Press Release

#15-25

John D. Solomon Fellowship for Public Service Celebrates 2024 - 2025 Cohort at NYC Emergency Management Graduation Ceremony

May 16, 2025 – New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol, First Deputy Commissioner Christina Farrell, and Assistant Commissioner for Strategic Partnerships Ira Tannenbaum presided over a graduation ceremony on Wednesday, May 14 honoring ten graduate students who completed the 2024–2025 term of the John D. Solomon Fellowship for Public Service. Held at NYC Emergency Management’s headquarters in Brooklyn, the ceremony marked the conclusion of the fellows’ nine-month placements in City agencies and the American Red Cross in Greater New York as part of the city’s leading graduate fellowship focused on emergency management.

The fellows, representing Columbia University, New York University, Hunter College, Fordham University, Meharry Medical College, and the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health, spent nine months embedded at five City agencies and the American Red Cross in Greater New York. Their placements focused on advancing emergency planning, public engagement, operational coordination, and community resilience.

“The John D. Solomon Fellowship for Public Service gives future public servants the chance to learn by doing, to work alongside experienced professionals, and to serve New Yorkers in a meaningful way,” said New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol. “We’re proud of this year’s fellows and the dedication they’ve shown. We’re also deeply grateful to the Solomon family. This fellowship is a living tribute to John’s legacy and a reminder that service, preparedness, and community still matter in this city.”

"Congratulations to the amazing Class of 2024-2025 John D. Solomon Fellows,” said James Solomon, brother of late John D. Solomon. “Each of the past 13 years, the Fellows have raised the bar on improving the safety and well-being of all New Yorker. This year’s Fellowship cohort is no exception – from creating a new CPR training course for the City’s Police Auxiliary program to helping develop mass communications for NYCHA residents in the event of a coastal storm to designing a web map for local businesses to better understand their flooding risk. Thank you, Fellows, Mentors and New York City Emergency Management, for the shining beacon that is the John D. Solomon for Fellowship for Public Service."

“NYC Emergency Management is where public service, coordination, and communication come together during the most critical moments for our city,” said NYC Emergency Management First Deputy Commissioner Christina Farrell. “These fellows didn’t just learn about that work; they became part of it. Over the past nine months, they supported emergency operations, strengthened planning efforts, and helped solve complex problems facing New Yorkers. They brought fresh perspective, professionalism, and a strong sense of purpose. Their presence made this agency stronger, and their future in public service is something we can all take pride in.”

“The John D. Solomon Fellowship is built on the idea that meaningful public service starts with real-world experience,” said Ira Tannenbaum, NYC Emergency Management Assistant Commissioner for Strategic Partnerships. “This program honors the legacy of John D. Solomon, who believed that preparedness was a responsibility we all share. Each fellow was placed at an agency or organization where their work could make a difference. From the City’s Emergency Operations Center to the Department of Health, the Fire Department, the NYPD, the Department of Correction, the Housing Authority, and the American Red Cross. They contributed to planning efforts, supported responses, and helped strengthen coordination across the city. We’re proud of what they’ve accomplished. I want to thank the Solomon family for their unwavering support, and I’m especially grateful to the host agencies and supervisors who invest their time and mentorship each year to help shape the next generation of public servants.”

On hand to deliver remarks to this year’s graduating fellows was the 2025 NYC Emergency Management “Commissioner for a Day,” Shaza Fakhry. The “Commissioner for a Day” program invites a New York City high school student to shadow agency leadership and experience firsthand the responsibilities of managing the city’s emergency preparedness and response operations. Shaza is a sophomore at Gaynor McCown High School on Staten Island.

The John D. Solomon Fellowship for Public Service was established in 2012 by the family and friends of John D. Solomon, a respected journalist who covered homeland security and public policy with urgency and clarity. Beyond his reporting, John served as a member of New York City’s Community Emergency Response Team and believed that preparedness was not only a government responsibility, but a civic duty shared by all New Yorkers. His legacy continues through this fellowship, which places graduate students in city agencies and nonprofit organizations to support critical emergency management efforts.

This year’s fellows upheld that legacy through focused, mission-driven work. Placed across ten host organizations including NYC Emergency Management, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NYPD, FDNY, NYCHA, the Department of Correction, and the American Red Cross, they delivered clear and lasting contributions. Fellows developed continuity plans for housing operations, analyzed the impact of major flooding events, improved volunteer safety training, supported emergency preparedness legislation, and advanced public education campaigns in multiple languages. Their work strengthened agency readiness and improved services for communities at risk.

By developing future leaders in emergency management, the John D. Solomon Fellowship strengthens New York City's long-term capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. It builds a strong pipeline of public servants rooted in service, coordination, and public trust. The fellowship is administered by New York City Emergency Management and remains the city’s only graduate-level program focused exclusively on emergency management. Since its launch, more than 118 fellows have served at 14 city agencies and nonprofit partners, contributing nearly 49,000 hours of service. More than 44 percent of alumni have continued their careers in government or public agencies, advancing the fellowship’s mission to build a more prepared and resilient city through public service.

The 2024–2025 John D. Solomon Fellowship for Public Service graduating fellows are:

Alanis Allen, New York University, NYC Emergency Management, Risk Analysis and Recovery
Doug Berger, New York University, NYC Emergency Management, Strategic Partnerships
Aleksander Gregov, Hunter College, NYC Department of Correction
Adaora Lee, Meharry Medical College, American Red Cross in Greater New York
Stephanie Lemus, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health, NYC Police Department
Jamielee Polanco, New York University, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Jaxon Richards, Columbia University, NYC Fire Department
Khiabet Salazar, Columbia University, NYC Emergency Management, Emergency Operations Center
K'gnausa Yodkerepauprai, Baruch College, NYC Emergency Management, Government Relations
Beckett Zinn-Rowthorn, Fordham University, NYC Housing Authority

The next fellowship for the 2025-2026 academic year will begin in September 2025. While managing their respective roles in the City's response to emergencies, staff from participating agencies have been interviewing prospective fellows, and NYC Emergency Management staff is in the process of matching prospective fellows with their agencies for the fall. For more information on this year's nine graduates, visit https://www1.nyc.gov/site/em/about/meet-fellows.page. A recording of the graduation will be available on the agency's YouTube channel.

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