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Meet our Guest Speakers
Donovan RICHARDS
Prior to his election in February of 2013, Councilman Donovan Richards Jr. spent the last decade fighting to improve the lives of all New Yorkers. His diligence in public service led to a strong track record as a spokesperson and advocate. This long record of success and advocacy, along with his dedication to community, has led to his becoming representative of the 31st Council District. Since childhood, Councilman Richards has been committed to public service at home and abroad. He served with a mission in Port-a-Prince, Haiti on behalf of St. Albans Congregational Church. This trip was a turning point in his understanding of what it really means to serve the community. Although initially he admittedly had little interest in politics, a tragic circumstance soon led to a reevaluation of his priorities. In March of 2003, his childhood friend, Darnell Patterson, was fatally shot in front of his own home. Councilman Richards decided he wouldn’t let Darnell die in vain, and became a positive force in the community. Shortly after Darnell’s death, Councilman Richards attended a meeting hosted by the previous Councilman, James Sanders Jr., regarding gun violence in the community. His outspoken testimony at this forum caught the attention of the Council Member. He would join the former Council Member’s staff that November, where over the course of a decade, he would work in every capacity from intern to Chief of Staff. After he was elected as Councilman of the 31st District, Councilman Richards and his staff hit the ground running, with no intention of slowing down. Councilman Richards has already managed to achieve many major victories for his district; all while facing the enormous challenge of rebuilding the community post Hurricane Sandy. Councilman Richards called out New York City when the plan was to leave homeowners impacted by Hurricane Sandy without reimbursement, stood up to the MTA for planning to cut services during the recovery, and created the Sandy Tracker Bill legislation, designed to protect our city from the scams and transparency issues that have plagued other disaster recoveries. He won fierce budget battles that have protected daycare centers, afterschool programs, firehouses, and libraries from proposed closures. He has allocated extra funding to every school in the district and already brought a Workforce 1 Career Center to District 31. Councilman Donovan Richards has been a voice for the people of New York City’s 31st District. In 2014, Councilman Richards was appointed by Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito to chair the committee on Environmental Protection which will help shape policies to create a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable city. Moving forward, Councilman Richards looks forward to representing voters in Rosedale, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens and Far Rockaway in the New York City Council for years to come. |
Natasha JONES
Natasha Jones has served as a Youth Program Coordinator at The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center since May 2010. She served as a liaison between several community based organizations and the NYC Department of Education to provide children and families with support and guidance. At The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, Natasha provides supervision to staff overseeing the Peer Leadership Internship programming and continues to support young people in their educational and career goals, artistic creativity and development of their whole selves. |
Clara WALOFF
Clara Waloff is a community-based artist, educator, and researcher. She received her M.S. Ed in 2012 from Bank Street College of Education and her B.A. in 2004 from NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study. Clara has worked at El Puente since 2005, as Arts, Curriculum & Assessment Coordinator; Visual Art Facilitator; and Trainer for the Global Justice Institute. |
Amy CAROLL
Amy Carroll is the Deputy Director at the Center for Popular Democracy, where she coordinates the policy, research, and fundraising work on racial justice, workers’ rights, and immigrants’ rights campaigns across the country. Previously, she served as the Legal Director at Make the Road New York, a membership organization of more than 11,000 Latino immigrants in New York State. She is a lawyer, and specializes in employment, housing, and civil rights issues. |
Quentin WALCOTT
Quentin Walcott is a leading United States anti-violence activist, educator and writer. He is the Co-Executive Director of CONNECT, a New York City nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing interpersonal violence and promoting gender justice headquartered in New York. Walcott boldly pushes communities to redefine manhood by working to build a society that embraces equality, mutuality and rejects violence in communities as the status quo. Since 2000, he has worked tirelessly to address a critical part of the equation to ending violence against women: men. Walcott has developed and launched some of New York City’s only programs aimed at transforming bystanders - many of them being men, boys and batterers - into allies and activists against all forms of violence. Walcott’s groundbreaking has been recognized nationally and internationally. The United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women recently recognized him for his exemplary contributions to end violence against women. He was the first male to have received the esteemed NOW-NYC Susan B. Anthony Award. Walcott has also been commissioned by United States Vice President Joe Biden to facilitate events for National Domestic Violence Awareness |
Milan TAYLOR
Milan is skilled in the areas of community engagement, grass roots organizing, and youth advocacy. Milan has always been active in community organizing, having been appointed to Queens Community Board 14, attending various community meetings, and ultimately becoming aware of the glaring lack of youth participation in his community. Looking around, Milan realized there were few places where young people in the Rockaways could grow and learn to be great leaders. Therefore the vision of RYTF came to fruition - an advocacy organization created and ran by the youth of the Rockaways to properly address youth issues in the community. Having founded RYTF at just 21 years of age, Milan’s mettle as a community leader was tested only a year later, when Hurricane Sandy devastated the Rockaways in 2012. Along with his small team, Milan mobilized an extensive relief effort in his community, delivering supplies and hot meals to elderly citizens stranded in high-rise apartments throughout Rockaway, creating comprehensive delivery routes and amassing large supply caches. Milan’s leadership has been recognized by Black Entertainment Television (BET) during the 2013 BET Honors program, along side Lisa Leslie, Bishop TD Jakes and Halle Berry. Milan’s innovative approach to business, youth and technology has transcended the not-for-profit world, making him a sought-after expert |
Renée CROWLEY
Renée Crowley is a New York-based urban planner committed to social justice and sustainable development. She has been working at Fifth Avenue Committee for nearly three years, advancing programs in disaster recovery and housing development. Renée holds a Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning from Pratt Institute located in Brooklyn, New York. |
Jacqueline KENNEDY
As the Community Mobilization Coordinator at the Brownsville Partnership, Jacqueline facilitates community mobilization and engagement activities within the Brownsville community and serves as a liason between the Brownsville Partnership and the community. Jacqueline formally managed the resident leadership initiative, Community Planning Partner Program and now assists in coordinating residents leaders that are now full time Resource Specialists. Jacqueline’s interest in community development began in her own neighborhood, where she worked as an intern at a community-based not for profit organization. |