Publisher's Section
Above & Beyond: Protecting New York
Notable leaders in public safety, emergency management, cybersecurity and more
From left to right: Tania Kinsella, Bart M. Schwartz & Lisa Garcia NYPD; Guidepost Solutions; NYC Department of Environmental Protection
Few functions of a government are more fundamental than protecting its people. While the Declaration of Independence is best known for its claim that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are unalienable rights, it also explicitly asserts that any legitimate government should ensure the “safety” of the governed as well as their “happiness.” Now, polls show fighting crime and public safety are often top priorities for voters. Of course, protection can mean many different things to different people – some focus on support for the military and law enforcement, while others say it includes infrastructure investment, medical care or a more fair criminal justice system. Meanwhile, new threats are emerging, ranging from cyberattacks and human rights abuses to increasingly extreme weather events.
City & State’s inaugural Above & Beyond: Protecting New York list features key individuals who are doing the hard work of keeping the state safe. The list, written in partnership with journalist Aaron Short, includes public officials, innovative business leaders, prominent advocates and others who make New York safer each day.
Colin Ahern
Colin Ahern has been entrusted by Gov. Kathy Hochul to keep New Yorkers safe as the state’s first director of security and intelligence.
“My family has been in New York for five generations, and my career is all about protecting our community and the United States,” he says.
Ahern enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve after 9/11. The Army deployed him twice to Afghanistan and awarded him a Bronze star. He later oversaw the creation of a cyberspace operations unit within the military.
In 2016, Ahern joined New York City Cyber Command and later served as acting chief information security officer. In 2022, Hochul appointed him as the state’s first chief cyber officer. The governor announced Ahern’s appointment to his current post in February.
Sabrina Bierer
Long before September, when Sabrina Bierer was named to her current post, she was familiar with criminal justice. She grew up in poverty in rural Pennsylvania, where multiple relatives were immersed in the legal system.
“My own experiences with assault inspired me to support survivors while being a source of humanity in public safety work – never losing sight of the fact that everyone in the system is someone’s family member,” says Bierer, the first person in her family to graduate from college.
Bierer joined the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as an assistant district attorney in 2014, arguing in front of the state Court of Appeals and driving policy. In 2023, she became an assistant counsel in the governor's office, where she helped pass the Clean Slate Act and the Rape is Rape Act. Bierer also helped advance a first-in-the-nation measure barring 3D printers from making untraceable guns.
Susan Birnbaum
Susan Birnbaum’s calling is supporting the thousands of police officers who make New York City safer.
“I found my purpose in empowering the public to be part of the solution, inspiring individuals to invest in something bigger than themselves, and answering a profound responsibility to improve, protect and support the greater good,” Birnbaum says.
After launching her career at UJA-Federation of New York and spending a decade leading the Columbia College Fund, the philanthropic leader took the reins of the New York City Police Foundation in 2011.
Over the past 15 years, Birnbaum has secured millions of dollars to support the New York City Police Department’s programs to prevent crime, enhance training and improve community relations. She also has ensured there is financial support for Options, a program in which NYPD officers help young people with decision-making and career development.
Patty Byrnes
Patty Byrnes learned about the importance of health care coverage at an early age.
Her father’s ALS diagnosis during her senior year in high school made her want to ensure everyone has access to dignified, affordable medical assistance.
“Watching my family struggle to navigate care, insurance and support systems inspired me to build a career focused on making those systems work better for families facing health challenges,” she says.
Byrnes worked for AmeriHealth Caritas, where she fought efforts to repeal Medicaid expansion and replace major components of the Affordable Care Act, then worked for HMS – a healthcare technology and analytics company – before joining Public Partnerships LLC in 2024.
Last year, Byrnes helped PPL become the statewide fiscal intermediary for New York’s Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, which had previously been served by hundreds of middlemen.
Gina Cocchiara
Gina Cocchiara had wanted to be a police officer since she was a little girl. Now, she’s one of the highest-ranking police leaders in the Capital Region.
The Suffern native joined the Bethlehem Police Department outside Albany in 1998 and was promoted to patrol sergeant a decade later. In 2015, she rose to detective sergeant, managing detectives across the agency.
Five years later, Cocchiara became Bethlehem’s first woman police chief.
“It represents the culmination of a lifelong commitment to public service, professional growth, and earning the trust and respect of both the officers I lead and the community I serve,” she says.
Cocchiara is also president of New York Women in Law Enforcement, an organization with nearly 400 members.
Sherene Crawford
The Civil Rights Movement inspired Sherene Crawford to fight for justice and economic mobility. Today, she helps young leaders pursue careers in criminal justice reform.
“The work of sustainable public safety and justice is not the work of one lifetime, and I see the critical need to support the next generation of leadership,” she says.
From the beginning of her career, Crawford has worked in nonprofit and local government roles, including stints at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the National Network for Safe Communities. Her work with incarcerated women has helped her see how the law protects people’s rights.
Crawford joined the Center for Justice Innovation in 2017 as director of a court program for low-level offenses, rejoined the organization in 2023 after a year away and took on her current role in March 2025.
Adam Croom
Adam Croom became a police officer because he saw himself as a protector.
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always tried to do the right thing,” he says. “I never liked seeing people taken advantage of or bullied.”
During his 23-year policing career with the NYPD, Croom served with five major bureaus, assisting with domestic violence and homicide cases. He changed careers 12 years ago to build a security department within one of New York City’s largest development companies.
Now the decorated, retired NYPD lieutenant oversees safety operations for C&C Apartment Management – improving the quality of life for residents and creating thriving communities.
“Everyone deserves a place they can call home, and that home should be in a clean, safe environment,” Croom says.
Kenneth Dixon
Kenneth Dixon’s superpower is overseeing security for iconic institutions.
He has served in leadership positions at Sotheby’s and Brinks, where he learned the complexities of protecting artwork and other valuables.
In 2014, Dixon joined the Javits Center in Manhattan, where he advanced its security infrastructure with new surveillance systems and an artificial intelligence-powered command center.
Dixon enjoys working on Javits’ large-scale events, but his proudest accomplishment was turning the building into a field hospital and vaccination center during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Delivering critical care and supporting New Yorkers during a crisis showed me the true impact of collaboration and public service,” he says.
Christina Farrell
Christina Farrell was appointed in February to lead the New York City Emergency Management Department because of her experience responding to crises.
The courage of public servants during 9/11 inspired Farrell to help create the Twin Towers Fund benefiting families of rescue workers. Farrell joined the Emergency Management Department in 2003, establishing the external affairs division. She has since helped manage preparedness and recovery efforts from Superstorm Sandy, COVID-19 and multiple extreme weather incidents.
This year, Farrell has directed the city’s response to blizzards, flash floods and extreme heat. She credits her staff members with keeping New York City safe.
“Watching them rise to meet whatever this city throws at us, with skill and heart, is what makes this work meaningful,” she says.
Oswald Feliz
New York City Council Member Oswald Feliz has a significant role guiding oversight of the New York City Police Department’s budget and the Mamdani administration’s Office of Community Safety.
After winning a Bronx special election in April 2021, Feliz was reelected in 2023 and 2025, then in January was appointed by Council Speaker Julie Menin to chair the council’s Public Safety Committee.
Feliz has used his perch to warn Mayor Zohran Mamdani that a hiring freeze would reverse the city’s progress fighting crime. City Hall has since instead announced a plan to hire 580 additional new uniformed officers.
“Moving forward with the hiring of new officers will ensure police precincts have the tools to decrease crime and resolve complex challenges related to the safety of New Yorkers,” he told the New York Post earlier this year when Mamdani undid a plan by then-Mayor Eric Adams to hire 5,000 new officers.
Jeehae Fischer
Jeehae Fischer is a passionate advocate for survivors of violence in immigrant communities.
After she first joined the Korean American Family Service Center in 2011, she developed culturally informed programs that helped immigrant women build a sense of safety and independence while providing supportive services.
After a stint at the Internationals Network for Public Schools, Fischer returned to KAFSC as its executive director in 2019, and she has since doubled its budget and enhanced services.
Fischer’s proudest achievement was ensuring immigrant women received essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic when in-person programming had temporarily ceased.
“We rapidly adapted services to remote and crisis response models, expanded culturally specific resources, and maintained safety and care for clients during an especially isolating and difficult time,” she says.
Rachel Freier
Rachel Freier made history as New York’s first Hasidic woman judge, but founding Ezras Nashim, an all-women volunteer ambulance corps, is her proudest accomplishment, she says.
“Advocating for women’s right to serve as EMTs demonstrated the power of perseverance and collaboration,” Freier says.
Freier says her father, the late scholar Herschel Gluck, inspired her to pursue a legal career so she could help people without a voice.
Five years after she began studying law, volunteer EMTs contacted Freier to advocate for them pro bono, and she completed paramedic training herself. In 2015, she founded Ezras Nashim, which means “women’s aid” in Hebrew, and the organization acquired its first ambulance in 2020. In 2024, New York City awarded the service with Advanced Life Support certification.
Lisa Garcia
Lisa Garcia’s appointment to lead the New York City Department of Environmental Protection in February caps a distinguished career in climate advocacy.
Garcia became interested in environmental policy while studying abroad and learning about tribal leaders who fought to sustain their communities.
After senior roles at climate-focused Grist magazine, Earthjustice and the state Department of Environmental Conservation, Garcia was appointed EPA Region 2 administrator in 2021, helping create a federal environmental justice map.
At the DEP, Garcia has prioritized protecting drinking water and safeguarding wastewater infrastructure against extreme weather events.
“As climate change accelerates, I am excited to pursue innovative, resilient solutions that safeguard our infrastructure and ensure a healthier, more sustainable city for generations to come,” she says.
Jerry Goldfeder
Jerry Goldfeder did not become one of New York City’s preeminent campaign finance law experts overnight.
The veteran attorney worked on civil rights and anti-war efforts in the 1960s before pursuing his law degree at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
Goldfeder has assisted scores of candidates with their campaigns since then. He also has explained U.S. Supreme Court cases to TV viewers, penned opinion columns and taught at Fordham School of Law for more than 20 years.
Goldfeder takes pride in helping young attorneys use legal tools to protect democracy.
“I love mentoring young lawyers and law students on how to navigate the political system, using election and campaign law to achieve a more democratic and just society,” he says.
Asenhat Gomez
Asenhat Gomez credits her mother, Esperanza, with exemplifying the kindness she embraces in her community organizing.
“She taught me the importance of service regardless of what you have and raised us in a home that was always open to others,” Gomez says.
Gomez has been a part of El Puente, a Brooklyn-based youth-focused human rights organization, since emigrating from the Dominican Republic as a teenager. She has since helped manage youth development, education and environmental justice programs at the Williamsburg nonprofit, nurturing young people so they can make a difference in their communities.
Last year, Gomez served as interim executive director, and she opposed the Trump administration’s termination of a $3 million Environmental Protection Agency grant to involve more South Williamsburg residents in environmental planning decisions.
Jason Graham
Whenever someone in New York City dies in a sudden, suspicious or unusual way, Dr. Jason Graham has a hand in determining the cause.
Graham joined the city’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner in 2006. A decade later, he established its Drug Intelligence and Intervention Group, which shares real-time drug overdose data with public health organizations.
In 2022, Graham was appointed chief medical examiner, a role that requires him to oversee forensics investigations and the country’s largest public DNA crime laboratory.
“Finding ways to better serve New Yorkers coping with profound difficulties while pushing science and medicine forward is what drives me,” he says.
Graham also chairs the Department of Forensic Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
Tom Harris
Tom Harris’ experience in law enforcement has shaped his commitment to keep the “Crossroads of the World” safe.
He started his career in 1985 as a housing police officer in East New York, Brooklyn, where he learned to bring people together and solve challenges.
After rising to the position of inspector over 23 years, Harris joined the Times Square Alliance business improvement district in 2008 as director of public safety. In 2021, he became president, overseeing operations and managing more than 120 employees. He has also helped clear out illegal cannabis shops and organized events, such as outdoor yoga.
“Perhaps my proudest professional accomplishment was transitioning from a successful career in law enforcement to a successful second career working in an amazing neighborhood,” he says.
Patrick Hendry
For Patrick Hendry, there’s no mission more rewarding than supporting New York City’s police officers as they keep the city safe.
Hendry’s Irish immigrant parents instilled in him the values of hard work and helping others.
Hendry joined the New York City Police Department in 1993, serving in the Bronx’s 46th Precinct and then the 103rd Precinct in Queens, where he became a union delegate.
He became president of the powerful New York City Police Benevolent Association three decades after joining the NYPD and has won improved pension benefits, including the restoration of a 20-year service retirement for officers in last year’s state budget.
“This wasn’t just important to our members, it helped public safety by putting a dent in the NYPD’s retention and recruiting issues,” he says.
Ari Herczl
Ari Herczl founded the Brooklyn-based Strix Defense two years ago to identify threats before they became tragedies.
He started his career as a real estate developer and investor, establishing Qrealty in 2013 and leading projects in Brooklyn and Miami.
But a disturbing pattern of school shootings across the nation shook him deeply as a father of four.
In response, Herczl assembled a team of security experts from around the world to launch Strix Defense. The company uses surveillance cameras and artificial intelligence technology to assess risks and monitor threats at schools, houses of worship, community centers and private residences.
“I felt a moral responsibility to act and use my experience to help create a solution that could prevent future tragedies,” he says.
Phyllis Inserillo
Phyllis Inserillo became involved in politics because she loved fighting injustice.
Inserillo was an event planner and director of an early childhood program before joining the office of New York City Council Member Joann Ariola in 2022 to oversee its staff and administration.As a liaison to the City Council Committee on Fire and Emergency Management, Inserillo helped reinstate firefighters laid off for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic. Now, Ariola is seeking funding to add a fifth firefighter at many engine companies.
“Knowing that I can effect change for people whether it is a neighbor or a city worker is so rewarding,” she says. “I don’t feel like I am working because I love what I do every day.”
Tania Kinsella
Tania Kinsella joined the New York City Police Department because she wanted to give back to her community.
Kinsella says she was inspired by the service of her mother, Linnet Mohabeer, who was a nurse. Kinsella became an NYPD patrol officer on Staten Island in 2003 and was promoted to sergeant in Brooklyn’s 68th Precinct five years later. In 2023, she became first deputy commissioner, making her the first Black woman to be the NYPD’s second in command.
In the job, Kinsella has modernized hiring practices, spurring a record-breaking number of applicants and hired officers last year.
“What I love most about my profession is the opportunity to build community, serve others, mentor the next generation of officers, and make a meaningful difference in New Yorkers’ lives,” she says.
Lucy Lang
As New York’s inspector general, Lucy Lang works to reverse the public’s eroding trust in state government.
The former state prosecutor and criminal justice advocate served in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as an assistant district attorney for 12 years and as executive director of the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution at John Jay College for two years. In 2021, Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed her as the state’s inspector general.
Lang and her team have probed public corruption, fraud, workers’ compensation abuses and turmoil at the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. She says morale among staff has improved.
“While our team members came here via different paths, a shared determination to do the right thing has led our statewide workforce to dedicate their careers to public service,” Lang says.
Lorraine Medlin
Lorraine Medlin has helped make Manhattan’s Hudson Square one of the safest places to explore by foot or by bike.
She started her career as a New York City Police Department traffic enforcement agent in Patrol Borough Manhattan North in 2003, earned a promotion two years later and then another one to become a traffic supervisor in 2010.
But Medlin shifted the direction of her career nine years ago when she moved over to the Hudson Square Business Improvement District, where she has helped maintain order in an area that has seen an influx of Google workers, Disney employees and nightlife denizens.
“Traffic can get hectic and it’s my job to protect the mothers, babies and elderly who need to get to their destination,” she says.
Justin Meyers
Justin Meyers wanted to impact public safety nationwide, so he joined BusPatrol, a tech company that monitors dangerous drivers.
After serving as assistant police commissioner for Suffolk County and chief of staff for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Meyers became chief of operations in the New York City Office of Public Safety in 2021 under then-Mayor Eric Adams.
Two years later, Meyers joined BusPatrol, an artificial intelligence-powered company based in Virginia that won a New York City pilot for school bus cameras that photograph vehicles passing buses illegally. The technology has been installed on 400,000 buses in about 400 communities across North America.
“I get to work alongside some of the smartest minds in the industry to tackle the national epidemic of illegal school bus passings and develop solutions that can save lives,” Meyers says.
Terrance Miller
Terrance Miller’s mission has been to introduce new public safety and emergency response technologies to government agencies.
After college and serving roles involving youth, Miller joined the information technology services and consulting firm CDW in 2007 as an account manager for Connecticut and Rhode Island.
By 2019, he had become a regional sales manager for the New York metropolitan area, where he has played a role supporting IT, public safety and cybersecurity missions for government agencies while expanding city contracts with minority- and women-owned businesses.
Miller has also been committed to company initiatives, such as workforce development and technology training programs for underserved communities.
“Public-private partnerships both formal and informal are essential to addressing systemic challenges and driving meaningful, lasting impact across our communities,” he says.
Denise Miranda
Denise Miranda oversees the state agency charged with fighting discrimination.
“As civil rights protections are being challenged across the country, we get to stand up for fairness, dignity and equal opportunity every day,” she says.
The Bronx native served as an assistant district attorney for her home borough and handled domestic violence cases before becoming managing director of the Urban Justice Center’s Safety Net Project, which fights for housing justice. In 2017, she was appointed to lead the state Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs, an agency that investigates alleged abuse. In 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed Miranda as acting commissioner of the Division of Human Rights, which had amassed a backlog of cases. Miranda became commissioner last year.
Stephen O’Connell
Stephen O’Connell joined KPMG, a global network of business service firms, to help city and state governments keep residents safer in more effective and efficient ways.
The New York City native graduated from Columbia University and served two years in AmeriCorps, which set him on the path toward a public service career.
After holding a series of leadership roles at Columbia, including as the assistant dean of students, O’Connell left in 2022 to join KPMG, where he has focused on helping New York City, Los Angeles County and Miami-Dade County incorporate data-driven processes into public safety.
“Knowing our work directly supports public servants on the front lines delivering for citizens every day is immensely satisfying,” he says.
Andrew Petrov
Andrew Petrov has dedicated his career to protecting New York City’s infrastructure from increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
He was fascinated by the complexities of designing and testing computer programs during computer science classes at New York University, and he was particularly interested in component failures via coding errors or faulty protocols.
After a few stints as a network engineer in the private sector, Petrov joined New York City Cyber Command in 2009 before rising to chief cyber security architect in 2018. Since then, he has developed scalable cybersecurity programs designed to expand and adapt – and defended against rapidly evolving threats.
“I love solving interesting and challenging problems that enable the NYC Cyber Command to strengthen our collective posture and cyber defenses against external threat actors,” he says.
Dalvanie Powell
Dalvanie Powell found her calling advocating for underappreciated workers in the state’s criminal justice system.
After graduating from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 1987, she became a probation officer and was encouraged by her mentor, Jeph Oyeku, to pursue a leadership role with the United Probation Officers Association.
Two decades later, Powell was elected UPOA president, making her the first Black woman in the role, and she vowed to eliminate pay disparities that have hurt recruitment and retention.
In 2024, Powell negotiated a contract with the city that included retroactive pay raises and a 33% boost in the starting salaries of probation officers.
“Being trusted to lead and uplift them is both an honor and a responsibility I take seriously,” she says.
Asim Rehman
Asim Rehman’s record as a judge, investigator and litigator make him a good fit as the leader of the New York City Business Integrity Commission.
Rehman became the inaugural general counsel for the Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD within the Department of Investigation in 2014. Rehman then held top roles at the city’s Law and Correction departments before becoming commissioner and chief administrative law judge of the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings in 2022.
In April, Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Rehman to lead the Business Integrity Commission, which regulates the commercial waste industry and public wholesale markets.
“I love that I work with people of high integrity, who are committed to our mission, who care about New York City, and who have deep subject matter expertise,” Rehman says.
Kimberly Salazar
Kimberly Salazar says she draws inspiration from her mother and grandmother, who both instilled in her the values of sacrifice and hard work.
Salazar emigrated from Costa Rica with her family at age 8, and later earned a degree from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
She joined the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, now the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, as a community associate in 2010, working her way up to consumer services director a decade later.
Now, Salazar helps consumers, particularly those with language and education barriers, by making sure they are treated fairly.
“I am passionate about helping others find their voice, feel heard and respected, and receive the support they need during difficult situations,” she says.
Ross Sandler
For more than 30 years, Ross Sandler has inculcated law students with an appreciation for democracy and integrity.
The U.S. Air Force veteran served as New York City Department of Transportation commissioner under then-Mayor Ed Koch before joining New York Law School and establishing the Center for New York City and State Law in 1994.
“When I left the Koch administration, I wanted to provide a neutral forum where governmental officials could explain and develop their ideas,” he says.
Since then, the center has hosted more than 250 events, including its CityLaw Breakfast series, which allow government officials to unveil policies and receive feedback.
Sandler has written two books, including “Democracy by Decree: What Happens When Courts Run Government,” with co-author David Schoenbrod.
Nina Schwalbe
Nina Schwalbe pursued public service after working in Thailand with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
“Witnessing people denied their right to health, not from lack of solutions, but broken systems, drove me into public health,” she says.
Over the past 30 years, Schwalbe has worked with the U.S. Agency for International Development, UNICEF as well as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which provides vaccines to poor children.
In 2016, she founded Spark Street Advisors, a public health firm that provides data-driven strategies to philanthropic organizations, academic institutions and nongovernmental organizations.
She is proud of leading USAID’s $7 billion effort to deliver more than 500 million COVID-19 vaccines to foreign countries. She temporarily went on leave from Spark Street at the end of last year to run for a congressional seat in Manhattan, which she lost.
Bart M. Schwartz
Bart M. Schwartz helps public institutions navigate out of crises.
Schwartz began his career in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, but wanted broader challenges involving institutions. He pivoted to the private sector, launching the Decision Strategies investigations firm in 1991 and co-founding Guidepost Solutions, a global investigations and compliance firm, in 2010.
Six years later, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo retained Schwartz in 2016 to review the “Buffalo Billion,” an economic development plan to benefit Greater Buffalo, amid accusations of improprieties. In 2019, he was appointed to serve as the New York City Housing Authority’s federal monitor to improve living conditions for residents.
“I enjoy tackling challenges and identifying solutions that benefit both my work and my company overall,” he says.
Yegal Shamash
For more than a decade, Yegal Shamash has been at the center of ensuring New York City’s new and existing buildings stay safe and structurally sound.
Shamash was inspired by his father, who taught him how to use tools. He studied civil engineering in college and at graduate school and started his career at Robert Silman Associates, now a part of TYLin, before joining the city Department of Buildings in 2014.
After serving in multiple enforcement roles where he helped establish proactive inspections, periodic inspections for parking structures and a post-disaster assessment program, Shamash was promoted to first deputy commissioner in January.
“The safety codes we enforce help keep people safe, and it gives the work a purpose,” he says.
Nadia Shihata
Nadia Shihata pursued a career in public service because she was inspired by the work of her father, Ibrahim Shihata, who improved lives as the longtime general counsel of the World Bank.
She served more than 11 years as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, tackling violent crime, sex abuse and corruption. In 2022, Shihata co-founded a criminal defense firm focused on sexual misconduct, internal investigations and wrongful convictions.
“I’m proudest of the cases where my work provided some measure of justice to individuals society often neglects and ignores,” she says.
In February, Mayor Zohran Mamdani nominated Shihata for Department of Investigation commissioner, citing her experience overseeing racketeering cases, including the 2021 conviction of music artist R. Kelly. The City Council confirmed Shihata in April.
Chris Summers
Chris Summers supports unionized employees working one of New York’s toughest jobs.
He started out as a corrections officer, became a union sector steward with the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association in 2012 and has held various union roles.
“Witnessing the positive impact effective advocacy had on people’s lives motivated me to dedicate myself to serving, protecting and supporting others throughout my career,” he says.
The union membership elected Summers as president in 2023. While he did not condone last year’s unsanctioned state prison strike, Summers has raised concerns about officer safety.
This year, Summers saw passage of the “Death Gamble” legislation, a measure he supported that improves benefits for the families of workers who die in the line of duty.
Camelia Tepelus
Camelia Tepelus has helped make Morris Park one of the Bronx’s most vibrant neighborhoods.
The Romanian native earned her doctorate in industrial environmental economics in Sweden in 2008 before moving to America. She settled in the Bronx and saw it as underserved, and this inspired her to work in local development. In 2019, Tepelus became executive director of the Morris Park Business Improvement District, where she has helped secure $20 million in state funding for 10 development projects, including new neighborhood hubs, streetscape improvements and school renovations. Tepelus has also supported the addition of new Metro-North Railroad stations in the East Bronx.
“The BID is showing that accountable, transparent, results-oriented and effective organizations can work in the Bronx and have real impact,” she says.
Tim Tipton
Tim Tipton is a cybersecurity expert thanks to his high-level training and practice in the U.S. Air Force and the private sector.
The cybersecurity engineer joined the Air Force in 2013, safeguarding mission-critical systems across Europe and Asia. In 2020, he became chief information security officer for the Air Force in Washington, D.C., spearheading cybersecurity initiatives at the White House and the surrounding region.
In 2024, Tipton joined Arctiq, a technology services firm where he has led enterprise security architecture for critical infrastructure, private companies, and nation-states.
“Every engagement looks different,” he says. “The work matters because the stakes are real, and the clients I serve trust me to tell them the truth about their risk.”
Brian Webber
Brian Webber is a key executive at one of the world’s largest private security companies, where he has developed leaders and ensured sustainable growth.
For almost 14 years, Webber was chief operating officer and vice president of operations for Apollo International, then joined Allied Universal in 2016 after Allied acquired Apollo. Now, Webber supports Allied Universal’s operations across seven Northeast states, with 33,000 security workers and $2.2 billion in revenue each year. He also has helped manage Project THERE, his company’s flagship community outreach initiative.
“The chance to build strong teams, tackle complex challenges and make a meaningful, lasting impact on safety and security is what ultimately drew me to this profession and continues to motivate me each day,” he says.
William Wertheim
Dr. William Wertheim’s experiences as a young doctor confirmed for him that medicine would allow him to have a great impact.“I’ve always been drawn to the human side of medical care, of building relationships, and the challenge of solving problems that truly matter,” he says.
Wertheim joined Stony Brook University Medical Center in 1996, serving as a professor and senior administrator in the system for decades.
In 2024, Wertheim became executive vice president, making him responsible for overseeing a $3.1 billion healthcare organization that serves 1.8 million patients annually.
Wertheim has streamlined operations, expanded telehealth and created the system’s first enterprisewide budget. This year, Stony Brook earned a five-star quality rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
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