Larry Grubler - Moderator Chief Executive Director of Transitional Services for New York, Inc. Larry Grubler - Moderator Chief Executive Director of Transitional Services for New York, Inc. https://www.tsiny.org Larry S. Grubler, Psy.D. is the Chief Executive Officer of Transitional Services for New York, Inc. (TSINY), a comprehensive, not-for-profit mental health organization headquartered in Whitestone, New York. In 1981, Dr. Grubler began his career working with individuals with mental illness as a counselor in a day program operated by Mercy Hospital and Medical Center. After four years of providing direct clinical services on both an outpatient and inpatient basis, Dr. Grubler began working as an administrator of mental health programs, both overseeing programs and developing new initiatives. In the late 1980's, he worked under both Mayors Koch and Dinkins as a Senior Consultant for the New York City Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Alcoholism Services and gained a good understanding of community participation in program development and public funding. In 1992, Dr. Grubler was hired as TSINY's Associate Director of Residential Services. At the time, TSINY had 189 beds for individuals over the age of 18 who had a primary psychiatric diagnosis. Today, the residential programs have over 700 beds with expansions planned for Queens and the Lower Hudson Valley Region of New York. He was appointed CEO in March of 2007 and has expanded under his leadership to a corporation with a budget of 30 million dollars, servicing over 4,000 people per year. The Agency maintains a host of outpatient services, such as a clinic, a day program, and outreach and vocational services, as well as an affirmative business. Dr. Grubler believes that the rehabilitation services that are provided by the staff of TSINY are so unique and the Agency mission and vision that he helped establish are so important that the services should be expanded to other parts of New York initially and, ultimately, throughout the United States. Dr. Grubler is a Queens native, having been born and raised in Far Rockaway, New York. He resides in Bayside with his wife, Bonnie Arquilla. He received a Bachelor's degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton, a Master's degree from St. John's University in General and Experimental Psychology and a Doctorate in Psychology from Southern California University for Professional Studies.
Christine Deska Co-Founder of Nonprofit Sector Strategies, PBC Christine Deska is the President & Co-founder of Nonprofit Sector Strategies, a public benefit corporation dedicated to helping nonprofits maximize mission impact. NSS provides strategic planning and board management services to small and medium-sized nonprofits. NSS has also created BellesBoard, a board management software solution and mobile app that helps nonprofit boards be more efficient. Christine brings more than a decade of in-depth experience working in, and with, nonprofit organizations, foundations and the government. At the Columbus Citizens Foundation, Christine was Director of Programs from 2014 to 2016. While at AARP from 2006 to 2014, she led initiatives around older adult hunger, financial security and volunteer management, often serving as a media spokesperson. Christine created several scalable models at AARP including a successful member discount & engagement model. Christine is the President of the Nonprofit Resource Hub, a trade association dedicated to providing valuable education, resources, and services to the nonprofit sector. Christine sits on the board of Hunger Solutions New York, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the alleviation of hunger throughout New York State. Christine received a BA in Communications from Manhattan College and an MBA in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from the Zicklin School of Business at Baruch College.
Rafi Stern Staff Attorney at Lawyers Alliance for New York Rafi Stern is the Staff Attorney responsible for Lawyers Alliance's Economic Opportunity program area, assisting community development and nonprofits that are providing investment capital and credit services, pursuing earned revenue activities, stimulating and revitalizing commercial activity, and sponsoring job training and job placement programs in New York City. Prior to joining Lawyers Alliance in 2019, Mr. Stern was an associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and a law clerk to the Honorable Margaret Cangilos-Ruiz in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of New York. Before law school, he worked as program officer at the Stella and Charles Guttman Foundation and as an NYC Civic Corps member at Phipps Community Development Corporation. Mr. Stern graduated from Brown University in 2010 and Cornell Law School in 2017.
Alex Malescio Senior Director of Programs at Urban Upbound