Mr. Julian L. Alssid (Roundtable Panelist), Executive Director
Workforce Strategy Center
http://www.workforcestrategy.org/
The Workforce Strategy Center, a nonprofit consulting group that works with states and cities throughout the U.S. to create public systems that promote paths leading to high wage, high demand employment. Mr. Alssid is also a principal of J. Alssid Associates, a New York-based consulting firm that develops cost-effective, integrated and customized solutions to meet business recruitment, retention and education training needs. He has served as the Director of Workforce Initiatives at the NYC Partnership & Chamber of Commerce, Director of Economic Development at LaGuardia Community College, and as Senior Policy Analyst for Education in the Office of the Mayor of New York City.

Hon. José I. Alvarado (Roundtable Panelist), County Legislator
Westchester County Board of Legislators
http://www.westchesterlegislators.com/Legislators/D17/Bio/index.htm
A native of Honduras, Legislator Alvarado immigrated to Yonkers, NY in 1982. He was first elected to represent the 17th District of Southwest Yonkers in 2001, becoming the County’s first Hispanic legislator. A true American success story, Mr. Alvarado overcame numerous economic hardships, working his way up the ladder and obtaining a BA in Accounting from Mercy College and a MA in Public Administration/Health Care. While pursuing his degree at Mercy College, he became an English tutor in the school’s bilingual program. This experience inspired Alvarado to pursue more community volunteer positions and ultimately, a career in public service. He is currently employed as the Special Advisor to the President of White Plains Hospital Center for Outreach to the Hispanic Community as well as an adjunct Political Science professor at Mercy College.

Ms. Robin Bikkal, Esq. (Roundtable Panelist), Senior Partner
Silverman, Bikkal & Sandberg LLP
http://www.sbslawfirm.com/
Ms. Bikkal is Managing Partner at a NY-based firm specializing in immigration and significant personal injury matters. She concentrates her practice in the field of immigration and nationality law. For over 20 years she has successfully represented corporations, individuals and families in diverse immigration-related matters. Ms. Bikkal has also been highly successful when retained to reopen or appeal matters previously denied by the government. She lectures extensively throughout the Hispanic community and to Not-for-Profit Organizations on all matters related to the field of immigration and nationality.

Mr. Manuel Boado (Roundtable Panelist), President and CEO
SPANUSA
http://www.spanusa.net/
Mr. Boado founded a leading executive search firm specializing in the recruitment of bilingual (Spanish-English) and/or Hispanic professionals for diversity positions in the United States and Latin America. Established in 1991, SPANUSA holds the distinction of being the first firm in the U.S. to specialize in the recruitment of bilingual (Spanish-English and Portuguese-English) and multicultural executives.

Mr. Christopher Bruhl (Roundtable Panelist), President
Business Council of Fairfield County
http://www.sacia.org/
The Business Council of Fairfield County is a private non-profit corporation serving more than 1,600 business and professional services members, with more than 30,000 local employees. The Business Council is a respected regional network of business leaders, committed to strengthening the economic vitality of its region and the performance of its member firms through research-based public policy initiatives, information services and network building programs. Mr. Bruhl has been a frequent consultant, writer, speaker and conference moderator on the subjects of the relationship between educational quality and economic competitiveness, transportation policy, community development, and workforce development.

Ms. Nikki Cicerani (Roundtable Panelist), Managing Director
Upwardly Global, New York
http://www.upwardlyglobal.org/
As Managing Director of a nonprofit organization that brings highly-qualified immigrants and highly-progressive employers together, Nikki Cicerani brings a wealth of experience to her role. Ms. Cicerani has been a Senior Associate for Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management and a Supervising Associate at Ernst & Young's Center for the New Workforce where she worked in the office of the Chairman. At the Women’s Venture Fund she coordinated workshops and mentoring programs and she served on the founding team of SEED Public Charter School in its first year of operation.

Ms. Tara Colton (Roundtable Panelist), Associate Research Director
Center for an Urban Future
http://www.nycfuture.org/
Tara Colton has provided research and writing assistance, as well as project management, on several major policy reports. She is the author of "Lost In Translation," a report about the dearth of ESOL classes in New York State, co-author of “Rethinking Street Fairs” the Center’s report on the dismal state of New York City’s more than 350 annual street fairs and author of "Ready or Not," a report about the city's college readiness programs. She also serves on the board of the East River Development Alliance, a nonprofit, community-based organization in Long Island City, Queens.

Dr. Peter A. Creticos (Scheduled Roundtable Panelist), President and Executive Director
Institute for Work and the Economy
http://www.workandeconomy.org/
Prior to establishing the Institute in 2000, Mr. Creticos served as the Vice President for the Midwest Regional Office of the National Alliance of Business. He has also served as Assistant to the President at the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce and President of the for-profit subsidiary, Center for Business Management. Dr. Creticos has served as lead staff on economic and workforce development for the Illinois State Senate President, as an independent consultant and researcher on economic and workforce development issues, and as a Field Representative at the Council of State Governments. He was awarded a Ph.D. from the Graduate School at Northwestern University and holds a Master of Management at Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, a MA in Political Science from the University of Missouri at St. Louis as well as a BA in Philosophy from Washington University in St. Louis.

Mr. John M. DeMarco (Roundtable Panelist), Sr. Vice President and Corporate Counsel
Lowe Enterprises, Inc. and subsidiaries
http://www.loweenterprises.com/
Lowe Enterprises is a diversified real estate development, investment management and hospitality company based in Los Angeles, California. He is the Chief Legal Officer for the company, and has primary responsibility for the 8,000-employee company’s legal affairs. Mr. DeMarco’s practice includes a significant emphasis on human resource and workplace issues, including the legal aspects of recruitment, management and counseling of the company’s workforce.

Dr. Timothy Dowding (Roundtable Panelist), Associate Professor-in-Residence
University of Connecticut
http://citi.uconn.edu/citi_home.asp
Dr. Dowding conducts outreach and business development for University of Connecticut, working with a wide variety of corporations to identify internship and job opportunities for students. His teaching includes both graduate and undergraduate courses in business information systems, database design, web design, and operations management. His research areas of interest include: web usability, knowledge management, and decision support systems. Dr. Dowding has over 25 years of experience in training and education for adults, specializing in instructional design and development of large-scale training programs for government agencies and Fortune 500 corporations.

Dr. Andres Fortino (Roundtable Panelist), Associate Provost and Westchester Campus Dean
Polytechnic University
http://www.poly.edu/west/
A world-renowned specialist in information technology and technology management, Dr. Fortino serves on the boards of Poughkeepsie-based Gateways to Entrepreneurial Tomorrows (GET), Kingston-based Hudson Valley Center for Innovation (HVCFI) and Institute for Business Innovation. In prior appointments, he was Dean of the School of Management at Marist College and Associate Dean for Academic Development at George Mason University.

Dr. Joseph N. Hankin (Speaker for Opening and Closing Sessions), President
Westchester Community College
www.sunywcc.edu
During Dr. Hankin’s 36 year tenure as President of WCC, he has been engaged as a speaker and panelist for numerous forums, member, chairman, or consultant for accreditation teams in Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico, and consultant to a number of educational institutions in Maryland, New Jersey, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. He has participated actively in several civic and professional organizations, including the Board of Directors of the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (Vice Chairman), the Junior College Council of the Middle Atlantic States (Treasurer, Vice-President, and President), Eastern Educational Consortium (President), Young Presidents' Organization, and others. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Independence Funds Trust, Inc., and is certified as a Large Complex Case Program arbitrator by the American Arbitration Association.

Ms. Chung-Wha Hong (Roundtable Panelist), Executive Director
The New York Immigration Coalition
http://www.thenyic.org/
The New York Immigration Coalition is an umbrella advocacy organization made up of over 150 groups throughout the state that work with immigrant and refugee communities. Prior to coming to the NYIC, Ms. Hong served as Executive Director of the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), a national organization working on civil rights, immigrant rights and civic participation in the Korean American community. Her past activism includes involvement with health care issues at the Committee of Interns and Residents and with Asian American and labor issues at the Washington, DC-based Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO.

Mr. Timothy Indiveri (Roundtable Panelist), Section Manager of Recruitment
Con Edison
http://www.coned.com/
Mr. Indiveri has a diverse career in the utility industry. Currently Mr. Indiveri heads the recruitment and staffing department, responsible for the hiring and staffing for all position in Con Edison. Con Edison is currently hiring over 1,200 employees a year and has been named as one the Best Companies for Diversity by Diversity Inc., for a number of years. Mr. Indiveri holds a BA in Business and Psychology from William Paterson University, a MBA in Business from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Certification in Human Resources from Cornell University.

Dr. Suma Kurien (Roundtable Panelist), Director
Center for Immigrant Education and Training of LaGuardia Community College
http://www.laguardia.edu/ciet/
Dr. Kurien has presented on issues related to workforce education at numerous regional and national forums and conferences. Most notably in 2006, Dr. Kurien organized “Bridges to Opportunity” the first national conference on workforce development for English Language Learners which brought together presenters and participants from around the country and Canada. In 2005, the Center overseen by Dr. Kurien was the recipient of a U.S. Department of Labor demonstration grant in hospitality. Through this project, Dr. Kurien and her colleagues developed an extensive Customer Service & Soft Skills curriculum for the hospitality industry. The Center has partnered with employers to develop a number of customized courses for employees who are English Language Learners.

The Honorable Nita M. Lowey (Breakfast Opening Speaker), U.S. Representative
New York's 18th Congressional District
http://www.house.gov/lowey/
Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey is currently serving her ninth term in Congress, representing parts of Westchester and Rockland counties. She has served in the Democratic Leadership in 2001 and 2002 as the first woman and the first New Yorker to chair the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. A member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and the Ranking Democrat on the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Subcommittee, Lowey is as an extremely effective, committed legislator with a substantial record. She is a leading Congressional proponent of educational opportunity, health care quality and biomedical research, improved homeland security preparedness, stricter gun control and public safety laws, environmental protection, women's issues, a leading international role for the United States, and national security.

Ms. Elizabeth McIsaac (Roundtable Panelist), Executive Director
Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC)
http://www.triec.ca/index.asp
TRIEC is a multi-stakeholder council that is working to improve access to employment for immigrants in the City of Toronto, so they are better able to use the skills, education and experience they bring with them to Canada. She has also held various positions at the Maytree Foundation, most recently as the Director of Policy. Before joining the Foundation, Elizabeth was Executive Director of the Association of International Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Previous to this she worked in direct service with immigrant and refugee communities, as well as holding various roles in research and teaching, at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and Centennial College respectively.

Mr. William M. Mooney, Jr. (Roundtable Panelist), President
The Westchester County Association
http://www.westchester.org/
Mr. Mooney was elected to his current position in 2004. For more than 45 years, William M. Mooney, Jr. has been a prominent force in the metropolitan region’s business and banking community. He has had a long and distinguished career in the banking industry, most recently at Independence Community Bank where he was responsible for all business activities in Westchester County and Connecticut.

Mr. Jerry Mulligan (Roundtable Panelist), County Planning Commissioner
Michaelian Office Building
http://www.co.westchester.ny.us/planning/
Mr. Mulligan has served as a professional planner in Westchester County since 1979. In his current role as Commissioner, Mr. Mulligan oversees approximately 90 employees in five major divisions, including Land Use and Development, Environmental Planning, Housing, Design and Administration. Among his chief responsibilities is the management of key programs including, sustainable development planning, open space preservation, affordable housing, program of water quality and the design and implementation of plans for community development and county facilities.

Dr. Brian J. Nickerson (Roundtable Panelist), Director
Pace University Edwin G. Michaelian Institute for Public Policy & Management
http://appserv.pace.edu/execute/page.cfm?doc_id=5192
Dr. Nickerson is a tenured Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Administration at Pace University. He also directs the University’s Edwin G. Michaelian Institute for Public Policy & Management within the University’s Dyson College of Arts & Sciences and has recently served as a Faculty Fellow at the Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship. Dr. Nickerson is well known for his extensive work on applied/action research in public policy and management. Some of his latest collaborative projects have included work with prominent domestic organizations, such as the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and The United Way, as well as NGOs and universities throughout Asia and Europe, including Oxford University and University of Malta (Rome). In addition to his Ph.D. in Political Science, Dr. Nickerson also holds a law degree, and a master’s degree of public administration.

The Honorable Suzi Oppenheimer (Breakfast Opening Speaker), State Senator
37th Senate District
http://www.nyssenate37.com/default.asp
Senator Suzi Oppenheimer is currently serving her 11th term in the New York State Senate. Her tenure has been distinguished by her energetic and vocal advocacy for environmental protection, child care, education, health care, fiscal reform and the arts. Her record of community service, local government experience, and leadership on statewide issues has enabled her to work in a bipartisan manner to address the concerns of constituents. Senator Oppenheimer is one of the first women to earn a Masters Degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Business.

Ms. Rae D. Rosen (Breakfast Keynote Speaker), Senior Economist and Assistant Vice President
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/regional_economy/index.html
Ms. Rosen represents the bank to the business, banking, government, nonprofit, academic and media groups interested in the regional economy. She is a member of several economic advisory panels to state and local governments, business associations and nonprofits that work to further regional development. She develops the regional employment forecast, directs research on topics of regional interest, and writes for Current Issues in Economics and Finance, a Fed publication which addresses economic trends on a topical basis.

Mr. Jon B. Schandler (Roundtable Panelist), President & Chief Executive Officer
White Plains Hospital Center
http://www.wphospital.org/
Mr. Schandler has a long and distinguished career in the Westchester County region, serving as President and CEO of White Plains Hospital Center (WPHC) in White Plains, N.Y. since 1981. Throughout his tenure with the WPHC, Mr. Schandler has worked to position the Center as the leading healthcare provider in Westchester County.

Dr. Howard W. Smith (Roundtable Panelist), Superintendent of Schools
Public Schools of the Tarrytowns
http://www.tufsd.org/
An educator with over 30 years experience, Dr. Smith came to his current position from the Canton Central School District where he was superintendent from 1988 to 2001. Dr. Smith has also taught at the graduate level and serves as an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University at Tarrytown where he offers instruction in Educational Administration.

The Honorable Andrew Spano (Breakfast Opening Speaker),
County Executive Westchester County
http://www.westchestergov.com/cexec/
County Executive Andrew J. Spano became Westchester's seventh county executive on January 1, 1998. He was re-elected to office in November 2001 with 73 percent of the vote - the highest margin of victory in Westchester County history. As County Executive, Mr. Spano has initiated dozens of programs to improve the quality of life in Westchester and protect children and families. He has also championed programs that protect the environment, encourage affordable housing, combat domestic violence and enhance the security and safety of all county residents.

Mr. Antonio Tijerino (Scheduled Luncheon Keynote Speaker), Executive Director
Hispanic Heritage Foundation
http://www.hispanicheritage.org/
Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF) identifies, promotes and prepares Latino role models through national leadership, cultural, educational, and workforce programs. Mr. Tijerino oversees the 20-year-old, nationally-renowned nonprofit by: executive producing the star-studded Hispanic Heritage Awards at the Kennedy Center and TV specials broadcast on NBC and Telemundo stations; expanding the Youth Awards, a leadership and national educational program providing more than $700,000 in grants annually to more than 300 students at 13 ceremonies across America; developing an inspirational speakers’ bureau; and creating the LOFT (Latinos on Fast Track) program, which systematically identifies, prepares and places emerging Latino professionals on a management track in America’s workforce.

Ms. Isabel Villar (Roundtable Panelist), Executive Director
El Centro Hispano
http://www.wlln.org/english/detail.cfm?ID=64
Ms. Villar founded this non -profit organization in 1974. The mission of El Centro Hispano is to strengthen Hispanic families by providing them with information about housing, employment, translations and immigration matters. El Centro Hispano also provides these families with outreach, counseling, education, and advocacy programs to help them assimilate their new language and culture, at the same time that they maintain and enrich their own. As an educator, Ms. Villar dedicated 32 years to the Norwalk School system, retiring in 2004 to devote herself to her work at El Centro Hispano.