Staten Island‘s ‘Community Giants’ appear at Nonprofit S.I. Conference for ’Inclusive Boards’ discussion

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the Advance/SILive.com presented its fifth panel discussion on Oct. 30 at the sold-out 12th Annual Nonprofit Staten Island 2024 Conference, held at the Hilton Garden Inn of Staten Island, Bloomfield.

“Conversation with Community Giants: Building Strong Foundations through Governance, Fundraising, and Visibility Strategies for Inclusive Boards” featured a discussion with three prominent Staten Islanders in the nonprofit community: Assemblyman Charles Fall, Doreen Cugno, president and CEO of the St. George Theatre, and Dana Walker-Boyd, president of the Staten Island Community Alliance.

The event was attended by community leaders, newsroom staff, and senior leadership — including Advance executive editor Brian Laline and senior content director Gail Lubin. The panel was co-moderated by social media reporter Shane DiMaio and columnist Dr. Gracelyn Santos, chair of the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com DEI Committee. Multimedia specialist Jason Paderon managed the technical operations, while Felicia Torres and Kelli DeSantis completed the DEI committee.

“I don’t know where this community would be without its nonprofits, which inspire, educate, nurture, and contribute to the economic growth of Staten Island,” Laline said at the start of the program. “I know firsthand that nonprofit boards face many challenges. That’s why it was important for us to bring everyone together today — to learn from those who have faced and overcome these obstacles.”

“Conversation with Community Giants: Celebrating Women in Leadership” follows on the success of the committee’s inaugural panel discussion, “Conversation with Community Giants: Celebrating Black History”; May’s event, “Conversation with Community Giants: Women’s Heart Health,”; July’s “Staten Island’s ‘Community Giants: Celebrating Pride”; and September’s event, “Conversation with Community Giants: Celebrating Women in Leadership,” with a combined video play of more than 200K.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

Speaking on the obstacles faced by nonprofits, Cugno reflected on the early days of the St. George Theatre when she, her sister Luanne Sorrentino, and their mother, the late Mrs. Rosemary Cappozalo, embarked on a journey to save the theatre, which had been closed for nearly 30 years.

“Twenty-one years ago, the St. George Theatre was a white elephant, and Hyatt Street was a ghost town after 5 p.m. Very few people believed that three ladies were going to save the theatre,” said Cugno. “There were obstacles, and we had to prove ourselves. We’re grateful to Brian Laline for befriending us early on and for helping us form a strong board. The way we overcame obstacles was through our track record, perseverance, and never giving up.

“I’m not exaggerating when I say that raccoons and birds were living in the space, which had no heat, no electricity, and no plumbing. My mother believed someone had to save the St. George Theatre, so we surrounded ourselves with people who believed in us and strong people who had the energy to fight with us too.

“It took us about two years before we could establish a track record, and you need a track record to ask for city, state, or federal funding — it doesn’t happen overnight. We started from scratch, and we had to prove ourselves. If you believe in your mission, do not give up. Find people who share your passion and give it 300%.”

NETWORKING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

In addition to tips on raising private and government funds, the panelists spoke about the importance of having an engaged board of directors, strategies for board member recruitment, and ways to increase visibility through social media and press.

“Networking and community engagement are vital, in that you don’t want to be what is called a ‘secret nonprofit,’” said Walker-Boyd during the discussion. “You want to be someone building relationships and reaching out to the community, engaging with them to ensure you’re fulfilling what they’re expecting and networking so everyone else understands your mission.”

In executing a nonprofit board’s mission, Assemblyman Fall emphasized the importance of a personal approach to ensure the success of an organization’s goals, reflecting on his seven years in elected public office.

“If you’re the head of an organization, it’s important to sometimes be hands-on and check in on how things are going within a certain division of the organization,” said Fall. “Sometimes numbers can be misleading, so you have to see for yourself how things are progressing.

“If there’s a particular service that the organization is providing, go out and check on that service to see how the team is carrying out the operation.”

ABOUT THE PANELISTS (IN ALPHAETICAL ORDER)

DOREEN P. CUGNO

Doreen P. Cugno is the president and CEO of The St. George Theatre Restoration, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)3, dedicated to the restoration and the development as a cultural and performing arts center for Staten Island and all of NYC. She is responsible for developing the mission, and oversees the budgets, programming, development/fundraising, maintenance, and the multi-million-dollar capital restoration projects funded by the local, city, state, and the federal government.

The non-profit was created in 2004 by the late Mrs. Rosemary Cappozalo, and her daughters, Doreen P. Cugno and Luanne Sorrentino, to save the St. George Theatre from being torn down. Doreen credits her “A” team staff, the elected officials for supporting the restoration efforts, and a prominent board of directors led by Brian J. Laline, Advance Executive Editor.

ASSEMBLYMAN CHARLES FALL

Charles D. Fall is the New York State Assembly Assistant Majority Leader, who represents New York’s 61st Assembly District covering the North Shore of Staten Island, Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. Fall is the first Muslim and African American Assembly member elected from Staten Island.

Fall’s legislative priorities include expanding resources for teachers, parents and students to resolve academic disparities, creating affordable housing options, ensuring individuals and families have sufficient health coverage and access to vital services, improving transportation infrastructure, among other community concerns on the North Shore.

DANA WALKER-BOYD

Dana Walker-Boyd is President of The Staten Island Community Alliance Corp, which recently hosted a successful 4th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival at Snug Harbor Cultural Center. She holds board positions with the St. George Theatre, Minority Women in Business Association of Staten Island (MWBASI), Community Health Action of Staten Island (CHASI), Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS), and the Sisters of Charity Housing Development Corporation (SCHDC).

Walker-Boyd has worked in fashion production and management with brands like Donna Karan and Judith Leiber. At Mattel and Fisher Price Brands, she managed a $30M sales portfolio. For the past 19 years, she has worked as an Associate Broker with Robert DeFalco Realty, in residential and commercial real estate, rentals, new construction, development sites, and investments.

STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE DEI COMMITTEE

The Advance/SILive.com DEI committee hopes the discussion will inspire ways we can best represent the communities we serve, foster relationships where everyone feels comfortable and included, promote awareness of different perspectives, and exchange ideas on ways to identify challenges of underrepresented groups, and identify opportunities for improvement.

The 2024 Advance/SILive.com DEI committee is chaired by columnist Dr. Gracelyn Santos, and is comprised of committee members Kelli DeSantis, executive assistant to Laline; multimedia specialist, Jason Paderon; Felicia Torres, executive assistant to Harrison; and social media creator Shane DiMaio, who co-moderated with Santos.