cohort
217

Spring Cohort 2015

Alexandros Hatzakis
The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
Alexandros Hatzakis
The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies

Alexandros Hatzakis is the Chief Operating Officer at FPWA. As COO, he is responsible for driving and oversight of the day-to-day internal operations and organizational leadership, partnering with the Chief Executive and the leadership team toward effective sustainable growth and increasing impact and the successful achievement of strategic objectives.

Prior to working at FPWA, Alexandros was the Director of Income at United Way of New York City where he oversaw and managed a $6 million portfolio of program and policy initiatives aimed at assisting families in meeting their basic needs, tackling household insecurity, and working towards economic stability.

He formerly served as the Development and Information Systems Manager at The Financial Clinic, overseeing the implementation and integration of fundraising, operational and client data systems. He has also conducted research and policy analysis for the State of Delaware’s Division of Corporations and U.K. Companies House.

Alexandros received his Bachelor’s degree from Macaulay Honors College at CUNY Baruch and his Master of Public Administration from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. He is a SHRM – Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) and Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (CNAP). He serves as Chair and member of New York City’s Procurement Policy Board.

Amy Cruz
Breakthrough New York
Amy Cruz
Breakthrough New York

Amy Cruz is the Chief Operations Officer at Breakthrough New York. As a member of the senior management team, Amy is a key advisor to the Executive Director, oversees all of the human resources and business operations of the organization, and leads the development, execution and evaluation of organizational strategy. Since completing her B.A., and with particular interests in scaling proven innovative educational strategies and developing human capital within the non-profit sector, she has held a position with a number of growing non-profit organizations in the city of New York. Before joining Breakthrough New York, Amy worked with innovative organizations such as iMentor and Success Academy Charter Schools in various capacities including working directly with students in the classroom, operational strategy, outcome evaluation and staff and volunteer management. Outside of her work in the non-profit sector, Amy’s community involvement includes a former term as the treasurer of the Latino Alumni Association at Columbia University where she continues her membership. She is originally from Long Beach, CA.

Amy received her BA with a major in Urban Studies from Columbia University.

Amy Fitzpatrick
National Public Radio
Amy Fitzpatrick
National Public Radio
Amy Fitzpatrick is the Director of Institutional Giving at New York Public Radio (NYPR).  NYPR is the parent company of eight radio stations, including NPR affiliates WNYC, WQXR, New Jersey Public Radio, and WQXW, as well as The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space and a suite of digital products.  She oversees an Institutional Giving team that is responsible for securing operating funds for NYPR programs as well as strategic funding for new organizational priorities; this year, the team will raise nearly $10 million in operating and strategic funds.
Amy has worked as a non-profit arts and media fundraising professional in New York for 17 years and she began her career in the fine arts, working for preeminent cultural institutions including The Frick Collection, the American Federation of Arts, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Amy received a B.A. from Rutgers College, and a Masters of Art History from Hunter College.
Ashley Cornett
Brownsville Community Development Corporation
Ashley Cornett
Brownsville Community Development Corporation

Ashley Cornett has nearly twelve years of experience in adolescent health care programs. She currently serves as the Program Manager for the School Based Health Center at the Brownsville Community Development Corporation (BCDC) in Brooklyn, NY. Ashley is responsible for the leadership, oversight, and management of all initiatives at the Center. Ashleys initial work with BCDC was in the area of clinical support for the Center, after which she was promoted to her current position. In addition to her work at the Center, Ashley leads and manages new adolescent partnerships and programs in the BCDC catchment area.

Ashley received a B.A. in Psychology and a M.S. in Kinesiology with a concentration in Sports Management from Brooklyn College.

Brian Dever
Let’s Get Ready
Brian Dever
Let’s Get Ready

Brian Dever is the Mid-Atlantic Regional Director of Let’s Get Ready (LGR), a growing nonprofit that provides low-income and first generation college-bound students with the support they need to reach college success. Brian coordinates the fundraising, programs, and operations of student services run out of the New York City office. (LGR has sites in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut). He joined Let’s Get Ready in 2004, and for almost 10 years served as the Director of Development – leading LGR to increases in revenue each year through events, grants, and individual giving. Brian serves on Blue Engine’s Board of Engineers, and volunteers with the NYC Venture Philanthropy Fund, iMentor and ioby.org. He came to NYC and Let’s Get Ready from Minnesota where he served as the Executive Director of the Northfield Union of Youth.

Brian received his B.A. from Carleton College, where he received the Sister Pat Kowalski Leadership Award for work with service learning.

Bushra Khan
Year Up New York
Bushra Khan
Year Up New York

Bushra Khan is the Associate Director of Programs at Year Up New York (YUNY), which is an intensive one-year workforce development program providing 18 to 24-year olds with hard skills development and a corporate internship. Previously, she held the position of Capacity and Community Development Consultant for Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs at World Vision. Bushra also worked as an English teacher and Chief Staff Trainer for JAAGO Foundation in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Bushra received a B.S. from University of Ottawa, with an honors in Economics, and an M.S. from the University of Guelph. She also participated in the Developing Leaders program at Columbia University.

Camille J. Mackler, Esq.
New York Immigration Coalition
Camille J. Mackler, Esq.
New York Immigration Coalition

Camille J. Mackler, Esq. is the Director of Legal Initiatives at the New York Immigration Coalition, where she works with NYIC members and a variety of stakeholders on issues relating to immigration law in New York. Before joining the NYIC in March 2013, Camille worked in private practice representing immigrants before US Immigration Courts and Federal Courts of Appeals. She focused primarily on asylum and refugee, deportation proceedings, immigration detention, and family-based immigration issues.

Camille is currently the co-chair of the Media and Advocacy committee for the NY Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She is also a frequent lecturer on immigration law and advocacy issues surrounding the practice of immigration law.

Camille received a B.S. a Foreign Service from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, and a Juris Doctor from New York Law School.

Christopher Vanterpool
The New York Restoration Project
Christopher Vanterpool
The New York Restoration Project

Christopher Vanterpool is the Director of Grant Administration at the New York Restoration Project. He has also served as a Director of the Capital and Million Trees NYC programs at NYRP. His career has been devoted to the public realm, through cleaning parks, improving gardens, and tree planting. Christopher regularly presents at conferences and participates in panels; most recently at the “Turning Vacant Acres Into Community Resources Convergence,” hosted by 596 acres; and “Charting the Road to Resilience: From the Ground Up,” hosted by the Municipal Arts Society.

Christopher studied Environmental Science at Columbia College, Columbia University.

Elizabeth Kahn
Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation
Elizabeth Kahn
Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation

Elizabeth Kahn is the Director of College Success Programs at Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation. In this capacity, she develops strategic vision for the college access and success programs and their high school initiatives, which serve 2,000 young people a year through three distinct models. Elizabeth managed the expansion of the College Persistence program, adding 300 participants in two years. She has served as a consultant through PASE and CARA coaching schools and other non-profits in developing and sustaining a college-going culture. She has extensive experience in developing school partnerships, program launch and development, and utilizing peer leadership in college access. She has a commitment to a youth development approach to college success and has been actively involved in NYC based initiatives around college persistence. Previously, she served as Director of the Student Success Center with her current organization and as Assistant Program Coordinator at the Oasis Center of the Tennessee Youth Advisory Council.

Elizabeth received a B.S. in Child Studies with minor in Child Development and M.Ed. in Community Development Action both from Vanderbilt University.