Founder & Unpaid Acting Executive Director
Co-Founder
Board Chairperson
Perkins Broker Group, LLC
Board Vice Chairperson
J.P. Morgan Chase
Board Treasurer
Retired CPA
Board Secretary
WABC TV
Retired New York State Supreme Court Justice
Professor of Medicine, UCLA Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research
Board Program Manager
Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science
Dental Angels
Educator, Broward County School District
Former President of the Sierra Club
President of Egg Geo
President and CEO, TruFund Financial Services, Inc.
Retired Abbott Laboratories
NHB Planning Group-Principal
ArcSource Group
Vice President at TRC Companies
Senior Counsel at Mastercard Inc.
New Yorkers for Clean Power & IBM Research
Associate General Counsel’s Managing Director for Strategic Partnership out of the Office of the President at Microsoft
Division Chief at USAID
Director of Advocacy & Organizing of Association for Energy Affordability
CEO and Co-founder of Silicon Harlem
President at Dack Consulting Solutions, Inc.
Executive Director of the Pace Energy and Climate Center at Pace University’s Haub School of Law
Program Director
Community Marketing Manager
Accountant
Attorney
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Dr. Diana Williams and her partner are the founders of Comrie Enterprises, LLC, and the Environmental Leaders of Color (ELOC). Comrie was initially formed in 2001 as a consulting company focusing on low to middle-income communities’ energy needs. Back then, it was clear that energy cost was financially extreme by community-based organizations offering housing to middle and low-income tenants. Comrie was born out of a need to lower these energy costs by outfitting buildings with energy efficiency installs. A long-time clean energy advocate, Dr. Williams was enthralled when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced New York State’s conversion from fossil fuel to green energy. She has written articles about the advent of clean energy and its availability for Westchester County minority communities. After receiving her Building Performance Institute Certification as a Multifamily Building Analyst in 2009, she has engaged in energy conservation projects as an NYSERDA Multifamily Building Solutions certified partner and a former Energize NY accredited partner.
Before creating Comrie, Diana was the Executive Director of the Doctors Council, the largest doctor’s union in the US. She spent several years as a dentist in Harlem, New Rochelle, and Portchester, New York. She earned an undergraduate degree B. A from New York University, a DDS from Howard University College of Dentistry, and an MBA from the University of Bridgeport. Dr. Williams completed her internship and residency in General Dentistry at Columbia University College of Dentistry.
Throughout her career, Diana has had a passion for serving the needs of marginalized communities. With more than three decades (36 years) of community relations and advocacy experience, Diana advocated for a transparent healthcare system in New York State that is available and accessible to all residents. She has organized campaigns to raise money and save medical services and facilities for vulnerable New York City residents. In 1985, Diana discovered Central Harlem did not have the appropriate dental federal designation to receive federal funds. So, she single-handedly initiated the process of bringing substantial federal funds into the area.
Along with fellow concerned residents, Dr. Williams formed ELOC. This organization advocates and educates socially and economically vulnerable communities about climate change, its impact on their lives, and career opportunities in the sustainable and green energy sector.
Her affiliations include the Westchester Land Trust – Board of Directors; Commission on the Public’s Health System – Former Board Member; Coordinating Committee, American Medical Informatics Association – Former Member, the National Society of Certified Healthcare Consultants – Former Member; American College of Healthcare Executives – Former Member; Diversity Alliance for Science – Former Member, Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association – Former Member and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority – Arbitrator. Her publications include Wessler Judy, Diana Williams, and Sandra Opdyke. “CHCCDP: Are We Getting Our Money’s Worth? Monitoring the Use of Community Health Care Conversion Demonstration Project Funds.” Commission on the Public’s Health System, 2003.
Frank Perkins founded Perkins Broker Group, LLC, a broker, strategic business development, and marketing firm, in 2000. His firm specializes in strategic marketing, business development, and building world-class teams with experience and resources to bridge the gap between concepts and solutions. Frank guides client businesses of all sizes through business development for rapidly changing markets, assisting them in identifying sales opportunities for existing products and services by calling on tools he perfected in his extensive corporate experience.
As a Director at Qwest, Frank developed positive relationships with the labor union that significantly enhanced organizational cooperation and outcomes, improving productivity by 30%. He created and expanded new-business opportunities within 3M. He analyzed market feasibility, assembled multi-functional teams, and achieved compounded annual growth of 20%, with profitability exceeding 25%. Frank also brings over twenty years of experience in the global marketplace, developing new businesses and strategically positioning existing businesses to win. He holds a BS degree in Marketing from Norfolk State University and a MBA from Atlanta University.
Randall Hayden is a Business Transformation Specialist with over 35 years’ experience in Operations, Program, Project and Product Management providing comprehensive solutions resolving business, operations and system development issues. Randall currently serves as a Vice President of Product Management at J.P. Morgan Chase directing the payment channel delivery and commercial growth of Virtual Solutions for Global Liquidity Management. Upon returning to J.P Morgan Chase he directed the strategic reengineering of the resolution and recovery global regulatory reporting program that provides data to global financial regulatory authorities. Randall started his career at J.P. Morgan in Global Operations where he reengineered and managed a $1B global liquidity operation and technology platform. During his career he has worked with Deutsche Bank, HypoVereinsbank, Merck-Medco, Standard Charter Bank and Wells Fargo. Randall has a BA degree in economics from Hamilton College
Supreme Court Justice Sam D. Walker is a graduate of Herbert H. Lehman College (C.U.N.Y.), Bronx, New York, and Howard University School of Law. Throughout his legal career, he has worked as an attorney, specializing in patent law, and as a judge. Justice Walker was employed at General Foods Corporation as a Patent Attorney and attained partnership within the Law Department. As a judge, he served as City Court Judge for the City of Mount Vernon and Associate Family Court Judge presiding in the City of Yonkers. In November 2002, Justice Walker was elected to the Westchester County Court and was the first Democrat of color to be elected to a Countywide position in the history of Westchester County. Years later, Justice Walker was elected to the New York State Supreme Court, where he served from 2005 to 2009. He presided over the Westchester County Integrated Domestic Violence Court, handling highly sensitive matrimonial, criminal, and family court cases. Justice Walker was also the Supervising Judge of the City Courts in the 9th Judicial District, including Westchester, Orange, and Duchess Counties.
Justice Walker is a past president of the Westchester County Bar Association. He was the first person of color to lead that organization in its 106-year history. He was a member of the Board of Visitors of Pace University School of Law for several years and a former member of the Grievance (Disciplinary) Committee for the 9th Judicial District of the Second Department. Justice Walker completed four terms in the House of Delegates for the New York State Bar Association and served two terms in the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association. He was a past president of the Westchester Black Bar Association and maintained membership in that and several other bar associations. He was also a member of the Board of Directors for Westchester Legal Services (Legal Services of the Hudson Valley) and an original board member for Food Patch (People Allied to Combat Hunger), among other organizations.
Justice Walker constantly seeks ways to help people experiencing poverty and less fortunate navigate the legal system. He is dedicated to assisting young people in avoiding the entrapment of drug use and other crimes. He has addressed these issues with young people in churches, schools, and other organizations. He always emphasizes the importance of education and encourages nonviolent means for resolving disputes. Justice Walker possesses an excellent judicial temperament, which allows him to resolve disputes expeditiously. His greatest strength is his sensitivity to issues affecting those who feel alienated and helpless within our justice system. He can assure them that the issues before the Court will be resolved impartially and efficiently. His goal is to make the Courts more “people sensitive.”
Keith C. Norris, MD, Ph.D., is Professor of Medicine, UCLA Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research.
Dr. Keith C. Norris is an internationally recognized clinician-scientist and health policy leader who has been instrumental in shaping national health policy and clinical practice guidelines in the area of kidney disease. He has been one of the most highly funded National Institutes of Health (NIH) investigators in the nation, and one of the most highly cited scientists in the world in the area of chronic kidney disease and health disparities. He has been a powerful advocate for minority institutions and served for 7 years as the president of the Research Centers in Minority Institutions Program Association.
After leaving Cornell in 1976 at the age of 19, he attended Howard University College of Medicine. Upon graduation in 1980, he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He then completed his residency training and chief residency in internal medicine. From 1983-86, he trained in nephrology at the combined West Los Angeles Veterans Administration-UCLA program. In addition to being board-certified in internal medicine and nephrology, he is an American Society of Hypertension, Specialist in Clinical Hypertension. In 2014 he received his doctorate in religious, spiritual, and metaphysical philosophy. After serving as Executive VP for Research and Health Affairs and Interim President at Charles Drew University he returned to UCLA as a Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute Community Engagement Research Program.
In 1995, he was selected to join the inaugural National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative, where he worked for a decade helping to transform practice guidelines and national health policy for patients with chronic kidney disease. He was also a founding member of the CMS ESRD continuous Performance Measures workgroup. He presently serves as a member of the NKF Kidney Early Evaluation Program (KEEP) executive committee, the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) Medical Advisory Board, and the ESRD Network 3 Medical Review Board. He is a member of the NIDDK-United States Renal Data System advisory board. He also serves as an advisor to pharmaceutical and dialysis companies.
His research interests focus on hypertension and chronic kidney disease in disadvantaged populations. Other research areas include the role of Vitamin D and oxidative stress in health disparities, and enhancing community-academic partnerships. He was the 1 of 19 Principal Investigators for the multi-site NIH-funded African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK) and the AASK Cohort Study, the largest comparative drug intervention trial focusing on renal outcomes conducted in African Americans. Dr. Norris was the founding Principal Investigator for the first national translational research network dedicated to reducing health disparities, the NIH-RCMI Translational Research Network.
He has extensive experience in patient recruitment and retention and community-partnered research within the South Los Angeles community. With his community partners, he created the nation’s first community faculty track at a medical school as a novel strategy to leverage community expertise to inculcate social determinants into health professional research and education.
Dr. Norris has received numerous honors and awards from students, peers, community, and professional organizations. He has co-authored over 290 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 25 textbook chapters, and over 260 scientific abstracts. He currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Ethnicity and Disease, a multidisciplinary journal focusing on minority ethnic population differences in health promotion and disease prevention, including research in the areas of epidemiology, genetics, health services, social biology, and medical anthropology. He also serves as an associate editor for the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
Mr. Rickey Petty retired from the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science in June 2020. He was the program manager for the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility’s Aerial Vehicle Program and the Global Change Education Program (GCEP). Since beginning at DOE in 1994, he became program manager for the Atmospheric Science Program, which conducts its research through modeling, laboratory, and field studies. In 2006, DOE, along with the National Science Foundation, NASA, and a host of international science agencies and researchers, conducted a field study in Mexico City examining aerosols and their climate-forcing properties on air quality. Before working at DOE, Mr. Petty was Project Meteorologist in the private sector with the NUS Corporation for various nuclear power plant facilities. He provided meteorological modeling assessments of atmospheric dispersion releases and generated meteorological input to various environmental impact statements addressing spent nuclear fuel repository scenarios.
In 1977, while at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Long Island, New York, he provided meteorological forecast support for the on-site Laboratory and Suffolk County areas. Additionally, he collected and analyzed data acquired during field experiments addressing air-sea interactions and power plant pollution studies. He participated in research activities analyzing acid rain data in the Northeastern United States.
Mr. Petty has a Bachelor of Science in Atmospheric Science from the State University of New York at Albany 1975. Under the direction of Dr. Volker Mohnen, his research advisor, conducted research addressing urban air quality to assess the impact of auto exhaust on the urban environment. The research used a high-volume air sampler for collection and the University’s Nuclear Accelerator Laboratory for analysis. He is a member of the American Meteorological Society (AMS), the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Dr Gloria Clarke is a native of New York and attended schools in Brooklyn and Long Island. She graduated from Hofstra University and Howard University College of Dentistry in 1983. Dr Clarke did a General Practice Residency at Columbia Univ/ Harlem Hospital. She started private practice in Harlem and was a staff Attending at Sydenham/ Harlem Hospital. Dr Clarke relocated to Atlanta, Ga in 1998 where she has been in private practice. Dr Clarke started Atlanta’s Dental Angels, an annual event that organized an army of volunteer dental professionals to support a day of free dentistry. In addition, she was a long-time volunteer at Atlanta’s free dental clinic. Dr Clarke is married, has 3 adult children, and her hobbies are boating and travel.
Dr. (Hon) Aaron Mair is a retired New York State public health epidemiological-spatial analyst, environmentalist, and 57th national president of the Sierra Club with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for his international climate work from the State University of New York at Binghamton. Dr. Mair is the Adirondack Council’s “Wilderness Campaign Director” responsible for connecting all New Yorkers to the nation’s largest environmental treasure. As a national environmental justice movement pioneer, founder, and activist of the Arbor Hill, NY community in Albany, he was responsible for the creation of the W. Haywood Burns Environmental Education Center and the Arbor Hill Environmental Justice Corporation.
He currently lives in Schenectady, New York and works for the Adirondack Council. Strategic leader with a record of success directing programs and campaigns for social change. Background includes strategy, external affairs, brand development, and movement building. Strong operations and management experience. Experienced in working with diverse groups with differing agendas. Accomplished advisor, and coach. Recognized for project management, facilitation, initiative, collaboration, and inclusive leadership. Critical thinker with dedication to ongoing learning and development.
Mair was elected president of the Sierra Club on May 16, 2015, and was the organization’s first African-American president. Mair has been a life member of the Sierra Club since 1999. Since that time, he has held many leadership positions with the Sierra Club: National Environmental Justice and Community Partnerships Chair 2010–present; National Diversity Council 2008-2010. New York Atlantic Chapter Chair 2003-2004; International Human Rights/Environment 2003–present; Environmental Justice 2002-2008; Wilderness, Water Quality/Habitats 2006- 2011.
He is a graduate of Binghamton University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in History and Sociology and a certificate in Southwest Asia and North Africa Studies. Mair also trained at Rhode Island’s Naval Education and Training Center and attended The American University in Cairo. He participated in Binghamton University’s Political Science Doctoral Program, but left the program to begin State service in 1988.
In 1995, Mair founded the Arbor Hill Environmental Justice Corporation, which was a member of the White House Council on Environmental Quality from 1998 to 2000. He also founded, served as board member, and lectured at the W. Haywood Burns Environmental Education Center in the Albany Capital region of New York. In 1999, Mair was a founding member of Friends of Clean Hudson. In 2000, Mair received an EPA Environmental Quality Award for cleanup of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on the Hudson River. Mair also served as a board member at the New York League of Conservation Voters in 2000. Internationally, Mair has participated in the United Nations Climate Change “COP” Conferences since 2015 – 2028. Aaron Mair (He/Him/His) Adirondack Wilderness Campaign Director “Clean Water, Jobs and Wilderness”
Amair@adirondackcouncil.org
www.AdirondackCouncil.org
Twitter: @ADK_Mair
Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-mair-554508a/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HighSierraAaron
James H. Bason is an experienced financial executive with a 30-year history of providing comprehensive lending management and community development expertise. Currently, President and CEO of TruFund Financial Services a 501(c)(3) National Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) whose mission is to promote and foster economic development in underserved communities and among disadvantaged populations. A vital component of TruFund’s mission is to serve minority, women, and/or immigrant entrepreneurs as they represent economically disadvantaged populations and those traditionally disconnected from mainstream financial institutions as well as small business owners who are located within or have employees who reside in low or moderate-income (LMI) communities.
TruFund is headquartered in New York City and has offices in Birmingham Alabama, New Orleans & Baton Rouge Louisiana, and Houston Texas.
He earned a B.S. in Business Administration from the State University of New York at Oswego, a Banking Diploma in Finance from the American Institute of Banking, and a Master’s Degree in Non-Profit Leadership and Management from Fordham University.
He completed his Formal Bank Credit Training Program at the Bank of New York. He has also completed an Industry Sponsored Leadership Development Program for Community Development Financial Executives at Wharton University.
James serves as a member of the Morgan Stanley New Market Tax Credit Governing Board, A Commissioner on the Greenburgh Housing Authority Board, The New York City Housing Partnership Board, The Mt Hope Community Development Corporation Board and The Board of Directors of Pursuit (formerly New York Business Development Corporation) where he serves as Chair of the Audit Committee.
James is a proud father of three sons and one grandchild. James enjoys sports, particularly golf, reading leadership development books, teaching TruFund’s next-generation leadership development program as well as leading community and faith-based financial literacy and economic development programs.
Maurice Jackson is the Mid-West District Sales Manager at Abbott Laboratories. Maurice started his career as a Draftsman in the Civil Engineering department at the Oklahoma Natural Gas Company in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Later, he moved to the civil engineering and professional land surveying companies: Smith-Roberts & Associates and the Smith-Roberts Resources Groups as Marketing Director, subsequently serving as Vice-President of Marketing.
Maurice has worked for multiple pharmaceutical companies, including Novartis, Merck & Company (USHH), UCB Pharma, and Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, before joining Abbotts sales leadership team Laboratories (ANPD). His tenure across the pharmaceutical sales industry has spanned nearly three decades of leadership and sales experience across nine states.
While living and working in Oklahoma City, Maurice coordinated and ran a youth mentorship program. He exposed minority elementary and high school-aged students to a broad array of professional careers by hosting guest speakers and serving as an experienced mentor.
Maurice began his studies as an architectural engineer and completed his BS in Marketing from Oklahoma City University. He resides in Missouri with his wife and two children.
Nanette is an Urban and Environmental Planning Consultant with a practice throughout the Hudson Valley. Her practice includes engaging with public and private sector clients involving community master plans, contemporary zoning applications, downtown revitalization plans, and land use and corridor plans. Nanette has managed multi-disciplinary development projects throughout Westchester County such as the mixed-use project “Hamilton Green” in downtown White Plains, a new Family Courthouse for Westchester County in downtown New Rochelle, and Tuxedo Farms, a 1,700-acre Master Planned Community in the Town of Tuxedo. For the public sector, Nanette was part of a team that prepared a National Register Eligibility submission to New York State successfully requesting that the Hutchinson River Parkway be designated a historically significant parkway, and as the Village Planning Consultant to the Village of Pelham she managed the entitlements needed to construct a mixed-use transit-oriented development project in exchange for the construction of a new 27,545 square foot municipal center for fire, police and Village administration.
Nanette graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Psychology from UCLA and a Masters in Urban & Regional Planning from the University of Southern California (USC). Nanette is on the board of a number of community organizations such as the NY State League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV), Westchester Land Trust, Westchester Parks Foundation, and Bridges to Community.
Dr. Sandra Williams attended Cornell University Medical College. After completing an internship in Internal Medicine at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, she completed an active duty tour in the United States Navy. Subsequently, she completed Internal Medicine residency training at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and after a Chief Residency year, she completed a fellowship in Endocrinology and Metabolism.
Dr. Williams is well-recognized as an exceptional clinician and garners some of the highest patient satisfaction ratings. She has held clinical positions in multiple venues, including Cleveland Clinic, Florida. Additionally, Dr. Williams is also actively involved in scholarly pursuits. She has published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association and the Annals of Internal Medicine.
In 2013 Dr. Williams deployed to Afghanistan as a medical officer in the United States Navy. There she served as the Department Head of the Intermediate Care Ward of a NATO military combat hospital. After a 22year commitment, in 2021, Dr. Williams retired from the United States Navy Reserves, having attained the rank of CAPTAIN.
Among her other passions is the education of medical trainees. She has previously served as core faculty of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at the Cleveland Clinic, Florida, where she expended tremendous efforts to impact the training and mentoring of the residents positively. She has mentored several residents through the completion of research projects and preparing abstracts for submission to scientific meetings. In recognition of her efforts, she has been an invited judge for the poster session of the Florida chapter of the American College of Physicians Residents and Medical Student Meetings. She has earned a fellowship to the national organization.
Dr. Williams has received multiple awards and distinctions, including the Navy Commendation Medal, the Humanitarian Award of the Women’s Professional Staff Association of the Cleveland Clinic, and an award to recognize her “Outstanding Contributions to the Education of Internal Medicine Residents at the Cleveland Clinic Florida.”
Mr. Baldwin serves as a Vice President at TRC Companies. Mr. Baldwin is a results-driven, dynamic leader with over 15 years of experience managing energy and information technology initiatives in the public and private sectors. Mr. Baldwin believes that teamwork, innovation, and continuous improvement lead to growth and customer satisfaction. Currently, Mr. Baldwin leads the client acquisition and development team for TRC’s Advanced Energy group.
Before joining TRC, Mr. Baldwin served as senior program manager for Lockheed Martin Energy. In addition to his program work, Mr. Baldwin has also served as capture manager, technical lead, and subject matter expert on numerous winning proposals. He is proficient in program management, staff leadership and development, and process improvement.
Mr. Baldwin’s program and proposal activities have led to him receiving numerous accolades. In 2010 and 2012, Mr. Baldwin was selected as a Lockheed Martin Excellence in Leadership Award winner. In 2013, Mr. Baldwin was selected as a Network Journal Magazine 40 Under Forty Honoree.
Before joining Lockheed Martin in 2004, Mr. Baldwin served as an Associate at the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton. While at Booz Allen, he participated in Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service programs. Before joining Booz Allen Hamilton, Mr. Baldwin served as a project manager for AYB.com.
Mr. Baldwin holds a BA from the University of Maryland, College Park, an ALM from Harvard University, and is a Lockheed Martin Program Management Development Program graduate.
Bruce Jackson is an Associate General Counsel/strategic business advisor with over 32 years of experience assisting public and privately held companies including Financial Services, Health and Life Science, Public Sector, and Entertainment companies grow their businesses. Bruce’s career reflects a demonstrated track record in supporting successful large-scale transformation and executing digital transformation transactions in domestic and global markets. He has been successful in helping customers in regulated industries meet their regulatory requirements when migrating to the cloud. He is credited for helping to remove blockers to help both financial and professional service companies move to the cloud. He brings a broad range of skills including, technical, leadership, business management, and creative thinking. He also brings deep privacy and security experience through his work with customers’ migration to the cloud.
Currently, Bruce is the Associate General Counsel’s Managing Director for Strategic Partnership out of the Office of the President at Microsoft. His key responsibilities include corporate and public-private partnerships. He is helping the company bring to life its mission with technology, skills, and a focus on employability to drive sustainable social impact and economic opportunity for all. He also supports Microsoft’s government affairs and corporate citizenship initiatives with a commitment to serve communities in the New York metropolitan area. Previously, Bruce served as the Associate General Counsel/business advisor of Microsoft’s Regulated Industries Group with over $15B in sales. Bruce has been significantly involved in executing multiple contracts, including some of the largest and most significant in the company’s history. He has also supported several enterprise-wide transformation initiatives focused on enabling companies to reach their business potential. Bruce was the founding and managing partner of a successful entertainment law firm where he was responsible for all aspects of budgeting, planning, accounting, marketing, and client development. However, Bruce started his career as a tax attorney where he advised corporate clients.
He currently serves on Mayor Eric Adams’ Corporate Council committee. He is also a member of the advisor Board for the National Association of Women and minority Law Firm and previously served on not-for-profit boards including Henry Street Settlement where he served on the Technology Committee. He was also appointed by Governor Patterson to New York State’s Advisory Council on Interactive Media and Youth Violence.
Bruce is also a passionate proponent for Diversity and Inclusion. Bruce’s personal commitment to diversity, inclusion, community, and youth is demonstrated through his numerous civic activities and non-profit board membership. He received numerous internal and external awards and honors including, but not limited to, an industry best practice award by the ABA. He is a founding Member of Microsoft’s diversity committee. He also presented several times to the Financial Service Committee, Chaired by Congresswoman Maxine Waters, on Diversity and Inclusion. Bruce received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Hofstra University and a JD and an LL.M in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center.
Amatullah R’id is a Division Chief at the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bureau for Development, Democracy and Innovation (DDI) where she oversees the performance, evaluation, and knowledge management for the largest bureau within the agency. She previously served as the Acting Division Chief and Senior Strategic planning professional overseeing the budget formulation, strategic planning, and monitoring and evaluation functions for the Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and Environment (E3).
Before joining USAID, she worked as a Team Leader for the US EPA’s Office of Budget where she was responsible for working with U.S. congressional staffers, White House staff and EPA program offices to formulate the budget for the Office of the Administrator and Office of General Counsel. She has won over 15 awards for her consistent contribution to improving the organizations that she leads or supports. Amatullah has served on the board and leadership teams of several Washington, DC organizations including emPower Magazine and Capital Cause. She is also a Certified Financial Education Instructor with a heart for educating the undereducated. She planned the premier Community Finance Bootcamp which led to over 100 DC and MD residents learning key skills to become fiscally healthy. Amatullah holds a Master’s of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy degree from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Conservation Resource Studies from the University of California at Berkeley.
Elizabeth “Betta” Broad is working on the transition to an equitable clean energy economy. As the director of advocacy & organizing at the Association for Energy Affordability, she is focused on making climate and clean energy solutions affordable and accessible to everyone. She primarily works on issues and opportunities relating to energy efficiency, electrification and advancing clean energy policy, programs and legislation that benefit low-income communities in New York. Since 2016, she has served as the director of New Yorkers for Clean Power, a campaign to accelerate the shift from fossil fuels in the power, building and transportation sectors. She develops and supports partnerships, coalitions, and relationships with advocacy, community, and grassroots organizations and works with state agency staff, elected officials, and business leaders. These collaborations include renewable Heat Now, Better Buildings NY, Energy Efficiency for All NY and Clean Energy Careers NY.
Betta has been an advocate for social justice, peace and sustainability for over two decades. Her first campaign was organizing “Justice for Janitors” at Fairfield University where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in political science. She then worked for a labor union, on campaigns to oppose unfair free trade agreements and to repeal the Rockefeller Drug Laws. As Deputy Director of Earth Day Initiative, she organized the major Earth Day festivals in NYC for five years before joining the campaign to ban fracking. She co-produced a series of videos called “Love NY: don’t frack it up!” and worked with advocates across the state to successfully ban fracking in New York. While working for Catskill Mountainkeeper she created the RenewableNY program that subsequently received NYSERDA funding to expand Solarize campaigns across 15 counties. More recently, she helped co-design the NYSERDA-funded Regional Clean Energy Hubs and is working to help launch the Bronx and Brooklyn Hubs. She is a co-founder of the NY Energy Democracy Alliance and a longtime board member of Brooklyn for Peace and Communities for Local Power. Betta was appointed to the City of Kingston and Ulster County Climate Smart Commissions and the Power Generation Advisory Panel for the NYS Climate Action Council, making her the only person in New York to serve on a climate action advisory board at the city, county and state level.
Clayton Banks is the CEO and co-founder of Silicon Harlem whose goal is to combine technology and innovation with affordable connectivity that can enable a sustainable economic engine in emerging communities across the United States. Under his leadership, Silicon Harlem has attracted over $50 million dollars into upper Manhattan for advanced infrastructure research and test bedding. Mr. Banks has positioned Upper Manhattan as a tech and innovation hub that is one of the fastest growing areas for tech startups, entrepreneurs, and companies. Banks has been able to galvanize the public sector, the private sector, universities, and community stakeholders to embrace tech as a sustainable economic engine for Upper Manhattan. Banks has established critical programs based on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in public schools and several non-profits in Upper Manhattan to prepare citizens for 21st century jobs and careers. These programs have become gateway opportunities for many students to pursue further education.
Prior to Silicon Harlem, Banks was a pioneer in the cable and communications industry. He set the vision for Ember Media, a development group that builds digital solutions and interactive applications for top brands and non-profit organizations, across multiple platforms. Known as a pragmatic visionary, Banks has developed and deployed leading edge technology and applications for network cloud, gaming consoles, social media, augmented and virtual reality, interactive TV, tablets, mobile apps and over 400 interactive properties. Banks worked with former President of the United States Bill Clinton to publish a first-of-its-kind interactive college guide series called “The Key”, that targets underserved communities and features Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Serving Institutions. Banks served as Vice President of Affiliate Relations for Comedy Central. While at Comedy Central, he was part of the launch of South Park, the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and the Upright Citizens Brigade.
He has been recognized with many awards and honors including selected as one of New York Cities “Tech Power 50” leaders in the technology industry. The 2020 edition of The Responsible 100 New Yorkers recognized Banks for his COVID-19 response – providing free internet in common area locations Banks has been inducted into the Library of Congress, has received proclamations from the Public Advocate, Manhattan President’s office, Brooklyn’s President Office, and Advocate of the Year from Society for Africans in Diaspora.
Ms. Chancy is a licensed Professional Engineer with over 25 years of experience working in various aspects of the construction industry and real estate development. A native of Haiti, Ms. Chancy first came to this country to study engineering at the University of Miami in Florida. While there, she earned a dual degree in Architectural Engineering and Civil Engineering with high honors. Ms. Chancy then went on to earn a Masters of Structural Engineering from Purdue University. Upon graduation, Ms. Chancy was employed as a designer of structural systems for a large engineering firm. She then went on to manage the construction of buildings in Los Angeles and New York City. During this early phase of her career, Ms. Chancy gained valuable experience and developed an excellent understanding of engineering concepts and construction management principles. In 1997, Ms. Chancy founded DACK Consulting, a firm dedicated to providing a wide range of project management services to Owners as well as Contractors including construction management, estimating, scheduling, compliance, risk management, integrated physical needs assessments and more.
Close to twenty-five years later, Ms. Chancy has built a company that has provided professional services on all types of projects, including multi-family residential, commercial, institutional and infrastructure in all phases of the construction and development process. Ms. Chancy has always had a passion for real estate, especially for properties that can be renovated and enhanced. This love of real estate eventually led Ms. Chancy to purchasing investment properties. She uses her knowledge in architecture, engineering and construction management to thoroughly assess the value of a property and pinpoint what it needs for it to be a successful investment with value added opportunity.
In addition, she taught in the Construction Management/Engineering Graduate Program at Columbia University. Ms. Chancy believes strongly in giving back to the community and making it a better place. To give back she has utilized her experience as an engineer and real estate investor to volunteer on non-profit construction project boards for churches and community centers. She has also generously given to community enrichment opportunities such as the White Plains YMCA, and White Plains Boys and Girls club, Visions Global Empowerment Program, Fund Racing for Kids and more. She has also been a speaker and taught at various STEM and community programs to help engage the communities for further learning experiences.
Craig A. Hart serves as Executive Director of the Pace Energy and Climate Center at Pace University’s Haub School of Law. Craig is also a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University’s Energy Policy’s Climate program and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center.
Craig has worked with governments and projects in the Americas, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa on renewables, energy efficiency, grid modernization, microgrids, and low carbon technologies for the fossil-fuel power generation sector.
Craig is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Council on Standards and Certification, which establishes and maintains ASME safety and performance standards, and monitors their implementation globally. Additionally, he serves on the International Standards Organization’s U.S. Technical Advisory Committee 265 for carbon sequestration technologies.
Craig’s academic research concentrates on energy transition and decarbonization in the context of economic development and firm competitiveness. His work includes an extensive focus on China, having lived and worked in China for almost a decade, teaching at Tsinghua University and Renmin (People’s) University of China, and consulting with intergovernmental organizations.
Prior to academia, Craig practiced law in the energy infrastructure project finance, capital markets, and carbon management fields, representing project developers, lenders, and investors focusing on energy infrastructure, clean energy, and high technology. His practice included practicing with the international law firms White & Case and O’Melveny & Myers, and serving as counsel to the Asia Development Bank’s Future Carbon Fund, a $115 million fund to finance renewables and carbon reduction projects under the Clean Development Mechanism throughout Asia and the Pacific.
Craig earned a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology researching decarbonization paths with the aim of preventing dangerous climate change, a bachelor’s and a law degree from the University of California at Berkeley, and a master’s in economics from New York University.
Mr. Alan J. Isserlis graduated from the New York Military Academy and attended the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. In 1978, he joined the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and managed the institutional sales desk at Marc Commodities Corp. In 1984, he founded Commodity Floor Service (CFS), which developed risk management tools for the oil industry and served clients like Bay Oil and Glencore.
After selling CFS in 1991, Isserlis became an independent floor trader and a consultant for Dimon Oil Brokers. In 1996, he ventured into investment banking, focusing on fundraising for exploration projects in Vietnam and Yemen and financing capital projects in West Africa.
Isserlis is known for structuring the only successfully funded minority bid to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in 2000 and has served on major NYMEX committees, including leading the construction of the new NYMEX building in New York City.
In 2007, he became CEO of Nanergy Inc., focusing on solar projects in Africa. He also consulted on domestic and international projects, including a $200 million lakefront community plan in Syracuse, NY, and a mixed-use revitalization project in Central New York.
Isserlis conceptualized Project LUXE in 2012 for the historic renovation of the First Baptist Church and worked with the Lakeshore Yacht and Country Club from 2017 to 2018 to develop a destination resort. From 2019 to 2020, he served as CEO of Textmunication, enhancing its commercial reach. In 2021, he became an active partner at Bay Drive Studio to launch YapSpot, an interactive social media platform.
Barbara L. Edwards is a graduate of Fisk University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. She later attended Atlanta University, receiving a Masters degree in Social Work, and Columbia University, School of Law, receiving a Doctorate in Jurisprudence. As an educator, she was on the graduate faculty of New York University, Columbia University and Fordham University, teaching Social Work and Law.
Barbara is a Senior Partner with Weinburger, Kaplan, Wilson, and Edwards. As President of the Center for Interdisciplinary Services (CIS), a minority-controlled management consulting group, she leads a team of professionals in planning and implementing services for nonprofit and corporate organizations.
She served as consultant to the Mental Health Information Services, Supreme Court of New York, Appellate Division, The United States, Department of Justice, Pre-Release Service to federal prisoners and the Social Security Administration covering the Bronx, Westchester, and Rockland Counties. She is currently a member of a consultant team established for the development of specialty courts for juvenile offenders. Barbara is Co-Founder of the “Women and Law” Research Project and was Administrator for all litigation in human resources, social justice, and abuses of corporate code of ethics. She is Founder and Chair of The Women’s Leadership Institute.
Barbara has served on the Board of Directors of United Way of Westchester and Putnam, the Institute for Community Development, the Human Service Council of New York City, The Westchester Foundation and The Westchester Arts Council. She currently serves as chair of the African American Advisory Board of Westchester County. She has also served as an officer for the National Jack and Jill of America Foundation.
She is active in several charitable and civic organizations and is President of Westchester County Chapter of Women in Action, Inc. She has served as President of the Westchester County (NY) Chapter of the Links, Inc. She is also a member of the New York Chums where she served as Vice President. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and the organizer/President of The Renaissance Group, which is dedicated to exposing youth to the arts.
During the span of her professional career, Barbara has received numerous awards and honors for her outstanding leadership. Her publications include: “The Legal Rights of Special Education Students”, “Multicultural Relationships-The Comfort Zone”, “The Assessment of Social Functioning” and “The Impact of Racism: Is it Skin Deep?” Barbara has been featured in Black Enterprise and is also a contributing writer to Westchester Magazine.
