Senator Parker hosts 6th Annual Educational Leadership Award Ceremony

BROOKLYN, NY (5/1/17) – On Friday, April 28^th State Senator Kevin Parker and Healthfirst hosted the 6^th Annual Educational Leadership Award Breakfast Ceremony at Grand Prospect Hall in Park Slope, Brooklyn. For the last six years, over 200 community members have come together to honor various educational leaders as they each received a Legislative Resolution commemorating their work. George Hulse, Vice President, of Community Engagement at Healthfirst, served as the Master of Ceremonies, while Acting District Attorney Eric Gonzalez delivered the morning’s keynote address.

“Every year I look forward to honoring educators in our community. This event is important as we also highlight traditional and non-traditional educators like our mentors, Sunday School teachers, after School staff, parent coordinators, and others who work tirelessly to improve the outcomes for our young people. They each play an important role and this event allows us to acknowledge their unwavering commitment to our kids,” said Senator Parker.

“The Educational Leadership Breakfast honors and highlights the dynamic leaders in our community who educate, engage, and empower our children daily,” said George Hulse, Vice President for Community Engagement at Healthfirst. “Their active involvement and collaborative efforts are crucial in the vulnerable communities we serve.”

Shortly after delivering the keynote address, Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said, "I am proud to join Senator Parker in honoring these exceptional educational leaders in our community. Mentorship is very important and plays a much-needed role in keeping our children engaged, motivated, inspired and on the right track. I applaud the honorees and look forward to continue supporting their efforts and those that focus on the betterment of our youth.”

For the first time, the event honored various non- profit organizations such as United Negro College Fund New York (UNCF-NY) and Onos Footprints for the essential for the essential role they play in supporting and supplementing the education of our youth.  "As a community non-profit organization, we are proud to be one of the recipients of Senator Kevin Parker's Educational Leadership Award,” said Shari Bucknor, Director of Operations at Onos Footprints, Incorporated.  “Our team works tirelessly to ensure the children we serve from our low-income communities receive the support and mentorship needed to get through life. We thank Senator Parker and Healthfirst for acknowledging the work we do to create brighter futures for our children,” concluded Bucknor.