PRESS RELEASE: The Door’s Executive Director Julie Shapiro Named Co-Chair of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE DOOR’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JULIE SHAPIRO NAMED CO-CHAIR OF THE NEW YORK CITY EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING COALITION
NEW YORK, NY — The New York City Employment and Training Coalition (NYCETC) announced today that Julie L. Shapiro, the Executive Director of The Door, has been elected Co-Chair of its Board of Directors, after serving for 15 years on its Board.
Julie is an established and respected nonprofit executive with 20 years of experience improving outcomes in employment, education, health, legal status and housing for low-income adults and youth. Since joining as Executive Director in 2010, The Door has tripled in growth, including: the addition of two supportive housing sites; launching Broome Street Academy, New York City’s only charter high school that prioritizes foster care and homeless youth; and assuming responsibility for the Bronx Youth Center, which offers an extensive portfolio of career and education programs.
Under the leadership of Julie and Andrea Vaghy Benyola, Managing Director of Career and Education Services, The Door has received national recognition for its comprehensive and successful workforce development programs. Each year, The Door provides career and education services to almost 3,000 young people. The organization currently offers bridge and training programs in six different industries, including its well-regarded TechBridge program with Per Scholas.
The Door’s long‐standing employer partnership with Gap, Inc., This Way Ahead, has been the cornerstone of the agency’s pioneering retail sector training program for the past 12 years. In 2018, Julie and David Ard, Senior Vice President and Global Head of People and Communications at Gap Inc., testified before The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources about this replicable employer/non-profit partnership.
“On behalf of our Board of Directors, team and membership of more than 150 workforce and economic development organizations, I thank outgoing Board Chair Phil Weinberg for his years of service and contributions to our mission, and personally thank him for his close partnership and mentorship over the last year since I joined NYCETC”, said Joey Ortiz, Executive Director of NYCETC. “Today marks an important day in NYCETC’s evolution as the leading voice for New York City’s workforce development community. Julie and Kelly are two of the city’s most accomplished leaders in our field at two of the city’s premier institutions. Under their leadership, NYCETC is better positioned than ever to achieve our shared goal of economic inclusion and equitable futures, regardless of socioeconomic status or cultural background, for every New Yorker.”
“I’m thrilled to be chairing the New York City Employment and Training Coalition, and to be doing so in partnership with Kelly Richardson of Per Scholas,” said Julie L. Shapiro, Executive Director of The Door and Co-Chair of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition. “Because of my long association with NYCETC, I have a deep appreciation for the critical role it plays in promoting the best policies and programs that connect the city’s jobseekers with sustainable, living wage jobs. The Coalition is at a compelling moment in its history under the new leadership of its supremely talented Executive Director Joey Ortiz. I am so excited to work with Joey and Kelly and the rest of the board and staff to make positive change in New York’s workforce development system. In embracing the co-chair roles, Kelly and I are also hoping to highlight the power of partnership in the field, as The Door/ Per Scholas partnership is a wonderful example of the type of success that is possible when each organization brings its expertise and creativity to bear on finding solutions to expand opportunity.”
“It is a deep honor to serve as Co-Chair of the NYC Employment and Training Coalition. The Coalition is the leading voice for an inclusive and equitable workforce in the city, and its work is incredibly important during this time of industry transformation for New York,” said Kelly Richardson, Per Scholas Managing Director, Newark & New York, and NYCETC Board Co-Chair. “I am fortunate to have learned so much from the Coalition’s leadership in the past decade, and look forward to supporting Joey Ortiz and the Coalition team as they drive change in our city. I am also proud to serve alongside Julie Shapiro, whose leadership is responsible for an organizational partnership between Per Scholas and The Door that has significantly expanded access to technology careers for hundreds of young adults. The City of New York must invest more in partnerships that provide equitable access for New Yorkers to growth-sector careers.”
About The Door
The Door is an unparalleled model for youth development, offering a comprehensive range of integrated services within a single site for nearly 11,000 New York City youth annually. At The Door, youth can access health care and education, mental health counseling and crisis assistance, legal assistance, high school equivalency and college preparation services, career development, housing supports, arts, sports and recreational activities, and nutritious meals – all for free and under one roof.
The Door’s on-site charter high school, Broome Street Academy, has 330 students and prioritizes students who are homeless/transitionally housed or have been involved in the child welfare system. Learn more at www.door.org.