3rd Annual Regional Workforce Summit

Hope Knight was named Acting Commissioner and President & CEO-designate of Empire State Development by New York Governor Kathy Hochul in October 2021.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Knight served as President & CEO of Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, one of the nation’s first community development corporations. In that capacity she has advanced economic growth, community-building, and sustainable real estate development that has immeasurably revitalized and strengthened the Southeast Queens region. Additionally, from 2015 to 2021 she served as a Commissioner on the New York City Planning Commission.

Prior to leading Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, she was Chief Operating Officer of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone overseeing over $150 million in investments, leveraging over $1 billion in private capital, and working on projects such as the East River Plaza, Potamkin East Harlem and the Victoria Theater & Hotel.

She also served as Vice President at Morgan Stanley in the Institutional Equities Division, U.S. and as Vice President of Strategic Planning and E-Commerce, Morgan Stanley, Japan. Earlier in her career, Ms. Knight worked at Accenture and in New York City government. Ms. Knight holds a BA from Marymount Manhattan College and an MBA from the Graduate School of Business of the University of Chicago.

Jason has more than 20 years of workforce development experience working for CUNY, SUNY, The WorkPlace and WCA on federal, state and foundation grant projects that have benefited more than 25,000 job seekers. He managed a nearly $10 million federal grant that trained 450 individuals to fill hundreds of open positions with healthcare employers in the Hudson Valley. Previously, he has served on the New Castle Town Council and Child Care Council of Westchester and NYSACRA Boards. Currently, he is on the Harry Chapin Foundation Board.

Timothy L. Hall is the 12th president of Mercy College. Under his leadership, first-time, full-time
freshmen retention improved nearly 10 percent, the College has been recognized by the White House as a “Bright Spot in Hispanic Education,” and launched an ambitious program to further enhance student success through innovative practices like cohort scheduling, course redesign and guided pathways to success. Recently, under Hall’s leadership, Mercy college has announced major renovation plans for its Manhattan campus, including residential dormitories available by the fall of 2020. Additionally, the college announced in March of 2019 that it was taking responsibility for the continued education of nearly 3000 students from the College of New Rochelle which is expected to close by the end of the summer of 2019. Hall previously served for seven years as president of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. Before that, he was for many years at law school professor at the University of Mississippi and associate vice chancellor for academic affairs from 2002 to 2007. Hall received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from the University of Houston, followed by two years of graduate work in the religious studies at Rice University, before receiving his juris doctorate from the University of Texas Law School.

Dr. Penny Jennings was named Greyston’s Vice President of Strategic Programs and Partnerships in January, 2021.  In this role, she is responsible for leading Greyston’s Center for Open Hiring, Workforce Development, and Community Wellness programs.  She also plays a key role as a member of Greyston’s leadership team on a host of strategic initiatives focused on expanding the organization’s impact in New York, the United States, and internationally.

During her first year with Greyston, Jennings was instrumental in instituting the Greyston Employment Opportunity Center (GEOC), which serves as a “one-stop shop” for all employment needs, including occupational training, job placement, staffing and replication of Greyston’s well-known and highly regarded Open Hiring® model.  Her first year with Greyston also saw Jennings’ expansion efforts prompt Greyston to open a New York City-based hub to serve individuals throughout the New York City metropolitan area.

Prior to joining Greyston, Jennings was Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives at SUNY-Rockland Community College, where she was responsible for all non-credit course offerings, workforce development programs, ESL programs, and external partnerships.  She also served as Director of the Rockland County Career Center, where she incorporated strategies to strengthen partnerships with local businesses to increase client/student job placement outcomes, and identify opportunities for individuals with barriers to employment.  She served as Rockland County’s Human Rights Commissioner, where she reviewed and settled human rights violations, and was Chief Compliance Officer and Director of Community Development for Rockland County, where she oversaw fair housing initiatives and ensured fiscal integrity of HUD dollars.

Jennings’ community service activities are extensive, and include current service as a member of the board or advisory board of the Workforce Investment Board of Rockland County, the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rockland, SUNY Empire State College – Dean’s Advisory Board, and the Rockland County District Attorney’s Re-entry Task Force.

Jennings earned an M.A. in Social Policy from State University of New York.  She also earned her Ph.D. in Law and Policy from Northeastern University in Boston, MA.

In recognition of her contributions to community service, she is the recipient of numerous awards/honors.  In 2008, the New York State Senate honored Jennings with its Woman of Distinction Award, and in 2016 Westchester County, NY, declared November 18 of that year as Dr. Penny Jennings Recognition Day.

Greyston Bakery Favorite Brownie:  Chocolate Fudge

Belinda S. Miles serves as president of the largest college in Westchester County, New York — one of the nation’s largest metropolitan regions. The college educates and trains more than 26,000 students in credit and non-credit programs annually and is the State University of New York’s (SUNY) first Hispanic Serving Institution. Since her arrival in 2015, President Miles has galvanized multiple teams to realign college structures, policies, and procedures to reflect an agile organization committed to more directed and supportive pathways for students. Reforms have contributed to a 42% increase in IPEDS graduation rate; up to 20% more college readiness; and an 11% increase in retention for First-Year Experience (FYE) cohorts. Among the top strategies has been new cohort management systems, improved placement in college level math and English courses, college-readiness bridge programs, and improved student orientation and onboarding strategies.

President Miles has led cross-functional teams that have attracted external support from government, foundation, and private sources. With Hispanic student enrollment exceeding one-third at the most diverse of 64 SUNY campuses, the college was able to compete successfully for a $2.7 million Title V grant from the U.S. Department of Education to transform the student experience from entry to completion. Additional funded projects include replication of CUNY’s Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP); participation in the Achieving the Dream network of community colleges committed to improving student outcomes; Honors College founded; nationally recognized Center for Cybersecurity founded; expansion of undergraduate research, internships, and project-based curricula; and collaboration with regional industry partners and high schools on Pathways in Technology (P-TECH) programs in cybersecurity, electrical engineering, and civil engineering.

President Miles serves on several boards focused on workforce development, expanding mobility, and the impact of technology on the future of work. Regionally, she is a member of the Board of Directors for the Business Council of Westchester, the Westchester-Putnam Workforce Investment Board, and Hudson Valley Patterns for Progress. Her national leadership includes board or advisory roles at the American Association of Community Colleges, American Association of Colleges & Universities Presidents’ Trust, and the Block Center for Technology and Society at Carnegie Mellon University.

Recognized by City and State NY as one of Westchester’s Power 50 (2018), President Miles’ numerous awards include YWCA Education Champion Award (2020); Westchester County Federation of Women’s Clubs and F. Willia Davis Women’s Clubs Woman of the Year (2019); and 914INC Magazine Women in Business (2017), among many. Dr. Miles is a highly regarded regional and national presenter on a range of topics including community colleges as a disruptive innovation in academia that fosters an equitable and inclusive democracy.

Prior to joining Westchester Community College, President Miles served as provost and executive vice president of Access, Learning, and Success at Cuyahoga Community College with oversight of four campuses and multiple extension sites serving 60,000 students in the Greater Cleveland, Ohio area. Her other roles at Cuyahoga included president of the Eastern Campus, dean of Academic Affairs, and assistant dean of Liberal Arts. Other previous positions include faculty and administrator roles at LaGuardia Community College, Nassau Community College, and Columbia University.

Chris has worked for New York State since 2012, previously leading the Department of Labor’s Communications Office and later serving as Director of Communications for then-Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. He has been extensively involved in workforce development policy and has overseen several major statewide outreach and education campaigns including $15 minimum wage, closing the gender wage gap, subminimum wage and workplace sexual harassment prevention. In his current role, he focuses on updating workforce development systems and policy and monitoring trends in the workforce, working to modernize how we train workers for the jobs of tomorrow. Chris is a graduate of Ithaca College.