Alexandria Sumpter-Delves, newly promoted Division Director of Youth Workforce where she oversees Queens Community Houses’ young adult workforce programs. Alexandria served as Program Director, for Queens Community Houses’ Young Adult Food Sector Initiative Project (Queens Connect) which provides young adults 18 -24 years of age with the essential skills
needed to succeed in the World of Food. Alexandria transitioned to Queens Community House from the City University of New York (CUNY) where she managed the training partnership between CUNY and the NYC Housing Recovery Office (HRO). Prior to working with CUNY, she served at the Police Athletic League (PAL), as a Manager of Training and Volunteer Services, where for nearly a decade she provided oversight of the Professional Development Committee, Training and Development Committee and developed the stand alone mentoring program, GirlTalk. Before joining PAL, she held a number of progressively responsible positions in youth development and community service at Safe Space, Public Allies New York, Common Cause New York, and Columbia University. Her career also includes work in fundraising, marketing, and public relations. She holds a BA in Communications and Psychology from CUNY.

Alliy Drago serves as the Executive Assistant to the President & CEO, as well as Trustee Liaison at the New-York Historical Society. Her duties include board management, high-level donor stewardship, event logistics, executing special projects, monitoring staff activity across all departments, and facilitating communication with elected officials and city, state, and federal agencies.

Raised in New Jersey near the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route, she joined New-York Historical in 2014 to pursue her passion for local history and interest in non-profit administration after a career in the performing arts. Alliy is a graduate of Syracuse University.

Amanda Walker is currently the Associate Director of After School Programs at Union Settlement.

Previously, from 1991, Amanda was a participant in one of Union Settlement’s after school programs. She would go on to start work in one of the middle school programs as the Program Director’s Assistant in 2008. In the following years, she gained experience and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, becoming a Site Supervisor in 2011 and then a Program Director in 2015.

Through her show of excellence in running program and always being an example and help to multiple programs, she was promoted to her current position where she oversees the operation of 10 afterschool programs.

Amber Davis is the Operations Manager of Herstory Writers Workshop, an organization
bringing unheard voices into the public arena, transforming lived experiences into written memoir powerful enough to change hearts, minds and policy. She provides programmatic and administrative support for writing workshops within the jails, school districts, and communities across Long Island and NYC. In her role, Amber is continuously working to strategize and implement ways to help sustain the infrastructure. She is committed to using writing as a tool for change with a deep desire to make the Black community stronger through divulging into the mental health stigma through her own writing. She comes from the world of investments and banking, previously employed at Bethpage Federal Credit Union and New York Community Bank. She currently serves as an active board member at CAY Community Services Organization, a Brooklyn based non profit providing individualized training and services in computer applications for individuals with special needs.

Amber holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Psychology from SUNY Old Westbury. She is currently completing her Masters of Business Administration at LIU Post, serving as a peer mentor to first year students and co-teaching in the Fall semester of 2019. She has also graduated from Herstory’s Facilitator training institute, completing her field placements working with young women incarcerated on Rikers Island and with students who have not succeeded in the traditional school setting through the Nassau BOCES Twilight program.

As Manager of Individual Giving and Stewardship at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI), Amy works closely with members of NYSCI’s President’s Council, as well as provides assistance in donor cultivation and the production of profile-raising events. Prior to this role, she was the Development Associate on the team for a little over two years. Amy holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from The New School, and currently resides in Queens with her family.

Angela Lee has worked in the non-profit sector for the last 10 years. She is currently the Human Resources Director at Callen-Lorde Community Health Center, the nation’s largest healthcare clinic dedicated to serving the LGBTQ community. Angela specializes in recruiting, staff development, and managing employee relations. She currently supervises a team of five HR staff. She is dedicated to creating and maintaining a diverse, sensitive and affirming environment for both patients and staff and she is currently working with a team of individuals to plan for Callen-Lorde’s expansion into Brooklyn in 2020. Angela received her B.A. from Brooklyn College.

Angie Carpio is currently the Director of Operations & Strategic Advancement at exalt, an educational internship program for court-involved youth. Prior to exalt, Angie worked at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice, where her portfolio included Raise the Age implementation, School Climate and Safety initiatives, and closing Rikers Island. She is passionate about criminal justice reform, and highlights organizational health as a valuable means to support changemaking.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and a Masters of Science in Nonprofit Management and Social Policy from the New School.

Arisly Rodriguez is the Senior Director of the Child Trauma Response Team Program at Safe Horizon. She graduated from New York University with her Master’s in Social Work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the state of New York. Arisly has over 9 years of experience working with children and their families whom have experienced some kind of trauma in their lives. She has worked within Safe Horizon for several years growing from a Case Manager to Clinical Forensic Specialist at the Child Advocacy Center. She was a Clinical Supervisor at Housing works,Inc then returned to Safe Horizon after 2 years where she has grown from a Clinical Director to now a Senior Director. Ms. Rodriguez has a passion to grow and support staff to excel in their own careers along with the desire to empower and support families through their traumatic experiences.

“Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed it means the damage no longer controls our lives.” -Unknown

Brooke has spent her career working in education and community outreach in New York City as well as South America. After graduating from Brown University in 2005, Brooke spent three years living in South America where she worked with Amnesty International and TransformeArte, researching human rights violations and organizing events and campaigns to raise awareness.

She returned to the United States and started working at Read Alliance, a nonprofit that pairs teen tutors with kindergarten and first-grade students who are struggling with reading. During her time at Read Alliance, Brooke created strong relationships with schools in all five boroughs of New York City and managed program quality which resulted in student growth in reading skills in addition to a positive change in the confidence and motivation levels of students and teen tutors. Most recently Brooke has been managing the daily and strategic plans for the operations of charter and parochial schools which has allowed her to create systems that maximize efficiency.

Brooke has been using her background in program management to continue to enhance programming at Generation Citizen in New York. She believes that every student needs the civic knowledge, skills, and support to use their voice to create a better future and reach their full potential.

Brooke enjoys being active and trying new activities such as surfing. She is constantly planning her next trip and believes that traveling is the best way to challenge yourself and get out of your comfort zone.

Carolyn Norton is the Director of the Tenant Rights Coalition at Bronx Legal Services, a program of Legal Services NYC, the largest civil legal services provider in the United States whose mission is to fight poverty and seek racial, social and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. As the director of the Bronx Tenant Rights Coalition, Carolyn leads a team of 16 attorneys and 6 paralegals to fight the displacement of low-income New Yorkers in rapidly gentrifying areas of the Bronx through affirmative litigation and coordination with grassroots community based organizations. Prior to becoming the Director of the Bronx Tenant Rights Coalition, Carolyn was a staff attorney in the Bronx Legal Services Housing Unit representing tenants in housing court proceedings and other forums. Before joining Bronx Legal Services, Carolyn was a staff attorney at both the Oregon Law Center in Portland, where she handled cases involving landlord-tenant disputes, discrimination in housing and employment and wage claims, and at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago where she practiced general poverty law representing public housing residents and domestic violence survivors. Immediately after law school, Carolyn clerked at the Chicago Immigration Court through the U.S. Department of Justice Attorney General’s Honors Program. Carolyn received a B.A. from the University of Dayton, a M.A from Loyola University Chicago and graduated with honors from DePaul University College of Law.

Cinthya is the Director of Human Resources for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). As the Director of HR, Cinthya oversees all HR functions for the organization to include recruiting, performance management, training and employee relations. Cinthya served 5 years in the United States Army as a Human Resources Specialist and deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 in support of OEF. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Saint Leo University and a Masters of Science in Human Resources Management and Labor Relations from the New York Institute of Technology.

Dawnette Samuels is the Manager of Admissions and Engagement at the Rubin Museum of Art. She is also a trained museum educator and leads tours for a wide range of audiences that includes K-12, adult, seniors, visitors with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, as well as visitors who are blind or partially sighted. She attended the Virginia Commonwealth University, with a focus on kinetic imagining and experimental video.

Donald currently serves as the Interim Director of Youth Development at HeartShare St. Vincent’s Services, a multifaceted nonprofit in Brooklyn, NY. In his current role, Donald coordinates programmatic efforts aimed at making positive and sustainable impacts on the lives of young adults in foster care. He has piloted several innovative programs to help bridge the gaps between youth in foster care and their non-foster care peers. His program expertise focuses on job readiness, independent living skills, reproductive health, advocacy, and resource acquisition. Additionally, Donald works as an Intensive Permanence Specialist where he helps young adults in foster care rebuild trust, heal trauma, and reconnect with family or other significant adults. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Binghamton University (SUNY) with a bachelor’s degree in human development and is currently pursuing an master’s of public administration at Baruch’s Marxe School of Public and International Affairs.

Ghadeer (Gigi) Ady is the Director of Community Health and Well-Being at the Arab-American Family Support Center (AAFSC). As director, she oversees the Reclaiming Our Health mental health initiative, which is focused on reducing the stigma on mental health and increasing access to services for the Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian communities. In addition to this initiative, she manages programming that addresses the intersections between gender, race, religion, and socioeconomic class. Prior to joining AAFSC, Gigi was a Global Health Corps Fellow, where she provided crisis intervention services and created comprehensive curricula for undeserved communities in the Newark, New Jersey area. She is passionate about social justice and health equity, using her experience to advocate for communities that have been exploited and marginalized. Gigi received a Dual Masters in Social Work and Public Health from the University of Southern California, and her Bachelor of Science in Health Science from California State University, Fullerton.

Jessie Kardos is the Senior Training Manager at Gibney, a performing arts and social justice non-profit organization based in Lower Manhattan. She curates and manages Gibney’s internationally recognized dance training programs encompassing weekly classes, special workshops, full-time training programs, and more. Jessie is passionate about quality dance education and professional development for pre-professional and professional dance artists, with the goal of building artists’ skills to in turn build the dance field of the future. Jessie graduated Magna Cum Laude from Tulane University with BA degrees in Dance and French. She has performed and presented work at various venues across New York City.

Kimberley Jackson-Brown is a Program Network Manager at LEAP. LEAP is a company that provides educational arts programming in New York City public schools to students who are underserved in the arts. As a Program Network Manager, she supports schools in her portfolio in District 10 and 12 in the Bronx. Kimberley works with Program Directors, Site Coordinator and Teaching Artist who impact students from K-8th grade. Kimberley grew up in Harlem and is a product of after school. She understands the importance of after school within a community and the impact it makes on the youth and families it serves. Her passion for Youth Development causes her to always strive for high quality programming and Kimberley believes that starts with the staff leading the program. Her commitment to creating a “How-to” Guide, that includes policies and procedures, high expectations for staff and students, as well as engaging arts programming for director’s to follow is where she would start with her intentional influence.

Within Kimberley’s role as Program Network Manager at LEAP, she has an opportunity to build deep partnerships with the schools and communities she works with. She works hard in helping create opportunities for students to access the arts and have the same opportunity regardless of their circumstance.

Kimberley lives in NYC and is married with three children. She enjoys reading, eating out, photography, crafting and reality TV. She and her husband are the LAST die hard Knick fans along with Spike Lee. Kimberley graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Psychology.

Kujegi Camara is a Bronx, NY native with roots from the Gambia. She currently works as the Community Education and Interfaith Program Coordinator at the Muslim Community Network. She is a recent graduate of the Immigrant Justice Corps Community Fellowship, where as a Department of Justice Accredited Representative, she provided direct legal services and representation to low-income African immigrant women and their families. Kujegi’s background is in research, migration studies, youth programming, interfaith organizing and community engagement. Kujegi is passionate about creating meaningful connections across different platforms, entities, and people. As a community education and interfaith program coordinator at MCN, Kujegi is excited to grow the organization’s interfaith program and to broaden the reach of its community education programs within NYC’s diverse Muslim communities. In her personal time, she performs and writes spoken word poetry and is co-founder and President of the Smiling Coast Women Empowerment Network, a grassroots initiative that mentors young West-African Muslim females and helps them on their journey towards college. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Princeton University.

Laura Walsh has spent the majority of her career leading diverse teams to create educational equity for underserved populations across NYC. Laura is currently the Senior Manager of Elementary Programs at DREAM, where she has piloted a successful Leaders in Training program that develops novice managers into non-profit leaders.

In her previous role, Laura worked as a consultant trainer to the NYCDOE and trained their universal literacy coaches on a 1:1 Literacy intervention program. Laura has done extensive work in the development of Professional Developments for school leaders, teachers, para professionals, and youth workers. Laura has presented at National Conferences, most recently presenting on how to incorporate the principles of Adult Learning Theory into your summer institutes at the National Summer Learning Conference 2018.

She has a Masters of Science in Special Education and Literacy from St. John’s Univer

Marcos Clander is the Youth Development Director for Read Alliance. Marcos has been the Youth Development Director since 2017, but has been with Read Alliance since 2014. Marcos graduated from Stony Brook University in 2007 with a B.A in Sociology, with a concentration in Psychology. Currently, Marcos is working towards the continued development of Read Alliance’s Teen Leadership Program. The Teen Leadership Program designed to engage Teen Leaders by offering resources and tools for success in school and in life.

Morgan Siegel is a licensed bilingual therapist currently serving as the Mental Health Counseling Coordinator at Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) a multi-service community based organization in Washington Heights aimed at supporting clients from crisis to self-sufficiency. Morgan received a Master’s Degree in Psychological Counseling and a Certificate in Bilingual Latinx Mental Health Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University. Morgan spent 27 months serving abroad as a Peace Corps Volunteer in host country Perú, where she gained a rich knowledge and appreciation for culture in everyday practice and interactions. Morgan’s passions are examining bias, multicultural training of staff, reflective supervision techniques, and utilization of culturally competent and appropriate interventions in healing settings.

In 2011, Nicole earned her B.A. in Global Studies Business/Economics from Providence College. Upon graduation, she returned to her home state of Vermont to spend two years serving as an AmeriCorps with the Champlain Housing Trust, the largest community land trust in the nation. While working in CHT’s Shared Equity Program, she developed her passion for affordable housing and innovative models of program delivery. In 2014, Nicole joined the Center for NYC Neighborhoods as a Call Center Representative. Since then, she has grown into her role of Deputy Director of the Center’s Homeowner Hub. As Deputy of the Hub, Nicole leads the team that provides rapid services and support to homeowners statewide. Crucial to the delivery of the Center’s programs, the Hub handles disaster recovery, coastal resiliency, mortgage assistance, foreclosure prevention, and more. Throughout her career, Nicole has never been afraid to roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty to learn something inside and out. She recently completed a dual certificate program with Cornell in Project Management and Project Leadership and plans to sit for her PmP certification exam in the fall.

Dr. Samarth Joseph is a native of Haiti. She came to the US when she was 17 years old. In June 1997, she graduated from Westbury High School. Joseph earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in French from SUNY Fredonia in 2001. Upon graduating from SUNY Fredonia, she went on to earn a Master’s degree in International Business and an MBA degree at D’Youville University in 2003. For three years, she worked as an Executive Director for the After-School Corporation where she:

• Developed academic after-school programs for 70 after-school sites. For instance, Choir Academy of Harlem (CAH) was one of the sites Dr. Joseph Managed, students passed grade increased, and parents were satisfied with the results. For grade 12 English Regents’ scores rose from 13% to 78% and Math Level 3 scores from 7% to 47%; contributed to the school being ranked number one in grade 5 Math for Regions 5 and 10, and number one in the district and Region 10 for English Language Arts and Reading.
• Built from scratch curriculums of academic and recreational classes to assist minority students struggling with Math and English; introduced innovative learning tools, directly hired teachers, managed and tracked teaching performance.
• Reduced epidemic truancy to zero after one year by developing amongst both CAH students and staff a respect for discipline and accountability; wooed parents with a monthly appreciation day and encouraged their full involvement.
• Taught CAH parents and staff how to prepare students for college from the 6th grade and increased percentage of students applying to college from 55% to 100%.

Joseph felt from an early age to reach the highest level in education, and in the Fall 2006, she was accepted in a Ph.D. program at the University at Buffalo. Where she earned a dual degree in International Economics and Business Development in May 7, 2010. As a McNair alumnus from SUNY Fredonia, and D’Youville University, Joseph was honored for many outstanding achievements. Of particular note, she was chosen from 127 nominees for the 2009 Ethnic Geography Specialty Group Award. She also received the leadership award from New York City Department of Education. In December 18, 2014, Dr. Joseph was one of the New Leaders Award recipients from the Town of North Hempstead. In addition, in October 10, 2015, Dr. Joseph’s community work was honored by the New York State Assembly, the Long Island 2015 Somos El Futuro “We Are The Future” Convention. Also, on Saturday, October 21, 2017, Dr. Joseph received the Alumni of Distinction Award from The Westbury Union Free School District. She is a lifetime member of the Empire Who’s Who Executive and Professional, lifetime member of the United Nations Association and a lifetime member of the Epsilon Rho Chapter. Dr. Samarth Joseph is also a New York State Chaplain Task Force member, a member of Caribbean Philosophical Society and a member of the American Association of Geographers. Also, Dr. Joseph is a board member Advantage Care Inc. and the Westbury and Carle Place Chamber of Commerce.

In addition, Dr. Joseph taught at various institutions from elementary to graduate school level. She is currently an adjunct professor at Suffolk Community College. Dr. Joseph had the opportunity to speak at various events. For instance, In July 8, 2007, she was one of the speakers at the Global Third Way called “Becoming One with the Environment” that was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. In June 14, 2008, she was a guest speaker at the Third Annual Global Forum called “Miracles of Development: Good governance and capacity Building” that was held at the World Bank, Washington, DC. Furthermore, in August 13, 2009, she spoke at the Caribbean Philosophical Association Conference called “Shifting the Geography of Reason: Migration and Diaspora” that was held at the University of Miami. In addition, she was one of the speakers for African, Latino, Asian, Native American (ALANA) graduation ceremony in May 7, 2010. In July 18, 2010, Dr. Joseph was one of the guest speakers at the National Conference of McNair Scholars in Washington, DC. In May 24, 2014, Dr. Joseph was the guest speaker at the Christian Hands’ Fundraising event. Dr. Joseph also spoke at various churches including the Victory Temple church in Buffalo, NY, and Ebenezer Haitian Baptist Church and Bethany SDA church in Westbury, NY.

Dr. Joseph published several scholarly articles in various scholarly journals. Dr. Joseph is a hard working young woman. Currently, she is working on her book entitled “It’s Not Over Yet,” in which she shares her life story. This book will be published in December 2020.

Dr. Joseph’s goal is to help the unfortunate. On that note, in May 7, 2012, she founded ESPOIR YOUTH PROGRAM, Inc. to provide educational services to under-privileged youth in the United States, specifically in Westbury, New York. ESPOIR, meaning “hope” for seven years, has been spreading hope in the US and abroad. ESPOIR has served 1,350 youth throughout long Island and has distributed more than 701,000 pounds of food to 18,000 people in Westbury, NY. Internationally, ESPOIR has been provided educational services for 60 children in Haiti, and planned to provide educational services for 80 children in Jamaica in 2020. ESPOIR will continue to give hope to the youth as it continues to fix its eyes above.

Sarah Dougherty is the program manager for the Waterfront Alliance’s WEDG (Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines) program. WEDG is a LEED-like system promoting resilient, accessible, and ecologically-sound waterfront development, as well as a tool for communities to have a stronger voice in shaping their waterfronts. Sarah’s interest in urban resilience began as a Civic Corps volunteer for NYC Parks’ MillionTreesNYC initiative, and has since led her to study how environmentally-focused resiliency initiatives can increase community engagement and improve social equity in coastal urban communities– from New York City to international contexts (primarily Indonesia). She holds a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Kenyon College.

Sindri is the Managing Director for Green City Force, where she oversees the people, administrative, and operations functions of the organization. Her work at Green City Force is powered by the belief that those closest to the issues have the best solutions, and she is passionate about connecting people to resources and training that bring out their best.

Throughout her professional experiences, Sindri has sough opportunities to advance progressive causes. She previously served as the Chief of Staff for New York City Council Member Ritchie Torres, where she directed all aspects of the legislative, communications, and administrative operations. She also managed a $5.75 million-dollar budget for community resources and capital improvements. Sindri brings four years of experience working as a policy analyst and strategic partnerships coordinator for SEIU Local 32BJ, where she advanced policies to improve labor standards in major cities across the East Coast, and spearheaded their campaign to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Sindri holds an MPA from Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service at New York University, and a BA in Political Science from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Tanasha Driver has been a Head of Supervision at Crisis Text Line since 2018. Over the past 5 years she has had the opportunity to work with a diversified population of individuals. Some of her previous managerial experiences have included working with children, college aged students, MSW interns, as well as Mental Health professionals. Within her current role she is able to help de-stigmatize mental health while using data to shape and form policy within the field.

As the Senior Director of Programs at Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America, Tara Gellene oversees all components of the LEDA Scholars program, which provides leadership development, academic preparation, college access and success support to talented student leaders from under-resourced communities across the U.S. In addition to managing the program teams, Tara leads all curriculum development, tracking, and evaluation. Her passion is promoting and celebrating excellence in her students and colleagues. Tara holds a B.A. from Stanford University in English and Creative Writing as well as an M.A. and M.Phil from Columbia University in English and Comparative Literature.