Dr. Zulema Blair is an accomplished academic leader, policy scholar, and champion for equity in education and economic development. She serves as Dean of the School of Business and Executive Director of the DuBois Bunche Center for Public Policy at Medgar Evers College, City University of New York, where she provides strategic oversight of academic programs, faculty development, institutional advancement, and external partnerships across five departments. With over two decades of experience in higher education, Dr. Blair’s scholarship and practice sit at the intersection of political behavior, public policy, voting rights, redistricting, and institutional governance. Her academic work—grounded in research methodology, statistics, civic engagement, and urban policy—reflects a sustained commitment to advancing opportunity, access, and outcomes for historically underrepresented communities. A transformative leader, Dr. Blair has spearheaded a series of forward-looking initiatives that have strengthened the School of Business as a hub for innovation and workforce development. These include the launch of the Dr. Una S. T. Clarke Women in Government Lecture Series, the development of cutting-edge degree concentrations in Cybersecurity and Automated Intelligence, and the expansion of global education and experiential learning opportunities. She has also cultivated high-impact partnerships with industry leaders, alumni, and public sector institutions, while securing external funding, advancing accreditation efforts, and embedding a culture of excellence, accountability, and inclusion. Dr. Blair holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration from Binghamton University, a Juris Doctor from New York Law School, and a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College. She serves on multiple advisory boards and civic initiatives across New York City and is widely recognized for her visionary leadership, community-centered approach, and unwavering dedication to student and faculty success. She is a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, and the devoted mother of two children.

Deputy Borough President, Reverend, and fierce community advocate are all words you can use to describe Kim Council. All her life, Rev. Kim Council has dedicated her career to the communities and people of Brooklyn, focused on finding ways to better lives and strengthen opportunities for all. As Deputy Borough President, she carries this work out on a borough-wide scale, working with faith-based and community leaders to find solutions for some of the biggest challenges facing our borough from housing to food insecurity and violence. Brooklyn-born and -raised, Kim grew up in HUD-subsidized housing as the oldest of five children. Her family grew up working hard to provide – fighting evictions and food insecurity despite both her parents working full-time jobs. While there wasn’t much spare cash in the home, there was boundless love and support. And in Bed-Stuy, neighbors always had each other’s backs. Fast forward some years, Kim is known as many things – law librarian, assistant pastor, and a former executive no-profit leader. Guided by her faith, her work is extensive and always on the forefront of the issues pressing Brooklyn. As the executive director of the Berean Community and Family Life Center, she provided preventative health care, built affordable housing, and created youth development programs and violence prevention programs. As vice chair of the Local Development Corporation of East New York, Kim was vital in providing resources and support to small businesses. And while president of the East Brooklyn Housing Development Corporation, she spearheaded the construction of over one thousand units of affordable housing. Now, as Brooklyn’s Deputy Borough President, Kim is a fearless community leader who has been continuously devoted to fighting for the best for Brooklyn communities across the borough. Leveraging on her expertise, within her first year at Borough Hall, she launched the administration’s first roundtable on how faith-based organizations can champion affordable housing in Brooklyn, built momentum to end gun violence boroughwide, and brought resources to Business Improvement Districts and merchant associations to help support local businesses. On the day-to-day, she meets Brooklynites and local organizations and businesses across the borough while problem-solving how to bring resources to the table to our communities that have been long underrepresented. Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Rev. Kim Council is Brooklyn’s own powerhouse of advocacy, wit, and hard work moving our borough forward. Today, Deputy Borough President Council calls Cypress Hills home, where she lives with her daughter and son, Nicole and George.

State Senator Kevin S. Parker is committed to restoring the overall quality of life for the constituents of the 21st Senatorial District in Brooklyn. A lifelong Brooklyn resident, Senator Parker has been a Flatbush resident for more than 31 years -- nurtured, educated, and employed in the borough. Senator Parker is intimately familiar with the needs of the 21st District, which consists of many diverse communities: Flatbush, East Flatbush, Kensington, Ditmas Park, Midwood, Flatlands, Canarsie, Georgetown, Old Mill Basin, Mill Basin, Bergen Beach and Marine Park. A product of the New York City Public School system, Senator Parker attended P.S. 193, Andries Hudde I.S. 240, and Midwood High School. Elected to the New York State Senate in 2002, Senator Parker’s professional background reflects a wide range of public service and an unwavering commitment to a better New York. As the Special Assistant to former New York State Comptroller H. Carl McCall, Senator Parker managed intergovernmental relations in New York City, and was the liaison between the Comptroller; city, state, and federal elected officials. Before taking office, Senator Parker was a New York City Urban Fellow and also served as Special Assistant to former Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger; Legislative Aide to former New York City Councilmember Una Clarke, and Special Assistant to Assemblyman Nick Perry. As Project Manager with the New York State Urban Development Corporation, Senator Parker financed minority and women owned businesses and promoted community business redevelopment. Senator Parker worked on a wide range of issues within the financial service industry at UBS PaineWebber in the Chairman’s office concerning Government Affairs. In his first term in office he was selected as a prestigious fellow for a program that trains emerging state legislators from across the 50 states. In addition to becoming a prestigious fellow, he was one of 40 emerging state leaders from across the country to receive a Toll Fellowship from the Council of State Government. In 2005, he participated in intensive government course work with professionals of various fields from around the country at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. For the 2014/15 legislative term, his committee assignments include: Energy and Telecommunications; Finance; Rules; Banks; Insurance; Higher Education; Alcoholism and Drug Abuse; Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation. He is currently the Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, Former Majority Whip and First Vice Chair of the Association of Black, Puerto Rican & Asian Legislators. Senator Parker is also a member of the New American Task Force. Senator Parker has been appointed Parliamentarian to the NY State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators, Incorporated, and was appointed as the Democratic lead of the Joint Budget Committee on Environment, Agriculture and Housing. Senator Parker’s commitment to his community is reflected in his leadership in civic organizations. He formed the New York Ready Emergency Preparedness Unit alongside other community leaders. He is the former 2nd Vice Chairman of the Board and chairperson of Community Board 17’s Education Committee; a member of the Community Service Society’s Associates program and the Children’s Defense Fund’s Community Crusade for Children. Senator Parker was a member of the Coro Foundation’s Leadership New York XI class where he examined public policy, budget and infrastructure, race relations, education, and health care issues. His commitment to education has taken him into the classroom as a professor of both African-American Studies and Political Science at several colleges, including: CUNYs: Baruch College, John Jay College, Medgar Evers College, City College; SUNY, Old Westbury; and Long Island University. Brooklyn College is where Senator Parker teaches a majority of his classes and is a faculty advisor to student organizations and activities. The Senator is currently an adjunct professor at Brooklyn College’s Center for Worker Education. At Penn State (where he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Service), Senator Parker organized students for racial justice and encouraged diversity at the University. He holds a Master’s of Science Degree from the New School for Social Research in Urban Policy and Management and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Political Science at The Graduate Center, CUNY. He is also a member of the Alpha Chapter of the Pi Eta Honor Society.

Senator Roxanne Jacqueline Persaud was elected to the New York State Senate in November 2015, following her service in the State Assembly. She currently serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Social Services and sits on several key committees, including Children and Families, Codes, Cities 1, Disabilities, NYC Education, and Transportation. She is also a member of the Legislative Women’s Caucus. Prior to public office, Senator Persaud built a career in Higher Education Administration and has long been an active community advocate. Her civic engagement included leadership roles such as President of the 69th Precinct Community Council, Chairperson of Community Board 18, and Commissioner on the NYC Districting Commission. She has also served on advisory boards for youth development, domestic violence prevention, cancer awareness, and other public health initiatives. A passionate advocate both locally and globally, Senator Persaud has participated in overseas volunteer missions focused on medical and social outreach. She encourages civic involvement and community engagement at all levels. Her legislative priorities include public safety, affordable housing, education, healthcare, and services for youth and seniors. She has championed laws supporting breast cancer screening access, strengthened identity theft protections, expanded preventions for SNAP and cash assistance skimming, and improved services for survivors of human trafficking. She also consistently secures funding for diaper banks and champions anti-gun violence initiatives across New York State. Born in Guyana, South America, Senator Persaud immigrated to the U.S. with her family and holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education Administration from Pace University. She resides in Canarsie, Brooklyn, within the 19th Senatorial District.

Phara Souffrant Forrest represents the 57th Assembly District in Brooklyn, which consists of the neighborhoods of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill as well as parts of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. She was first elected in 2020. Phara is the daughter of Haitian immigrants and a lifelong resident of the 57th District. She is a proud product of Brooklyn’s public school system, attending Philippa Schuyler Middle School and Benjamin Banneker Academy for Community Development. She then went on to attend SUNY Geneseo, where she majored in international relations, before obtaining an associate’s nursing degree at CUNY City Tech and a BSN at CUNY School of Professional Studies. She has held a variety of jobs that help her connect with her constituents, working in New York City public schools, as an Uber driver, and doing youth advocacy work at Global Kids. Before being elected to the Assembly, Phara worked as a maternal child field nurse, caring for new mothers after they gave birth. In addition to her work as a nurse, Phara was president of her building’s tenant association before running for office. Tenant organizing, in particular the fight to pass the Housing Stability & Tenant Protection Act of 2019, was a major motivating force in her decision to run for office and stand up for tenants like her across the state. Since being elected, she has continued to champion the rights of tenants, as well as expanding access to healthcare and reforms to the carceral system. In her first term, she passed the Less Is More Act, which made the state’s supervision system more just and equitable. She believes that working-class New Yorkers deserve stable housing, affordable healthcare, and the resources to pursue a good life. Phara lives in Crown Heights with her husband and son.

New York State Assembly Member Stefani L. Zinerman represents Brooklyn’s 56th Assembly District, encompassing Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights. A third-generation resident of historic Bed-Stuy, she has dedicated her career to community advocacy, progressive leadership, and transformative policymaking. Since her election in 2020, Assembly Member Zinerman has emerged as a legislative force, championing policies that address systemic inequities and expand opportunity for all New Yorkers. Her legislative victories include the Community Hiring Act and the Plain Language Bill, which simplify ballot proposals for voters and create equitable hiring practices in public projects. As Chair of the Subcommittee on Emerging Workforce, she leads efforts to connect young people to career pathways in clean energy, transportation, and technology — fields that shape New York's future workforce. She has also advanced legislation addressing food justice, urban agriculture, homeowner protections, tenant rights, and cultural preservation. A staunch advocate for health equity, Assembly Member Zinerman secured $6 million for a state-of-the-art Bed-Stuy Volunteer Ambulance Corps facility, which will include the district’s first birthing center. She also led efforts to establish the Cultural Museum of Art – Eric Edwards Collection, ensuring the celebration of African heritage in Central Brooklyn. Appointed Deputy Majority Whip by Speaker Carl Heastie, she serves on the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus, the Legislative Women’s Caucus, and as Vice President of the NYS Black Legislative Taskforce, where she continues to advocate for working families, civil rights, and equity. Beyond Albany, Zinerman is a community builder, leading the Underground Reading Railroad literacy program, supporting Age Friendly Central Brooklyn, Inc., and spearheading Power Up: Youth Leading Change — a six-month civic engagement curriculum that equips young people with the tools to engage government and advocate for their communities. Her leadership extends to economic development, as she spearheads the creation of a Central Brooklyn Innovation Center — a model for community-led revitalization, workforce development, and affordable housing in the face of gentrification. In cultural preservation, she partners with the Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State to lead the Inaugural Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Legacy Tour, offering educational journeys that honor Black resilience, resistance, and history. Stefani’s leadership inspires collaboration among colleagues, constituents, and institutions, unified by her vision for a stronger, more just New York.

Stephanie Delia, she is an experienced immigration attorney with expertise in family-based petitions, humanitarian petitions, and naturalization. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a JD from the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. Stephanie is currently the Executive Director of Little Haiti BK, an organization based in Brooklyn that is dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and strengthening Haitian and Caribbean culture in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn.