Hon. Sheldon Silver Hon. Felix W. Ortiz Assembly Speaker Chairman

New York State Assembly/Senate Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force

2012 Spring Conference Legislative Workshops

25 Years of Celebrating our History, Expanding our Horizons, and Strengthening our Community FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2012 SATURDAY, MARCH 24, 2012

Economic Development Child Welfare: Legislative Office Building, Hearing Room B The Impact of Differential Treatment & Friday, March 23, 2012 (2:00PM – 4:00PM) Practices with Hispanic & Black Youth— MODERATORS: Moving Toward a Better Response to Assembly Member Peter M. Rivera Disproportionality in New York State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson Meeting Room 5 Saturday, March 24, 2012 (10:00AM – 11:45AM) DESCRIPTION: Strategic Sourcing and the Minority Women Business MODERATOR: Enterprises Community Assembly Member Grace Meng PANELISTS: Janet Sapio-Mayta RoAnn Destito LCSW, Director, Bureau of Interagency Coordination and Commissioner, NYS Office of General Services Case Resolution, NYS Council on Children and Families Paul T. Williams, Jr. PANELISTS: President & Chief Executive Officer, Vajeera Dorabawila NYS Dormitory Authority Ph.D, Research Scientist Yrthya Dinzey-Flores Gregory Owens NYS Chief Diversity Officer LMSW, Office of Strategic Planning and Alphonso David Policy Development,NYSCFS Deputy Secretary for Civil Rights, Executive Chamber Courtney Ramirez Angel Giboyeaux MSW, Statewide Disproportionate Administrative Vice President, TWU 100 Minority Contact (DMC) Coordinator Susan Hains Director of Health and Human Services National Foreclosure Settlement and What It Means for New Yorkers Workforce Development Institute Meeting Room 6 Children and Families Forum Saturday, March 24, 2012 (10:00AM – 11:45AM) Legislative Office Building, Hearing Room C Moderators: Friday, March 23, 2012 (2:00PM – 4:00PM) Assembly Member Philip Ramos MODERATOR: Senator Jose Peralta Assembly Member Samuel Roberts Panelists: Dr. Anderson Torres, The Puerto Rican Family Institute Marc Minor, Chief of the Investor Protection Bureau, PANELISTS: NYS Attorney General’s Office Dilcia Granville Kirsten E. Keefe, Senior Staff Attorney, Empire Justice Administration for Children and Family Center U.S. Department of Health Mernys Calero, Mortgage Default Housing Counselor, Assembly Member Amy Paulin Westchester Residential, Opportunities, Inc. Chair, Committee on Children and Families Maria Elena Girone Reclaiming Communities: The Puerto Rican Family Institute Preserving Affordable Housing for Iran Rodriguez Low-Moderate-Income and Working Families Program Manager,Office of Head Start, US Administration of Children and Families Legislative Office Building, 104A Saturday, March 24, 2012 (10:00AM – 11:45AM) MODERATOR: Assembly Member Rafael L. Espinal Jr. DESCRIPTION: This workshop will provide an overview of the foreclosure crisis on low-income communities and communities of color and discuss neighborhood stabilization strategies to preserve long-term affordable housing. The workshop will explore what steps are working to help existing homeowners Ernest Logan and prevent foreclosures and how to help people achieve President, Council of Supervisors and Administrators, AFSA better credit and secure financial counseling services. George Maragos PANELISTS: Nassau County Comptroller Maria Lizardo LMSW, Assistant Executive Director for Programs Healthcare: Northern Manhattan Improvement Corp. Long Term and Chronic Healthcare Bernell Grier Trends Chief Executive Officer of Legislative Office Building, Hearing Room B Neighborhood Housing Services of New York City Saturday, March 24, 2012 (10:30AM – 11:45AM) Kirsten E. Keefe Senior Staff Attorney, Empire Justice Center MODERATORS: Pavita Krishnaswamy Assembly Member Naomi Rivera Deputy Director of Litigation, City Council Member Maria Del Carmen Arroyo, South Brooklyn Legal Services Chair Health Committee PANELISTS: Education: Dr. Jaime R. Torres Hispanics and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Director Region II College Completion Agenda Dennis Romero Legislative Office Building, Hearing Room A U.S. SAMHA Services, Administrator Region II Saturday, March 24, 2012 (10:30AM – 11:45AM) Commissioner Nirav R. Shah MODERATORS: M.D., M.P.H, NYS Department of Health Assembly Member Carmen E. Arroyo Commissioner Michael F. Hogan Assembly Member Marcos Crespo PhD, NYS Department of Mental Health DESCRIPTION: Commissioner Courtney Burke In October 2011, the College Board released the College NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities Completion Agenda: Latino Edition, aimed at providing Raul Russi the best data and policies for increasing college completion CEO Acacia Network rates among this important demographic. State legislators, Emma DeVito policymakers and educators play a large part in advancing President & CEO, Village Care each recommendation. Panelists will explore state policy and Raul Vazquez program solutions addressing the 10 recommendations and will MD, Urban Family Practice review where New York stands on each indicator for Latinos. Guillermo Chacon PANELISTS: Latino Commission on AIDs David Wakelyn Deputy Secretary of Education, The Latino Community Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo New Leadership and Lonnie Threatte Assistant Secretary for Higher Education, Executive Political Empowerment Chamber Legislative Office Building, Hearing Room C Ramon Pineda Saturday, March 24, 2012 (10:30 AM – 11:45 AM) Senior Vice-President of Univision MODERATOR: Richard Alvarez Senator Martin Dilan University Director of Admission, Cesar Astralaga City University of New York Chair, Somos Board Dr. Tomas Morales DESCRIPTION: President College of Staten Island This panel will focus on the Latino Leadership Institute’s Carlos Medina work during the last year on the East Coast and its future Associate Provost & Associate plans to continue developing new political leadership. Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, The panel will also discuss the current political–electoral State University of New York challenges facing Latinos during a Presidential election Maria Angelica Meyers year as well as potential alternatives not only locally but President, New York State Association for nation wide. Bilingual Education PANELISTS: DESCRIPTION: Jaime Estades CLACNY believes in promoting common interests of Founder and Chairperson of the all of Latino countries and serves the necessities of all its Latino Leadership Institute (LLI) communities based on a common history and respect to all Debra Martinez their nationalities. Based on the need to establish a direct Chairwoman and Executive Director of dialogue with the local authorities, CLACNY believes in cooperative plans with governmental institutions. CLACNY NYS Consumer Protection Board develop mechanisms that jointly facilitate the delivery of Gene Rodriguez services areas such as health and education. CLACNY Resident of the Capital Region supports business, culture, and investment. PANELISTS: Education: Alphonso David “The New York State Dream Fund” Deputy Secretary for Civil Rights, Executive Chamber Meeting Room 1 Vilda Mayuga Saturday, March 24, 2012 (10:30AM – 11:45AM) Director of Division of Immigrant Policies and Affairs, MODERATORS: NYS Department of Labor Assembly Member Francisco P. Moya Hon. Julio Fiol Assembly Member Marcos Crespo Consul General of Chile Hon. Carlos M. Sada DESCRIPTION: Consul General of Mexico Both California and Illinois have demonstrated over the last year that it is possible to provide educational Hon. Carol Delgado opportunities to the children of immigrants, at no cost to Consul General of the Bolivarian the state, by making private funds available. It is time for Republic of Venezuela New York State to pass its own Dream Fund legislation Hon. Maximo Corcino (A.8689 and A.8690). This workshop will be a panel Consul General of Dominican Republic discussion including the potentially harmful consequences Hon. Rodrigo D’ Araujo Gabsc to immigrant youth without the passage of these bills. We Deputy Consul General of Brazil will hear from labor and higher education experts on the Hon. Luiz Felipe De Seixas Correa importance of this issue. Consul General of Brazil PANELISTS: Hon. Jorge Lopez Allan Wernick Consul General of Ecuador Director CUNY Citizenship Now William Mejia Finance DREAMer Make the Road NY Meeting Room 3 Katherine Tabares Saturday, March 24, 2012 (10:30AM – 11:45AM) DREAMer Make the Road NY Natalia Aristizabal MODERATOR: Youth Organizer and Arts & Media Educator Assembly Member Robert Rodriguez Yajaira Saavedra DESCRIPTION: Founder/Policy Director, DREAM Scholars An overview of the New York State Budget Diane Steinman PANELISTS: Executive Director of the New York State Robert L. Megna Interfaith Network for Immigration Reform New York State Budget Director Jose Calderon Robert Mujica Interim President for the Hispanic Federation Secretary to NYS Senate Finance Committee Lou Ann Ciccone Immigration: NYS Assembly, Secretary to Speaker, Coalición Latino Americana de Program and Policy Cónsules en Nueva York Frank Mauro Meeting Room 2 Fiscal Policy Institute Saturday, March 24, 2012 (10:30AM – 11:45AM) Ron Deutsch Executive Director of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness MODERATORS: Assembly Member Guillermo Linares New York Secretary of State Cesar A. Perales Education: Diversity: CREAR Futuro: A Model for “Understanding Cultural Competence & Latino College Success Social Marketing for Diversity Meeting Room 4 Legislative Office Building 104A Saturday, March 24, 2012 (10:30AM – 11:45AM) Saturday, March 24, 2012 (10:30 AM - 11:45 AM) MODERATOR: MODERATOR: Assembly Member Peter M. Rivera Cesar Astralaga, Chairman SOMOS DESCRIPTION: DESCRIPTION: This panel will discuss the CREAR Futuros initiative, This concept can improve relations with the surrounding led by the Hispanic Federation and the City University communities by putting in place best practices for of New York, which aims to achieve systemic change and community engagement. This would result in a reciprocal large-scale impact on access, retention and graduation of transfer of knowledge and skills between collaborators, Latino college students. The presentation will highlight partners, and key stakeholders and also increase the government’s ability to cope with change, and expand the the inclusion of public policy leaders as an intricate part of creativity of the government’s agencies. Furthermore, it can this student success system. enhance the Workforce responsiveness to an increasingly PANELISTS: diverse world of customers; training the Workforce on how Dr. Frank Sanchez to work effectively with diverse populations. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, CUNY PANELISTS: Eduardo Marti Yrthya Dinzey-Flores Vice Chancellor for Community Colleges, CUNY NYS Chief Diversity Officer Jose Calderon Doris Powell Sr. VP Hispanic Federation Affirmative Action Administrator, Ydanis Rodriguez NYS Department of Transportation NYC Council Member Ivonne Hanks Latino Voice Your Culture Link Health Disparity in Mr. Luis Hernandez MTA Acting Deputy Director New York State Merton D. Simpson Meeting Room 5 Albany County Legislator; EOD/AA Saturday, March 24, 2012 (10:30AM – 11:45AM) MODERATORS: Immigration: Assembly Member Nelson Castro Blueprint for Justice and Opportunity Senator Gustavo Rivera for Immigrants in New York DESCRIPTION: Meeting Room 7 The purpose of this workshop is to discuss legislation, Assembly bill A.7699-A - Castro, that ensures the delivery Saturday, March 24, 2012 (10:30 AM – 11:45 AM) of quality medical care, regardless of the source of payment MODERATOR: or insurance type in New York’s private teaching hospitals. Assembly Member Guillermo Linares Latinos have some of the greatest health needs of any population in New York. Language/cultural barriers, lack of DESCRIPTION: access to health care, and above average poverty rates are just The New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) is an umbrella some of the factors that contribute to poor health outcomes. advocacy organization representing almost 200 organizations As a result, Latino community suffers from higher rates of that work with immigrants across New York State. Each year, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses. the NYIC releases its top budget and policy priorities for immigrant New Yorkers in areas such as education, labor, and PANELISTS: health care for the current legislative session. The purpose Shena Elrington, to this workshop is to outline the New York Immigration Director of the Health Justice Program Coalition’s “top ten” state agenda items, the NYIC’s Blueprint Alyssa Aguilera for Justice and Opportunity for Immigrant New York. Community Organizer PANELISTS: Emma Torre Jackie Vimo Health Coordinator Bronx Health REACH Director of Advocacy, NYS Immigration Coalition Barbara A. Backer Chung-Wha Hong RN, DSW, Bronx Health REACH Coalition Executive Director, NYS Immigration Coalition Leslie Kelmachter Marvin Holland Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Firm Political Director, TWU Local 100 State Legislators Against Dr. David W. Appel Montefiore School Based Health Program Illegal Guns Dr. Rita Louard Legislative Office Building, Hearing Room A Diabetes Director, Montefiore Medical Center Saturday, March 24, 2012 (1:45 PM – 3:15 PM) Dr. Julie Ramos MODERATOR: Assembly Member Brian P. Kavanagh Judiciary “Mortgage Foreclosure” PANELISTS: Legislative Office Building, Hearing Room B Brian Fischer Saturday, March 24, 2012 (1:45PM – 3:15PM) NYS Commissioner of Corrections Assembly Member Jeffrion Aubry MODERATOR: Chair, Committee on Correction Hon. Justice Sallie Manzanet-Daniels New York State Associate Justice of the Appellate Division, First Department Domestic Violence/Substance DESCRIPTION: Abuse: An overview of the history of the mortgage foreclosure Eliminating the Victim Mentality crisis will be presented. There will also be a presentation on Meeting Room 1 the following topics: the process of mortgage foreclosure Saturday, March 24, 2012 (1:45PM – 3:15PM) and assisting homeowners who are losing their homes. MODERATORS: PANELISTS: Assembly Member Eric Stevenson Justice Norma Ruiz Antonio Martinez NYS Supreme Court Justice Executive Director, Somos Inc. Alexis Lorenzo Bronx Legal Services DESCRIPTION: Brian Nelson This is a discussion on innovative approaches to Domestic Nelson Law Group Violence that are emerging. Specifically, how transforming David Aviles and shifting the survivor’s view of themselves, and their CEO of Community Enrichment and Education Foundation own impact on society will begin to broaden their roles in the home, the work place, and the community. PANELISTS: Immigration: Amy P. Barasch The NY Dream Act “Creating Equal Executive Director, NYS Office of Prevention of Educational Opportunities to all New Domestic Violence Yorkers” Opening the Doors to Higher Dennis Romero Education for Undocumented Students US SAMHA Services, Administrator Region II Meeting Room 3 Hilary Nemchik Saturday, March 24, 2012 (1:45PM – 3:15PM) Chair, Manhattan Borough President’s Task Force on MODERATORS: Domestic Violence Assembly Member Guillermo Linares Nancy Tyler Senator Bill Perkins Connecticut Attorney, DV Survivor Quentin Walcott DESCRIPTION: Director, CONNECT NYC The New York Dream Act would support the extension of Dawn Diaz the state’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and SUNY Founder and Executive Director, Milagros Day World- and CUNY scholarships to all students, regardless of immigration status. Investing in the dreams of immigrant wide, EMS Captain in the New York City Fire Department youth is not only the moral thing to do, it is socially and economically imperative. At this panel we plan to evaluate Obesity & Diabetes in our the benefits the New York Dream Act would bring to New York State. We will also strategize the passage of this Communities legislation and the future steps assuring every New York Meeting Room 2 students has equal opportunities to access higher education. Saturday, March 24, 2012 (1:45 PM - 3:15 PM) PANELISTS: MODERATORS: Jose Calderon Assembly Member Peter M. Rivera Senior Vice President, Hispanic Federation Senator Gustavo Rivera Chung-Wha Hong Executive Director, NYS Immigration Coalition PANELISTS: Vishal Mistry Dr. Jane Bedell Legislative Co-Coordinator, NYC Department of Health, Bronx New York Youth Leadership Council Allan Wernick PANELISTS: Director, CUNY Citizenship Now Dr. Betty A. Rosa Natalia Aristizabal-Betancur Judicial District XII (Bronx), NYS Department of Education Youth Organizer and Arts & Media Educator Katie Campos Make the Road NY Assistant Secretary, Executive Chamber Katherine Tabarez Dr. Luis O. Reyes DREAMer Make the Road NY Researcher, Center for PR Studies Kyle Bragg Jorge Saenz de Viteri Vice President Service Employees International Union SEIU M.S. Ed., Current President of the Palisades Association Yajaira Saavedra Founder/ Policy Director DREAM Scholars Alden Nesbitt No Immigrant Left Behind: Dreamer, The Black Institute Ground-breaking Process to Integration in New York State Hispanics in Early Childhood Legislative Office Building 104A Development Saturday, March 24th 2012 (1:45 PM – 3:15PM) Meeting Room 4 MODERATOR: Saturday, March 24, 2012 (1:45PM – 3:15PM) Fanny Villareal, CFO, The Hispanic Coalition, Inc. MODERATORS: Senator Jose Serrano Assembly Member Nelson Castro DESCRIPTION: Senator Adriano Espaillat This interactive seminar identifies and expresses an often- PANELISTS: suppressed secret suffering among immigrants known as George Sheldon migratory mourning. This little-known condition stems from Acting Secretary, Administration for Children and the culture shock and feelings of loss and separation from Families (ACF) living in a new country. Left unchecked, migratory mourning Dr. Jose Alejandro can lead to serious health conditions. The panelists will Case Management, Kindred Healthcare discuss migratory stressors, such as language difficulties, and Reglan George barriers to health resources. They will also explore symptoms. Executive Director, DC 1707 AFSCME PANELISTS: Maria Rodriguez María Elena Ferrer Executive Director, New Vision for Children and Migratory Mourning Facilitator, Executive Director of Families Services, Inc. Humanamente Margie Fuentes Jean Carlos Cowan Case Manager, Trainer and Speaker, New Vision for Associate Professor at SUNY Orange Children and Families Services, Inc. Mónica Arias Miranda Anitta Ruiz MPA, President & CEO, The Hispanic Coalition NY, Inc. Early Childhood Consultant Veterans Early Education of Latino and Legislative Office Building, 711A English Language Learners in Saturday, March 24, 2012 (1:45PM – 3:15PM) New York MODERATOR: Meeting Room 6 Assembly Member Phil Ramos Saturday, March 24, 2012 (1:45PM – 3:15PM) PANELISTS: MODERATORS: Ana-Maria Garcia, U.S. Census Bureau Senator Jose Peralta Cesar Augusto Monzon, U.S. Census Bureau Brunie Sánchez DESCRIPTION: This workshop will be addressing issues in early education Data Dissemination Specialist Census Bureau’s and present research and supporting studies that validate New York Regional Office the positive impact of using the child’s home language as a Roger Walker foundation for learning, school readiness and high academic Senior Outreach Counselor, Samaritan Village achievement. The panelists will also point out that more William A. Kraus attention has to be given to develop unified data collection and Acting Director in the Division of Veteran’s Affairs more research is needed to determine best practices in early education. Moreover, the panelists will focus on increasing the availability and quality of culturally and linguistically competent early education programs, supporting the growth of a culturally diverse teacher workforce and engaging parents in a meaningful way to participate in their children’s education. New York State Assembly/Senate Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force

827-A Legislative Office Building Albany, NY 12248 [email protected]