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|  Commissioner's Office Robert Walsh Robert W. Walsh was appointed Commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) by Mayor Bloomberg in January 2002. During his tenure, he has reshaped the Agency to directly focus on and respond to the needs of the City's 200,000 small businesses - the first time that a City agency has been completely dedicated to this goal. In doing so, SBS has invigorated the City's 64 business improvement districts - the largest network of BIDs in the country - which deliver nearly $86 million dollars in supplemental services for the direct benefit of more than 70,000 businesses. He has also enhanced the delivery of technical assistance and incentives to NYC's small businesses through NYC Business Solutions; energized the City's promotion and support of minority- and women-owned businesses; and reconfigured the City's workforce development initiatives, which the Mayor merged with SBS in July 2003. Prior to his appointment, Rob spent five years in North Carolina as President of Charlotte Center City Partners, an organization dedicated to improving and growing Charlotte's central business district. From 1989 to April 1997, he led the Union Square Partnership, where he played a key role in the neighborhood's revitalization. During the 1980's, he worked in the administration of Mayor Edward I. Koch. He began his career in public service as a New York City Urban Fellow, a program he later directed. Commissioner Walsh holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Fordham University. Sarah Krauss As the Chief of Staff, Sarah Krauss assists Commissioner Walsh in the management of the Agency, and oversees operations within the Executive Office. She also serves as the Agency liaison for intergovernmental affairs. Sarah has been with SBS since 2010. Previously she was the Communications Director for the agency. In this role, Sarah was responsible for planning and directing the Agency’s communications strategy, promoting agency programs and services, overseeing marketing projects and the agency’s design staff, and coordinating the distribution of information to press and the public. Previously, she was the Communications Director for the New York City Office of the Public Advocate. Prior to her time in city government, Sarah was a Senior Account Executive in the Public Affairs practice at Edelman, a global public relations firm. She provided strategic communications consulting services to private sector, non-profit, and government clients. Before working at Edelman, Sarah was the Deputy Press Secretary for U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. Sarah received a B.A. in American Studies from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. [Back to Top ] Gregg Bishop As Deputy Commissioner of the Business Development Division, Gregg is responsible for NYC Business Solutions, Business Incentives, the Business Outreach Team, the Corporate Alliance Program, and the SBS Customer Service Center. These programs are designed to make it easier for businesses to start, operate, and expand in New York City. Gregg is also responsible for Compete to Win, a $3.2 million investment by the City of New York in capacity building programs to help minority and women businesses build capacity and compete for City contracts. The services in his portfolio include Bidding Technical Assistance, Bonding, the City’s first Construction Mentorship program, NYC Loan, and NYC Teaming. Gregg spent his previous 3 years at the Agency as the Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Economic and Financial Opportunity, where he was responsible for overseeing various areas of the division, including the Minority-and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) program including certification, capacity building, and developing strategic initiatives that support the business needs of City buyers and prime contractors subject to M/WBE purchasing goals under New York City Local Law 129. He also managed the NYC Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) for Small Businesses and works with various community organizations to deliver capacity building services, including financing assistance to small businesses and M/WBEs. Prior to his appointment in DEFO, Gregg served as the Senior Manager of Workforce Development at NPower, where he was responsible for doubling the capacity of Technology Service Corps, a nationally recognized technology training program for young adults 18-25. Prior to NPower, he served as the Director of Web Operations at Oxygen Media, where he helped guide the media company’s web consolidation strategy. Gregg also served as Vice President of Technology Operations at TheStreet.com, where he helped build and maintain the company's internal and external technology infrastructure. Gregg began his career at VIBE Magazine helping to establish the publications brand during the pioneering days of the web. Gregg received his Masters in Integrated Marketing and Management Communication from The Florida State University, and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Business Administration from Florida A&M University, both in Tallahassee, FL. He has also studied International Management and Marketing in Tokyo, Japan and is a graduate of the Coro Foundation’s Leadership New York program. Colleen Galvin Colleen Galvin is responsible for expanding SBS’ connections to financial service firms and other corporate/academic partners to open access to credit and contracts for the city’s small businesses. This includes leading the NYC Bank Advisory Council, which has spawned a series of innovative initiatives around small business capital access and structured education/referral relationships with banks operating in New York City. It also includes managing a portfolio of capacity-building initiatives through the Corporate Partners & Education team. She also leads the team overseeing the NYC Business Solutions centers and the Industrial Service Providers. Prior to this appointment, Colleen spent six years with SBS’ Division of Economic & Financial Opportunity, where she created programs that help small businesses learn how to enter and succeed in government and corporate marketplaces. She managed the NYC Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) and created partnerships with universities, corporations and community organizations to deliver results and drive growth for small business clients. Initiatives launched under her leadership include the SBS-Columbia University Mentorship Program, combining classroom training, technical assistance and access to compete for on-campus projects. Another program, Strategic Steps for Growth, is offered at the Berkley Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at NYU’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business and leverages an award-winning curriculum with proven results nationwide on revenue growth and job creation. She was also instrumental in the launch of the agency’s Corporate Alliance Program, designed to connect small businesses to contracting and capacity building opportunities in the private sector, reducing barriers to corporate supply chain entry. In 2004, Colleen first joined the City of New York as SBS’ Director of Lower Manhattan Initiatives, supporting the ongoing downtown rebuilding process. This appointment followed her work with the lower Manhattan small business community in the aftermath of September 11th, 2001. In 2002, after volunteering as a small business advocate with the New York City Partnership, she created MBAs4NYC, a pro bono consulting group that matched 200 volunteer business professionals to assist over 100 downtown small businesses. Prior to this, she spent two years in business development in the telecommunications industry and seven years in consumer financial services, working at Citibank and J.P. Morgan Chase in credit policy and product development. Her first full-time position was as a technical research assistant with the public policy research firm, Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC). . Colleen holds an M.B.A. in Finance/Marketing from NYU’s Stern School of Business and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Mathematics/Computer Science from Seton Hall University. She is also a graduate of the Coro Coro Foundation’s Leadership New York program. Don Giampietro As Assistant Commissioner, Don oversees such programs as the Energy Cost Savings Program (ECSP), Lower Manhattan Energy Program (LMEP), Printers Relocation Grant Program, and Industrial Relocation Grant Program. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Commissioner, Don served as Executive Director of NYC Business Relocation Assistance Corp. and helped create the Industrial Relocation Grant Program and Printer's Relocation Grant Program. Don has over 12 years of experience working with the City of New York to assist commercial and industrial firms relocate and expand within NYC. Before his work with SBS, Don worked with Ernst & Young Tax Incentives Division. He holds a B.A. from Boston College and a Masters in Political Science from Columbia University. [Back to Top ] Division of Economic and Financial Opportunity Anne Rascon In this role, she oversees the City's Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprise ("M/WBE") program and the initiatives under Executive Order 50 that were created to ensure parity in the hiring practices of City contractors. Anne works to shape City policies to ensure the fair and meaningful participation of certified M/WBEs in winning City contracts and to expand the City's oversight of its contractors to ensure compliance with applicable equal employment opportunity laws. Anne joined SBS in March of 2008. Prior to that, she was the Director of Planning at the NYC District Council of Carpenters and also served as the President and CEO of Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) where she directed many innovative training programs to recruit and prepare women for skilled trades careers in union apprenticeship programs, and expanded partnerships with local government, labor organizations, and construction companies to increase minority worker participation in the building and construction industry. Maria Osorio As the Assistant Commissioner of Operations in the Division of Economic and Financial Opportunity. Maria is responsible for growing the base of businesses that can compete in the government market place and help connect them to contracting opportunities. In this role, Maria will oversee DEFO’s certification and agency and business analysis units. Maria comes to SBS with over ten years of public sector experience and a substantial knowledge of City procurement, most recently at the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, where she specialized in construction, health and human service contract analysis. Maria holds a B.A. in Environmental Science from Wesleyan University, a Masters degree in environmental studies from Long Island University and a Masters degree in public administration from the School of Public Affairs at CUNY’s Baruch College. [Back to Top ] Financial Management and Administration Andrew Schwartz As First Deputy Commissioner, Andy supervises the programmatic, fiscal and regulatory activities of agency operations. Andy has been with the New York City Department of Small Business Services since 1996, and has worked in City government for 21 years. His career in public service includes serving as Chief Litigation Counsel for the New York City Campaign Finance Board and as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City's Law Department in the General Litigation and Condemnation Divisions. Andy is a graduate of New York City public schools and Brooklyn Law School. Prior to his service with the City, he worked as a Ranger in the National Park Service at the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and Saratoga Battlefield. Shaazad Ali As Assistant Commissioner for Finance, Shaazad oversees all Financial Management and Operations services for the Agency with four Directors reporting directly to him, responsible for a staff of over forty. In addition, Shaazad oversees Budget, Fiscal and Audit, Procurement, and Agency Operations. Shaazad joined the agency twenty-six years ago as an auditor. Over the years, he played an integral role in various mergers of the agency, and has served under several Commissioners. In 1988, he was appointed Fiscal Director, and in 1992, he also assumed the role of Agency Chief Contracting Officer (ACCO). He served as Director of Administration until he was appointed as Assistant Commissioner in 2001. Shaazad holds a B.B.A. from Pace University. He was certified as Government Financial Manager (CGFM) by the Association of Government Accountants in 1996, and was certified by the Universal Public Purchasing Council in 1993 as a Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB). Stephen Fisher Stephen Fisher is the Assistant Commissioner for Technology and serves as the Agency’s Chief Information Officer. In this role, Stephen leads the day-to-day management of all critical Agency technology operations and network infrastructure, software applications, and databases. He represents the Agency in city-wide technology forums to ensure cooperation and integration of data services across Agencies. Stephen began his technical career as a customer support technician with IBM/TSS where he was responsible for repairing technology hardware. He trained himself to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and was hired by MCI as a Network Administrator at one of their local city offices. Stephen joined SBS as a Network Administrator and during his time here, has assisted the Agency through several major networking migration projects and network security audits. Prior to his current position, he served as the Agency’s Executive Director of Technology Operations. Stephen is also a US Air Force veteran who served for four years throughout the United States and Europe as a Ground Radio Communication Specialist. Stephen received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the New York Institute of Technology. Guy Long As Assistant Commissioner for External Affairs & Special Projects, Guy Long is responsible for property management projects with EDC and outside entities, and assisting with the move of the Bronx Workforce1 Career Center. He is also the SBS liaison for the Citywide Language Access initiative. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Commissioner, Guy was active in real estate development, investment, and brokerage in North Carolina. He was previously employed in New York City government during the Koch administration. He served as an assistant to the mayor, as Director of Administration in the Department of Employment, and as Assistant Commissioner for Management in the Department of General Services, the predecessor to the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS). Guy is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. [Back to Top ] Elizabeth De Leon Elizabeth, a native of Washington Heights, comes to SBS from the Cuomo Administration where she served as an Associate Commissioner for the New York State Department of Labor. Elizabeth received her B.A. from SUNY Binghamton University and a J.D. from the University at Buffalo. James Mettham In addition to his experience here at SBS, he was with the Economic Development Corporation for six years performing neighborhood economic development and strategic investment work on projects throughout New York City. Mr. Mettham received a Master of Urban Planning degree from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University and holds a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh. [Back to Top ] Katherine Janeski Kate serves as Assistant Commissioner of Business Development and Recruitment. In this role, she approaches workforce development by building connections between businesses and job candidates. Kate oversees candidate recruitment and training strategy and performance for NYC Business Solutions, which is the set of free services offered by the Department of Small Business Services to help businesses start, operate, and expand in New York City. She is responsible for setting and managing strategy for the Workforce1 Career Centers to recruit, screen, and refer candidates to these business customers. Kate joined the Department of Small Business Services in 2008, and she has served in various programmatic and operational roles since that time. Kate has spent her career focusing on building communities and the economy through jobs. Prior to joining SBS, she worked for Columbia University, STRIVE/East Harlem Employment Service, and LIFT where she was a founding member and leader of an organization dedicated to contributing to economic stability in the Fordham-Bedford neighborhood of the Bronx. Kate holds a Master of Science in Social Work Administration from Columbia University and a B.A. from Fordham University. Chris Neale Chris Neale serves as Assistant Commissioner of External Relations and Special Programs in the Workforce Development Division. In this role, he manages key relationships with oversight and funding entities, including the New York State Department of Labor, the Center for Economic Opportunity, the Mayor’s Office of Human Capital Development and the NYC Workforce Investment Board. In addition, he oversees a number of strategic programs that supplement the work of the Workforce1 Career Centers. Prior to his current role, Chris was the Assistant Commissioner for Workforce1 Recruitment, responsible for overseeing the strategy and performance of the Workforce1 Career Centers in terms of recruiting, screening, and referring qualified candidates to our business customers. Chris worked at SBS from 2004 to 2006, and then returned to SBS in 2007. In between his two "lives" at SBS, he served as the Director of Workforce Development for the Education & Youth Services Division at FEGS Health and Human Services System, a major nonprofit organization based in New York City. In that role, he managed several employment and education programs for young adults and oversaw the Division’s extensive internship program. Chris holds a Master’s in Public Policy degree from the Harvard Kennedy School and a B.A. from Stanford University. Annie Norbeck As Assistant Commissioner of Workforce Operations, Annie Norbeck oversees operations and performance of the 15 Workforce1 Career Centers and two sector-based Workforce1s. She is responsible for program and contract management, facilities, customer engagement and service offerings as well as technology and reporting. Annie's teams also lead the Workforce1 Veteran’s initiative, Individual Training Grants, and policy development and compliance with City, State and Federal requirements. Annie joined SBS in 1998. Prior to this role, Annie was the Executive Director for Workforce System Management. Before SBS, Annie was Marketing Director for a leading Baltimore architecture firm, and manager of a large mid-Atlantic art gallery. Annie received her Master’s in Public Administration from New York University, and holds a Bachelor in Fine Art from the Maryland Institute, College of Art. Xenon Walcott Xenon Walcott is the Assistant Commissioner of Quality Management & Control in our Workforce Development Division. Xenon is responsible for leading the Division’s fiscal management, validation, quality assurance and data management and reporting functions. Prior to his appointment to the Workforce Development Division, Xenon was a Senior Director of the Strategic Operations team at SBS where he spent two years driving operational improvement projects to support the Career Center system. Prior to arriving at SBS, Xenon spent eight years with a background screening company as an Operations Manager and Project Manager, where he managed the development and implementation of proprietary software to increase the productivity of the company’s Operations departments. Xenon has a B.A. in Actuarial Science and a certification in project management.
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