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We wish to thank the members of the Alumni Association who took time from their professional duties and personal responsibilities to return to the College as speakers and resource persons for student-oriented events. In particular, we are grateful to the Spring '09 Brown Bag Luncheon speaker, Brian Gimlett, BS'75, Senior Vice President, Security, NYSE Group, Inc. At the Spring '09 Career Fair, approximately 35% of the registered recruiters were John Jay alumni. For this strong showing and a well-planned event, we applaud the College's organizing team led by alumna Premwati Sukhan, BS'84; assisted by Heather Berridge-Manning, BS'95; Zay LaFleur John, BA'02; Kennybel Pena-Lopez, BS'06; Denise Seaman, BS'08; Sandra Palleja, BS'82; Paul Wyatt, MPA'85 and Rafael Quiles, BA'02. And, for serving as on-site advisors and resource persons for students during the Career Fair, we greatly appreciate the personal involvement of the following alumni team:
George Feeney, MA '01, Supervisory Special Agent (Ret.), Drug Enforcement Administration
Christopher Geraghty, BS'83, MA'08, Security, Shubert Organization, Adjunct, ASA Institute
Michael McCann, BS'74, JD, President /CEO, McCann Protective Services, LLC
Gerard McCarty, BS'72, MPA'95, General Manager of Emergency Management, Port Authority of NY and NJ
Linda Reynolds, MA'80, Chief Deputy (Ret.) New York Sheriff's Office
Ronald Spadafora, BS '86 MPS, Chief of Logistics, Bureau of Operations, FDNY
Vilma Torres, BS'81, Director, Safe Horizon
Second Annual Connect and Reconnect Open House in Washington, DC: They came by plane, train, bus, metro and taxi to the 2009 Open House held during National Police Week at Casa Italiana. President Jeremy Travis welcomed returning alumni, Alumni Board President Michael McCann highlighted the year's accomplishments, Prof. Warren (Ned) Benton discussed exciting developments at the College and alumni shared professional updates and personal memories of John Jay. We thank all who were able to join us: (Back row) Francisco J. Villalobos; Daniel Cabrera, Jr.; Lerone C. Reid; Hon. Tyrone T. Butler; (Middle Row) Michael Rose; Michael McCann, Alumni Board President; Edgar A. Adamson; Joseph P. Riccio; Henry Mulzac; A'shanta Randolph; Charles Randolph; (Front Row) Jerylle Kemp, Alumni Relations Director; Jeremy Travis, President; Prof. Warren (Ned) Benton, Guest Speaker; Robert G. Koval; Sukeena Stephens; Alethea D. Boss; Jacqueline L. Kratz; Kelly A. Riano, George J. McGuire; and (not shown) Kelly L.Yip.
Jerylle Kemp, Director of Alumni Relations
James Johnson, President Jeremy Travis, BJ Bernstein and Mary Robinson
Rewarding Justice
In a dazzling ceremony in April that brought out elected officials, public leaders and other dignitaries, the College awarded its 2009 Medals for Justice to Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland; the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law; and BJ Bernstein, a prominent Atlanta-based defense attorney and litigator. Robinson was presented with the Global Leader for Justice Award by Gloria Steinem, founder of Ms. Magazine. Robinson not only received the award for her work as Ireland's President, but also as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and as head of the group Realizing Rights, The Ethical Globalization Initiative. The Hon. Judith Kay, retired Chief Judge of the NYS Court of Appeals and the first recipient of the John Jay Justice Award, presented the National Leader for Justice Award to James Johnson, Chairman of the Brennan Center's Board of Directors, in recognition of the Center's nonpartisan advocacy on behalf of democracy and human dignity. The Community Leader for Justice Award was presented to BJ Bernstein by Congressman John Lewis, a hero of the civil rights movement, for her work in winning the freedom of Genarlow Wilson who was serving a 10-year prison sentence for having consensual oral sex at age 17 with a 15-year-old girl. "The John Jay community is proud to be associated with these remarkable leaders...As a community brought together by a concern for justice, we are humbled by the dedication of these honorees," noted President Jeremy Travis. Linda Fairstein, the trailblazing NYC sex-crimes prosecutor and now a best-selling crime novelist, served as the mistress of ceremonies. Award-winning actress Lynn Redgrave offered readings on the nature of justice and Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and The Daedalus Quartet presented a musical tribute. The John Jay Justice Awards were made possible through a generous donation from Richard J. Tarlow, a member of the John Jay College Foundation Board of Trustees.
CUNY Graduate Center Doctoral Program in Criminal Justice at John Jay Ranked in Nation's Top 10
The CUNY Graduate Center doctoral program in Criminal Justice at John Jay College was ranked as one of the top 10 programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report in its 2009 Best Graduate Schools' survey."This ranking is a tremendous honor and underscores the talent and commitment of the John Jay faculty. Thanks to their dedication, the doctoral program is now competitive with the top criminal justice programs in the country with more students choosing to apply here than ever before," said President Jeremy Travis. The program's director, Dr. Karen Terry said, "This is a great honor for our faculty and John Jay." The CUNY Graduate Center Doctoral Program in Criminal Justice at John Jay offers an interdisciplinary education in the fields of criminal justice, criminology and forensic science that prepares students for careers of scholarship and teaching in criminal justice and related areas. For more about this program, click here.
What's Going On?
Would you like to share your recent career and/or personal achievements with your fellow alums and the John Jay community? Let us know what you're doing these days. Your submissions will be considered for inclusion in the alumni class notes section of the upcoming fall edition of the John Jay Magazine. Just click here and fill in the information.
Private Investigator's Course
Monday through Thursday, June 29 - July 2, 2009
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The Criminal Justice Center has developed a program for individuals who wish to enter the field of private investigations. This four-day program has been specially designed to develop basic knowledge and skills for the practitioner who is, or anticipates being, a private investigator. The program focuses on the challenges faced by investigative personnel who are not in law enforcement and will benefit both the beginner and the accomplished investigator. Our presenters are subject matter experts, attorneys, certified protection professionals and licensed private investigators. Materials will be provided for each session. Certificates will be issued upon completion of the course.
The cost of the program is $450. John Jay alumni receive a 10% discount. Group discounts are available.
For more information and to register, click here or call 212.237.8638.
John Jay College
BMW Building
555 West 57th Street, 6th Floor
New York City
VIP Protection Course
Monday through Thursday, July 13-16, 2009
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The Criminal Justice Center has developed a program for individuals tasked with the responsibility of providing physical security for persons at risk such as corporate executives, professional athletes, entertainment celebrities, political personalities and their families. The program is designed to enhance the development of protective skills to create an understanding of tactical and psychological elements in a variety of situations. The training covers practices used by the NYPD, the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service. The trainers for this hands-on program are former federal and local law enforcement professionals with extensive experience. Materials will be provided for each session.
The cost is $550. John Jay alumni receive a 10% discount. Group discounts are available.
For more information and to register, click here or call 212.237.8638.
John Jay College
BMW Building
555 West 57th Street, 6th Floor
New York City
John Jay Alumni Welcome New Brooklyn and Staten Island Graduates at Richmond County Ballpark
Staten Island Yankees vs. Brooklyn Cyclones
Sunday, July 26, 2009 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Alumni Association President Michael McCann (BS '74, JD), Staten Island Coordinator James Brito (BS '03), and the Alumni Association Board will host a pre-game welcome on July 26 for new Brooklyn and Staten Island graduates at the baseball game between the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones (Single A Affiliate of the Mets) at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. All John Jay alumni and their families are invited. All John Jay ticket holders will be treated to a free PlayBall game program, a free limited-edition SI Yankees cap, and All You Can Eat hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled chicken, sodas and water. Special ticket prices for John Jay alumni and their guests are $16 per person. (Children under 2, accompanied by an adult, do not require a ticket for admission.) New graduates residing in Brooklyn and Staten Island are invited as guests of the College.
Tickets are subject to availability and may be purchased online on or before July 1, 2009 at http://SIYanks.com/groups with a major credit card (Visa - MasterCard- AMEX - Discover). Please include the following information in your order: your name, degree and year, email, daytime telephone, and the number of tickets being ordered. Orders may also be submitted by fax to 718.273.5763. Please remember to include the information requested above, along with your credit card information, expiration date and credit card ID number.
For more information, contact alumnus Tom Kurtz, Group Sales Coordinator, at 718.313.1317 or Sunil Persaud, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, at 646.557.4674 or cpersaud@jjay.cuny.edu.
Richmond County Bank Ballpark
75 Richmond Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10301
When Avery Eli Okin (BA/MA '79, JD) was a student, he seemed to be everywhere at once taking classes, working, and being extremely active in student government. He was the Freshman Representative to the Student Council at first and then became its parliamentarian. He served two vice chairmanships at the University Student Senate. He became the John Jay representative to the National Student Congress, both on its Congressional Steering Committee and then on its Board of Governors and represented CUNY on the NYS Higher Education Service Corporation as a member of the Board of Trustees. For many, such involvement would be too much to handle. But those who remember Okin will recall a young man mature beyond his years who was always busy yet always calm. Majoring in criminal justice and graduating magna sum laude in 1979, he was the recipient of the Leonard E. Reisman Medal for distinguished scholarship and exceptional service to the College.
"I learned from the best with professors like the late Donal E. MacNamara and John Stead," he says. "And what I learned and what I've taken away from John Jay were things that keep me in good stead even today. One was a way of looking at the world and the notion of being a life-long learner. The other was that people come from very different backgrounds and it gave me a deep understanding of peoples' needs. When I was taking graduate courses, I was exposed to many police officers who were students and that was an invaluable experience. They would come to class after work with a high respect for learning and it instilled in me the notion of working hard toward a goal. I work hard every day to do the right thing -- an attitude that blossomed and was nurtured at John Jay."
Following in his parents' footsteps, he attended Brooklyn Law School and worked part time at the Brooklyn Bar Association (BBA). After receiving his JD in 1982, he worked in the area of personal injury both for the defense and then for plaintiffs. After working for a full year with Judge Ira Karkay who sat on the civil court for four months and for eight months on the Brooklyn Criminal Court, he was offered and took a position at the Association.
As the Executive Director of the BBA and its Foundation, Okin has ample opportunities "to do the right thing." Among a variety of member services, the Association conducts about 40 continuing education programs needed to maintain legal certification. For the public, there is a lawyer referral service, which in 2008 won the prestigious Cindy A. Raisch Award from the American Bar Association (ABA) for the best lawyer referral service in the country. "We have an enormous commitment to pro bono service for Brooklyn residents," Okin says, "and we also won the 2001 Harrison Tweed Award from the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Aid and Indigent Services for fostering a service commitment of our members. Through the BBA Foundation, we provide symposiums on issues like foreclosure and unemployment law." In the more than two decades that Okin has been with the BBA, he has helped to establish a number of programs including the BBA's Volunteers Lawyers Project, Inc., a non-profit organization that gives free legal representation for the enormous indigent population of Brooklyn. Still "doing the right thing," Okin is in the process of setting up a summer and fall internship for John Jay students.
Shaheen Wallace, president of the Student Council, this year became the third John Jay student to win the prestigious Steamboat Foundation Summer Scholarship. The scholarship, provided by the Greenwich, CT based Steamboat Foundation, allows outstanding students to connect with acknowledged leaders in public, private and non-profit organizations. Wallace, a junior government major, will be partnered with the Center for Court Innovation (CCI) for the three-month paid internship. Wallace underwent a series of nine interviews including sessions with President Jeremy Travis and Adam Mansky, the director of CCI. "I've never done anything that draining in my life," Wallace noted. "It's not for the faint-hearted, and it's definitely a test of character. But after I was done, it was really a great feeling."
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