A Bronx native, who is also a proud Yemeni American, works with the New York City Housing Authority to help improve the lives of tenants throughout the city.

Aden Munassar is an urban planner, mother and performing artist who is a proud Yemeni American.

"I grew up in a tight-knit community in the Bronx," says Munassar. "I'm proud to be an Arab American.'

As a senior advisor for the Capital Project Division and NYCHA, Munassar helps to improve conditions for the more than 300,00 families living in public housing through various construction and restoration projects.

"It's an honor and a privilege to work on behalf of NYCHA residents," says Munassar. "We have an incredible team of people, and we do the best we can with the resources that we have."

One of the upgrades was at the Castle Hill Houses. The NYCHA basketball court there recently underwent an $800,000 makeover.

Munassar is also an active member of the Bronx Muslim Center and the Muslim American Society. She says her longtime passion is performance art.

"I love theater through the Public Works Initiative, that's how I've done a lot of performance work," says Munassar. "I've been in a play that hopefully takes off."

Munassar says compared to when she was growing up, there's more cultural diversity in the Bronx.