Promotions, Announcements & Appointments

Oliveira added to St. Francis board

St. Francis College announced the addition of Ana Oliveira, senior vice president, New York Market executive at Investors Bank, to its Board of Trustees.

“Ana is a familiar face to many of us at St. Francis College already, having been a partner in mission by lending her time and expertise so selflessly to our students, alumni and friends over the years,” said President Miguel Martinez-Saenz. “I’m endlessly impressed by Ana’s astute business leadership and her championing of women in all professional environments.” In her current Investors Bank position, Oliveira oversees 48 branches in the New York market. She joined the

OLIVEIRA company in 2010 when the bank acquired Millennium bcpbank, where she was serving as a regional manager in the Retail division.

“I’m enthusiastic about joining the Board of Trustees of St. Francis College because I know the school helps encourage, motivate and guide students to achieve their potential in life,” said Oliveira. “To that end, I hope to share my insights about the skills and abilities that companies and communities are seeking from our next generation of leaders.”

Oliveira also serves on the Board of Trustees of Futures in Education and the Board of Directors at the JCC of Staten Island. She has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Queens Theatre, New Jersey City University Foundation and the Portuguese American Chamber of Commerce in New Jersey.

Edward Grayson can now remove the “acting” from his official title.

Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Grayson as the commissioner of the Department of Sanitation (DSNY). The 21-year agency veteran had served as acting commissioner since September.

“He has brought energy, experience and passion for the agency’s mission to his role, and he has earned New Yorkers’ trust to keep our city clean and safe,” de Blasio said. “I’m proud to offer him this role on a permanent basis, and I look forward to working closely with him to build a fairer and better city.”

Grayson, who grew up in Ridgewood, comes from a family with a deep background in the department. His father was a sanitation worker

Grayson officially head of Sanitation

and supervisor, while his mother was a recycling outreach coordinator during the 1990s, when the city rolled out its citywide recycling program.

“Growing up in Ridgewood, everyone in my neighborhood had a plan for how they’d someday serve the people of New York, as so many of our parents did, including my own,” Grayson said. “As a sanitation worker, supervisor, superintendent and chief, I’ve been proud to do just that for the last 21 years.” Before serving as acting commissioner, Grayson was appointed a four-star chief and director of the Bureau of Cleaning and Collection in 2017. In this role, he oversaw day-to-day operations for the department, including

GRAYSON the recycling and disposal of more than 12,000 tons of waste per day.

He also implemented new technology to improve snow removal and frontline operations. According to the city, Grayson was a leader in DSNY’s implementation of the city’s zerowaste goals.

Grayson served as operations chief, overseeing snow removal during the 2016 blizzard, which was the city’s largest snowstorm.

“As we have seen in these few short months since stepping in as acting commissioner, Ed Grayson has the experience and dedication needed to lead New York’s Strongest,” Deputy Mayor Laura Anglin said. “Coming from a working-class family dedicated to public service, Ed knows the true meaning and dignity of serving this city.”

D&B Engineers and Architects, a leading engineering and consulting organization specializing in civil and environmental engineering, water supply and construction management promoted Matthew Thogersen, EIT, of Astoria.

Beyond his new role as associate with D&B Engineers and Architects, Thogersen, retains his prior responsibilities as project engineer at the company’s Woodbury office, where he is project manager for the Belgrave Water Pollution Control District Effluent Pump Station and Outfall Replacement projects.

He joined D&B Engineers and Architects in 2013 as a member of the firm’s Wastewater Design Division. Thogersen holds EIT certifica-

Thogerson promoted at D&B Engineers

THOGERSEN

tion, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from SUNY Buffalo.

He is a member of the New York Water Environment Association and currently serves as the president-elect of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Long Island Branch, from which he was recently awarded the “Young Engineer of the Year Award.”

State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, who chairs the Higher Education Committee, was honored as a “Friend of CUNY” by the Professional Staff Congress/CUNY during a Belle Zeller Scholarship Trust Fund virtual event.

The PSC thanked the Senator for her support of the City University of New York during her more than 20 years in office.

“I take great pride in our city’s university system and the young graduates it continues to produce,” said Stavisky. “As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic we will be faced with many fiscal challenges.”

Stavisky’s connection to the CUNY system dates back decades. The senator completed graduate courses at both Hunter College and Queens College after graduating from Syracuse University. And, as she explained in her acceptance speech, the CUNY system played a pivotal role in the life of her late husband, State Senator Leonard Stavisky.

Stavisky honored as ‘Friend of CUNY’

STAVISKY

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CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS STARBUCKS INITIATIVE

Starbucks announced new initiatives as part of its long-standing commitment to use its scale and platform to positively impact the communities it serves.

The company will invest $100 million to launch the Starbucks Community Resilience Fund focused on supporting small businesses and community development projects in Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) neighborhoods.

“Starbucks has always been a company focused on caring for our partners, creating experiences for our customers and playing a positive role in our communities and throughout society,” said Kevin Johnson, Starbucks president and CEO. “We are excited to make this investment as it aligns with our mission and values and supports our aspiration to advance equity and opportunity in the communities we serve.”

By 2025, the Starbucks Community Resilience Fund will invest $100 million to advance racial equity and environmental resilience by supporting small business growth and community development projects in neighborhoods with historically limited access to capital.

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CHPE PROJECT

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from the beginning of construction through the first 30 years of operation, CHPE will deliver $28.6 billion in economic benefits to New York State.

This includes economic activities generated through construction, taxes paid to local municipalities, a decrease in wholesale electricity costs, and benefits related to greenhouse gas emissions and increased economic output.

Specifically, the project will contribute to communities that host the project $1.7 billion in taxes over the first 30 years of the project. In New York City alone, the annual estimated tax revenue provided by the CHPE will be in the millions.

Building this clean energy project will create thousands of construction jobs, many of them in Queens, and provide an immediate benefit to neighborhood shops, restaurants, and other retail establishments along the entire project route.

TDI will be using hundreds of local skilled trade workers to construct the completely buried line and the converter station. TDI has committed to using union labor, and the project is being funded by the private sector.

In addition to the economic benefits, CHPE will also improve the quality of life in Queens and beyond by reducing harmful emissions from five major groups of harmful pollutants by an impressive 33 percent in its first year of service.

This will result in cleaner air for the entire region and provide relief to the neighborhoods and communities that currently host fossil fuel plants.

The CHPE is fully permitted and TDI aims to start construction next year and be in operation by 2025, delivering low-cost renewable power directly to New York.

Jennifer Laird-White is vice president of External Affairs for Transmission Developers, Inc.

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