Honorees

2026

Claudia V. Schrader, MA, Ed.M., EdD

Claudia V. Schrader serves as the eighth president of York College, City University of New York (CUNY), a role she assumed permanently on May 1, 2025, after serving as interim president since January 2024. A veteran CUNY educator with more than two decades of experience, Dr. Schrader has provided dynamic and innovative leadership across four CUNY campuses.

Since taking office, Dr. Schrader has advanced York College’s mission through strategic initiatives that enhance student success, increase the College’s visibility, and foster greater community engagement. She has overseen significant campus improvements, including the creation of a graduate student lounge and upgrades to common areas, the cafeteria, and public safety facilities. She launched the York Opportunity Network (YON), a consortium of community and interfaith organizations and businesses dedicated to empowering pre-college youth and positioning York as a premier institution for academic and career achievement. Dr. Schrader recently initiated the College’s Strategic Planning and Middle States Self-Study processes and strengthened its culture of assessment. Today, York College serves approximately 6,200 students. Additionally, York College was recently ranked No. 24 by Newsweek on its list of America’s Best Colleges for Women (2026), further highlighting its commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment.

Her leadership has earned numerous accolades, including the Phoenix Empowerment Award from the Urban League-Long Island Branch (November 2025), the Dr. Lenore R. Gall Award from The National Association of University Women- Flushing North Shore Branch (April 2025), the Women’s Empowerment Award (Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., March 2025), the Leadership Award for Excellence in Education & Youth Development (D.R.E.A.M Foundation, September 2024), and the Alumni Award from Teachers College, Columbia University (January 2024).

Before York, Dr. Schrader made history as the first African American president of Kingsborough Community College, where she served for 5 years. Under her leadership, Kingsborough opened its first satellite location and launched KCC FLEX, one of CUNY’s earliest online hybrid degree programs for adult learners. The College twice advanced to the final round for the prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, and Dr. Schrader was selected as one of 25 recipients of Aspen’s New Presidents Fellowship.

Dr. Schrader is widely recognized for her student-centered approach. In 2020, during the global pandemic, she introduced “The Welcome Wagon,” personally visiting incoming students across New York City to assure them of her accessibility and support. She brought this initiative to York College in 2024. “The Welcome Wagon” initiative has boosted enrollment, retention, and graduation rates and was featured by Spectrum News NY1, NY Daily News, InsideHigherEd.com, Forbes, and Positive Community Magazine.

Earlier in her career, Dr. Schrader held leadership roles at Bronx Community College and Medgar Evers College, where she was associate provost and a tenured associate professor of education. She also served as associate provost at William Paterson University in New Jersey.

Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Schrader is deeply committed to community service. She serves as a Peer Evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. She co-chairs the JFK Redevelopment Community Advisory Council Education Committee, is a Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, and is the immediate past president of its Eta Omega Omega chapter in the Bronx. For more than 20 years, she has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity Global Village, building homes for families in need across many continents, including Brazil, El Salvador, Vietnam, South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, and Thailand.

Donovan Richards Jr., a lifelong resident of Southeast Queens, was elected Borough President of Queens in November 2020.

As a child, he attended Jamaica High School and Redemption Christian Academy before studying at Nyack College. He later received a degree in Aviation Management from Vaughn College in East Elmhurst.

Following the killing of a close friend during his teenage years, he got involved in his community, holding numerous staff positions in the City Council. In 2013, he was elected to serve as the City Council Member for the 31st District, representing Southeast Queens and the eastern Rockaway Peninsula.

During his tenure as a City Council Member, he chaired multiple influential committees on public safety, environmental protection and zoning, resulting in historic citywide investments in affordable housing, police oversight, clean energy and infrastructure upgrades.

As Queens Borough President, he has been a tireless advocate for The World’s Borough, allocating more than $400 million in capital funding across Queens’ schools, cultural institutions, hospitals, libraries, parks and more.

To better support the more than 1 million immigrants who call The World’s Borough home, he established the Immigrant Welcome Center at Queens Borough Hall in 2021, which has served thousands of individuals in need of immigration-related services.

In the wake of Hurricane Ida, the Borough President formed Operation Urban Sustainability, a working group of climate advocates and other leaders to inform his office’s response to climate change while continuing pushing to make Queens a more resilient borough.

To help rebuild the Queens economy following the COVID-19 pandemic, Borough President Richards created the Queens Small Business Grant program, secured a commitment from JetBlue to keep its headquarters in Queens, announced plans to establish a Global Tech & Innovation Center in Long Island City and continues to oversee the $20 billion redevelopment of Kennedy Airport, among countless other initiatives.

The Borough President has also empowered numerous historically disadvantaged communities through efforts such as the Youth and Young Adult Council, Downtown Jamaica Improvement Council, the Queens Tech + Innovation Challenge and Borough Hall on Your Block.

Borough President Richards lives in Rosedale with his wife, Tameeka, and their son, Donovan III.

Michelle Stoddart is the Senior Vice President of Community Development and Public Affairs for Resorts World New York City (RWNYC). She was a member of the executive opening team that handled record-breaking attendance during the casino’s debut weekend in October 2011.

In her role, Ms. Stoddart manages community affairs, public relations, local business partnerships, and corporate philanthropy. Under her guidance, Resorts World has supported over 200 nonprofit organizations in the New York metropolitan area. She currently serves as Vice Chair for the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, and on the Queens Chamber of Commerce’s Arts & Culture board. Additionally, she sits on the boards of the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning, the Queens Botanical Gardens, the Jamaica YMCA, the Queens Public Library and York College.

As Resorts World New York City expands its footprint in the State, Ms. Stoddart is responsible for keeping the communities in which the properties reside, updated on development and actively addressing their feedback. By working directly with community leaders, her role highlights the brand’s mission to be a good neighbor in Queens, the City and State.

Prior to her position with RWNY, Ms. Stoddart was the Director of Marketing & Tourism for the Queens Economic Development Corporation (QEDC). In her role, she was charged with the research, development, and execution of projects that promoted business and new neighborhood revitalization in Queens County. During her tenure, Ms. Stoddart initiated and enhanced several significant projects that directly contributed to QEDC’s growth and prominence throughout the borough and beyond.

She made Queens’ tourism digitally relevant by spearheading the renovation of DiscoverQueens.info, the first NYC county-based tourism website, which has logged over two million visitors since going live in 2003. She also experienced success with Queens Restaurant Week – a two-week event intended to promote dining establishments in the borough – increasing restaurant participation from 30 to 120 and making it a major fundraiser. Another significant achievement while at QEDC was the evolution of the organization’s flagship fundraiser, Queens–“A Taste of the World.” Through stellar marketing plans and strategic partnerships with companies such as CitiField, Delta Airlines, NYC & Company and Expedia, Ms. Stoddart helped to build the annual food festival from a 300-person event to more than 1,200 attendees over a six-year span. In 2009, the “Queens Taste” became the first non-sporting event to be held at CitiField, the new home of the New York Mets; in that same year the event attracted the then Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

For over five years, Ms. Stoddart worked with SBA Women’s Business Center, the Women’s Venture Fund, where she served as a special events manager and client services associate. Prior to joining the WVF, Ms. Stoddart was the Chief Executive Officer of ElleDeuce Communications, a privately held marketing and event production company specializing in marketing for start-ups to mid-size businesses and non-profit organizations.

Brother Steve Chatman is a nationally respected telecommunications and PropTech expert and highly accomplished Senior Sales Executive with a proven track record of leading enterprise growth strategy and commercial execution across the multifamily connectivity landscape. Through strategic partnerships, consultative selling, and elite team leadership, his teams have generated more than $3 billion in contract value, consistently delivering transformational results at scale. 

He currently serves as Head of Sales for CBX Connect, Inc., a division of CORE Spaces, and one of the nation’s leading Managed Wi-Fi and Broadband service providers. In this role, Brother Chatman leads sales, market expansion and revenue strategy while delivering advanced connectivity solutions that consistently increase company value and surpass industry standards while elevating resident experience, driving measurable ROI, and increasing asset value.

In addition to his corporate leadership, Brother Chatman is also the Founder and President of The Adamas Group, LLC.  Since 2022, he has assisted national and international clients focused on advancing digital equity awareness, broadband accessibility, and residential property technology implementation strategy.

Within Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and under the leadership of the 35th Grand Polemarch, Brother Jimmy McMikle, Brother Chatman serves as a member of the Grand Polemarch’s Administration Team as the National Director of Organizational Effectiveness and Chairman of the Strategic Implementation Team. In this role, he provides enterprise-minded leadership and execution accountability across the Fraternity’s Strategic Plan—strengthening organizational alignment, operational effectiveness, and execution discipline while advancing key initiatives spanning Brand Management, Finance, Guide Right, Infrastructure & Operations, Membership Services, Organizational Culture, and Training for Leadership. His leadership has also supported major modernization initiatives, including the launch of Curriculead.com, the Fraternity’s proprietary learning management platform. 

A proud Spring 1983 initiate of the Phi Chapter (Buffalo, NY), he is a charter member of the Queens (NY) and the Jersey City (NJ) Alumni Chapters and served with distinction as the 6th Polemarch of Queens Alumni, where his leadership elevated chapter visibility and contributed to significant growth in both membership and revenue. 

Known for his energy, high fraternal standards, and unwavering commitment to servant leadership, Brother Chatman is equally respected as a trusted mentor to younger Brothers—consistently investing time and guidance to develop emerging leaders while advocating for others to receive their well-earned “flowers” for meritorious contributions to Kappa Alpha Psi. 

His decades of sustained service have been recognized through numerous honors and distinctions, including being awarded the first Life Membership of the Queens Alumni Chapter, and holding Life Membership at all three levels—Chapter, Province, and Grand. His recognition is further highlighted by the James M. Kidd Distinguished Service Award, the highest award in the Northeastern Province of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. 

Nigeria Ealey is a visionary entrepreneur, designer, and storyteller shaping the future of fashion and culture. As a Founder and Creative Director of TIER, he has built a brand rooted in community, experience, innovation, and the belief that Art Never Dies.

Honored with a New York City Council Proclamation recognizing his impact and named to LIU’s prestigious 40 Under 40, Nigeria continues to champion creativity as a pathway to legacy. Through bold design and high-profile collaborations with partners including Adidas, Forbes, Peanuts, Brooklyn Nets, NYC Tourism, Prime Video, Shopify and Alpha Industries; he creates products and experiences that empower creatives and designers from all walks of life.

Nigeria’s mission is clear: elevate the culture, inspire the next generation, and leave a mark that lives far beyond the moment.