Women of Color Rise - Analiza Quiroz Wolf

Great retreat with AARP New York! As a member of the Executive Council, I had the privilege of seeing this hard-working, mission-oriented team—led by the incredible Beth Finkel—in action.

We spent a focused few days this week diving deep into our core priorities:
- Protecting Social Security for current and future generations.
- Advancing caregiving support for our elderly loved ones.

It’s energizing to collaborate on solutions that matter to our community.

Grateful to serve alongside my fellow Executive Council members: Alvaro Carrascal, Cindy Morris, Elizabeth Colon, Ron Roel, Karen Nicolson (she/her), and Catherine Georges.

Joy is an act of resistance.

In high-pressure environments, it is so easy to forget that we are whole people beyond our job titles. But preserving who we are outside of a crisis is exactly what allows us to lead through one.

I had an incredible time joining Angelina Darrisaw, Founder and CEO of C-Suite Coach, to talk about faith, boundaries, and why wholeness is a critical leadership strategy in today’s volatile landscape.

Thank you, C-Suite.Coach, for the LinkedIn Live feature and for creating space for these essential conversations!

Excited to share my partnership with Desander Más, founder of SMLR, Inc.

Together, we are delivering consulting, workshops, and webinars designed to motivate teams, build capabilities, and drive social impact.

As a fellow US military veteran, I am proud to collaborate with Des and his team. We look forward to continuing our service by supporting non-profits and government agencies throughout NYC and New York State.

Check out SMLR and see how we can support your organization: https://www.smlr.net

Thank you to Sheryl Palmer, Pete Lane, and the entire Taylor Morrison Board and management team for an incredible board fellowship experience!

Anissa Dhoubi and I started this journey in 2024 and have learned immensely throughout our time. Beyond the complexities of board governance, we witnessed firsthand what truly makes a great company: it isn't just strong business practices, but a powerful, thriving culture that starts at the very top. What an incredible opportunity to learn from the best in the industry.

We are also deeply grateful to Roosevelt Giles and the Stakeholder Leadership Governance Institute (SLGI) for the foundational board governance training and for partnering with Sheryl and the TMHC team to create this opportunity.

As we look to the future, we hope to continue our board service journeys carrying forward the invaluable lessons and support we received here. Thank you all!

So wonderful to reconvene with the Redemptive Leadership Project cohort for our second retreat this week in Cornwall, CT.

It was a beautiful opportunity to continue to build community and support with fellow education and faith leaders.

Thank you to the leadership team: Traci Dove, Tina Fernandez, Bill Kurtz, Jeff Nelson, Irvin Scott, Mindy Flach, and Jimmy Villanueva.

Also much thanks to my small group—BreOnna Clanton, Althea Holford, Greg Richmond, and Jeff Nelson—for their continued care and support.

And gratitude to our cohort of leaders: Amy Black Curcio, Bryan Contreras, James Encinas, Christina Grant, Christopher Stewart, Dominique Lee, Elizabeth Raji-Greig, Hudson Baird, Ian Rowe, J.B. Schramm, Judy Touzin, Kenya Bradshaw, Lesley Poole, Linda Chen, Ed.D., Matt Cheek, Matthew Salvatierra, Dr. Natalie C. Neris, and Simone Wright, Ed.L.D.

Thank you to Squeaky Moore for delivering an excellent pitch presentation to the Unleashing Potential leadership cohort. It is a privilege to lead this incredible, inspiring group of leaders.

Squeaky shared actionable strategies on how entrepreneurs and organizational leaders can collaborate to build compelling pitches that increase impact and reach. I'm excited to see our UP leaders apply these insights to their presentations for the upcoming pitch competition next month!

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Celebrating the 2025-2026 LEE Public Policy Fellows!

What a joy to serve as the leadership coach and facilitator for the Mni Wasaka and Wonderfully Bad as Women LEE PPF cohorts over the last 9 months.

I’ve watched them tackle complex advocacy projects, navigate the nuances of policy, and add value to their host organizations.

As they enter their final month, I wanted to extend a big congrats to our Fellows and thank you to our Host Organizations:

- Avery Thrush (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - Center for Strategic Initiatives)
- Lylian Pagan, M.A. (Britebound)
- Mckenzie Parkins (Atlanta Public Schools)
- Melanie Raybon (Achieve Atlanta)
- Michaela Parisi (PRiME Center at Saint Louis University)
- Raven Nesbitt (DeKalb County School District)
- Rayana Downer, Ed.M. (University System of Maryland)
- Starlynn Mendez (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - College, Career, and Technical Education)
- Brandon Sherrod, MFA, MBA (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Education Services)
- Derrick Marks (South Dakota Education Equity Coalition)
- Diana Martinez (SISSETON-WAHPETON OYATE Tribal Education Department)
- Ernest Weston, Jr. (MISSOURI BREAKS INDUSTRIES RESEARCH INC)
- Isabella Esquivel (Red Cloud Renewable)
- Kimberly Green (Commission for Oceti Sakowin Accreditation)

I can’t wait to see the systemic changes you all continue to lead!

Congratulations to my NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service students on their successful completion of Capstone!

It has been a special experience serving as an Adjunct Professor to such bright individuals who are committed to making an impact on the world.

The Capstone program is a cornerstone of the NYU Wagner experience. Over the course of a full academic year, students work in teams to help client organizations solve complex, real-world problems.

A special thank you to our incredible partners this year:
- Living Cities (Thank you, Ahmed Whitt!)
- The Brigid Alliance (Thank you, Sarah Moeller and Chloe Lesieur, MPA!)
- BlackSpace Urbanist Collective (Thank you, Emma Osore and Gabriella Malavé!)

And finally, big congrats to the students who completed their Capstone!
- Justin Giallanzo
- Jaz Griffin
- Shanzae Bangash, MPA
- Jenny V.
- Yu(Spencer) Kong
- Victoria Li
- Dingchen Xue
- Haina Sang
- Icy Li