Syreeta was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a city whose transition from blue-collar manufacturing to a service-oriented economy had left many of its citizens behind…especially those in the inner city. She always knew that a good education was her best way out.

“Tracked” in a program for gifted and talented students, she became involved in debating and public speaking in high school, and was chosen to serve on her school’s advisory council. She applied to—and was accepted by—seven top-notch universities. The first generation in her family to go to college, Syreeta chose Columbia. It was a choice made possible by federal financial aid.

During her undergraduate years, Syreeta studied policy analysis and social research. She was named a Kluge Scholar, in an enrichment program designed to benefit outstanding young adults from under-represented populations at the college—particularly African-American, Latino and Native American students—by enhancing their academic experience and providing exposure to a wide array of future options in their areas of interest.

Syreeta played an instrumental role in establishing the Civic Engagement Program on campus, which attempts to involve undergraduates in finding long-term solutions to problems in under-served communities. She also served as president of the Columbia College Student Council, secretary of the Black Student Organization and coeditor-in-chief of Roots and Culture, a literary and arts publication. Written by and for students of color, the magazine was created to provide a forum for discussion and the sharing of poetry, prose and the visual arts, including photography.

Currently director of the City of New York Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the largest municipal developer of affordable housing in the nation, Syreeta is responsible for overseeing $2.5 billion and facilitating the construction of 7,000 new units of housing. She is also is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in Sarah Lawrence College’s nationally recognized graduate creative writing program.

Over the years, she has continued her commitment to the arts and public service. From 1998 to 2001, she documented the New York City performance poetry scene on behalf of the Nuyorican Poets Café, one of the city’s most acclaimed arts organization.

Her photographic work has been featured in Roots and Culture magazine from 1995 to 2000; Slambook, a magazine featuring the year in review; at the Nuyorican Poet’s Café in 2000; A.I.R Gallery in 2000; the Blackout Arts Collective Showcase in 2001; Gallery 718 in 2003; South of the Navy Yard (SONYA) Studio Stroll in 2003 and 2004; and, most recently, at the Goloborotko Studio in Brooklyn.

A member of the Fort Greene Photography Organization in Brooklyn, Syreeta also serves on the board of the louderARTS Project, a new not-for-profit arts organization committed to developing challenging spaces for artists to create, critique, present and teach poetry.

Syreeta continues to balance her time between public service and the arts.