Reach Out and Read of Greater New York Welcomes Josh Green as New Board Chair

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Reach Out and Read of Greater New York  

Reach Out and Read of Greater New York Welcomes Josh Green as New Board Chair 

New York, NY, January 2023 – Reach Out and Read of Greater New York (ROR GNY), the 501(3)c nonprofit that incorporates books into pediatric care and encourages families to read aloud together, is thrilled to welcome new Board Chair, Josh Green.  

Effective January 1, Josh Green succeeds Jack E. Pace III, who devotedly served as Board Chair of ROR GNY for many years.  

“Jack Pace’s leadership has been critical to the success of Reach Out and Read of Greater New York and while I can’t hope to fill Jack’s shoes, I look forward to following in his footsteps,” said Josh Green. “Like all members of the ROR GNY Board, I am committed to supporting the vitally important work done by the talented ROR GNY staff and the extraordinary ROR GNY network of healthcare professionals. Together, we will ensure that every child in our community has the opportunity to imagine a brighter future.” 

Josh Green is co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Novata, an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) platform for private markets. Novata was created by a consortium that includes Ford Foundation, Omidyar Network, Hamilton Lane, and S&P Global. Today, Novata supports ESG data collection by private market investors with over $1 trillion in assets under management. Prior to Novata, Josh co-founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of Panjiva, a supply chain data business that was acquired by S&P Global. For many years, Josh has served on the board of Reach Out and Read of Greater New York. Josh lives in New York City with his wife Lindsey and their two children, both of whom love books. 

Pace will continue to serve as the immediate past Board Chair and as a member of ROR GNY’s Board of Directors. 

Jack Pace added, “The resilience and strength of ROR GNY are testaments to the powerful staff and committed Board who manage the great work of the organization.  Serving as Board Chair has been an honor and a highlight of my career.  That a leader with the insight and imagination of Josh Green is taking over as Chair should give all of ROR GNY’s supporters and constituents cause for great excitement.” 

“Our Board of Directors is comprised of a dedicated team of leaders committed to ensuring that every child receives a new, relevant, and accessible book at every single doctor’s appointment and that parents are given the tools they need to be their child’s first teacher,” said Emily Marchese, Executive Director of ROR GNY.  

“This would not be possible without the immense dedication of our board members. I am honored to welcome Josh as our new Board Chair. We are excited to channel Josh’s talent, expertise, and energy into furthering our mission. We are grateful to Jack for his commitment and leadership to ROR GNY and are thrilled he will continue to serve on our Board and as our immediate past Board Chair.” 

About Reach Out and Read of Greater New York 

Reach Out and Read of Greater New York gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together. We provide books and training to over 230 Reach Out and Read programs in predominantly low-income communities in New York City, Long Island, and the Greater Hudson Valley. The program is built on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop essential early literacy skills in young children via the existing health infrastructure. Our program is a proven intervention, supported by 15 independent, peer reviewed research studies. Studies were published in renowned journals including Clinical Pediatrics, Journal of the National Medical Association, and Pediatrics. Follow RORGNY on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. To donate or learn more about Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, visit, reachoutandreadnyc.org.  

Media Contact: 

Christina DiBartolo 

cdibartolo@reachoutandreadnyc.org 


Welcome Our New Board Chair

Josh Green is co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Novata, an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) platform for private markets. Novata was created by a consortium that includes Ford Foundation, Omidyar Network, Hamilton Lane, and S&P Global. Today, Novata supports ESG data collection by private market investors with over $1 trillion in assets under management. Prior to Novata, Josh co-founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of Panjiva, a supply chain data business that was acquired by S&P Global. For many years, Josh has served on the board of Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, a childhood literacy non-profit, and he was selected as Board Chair in 2023. Josh lives in New York City with his wife Lindsey and their two children, both of whom love books.



Meet Our Newest Team Member 

 Christina DiBartolo is the Senior Manager of Development of Reach Out and Read of Greater New York where she oversees fundraising operations for the organization. Prior to joining Reach Out and Read, Christina was the Manager of Annual Giving at The College of New Jersey. While at TCNJ, Christina expanded the program and ran the largest single fundraising initiative for the college, Day of Giving, raising over $388,000 in 2022. Before her work at TCNJ, Christina served as the Development Manager of Convergence Center for Policy Resolution, a nonpartisan, dialogue leading to action nonprofit based in Washington, DC where she led efforts to grow the organization’s fundraising infrastructure and processes. Originally from South Jersey, Christina graduated from The College of New Jersey with a degree in History and from Georgetown University with a masters in Conflict Resolution. Christina’s favorite book growing up was The Fat Cat by Jack Kent.


Thank you for joining our Town Hall on December 16th  
Here are some videos to for you to enjoy with some important self-care techniques: 
Box breathing: Box breathing relaxation technique: how to calm feelings of stress or anxiety – YouTube 
Chair Yoga: 5 Minute Chair Yoga Stretch for Beginners | Quick & Easy Follow Along Routine – YouTube 
Guided Meditation: 3-minute mindfulness meditation for clarity – Flow – YouTube  

Book Updates!!! 
We have so many new books that have been disbursed to sites: 
Scholastic donated over 12,000 books which went out to sites in November 2022 
All About Books shipped 43,000 books to sites in December 2022. 
In January 2023 over 120,000 books from Barefoot Books were shipped out to over 150 sites. 
We will be sending updates about book orders from Jumping Cow Press in which we are slated to receive 4,800 new books.

  A very special Thank You to these partners in supporting our mission to expand early literacy in the Greater New York area! We are so excited for the families that will get to experience reading these stories.  
Connect With Us
Join Us for our Quarterly Town Hall Hello ROR GNY community: We are delighted to invite you to join Reach Out and Read of Greater New York’s quarterly town hall on Friday, December 16th, 2022 @12-1 pm.  Topic: Selfcare for our ROR GNY Sites  We hope to see you there!  Please find the zoom information below and feel free to share this invite with other medical professionals and staff at your ROR GNY clinic as we would love to see everyone there.  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89926879558?pwd=aEhCaEI4VktoMDhkVnptU243V0ErZz09


 
Is your site ready for in-person Volunteers? ROR GNY receives many inquiries for volunteer opportunities.  Since COVID-19 we have been utilizing volunteers to conduct virtual read-alouds. We now have volunteers ready to engage and are interested in conducting in-person read-alouds in waiting rooms, as well as assisting with book organization, book drives and other opportunities. Let us know if your site is open to in- person read-alouds or other Volunteer opportunities.  Please email Patricia Phillips at pphillips@reachoutandreadnyc.org if you are interested in connecting with volunteers.  

Check out our Provider Spotlight!!!

Receive Free Legos for Patients with Prescription to Play

ROR GNY is excited to introduce to you Prescription for Play. Prescription for Play is a program delivered by Primary Care Providers during well-child visits to promote play for development in children aged 18 – 36 months. Free LEGO – DUPLO bricks and materials are available care teams to distribute to patients during routine visits. Becoming a Prescription for Play site is free.  To find out more information and sign up visit the site below:  Prescription for Play (rx4play.org)https://www.rx4play.org/ 
Book Updates!!!

We have so many new books on the way to sites: Scholastic donated over 12,000 books which went out to sites in November 2022 All About Books is preparing a shipment of 43,000 books to deliver to sites nearing end of December. In December 2022 we are expected to receive an order of over 120,000 from Barefoot Books which will be distributed to over 150 sites. We will be sending updates about book orders from Jumping Cow Press in which we are slated to receive 4,800 new books.   A very special Thank You to these partners in supporting our mission to expand early literacy in the Greater New York area! We are so excited for the families that will get to experience reading these stories.  
 
Welcome our New Board Member Dr. Chan is a board-certified pediatrician at a PCMH-recognized hospital-affiliated primary care office in Hempstead and a teacher for pediatric residents and medical students who have their continuity clinic in her office. Dr. Chan graduated from St. George’s School of Medicine and completed her residency at NYU Langone Long Island Hospital formally known as Winthrop Hospital. After working 6 years in 2 offices in the NYC area at Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn and Urban Health Plan in Corona, Queens, Dr. Chan returned to the same office where Dr. Chan had trained as a resident and has been practicing here for the past 6 years. In addition to her clinical responsibilities, Dr. Chan is involved with several quality improvement projects including 1) evaluation and management of patients with ADHD, 2) coaching the resident project on the early education of dental care and brushing in her patients, and 3) coaching the medical student project on depression screening. Since Dr. Chan returned 6 years ago, Dr. Chan became the Reach Out and Read Coordinator and was the recipient of the 2021 Living, Breathing, ROR GNY Award. In 12 years as a pediatrician, besides taking care of children and watching them grow up, it has been a pleasure to teach the next generation of pediatricians to detect early, educate and help prevent health concerns to provide our children with a better future.  
Exciting Updates About Books
ROR GNY is excited to announce that we have partnered with All About Books for a new order for 2022. We are expected to receive 43,000 books to be distributed to sites.  Thank You to All About Books!!!
 We are thrilled to announce that in December 2022 we are expected to receive an order of over 120,000 from Barefoot Books which will be distributed to over 150 sites. We are excited for the families that will get to experience reading these stories. A very special Thank You to Barefoot Books in supporting our mission to expand early literacy in the Greater New York area!
  
A special Thank You for your cooperation in completing the Reach Out and Read of Greater New York Fall Survey.  This survey is extremely helpful in collecting information for effective tracking of updated site contact and shipping information, book needs and preferences per site, training needs and opportunities as well as volunteer opportunities.  If for any reason your site was unable to complete the survey, please see the link below to be able to do so:https://forms.gle/wo8GyPDXQitHDVKf6 

Upcoming: Town HallDecember 16th, 2022 We are excited to invite you to attend our upcoming Town Hall meeting.  Further details will be provided. 
 Annual Benefit:ROR GNY IS THRILLED TO ANNOUNCED THAT WE MET OUR GOAL OF $200,000 AT THE ANNUAL BENEFIT: CELEBRATING RESILIENCE
 Benefit : Celebrating Resilience 
 
 
 
We Are Excited to See You!Date: Monday, October 3, 2022
Time: 6:30P.M. to 9:30P.M.
Location: Tribeca Rooftop (2 Desbrosses Street New York, NY 10013)
Dress Code: Cocktail or business attire
Check-in: When you arrive at Tribeca Rooftop, you will be greeted by ROR GNY staff and volunteers. Kindly give your name and you will be presented with your table number and printed program. Contact Trish for information:Trish Rollins,Development Manager PRollins@reachoutandreadnyc.org or 646-893-7333

Our HonoreesEvent Honoree: Jack E. Pace III
Mills Tannenbaum Award: Aram Kim
Advocate for Diverse Books Award: Patricia Anderson, MD, Shamiza Ally, MD, Acklema Mohammad, MD – Urban Health Plan
Jack Pace, Living, Breathing ROR GNY Award: Pamela Piyavunno, RN – Mt. Sinai South Nassau Family Medicine Barbara Zion-Green – Cohen Children’s Medical Center 
Mental Health Advocate Award:  Ilana Palgi, PsyD – NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens – Pediatric Practice
 Trusted Messenger Award : Jennifer Gomez – LINCS Program at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Gary Chin – Morris Heights Health Center 
Whole Family Advocate Award: Claudia Aristy – Bellevue Hospital, NYC Faye Kokotos, MD – Montefiore Medical Center / Pediatric Primary Care at FCC
There are still opportunities to donate.  Please visit:Reach Out and Read of Greater New York (givesmart.com)​		 
 
 
 
 Join Us for Our Town Hall MeetingOctober 14th,2022  
 
 
 We are delighted to invite you to join Reach Out and Read of Greater New York’s quarterly town hall on Friday, October 14th, 2022 @12-1pm.  We are excited to welcome our guest speaker: Dr. Joanna Perdomo, MD. We will also: Introduce new program staff members who will be supporting your sitesOur Annual Survey collecting information crucial to book procurement/ shipmentsIntroduce information about our DEI work and initiatives
We hope to see you there!  Please find the zoom information below and feel free to share this invite with other medical professionals and staff at your ROR GNY clinic as we would love to see everyone there. Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88039907068
Meeting ID: 880 3990 7068		 
 
 
 
 Pediatrician Focus Group Opportunity
We would like to invite you to take part in a focus group (small and confidential discussion group). Please use this Calendly link to schedule your focus group for the week of October 10th or 17th: https://calendly.com/jlizzio/pediatricians-focus-groupsBreaker28 is working with Reach Out and Read of Greater New York to better understand opportunities to improve its core program and better support its Medical Sites, with a focus on opportunities to become more equitable and inclusive. Focus groups will provide vital input for future strategic planning goals.  This process has multiple parts, including surveys and focus groups or interviews with its staff, board, families, physicians, and site coordinators. The groups will be hosted by Breaker28 and as a result, your identity will be kept confidential.  The focus group should last no longer than one hour, and it will create a space to interact with other Pediatricians regarding your experiences with Reach Out and Read of Greater New York. Once you have RSVP and we have confirmed attendance, you will receive a $25.00 Gift card from the ROR GNY team. We hope you can join the focus group and due to limited attendance ask for your confirmation by 10/1/22.
For more information, please contact Jessica Lizzio, Senior Manager of Pediatrician Engagement at jlizzio@reachoutandreadnyc.org		 
 
 
 
 
ROR GNY Fall 2022 Survey ReminderPlease don’t forget to complete the ROR GNY Fall Survey!The survey serves as a tool to collect information on areas such as site needs for different types of books and storage capacity to assist in further tracking for sending books to sites.  This survey will also serve as a tool to gather information regarding volunteer opportunities as well as information and willingness for medical professional trainings. This survey should take approximately 5-10 minutes.Please access the survey provided via emails.ROR GNY 2022 Fall Survey. https://forms.gle/wo8GyPDXQitHDVKf6		 
Progress Report UpdateWe understand that our sites continue to face challenges on the ground with the ongoing pandemic hence, ROR GNY will EXTEND the July Progress Report deadline from September 1st to October  1st, 2022.  This is a hard deadline, and the portal will be closed on October 1st EOD.  We hope that this extension will give our sites a chance to prioritize the wellbeing of staff while gathering the information necessary to complete the report. To support our sites with Progress Report completion we held two Office Hour sessions during which we answered any questions and concerns that our sites had. If you still have any questions, please reach out to Nardeen Khella at sitesupport@reachoutandreadnyc.org or Jessi Lizzio at jlizzio@reachoutandreadnyc.org. 
 
 
 
 Free PPE Equipment for Families 
 
 
 NYC Health + Hospitals’ Test & Trace Corps has pallets of PPE Care Packages available for distribution to partners. These include 25 surgical masks, 2 rapid tests, and a hand sanitizer.They currently have 2 pallets of packages left. They can ship an entire pallet to a site (pallets contain 300 packages) or they can schedule a pick up location where you can pick up a few boxes. Their quantities are running out quickly.If you are interested in any pallets or interested in picking up PPE Care Packages, email Kari Kurjiaka at kkurjiaka@reachoutandreadnyc.org. 
 
 
 
  Are you ready for In-Person Volunteers/ Readers in your Waiting Areas? 
 
  ROR GNY receives many inquiries for volunteer opportunities.  Since COVID-19 we have been utilizing volunteers to conduct virtual read alouds. 
Currently, we have volunteers ready to engage and are interested in conducting in-person read alouds in waiting rooms.Let us know if your site is open to in- person read alouds or other Volunteer opportunities. 
  		  
Please email 
Patricia Phillips at pphillips@reachoutandreadnyc.org if you are interested in connecting with volunteers.   
 
  READS Back to School Celebration was a Success!!! 
On August 24th a Back to School Celebration with East New York Reads was held in Highland Park.  So many excited children came out.  Children received books, games, participated in activities and Read Alouds.We look forward to participating in more events.   
 
 
 All About Books Shipped to SitesWe are thrilled to announce that on August 18, 2022 over 18,000 books, many of which were bilingual, were shipped from All About Books and disbursed to 36 sites. We are excited for the families that will get to experience reading those stories.  A special Thank You to All About Books! 
 
 
  Reminder:  Get Your Tickets!Annual Benefit: Celebrating ResilienceMonday, October 3, 2022
6:30P.M. to 9:30P.M.
Tribeca Rooftop – 2 Desbrosses Street New York, NY 10013Contact Trish for information:Trish Rollins Development Manager 
PRollins@reachoutandreadnyc.org or646-893-7333  

We are excited to welcome Jessica Lizzio to our program team as the Senior Manager of Pediatrician Engagement. Prior to joining Reach Out and Read, Jessi was a Developmental Specialist Supervisor and Playgroup Coordinator at Boston Children’s Hospital Early Intervention Program. She focused on serving children ages 0 – 3 who have developmental delays or are at risk of a developmental delay by providing evaluations and in-home services. Jessi created and implemented various virtual groups for children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. She worked closely with children’s primary care providers; specialty providers such as developmental medicine, genetics, and neurology to ensure the right services and diagnoses are available for children at an early age. Jessi’s goal has been to empower children and families and she has prepared many for their transition to Boston Public Schools.  Immigrating to Queens, NY from Colombia as a teenager, diversity and advocating for underserved communities is especially important to her mission.  She is now looking forward to highlighting early literacy as a tool for equity in the Greater New York area

Kinsa has partnered with NYC’s Department of Health to bring free “smart thermometers” to New Yorkers.  The thermometers are designed by doctors and nurses in efforts to help achieve the goal of building a robust triage, early detection and response network across the City, while advancing the health of all New Yorkers.If you are interested in learning more about participating sites and how to obtain a free thermometer contact Patricia at pphillips@reachoutandreadnyc.org

 West Monroe Volunteers with Virtual & In-person Read Alouds  

West Monroe is embodying one of its core values of social responsibility by dedicating more that 2,000 employees to support nonprofits by volunteering remotely or in-person to organizations. 20 West Monroe Partners employees volunteered their time recording virtual read alouds for families to enjoy at home.
A special Thank You to West Monroe for your support!

This fall, an additional 8,000 books were distributed to families with young children when they received a COVID-19 test, totaling over 30,000 books in 2021.

New York, NY, November 16, 2021 – Reach Out and Read of Greater New York (RORGNY), the 501(3)c nonprofit providing children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together, announced today their partnership with NYC Health + Hospital’s COVID-19 Test and Trace Corps providing an additional 8,000 children’s books to be distributed at COVID-19 testing sites.

Starting in December 2020, RORGNY expanded their existing relationship with NYC Health + Hospitals through working with their COVID-19 Test and Trace Corps. Test and Trace has 17 rapid COVID-19 testing locations throughout New York City where they see around 200 patients per day, per site. RORGNY provided books to be handed out to families who come in for COVID tests and offered a 45-minute training for the NYC Health + Hospital’s Resource Navigators to advise parents on building early literacy skills with their young children. 

Resource navigators at the sites praised the efforts saying families “really resonated with the positive messages the books were trying to convey” and “being presented with the option of books was a good surprise.”

In addition to book distribution at COVID testing sites, RORGNY and their partners at City Council’s City’s First Readers initiative provided more books, crayons, art supplies, and activity sheets for Take Care Kits – collections of resources that go out to families required to quarantine. At the five quarantine hotels set up around New York City, ROR GNY provided books to entertain and support the children and families staying there. Resources from libraries are introduced here as well. 

This partnership started in December 2020 and has led to the donation and distribution of over 30,000 books.

To donate or learn more about Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, visit, reachoutandreadnyc.org. 

About Reach Out and Read of Greater New York

Reach Out and Read of Greater New York gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together. We provide books and training to over 230 Reach Out and Read clinics in predominantly low-income communities in New York City, Long Island, and the Greater Hudson Valley. The program is built on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop essential early literacy skills in young children via the existing health infrastructure. Our program is a proven intervention, supported by 15 independent, peer reviewed research studies. Follow RORGNY on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. To donate or learn more about Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, visit, reachoutandreadnyc.org. 

Media Contact:

Kari Kurjiaka 

kkurjiaka@reachoutandreadnyc.org

All funding will help over 200,000 New York City children gain free access to quality, diverse books and literacy guidance

New York, NY, Oct. 29, 2021 – Reach Out and Read of Greater New York (RORGNY), the 501(3)c nonprofit providing children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together, announced today that it received the largest year-over-year funding increase from the New York City Council (the Council). RORGNY will receive an additional $110,864 increase for fiscal year 2022 allowing the organization to serve even more families in New York City with quality, diverse books, and literacy guidance. 

RORGNY largest year-over-year funding increase stems from The Council’s overall grant for City’s First Readers, a group of nonprofits that offer early learning programs and activities for families with children from birth to age 5. 

Emily Marchese, Executive Director of Reach Out and Reach of Greater New York, said: “The pandemic put a spotlight on the gap that low-income communities face in providing adequate resources to ensure childhood literacy development. We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with City’s First Readers and that the New York City Council recognizes the significance of our mission by providing RORGNY its largest increase in funding in the program’s history.” 

The additional funding allows RORGNY to serve an additional 2.5% of children and increase the quality of the books provided by the organization. This includes books that feature more diverse authors and characters, providing more representation of the communities that RORGNY serves. 

Year-to-date through RORGNY’s partnership with pediatricians, over 1 million children have gained access to books through their routine wellness visits. RORGNY provides books and training to over 230 Reach Out and Read programs in predominantly low-income communities in New York City, Long Island, and the Greater Hudson Valley. As a result of this evidence-based intervention, parents learn new ways to stimulate their children’s literacy development, have more books in their home, and read to their children more. 

To donate or learn more about Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, visit, reachoutandreadnyc.org. 

About Reach Out and Read of Greater New York

Reach Out and Read of Greater New York gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together. We provide books and training to over 230 Reach Out and Read clinics in predominantly low-income communities in New York City, Long Island, and the Greater Hudson Valley. The program is built on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop essential early literacy skills in young children via the existing health infrastructure. Our program is a proven intervention, supported by 15 independent, peer reviewed research studies. Follow RORGNY on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. To donate or learn more about Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, visit, reachoutandreadnyc.org. 

Media Contact:

Kari Kurjiaka 

kkurjiaka@reachoutandreadnyc.org

July 2021 Progress Report Open Until September 1st

The next progress report period is open for one more month. Program Coordinators can login to their account on www.myror.org and fill out their progress report until September 1st.

Graphic Novels Summer Workshop Series

Moni Barrette and Maggie P. Chang are here to talk all about Graphic Novels.

Download the printable flyer here

New Booklist from NYPL: Social Emotional Learning

We’re excited to provide this book list for toddlers of new, great books that promote a child’s social and emotional development. When parents and caregivers ask for book recommendations, this is a great list to provide.

Download the booklist here

Sign Up Reminder for Vooks 75,000 FREE Logins for Families

This is a reminder to continue distributing your allocation of the 75,000 FREE Vooks logins to families at their visits. Vooks is a kid safe, ad-free streaming library of read aloud, animated storybooks. It is trusted by parents, loved by teachers, and enjoyed by millions of children around the world. Again, Vooks is not a replacement for physical books, but rather an accompaniment.  

If you are conducting a well-child visit via telehealth, we recommend giving families access, no matter the age of their child. The same holds true if your site is out of physical books. Currently, Vooks is only in English, but they are in the process of translating their e-books into multiple languages. In the meantime, Vooks are a great resource for children and parents/caregivers who are learning English as a second language.   

Vooks also provides reading guides for every e-book for parents and caregivers to use when reading with their child together.  

We strongly recommend that you sign up for your own free Vooks account to become familiar with it, so you can answer any questions your families may have. 

HERE you will find a flyer in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese that you can give to your families, which shows them how to sign up.  

HERE you will find a quick video on how to set up your account. It is very simple and user friendly! 

New ROR GNY Employee

Patricia (Trish) Rollins, Development Manager

 Trish brings over seven years of professional development experience which includes grant writing, peer-to-peer fundraising, securing corporate sponsorships, and event planning. As a proud born-and-raised New Yorker, Trish is involved with several philanthropic ventures in the community. She is a volunteer Team Leader with New York Cares, on the Autism Speaks Staten Island Walk Committee, and a member of the Greenbelt Conservancy. She has run eleven half marathons and three full marathons, including running the NYC Marathon twice, and she holds a BA in English Literature from the College of Staten Island.