Meg Barnette

Who is Meg Barnette, Brad Lander Wife; Career, CFAR, Nonprofit New York

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Meg Barnette Biography

Meg Barnette is the wife of Brad Lander, the former New York City Comptroller and congressional candidate in New York’s 10th congressional district. Meg is a senior consultant at CFAR: Consulting and Coaching. She is a former chief executive officer at Nonprofit New York. She has had a long career in non-profit management, including stints at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York and the Brennan Center for Justice.

She was also a member of the Board of Directors for Women for Afghan Women, a grassroots, human rights organization dedicated to securing and protecting the rights of disenfranchised Afghan women and girls in Afghanistan and New York, particularly their rights to develop their individual potential, to self-determination, and to be represented in all areas of life: political, social, cultural, and economic.

Education

Meg is a graduate of the New York University School of Law, where she was a Root-Tilden Scholar earning a J.D. in Public Interest Law. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from the University of Chicago.

Career

Meg is a senior consultant at CFAR ( Center for Applied Research), a consulting firm. Before joining CFAR, she was the President & CEO of Nonprofit New York, a nationally recognized intermediary organization that champions over 700 nonprofits through capacity building and advocacy to build a more unified, just and powerful sector.

She has had a long career in non-profit management, focusing on social services, arts and culture, workforce development, healthcare, education, parks and open spaces, community organizing, and public policy advocacy, among others. She spent nine years at Planned Parenthood in New York City, serving in roles ranging from Vice President of Strategic Initiatives to Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel. She has also served as the Chief Operating Officer at the Brennan Center for Justice, as a founding member of the Community Development Venture Capital Alliance, and as a Skadden Fellow at the Lawyers Alliance for New York.

Meg Husband Brad Lander

Meg is married to Brad Lander, a former New York City Comptroller and congressional candidate in New York’s 10th congressional district. The couple has been together since 1989. According to Brad, they first met after each was invited as a “fifth wheel” on two couples’ double dates.

Brad Lander Children

They have two children together, a son, Marek Barnette, and a daughter, Rosa Lander. Marek is an advocacy manager at DREAM Academy, and Rosa is an investigator at Brooklyn Defender Services. Marek graduated from Clark University in 2021 with a Double Major in Management and Economics, with a focus on Data Science.

Who is Brad Lander

Brad Lander is a Jewish congressional candidate in New York’s 10th congressional district. He won the primary election against Dan Goldman. He is a former NYC Comptroller who served as chief financial officer. He is an investment advisor and custodian for the City’s public pension funds. He also serves as the City’s budget watchdog and chief accountability officer.

His team published the first detailed report on emergency shelter costs for asylum seekers and identified more effective strategies for addressing the humanitarian crisis. The office launched the Department of Correction Dashboard to provide much-needed transparency into City jails. And his initiative with Mayor Eric Adams to pay nonprofit human service providers on time has reduced nearly year-long payment delays.

Before being elected Comptroller, he spent 12 years in the City Council, where he co-founded the Council’s Progressive Caucus and won transformative changes to expand workers’ rights, secure tenant protections, create affordable housing, integrate and strengthen the district’s public schools, and make streets safer. He served previously as the director of the Fifth Avenue Committee and the Pratt Center for Community Development.

Brad Lander Arrest

On June 17, 2025, Brad was arrested at an immigration court after linking arms with a man authorities were attempting to detain. Before his arrest, he had told journalists that he was there to “accompany” some immigrants out of the building. Federal immigration officials are arresting immigrants outside immigration courtrooms after a judge grants a government request to dismiss their case, making them eligible for expedited removal.

In a statement released to the press, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Lander “was arrested for assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer. No one is above the law, and if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will face consequences.”

Meg is an organ Donor

In 2020, Meg donated one of her kidneys to her friend Joyce George.