On July 1, 2020, The HOPE Program officially welcomed Lauren Samuel, Barclays Strategy, as its new Board Chair. Lauren’s appointment builds on her ten years of board service and four years as Board Chair of Sustainable South Bronx. On August 6, Lauren shared the following remarks:
Dear HOPE Community,
With great pride, I am introducing myself as the new Board Chairwoman of The HOPE Program, building on ten years of board service, including the past four years as the board chair of Sustainable South Bronx (SSBx), HOPE’s subsidiary. I am so proud of SSBx’s success in this time, including the solidification of sound governance practices, the launch of new transitional employment programs, and a 59% expansion in New Yorkers served.
Years ago, my mother immigrated to Brooklyn with her children in hopes of providing her family with a better life. This experience is not dissimilar to many of our students’ experiences. So I understand the challenges many of our jobseekers face. At this critical moment, I am honored to work alongside our dedicated Board of Directors as well as Executive Director Jennifer Mitchell and the entire HOPE staff to provide opportunities to our most vulnerable neighbors, especially Black and Brown New Yorkers who are disproportionately affected by unemployment.
- Expanded municipal funding for education and workforce development
- Investments in public infrastructure which can simultaneously provide jobs
- Direct relief to the families bearing the brunt of the pandemic
- Support for small businesses
