For Immediate Release 

NYATEP Introduces the Inaugural Workforce Acceleration Institute: Leaders of Color Program to Identify and Address Systemic Barriers within the Workforce Development Sector

August 29, 2023  Albany, New York – In partnership with the New York State Urban League, Asian American Federation and the Hispanic Federation, the New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals (NYATEP) is set to launch the first cohort of the New York State Workforce Acceleration Institute for Leaders of Color (WAI).

The Workforce Acceleration Institute for Leaders of Color is a twelve month long fellowship developed through a partnership with Cornell University.  The institute’s focus will draw on Cornell’s expertise in leadership development, NYATEP’s deep understanding of policy and advocacy, and the fellows’ lived experiences to identify potential systems changes. The cohort will develop projects centered on identifying policies that break down systemic barriers that have kept individuals of color within the NYS workforce system from advancing and making an impact within their local communities. 

Fellows selected for the 2023-2024 Workforce Acceleration Institute for Leaders of Color are:  Dr. Stella Rwanda, Melissa Martinez, Cal Trumann, Emily Melendez, Dr. Latasha Hamkett Carver, Antoinette Gregg, Tiffany Richardson, Debbie Roman, Charles Callaway and Hafida Rasool. These fellows represent a range of nonprofit organizations, business associations, and institutes of higher education. WAI launches TODAY, August 29, 2023 and concludes August 2024.

"I'm excited to see the launch of WAI and proud of the work NYATEP and its partners have done to make this dream a reality,” said Paula Bailey, Executive Vice President and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Officer at Grant Associates. “This program has the potential to create real, lasting change in New York's workforce development landscape by equipping leaders of color with the skills and resources needed to make an even bigger impact. It is an incredible opportunity to empower underserved communities and I'm looking forward to seeing what our participants can achieve."

“The New York State Workforce Acceleration Institute for Leaders of Color is a critical program that will strengthen New York’s economy and empower workers across the state. The inaugural cohort of leaders will eventually reshape and create transformative policies that advance economic mobility for their communities. As a member of the Institute’s Advisory Board, I congratulate this year’s cohort and look forward to seeing this collaborative effort come to life and the impact it will have on New York State’s workforce,” stated Advisory Council Member Diana Caba, Vice President for Community & Economic Development at the Hispanic Federation.

“Early leadership development is essential in the shaping of an ever-evolving workforce. However, developing leaders of color supports equitable and transformational change.  I am proud to lend my expertise and thought leadership with the team at NYATEP as we are being intentional about the positive impact that we want our next generation leaders to experience," stated Advisory Council Member Patricia Robinson.

The Workforce Acceleration Institute: Leaders of Color Program is led by NYATEP in collaboration with Cornell University and an Advisory Board that includes: Alejandro Mendoza, Optimax; Damien Howard, Per Scholas; Diana Caba, Hispanic Federation; Erika Hill, Vision Street Research; Jonathan Jones, City of Albany; Juhanna Rogers, CenterState CEO; Liliana Polo-McKennna, Independent Consultant/Former CEO of Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow’ Marissa Martin, Advocacy Institute; Patricia Robinson, Greater Jamaica Development Organization/ Audacy Inc., The Block 94.7 FM; Paula Bailey, Grant Associates; Retha Fernandez, Suffolk County; Tomasine Oliphant, Dutchess County Community College; Jo-Ann Yoo, Asian American Federation; and Shalima McCants, NY Urban League.

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Contact Therese Daly at [email protected]  315–269-3910

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INSTITUTE HERE

MEET THE COHORT

Tiffany Richardson  She/Her/Hers
Tiffany is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in her local community. Her workforce experience is grounded in personal experience of trying to find work and opportunity in a city that has lacked diversity. She has worked with the Health Department, local DSS, NYSDOJ and local nonprofits to identify the barriers faced by women, minorities and impoverished people. She is a board member of Johnson Park Center, Upstate Family Health Center and Zonta International. These organizations focus on giving opportunities and second chances to people that society has written off. It is her goal to share her experiences as a local girl with limited means who has managed to contribute to society. She is passionate about providing opportunity and information to enrich the lives of her community.

Debbie Roman She/Her/Hers/Ella
Debbie Roman, Per Scholas’ Managing Director in New York. Since 2022, she has set the vision and strategy for Per Scholas’ New York programs—including the continued strategic expansion of business and community-based partners to provide more residents from historically excluded communities free training and entry into a career in tech. She has more than 16 years’ experience working in community engagement and organizational development, including several years working for non-profit organizations and educational institutions. Prior to joining Per Scholas, she worked for Girl Scouts USA and advanced the mission of workforce development organizations throughout New York City; which provided insight into Hispanic markets in New York City and Puerto Rico. Debbie is a native Puerto Rican. Both her professional and lived experiences inform how she leads Per Scholas as the organization continues to sustainably expand. She has an MBA in Marketing and an undergraduate degree in Communications. 

Hafida Rasool She/Her/Hers
Hafida has focused her career on helping others build skills. She is a Project Manager at Public Works Partners, a WBE/DBE-certified urban planning and consulting firm, where she works with public sector clients to execute projects that advance organizational health. Additionally, she has previously worked across NYC government agencies supporting education and training initiatives. At the NYC Department of Small Business Services, she managed publicly-funded workforce development programs that have helped New Yorkers build their careers. She has a Master's in Public Administration from the City College of New York.

Dr. LaTasha Hamlettcarver She/Her/Hers
Dr. LaTasha Hamlett-Carver, a seasoned workforce development professional, currently serves as the Assistant Dean of Workforce Development at SUNY Westchester Community College, also holding the prestigious Jacqueline & Allen Stuart Endowed Faculty Chair—a testament to her expertise. With over a decade of experience, she excels in program development, grant management, and workforce operations. During her tenure at the Westchester Putnam Workforce Development Board (WPWDB), Dr. Hamlett-Carver played an instrumental role in securing substantial public workforce grants. These grants have notably benefited a diverse range of individuals, including youth, out-of-school and unemployed young adults, and those reentering the workforce. Her authorship of the WPWDB Career Pathways strategy stands as a guide for residents, helping them enhance their technical skills, employability, and credentials. Dr. Carver's academic accomplishments includes a doctoral degree from St. John Fisher University. Leveraging her extensive experience, she has adeptly designed and managed workforce, education, and social service programs. Through strategic collaborations with businesses and community organizations, she actively drives dynamic workforce initiatives, addressing the needs of youth, adults, and professionals pursuing specialized training and degrees

Emily Melendez She/Her/Hers
Emily Melendez is the Business Development Supervisor with Say Yes Buffalo’s newest program in partnership with CareerWise, Modern Youth Apprenticeship Program which focuses on giving inner city students a unique opportunity to enter the workforce. Emily also serves as a mentor to high school students preparing to start their collegiate journey with both Say Yes Buffalo and BuffaloPrep. She was previously a Bilingual Family Support Specialist working across multiple Buffalo Public School sites for 6 years providing care management services to students struggling with academic success and school attendance. Emily has also contributed to the movement of Say Yes Buffalo’s Mobile Health Clinics that services 19 Buffalo Public Schools and provided more than 100 students with medical care. Ms. Melendez relocated to Buffalo, NY at a young age with both her parents who migrated from Puerto Rico. As a first generation college student, she is a proud Hutch-Tech High School alumna and HEOP graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Daemen University. Emily has graduated from two leadership programs with Say Yes Buffalo and West Side Promise Neighborhood earlier this year and is a current cohort member of the 2023 You Can’t Fail Learning Community. She is an active member in the Hispanic Women’s League.

Cal Trumann They/Them/Their/Themself
Cal Trumann is the Education & Careers Coordinator at New Yorkers for Clean Power, and the workforce development point person for the Mid-Hudson Valley Clean Energy Hub. With over fifteen years of experience in the green workforce, Cal is dedicated to equity and bringing under-prioritized voices into renewable energy conversations and workplaces. Cal hosted the 2019 Climate Action Film Festival, and is convening Clean Energy Career Summits across the Hudson Valley. They have served on the Climate Smart Kingston Commission and the Ulster County Climate Smart Committee. Cal lives in an all-transgender intentional community that they co-founded in 2018. Outside of work, Cal enjoys playing music, growing unusual legumes in the garden, and improving their Spanish skills.

Antoinette Gregg She/Her/Hers
Born in Charleston, South Carolina, and resident of New York City for over a decade, Antoinette J Gregg has worked across New York state serving education, racial justice and workforce development organizations to fund their missions and increase awareness of their work. She has worked within the tech workforce arena for more than 2 years helping to bridge the gap in technology and racial equity through technical training and job placement. She leads institutional, corporate, individual and government fundraising and relationships across New York City and has participated in legislative visits locally, at the state level and on a national scale to move policies that decrease unemployment in BIPOC communities and increase workforce dollars to tech nonprofits. Antoinette holds a B.S in Sociology, and a M.S. in Quantitative Methods where she has written about the practical dissemination of Reparations, and is an alumna of the Cause Effective Fellows Program: Advancing Leaders of Color in Fundraising as well as the NYATEP Workforce Academy of Policy and Advocacy. She believes that racial equity through workforce development is a commonsense solution to closing the gap in economic mobility for Black and Brown New Yorkers.

Stella Rwanda She/Her/Hers
Ph.D. Director, Le Moyne College HARC. A former Literacy and English as a New Language (ENL) professor at Le Moyne College, Stella Rwanda, Ph.D., is the Director of the Le Moyne HARC (Healthcare Advancement Resource Center). Adept at managing grant-funded programs with an eye for efficiency and quality, Dr. Rwanda leverages over a decade of national and international experience in the higher education and non-profit sector to oversee HARC’s programs and operations. She is also responsible for teaching, advising, mobilizing, and engaging foreign-trained medical graduates in transformative learning outcomes and re-entry into healthcare professions in the U.S. Born and raised in Kenya, Rwanda started her academic career at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2008, and later moved to Syracuse University in 2013 and Le Moyne College in 2018. Having spent several years working in higher education, she honed a robust sociocultural understanding of the need for culturally competent initiatives that support learners and communities experiencing difficulties that lead to social marginalization, cultural and linguistic exclusion, and ongoing precarity. Rwanda’s research interests include literacy education, multicultural and refugee education, teacher education, and bi-multilingual students’ out-of-school literacy practices. Her scholarly work has garnered national and international recognition in the U.S., England, Finland, Kenya, Italy, and Spain. Rwanda completed her B.Ed. and M.Ed. at Kenyatta University and a Ph.D. at Syracuse University in literacy education, where she was named the William D. Sheldon Fellow in 2017. Rwanda has worked extensively with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to engage refugee and immigrant children, youths, and families in transformative learning outcomes in Kenya and communities in the U.S. A member of the UNESCO task force and the Interagency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE), Rwanda is actively involved in policy formulation and implementation at national and international level. She has also served in various initiatives focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion at Le Moyne and in communities in the central N.Y. region. She runs the Literacy, Art, and Photography Project (LAPP) and the SAFE driving programs in the Syracuse community. Her other interests include traveling, swimming, biking, kayaking, camping, and spending quality time with her family.

Melissa Martinez She/Her/Hers
Workforce development professional with extensive experience within the private and not for profit sectors focusing on remediating barriers for New Yorks and helping them achieve self-sufficiency through economical mobility.

Charles Callaway He/Him
Charles Callaway is a resident of West Harlem. As the Director of Workforce Development and head of the Green Institute at WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Charles taps into his many years of working with and leading empowerment programs throughout Harlem. At WE ACT, he has recruited and trained 2,031 people in 30-hour of OSHA and 32-hour of asbestos handling classes for the construction industry along with more than 100 in solar installation certification classes. As a result of this, more than 200 now have jobs, including 168 community members working in the construction field and 98 in the solar industry. Charles has also been instrumental in developing a solar workers cooperative, SUNS: Solar Uptown Now Services, with his solar trainees, and they have installed 18 megawatts of solar power to date and serve for other solar companies. Charles previously served as WE ACT’s Director of Organizing, playing a key role in organizing residents around significant issues in the community and helping them understand the importance of advocating on its behalf. He worked with Harlem residents on the Columbia University expansion and 125th Street rezoning. Charles also worked with the Mother Clara Hale Community Taskforce and the MTA to build the first green bus depot in Harlem.