Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY) announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Trustees. Both trustees, Precious Stepney, MSW, BPS’02, MPA’04 and Darlene Williams, Ph.D., BPS’00, MPA’04, are double alumni of MCNY and represent decades of leadership experience in non-profit, healthcare, and government agency sectors.
“Dr. Williams and Ms. Stepney have devoted their lives and careers to the betterment of others. We are honored to have these MCNY graduates join our board as Trustees of our efforts to foster social justice through constructive action in education,” said Charles Armstrong, CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Armstrong Interactive, Inc. and MCNY Board Chair, “As our founder Audrey Cohen stated, ‘The real test of learning is not in what we know but in what we can accomplish with what we know,’ and these two powerful leaders are doing that through their actions and efforts every day.“
Precious Stepney is the Interim Division Deputy Director, Division of State-Operated Healthcare Facilities (DSOHF), North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. She has earned respect throughout the healthcare industry for planning, directing, coordinating, and improving essential care and delivery services to ensure exceptional patient experiences. Stepney is an active member of her community, volunteering her time as a founding member of Sacred Lotus Blossom: Rites of Passage and as a member of the New York State Office of Management Confidential Employees. Precious Stepney holds a Master of Social Work from Fordham University, a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Human Services from Metropolitan College of New York, and a Lean/Six Sigma Black Belt Certification from the University of Buffalo.
“It is always great when you have people with lived experience to contribute to a cause and both Darlene and Precious have such experience and will contribute to the purpose-centered approach as they serve as board members,” said Gary P. Jenkins, MPA’06, Commissioner, New York City Department of Social Services and MCNY Chair-elect, “I am delighted they have accepted the opportunity to serve and know they will bring value to the college but more importantly the student body.”
Dr. Darlene Williams serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT), where she provides overall leadership with a focus on empowering vulnerable communities, social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her career in the non-profit, government, and higher education sectors includes Chief Program Officer at Women in Need (Win), Assistant Commissioner NYC Department of Veterans Services, various executive positions at the NYC Administration for Children’s Services and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and associate professor at Long Island University. She is a member of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., serves on the Board of Directors of Black Agency Executives, and is a member of the Community Coalition on Mental Health. Dr. Williams earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy & Administration from Walden University, a Master of Public Administration from Metropolitan College of New York, a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Human Services from Audrey Cohen College (MCNY) and the Senior Executive Leaders Program for Nonprofit Professionals at the Columbia University Business School. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Queens Borough President Citation of Honor.
In closing, MCNY’s President, Dr. Joanne Passaro, sums up the importance of board members who “live” the mission of the college, “As accomplished alumni, the newest members to our Board of Trustees bring important insights and experience that will expand the capacity of the MCNY community to realize our mission of preparing students to be leaders of constructive change and social justice across our communities.”
