Keynote Panel: Returning to the
Regional Context
Redstone Theater 12:45PM - 1:45PM
This panel of citywide and state level civic leaders will bring together the many threads of innovating
community that will be explored during the day, and also address important jobs, training, and
education issues. What are the opportunities provided by new innovation industries, new city and
state initiatives, and new educational models, and how can LIC best leverage them?
Gail Mellow
LaGuardia Community College
Dr. Gail O. Mellow has served as President of LaGuardia
Community College in Long Island City, Queens since
2000. A member of the City University of New York
(CUNY) system, LaGuardia is a nationally recognized
leader among community colleges for achieving
boundary-breaking success educating underserved
students.
An expert on the history, development and future of the
American community college, Dr. Mellow co-authored
Minding the Dream: The Process and Practice of the
American Community College (Rowman & Littlefield,
2nd ed. 2014) and the new book Taking College
Teaching Seriously: Pedagogy Matters! (Stylus, 2015).
She is frequently sought as a commentator on the
changing landscape of higher education, strategies for
improving the nation’s graduation rate and the important
role community colleges play in growing America’s
middle class and strengthening the economy. She has
been quoted in a range of publications, including The
New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg
BusinessWeek and has appeared on national radio and
television broadcasts on NPR, MSNBC and PBS.
Dr. Mellow received an A.A. from Jamestown Community
College, a B.A. from SUNY Albany, where she graduated
Phi Beta Kappa, and her M.A. and Ph. D. in Social
Psychology from George Washington University. Dr.
Mellow is a board member of the LIC Partnership.
Joshua Schneps (Introduction)
Schneps Communications/
LIC Flea & Food
Joshua Schneps is the Founder and President of
LIC Flea & Food and Astoria Flea & Food markets.
Joshua Schneps is also Co-Publisher of Schneps
Communications, the largest privately owned publisher
of community newspapers, magazines, local websites
and business events serving the boroughs of Queens and
Brooklyn.
Winston Fisher
Fisher Brothers
Winston C. Fisher, Partner at Fisher Brothers, a
100-year-old real estate firm based in New York City,
directs the company’s financing and investing activities,
property acquisitions and dispositions, and oversees all
new development initiatives.
Mr. Fisher is the Co-Chair of Governor Cuomo’s NYC
Regional Economic Development Council and serves
on the board of several leading New York institutions
including the Real Estate Board of New York, the
Partnership for New York City, the Intrepid Sea, Air &
Space Museum and Syracuse University.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from
Syracuse University, class of ’96.
Angela Sung-Pinsky
ABNY
As Executive Director, Angela is dedicated to promotion
of New York City and civic dialogue through the
expansion and evolution of ABNY’s membership, as well
as ABNY’s signature power breakfasts.
Prior to joining ABNY, Angela served as Senior Vice
President for Management Services and Government
Affairs at the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY)
where she was responsible for REBNY’s commercial
and residential Management Divisions and the lead on
building code, sustainability and energy, and federal
issues that impact New York City real estate.
Ms. Pinsky holds a B.A. in Public Health, Natural
Sciences from The Johns Hopkins University and a
Master’s in Urban Planning from New York University’s
Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service.
Jonathan Bowles (Moderator)
Center for an Urban Future
Jonathan Bowles is the Executive Director of the
Center for an Urban Future, a Manhattan-based
think tank dedicated to independent research about
key policy issues facing New York and other cities.
During his eighteen years at the Center, he has been
the architect of the policy agenda for the Center and
is responsible for making it one of New York’s most
innovative and influential organizations and one in
which its policy ideas are well-respected and widely
used by policymakers, business leaders, and nonprofit
practitioners.