and Consulting list, City & State’s 2019 Above and Beyond, City & State’s 2021 Community Engagement Power 50, and in 2023 she was named as a Leading Nonprofit Consultant by City & State.