Lisa Tyson
Lisa Tyson, Director
Lisa Tyson is a life long resident of Long Island, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing/Communications from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 1993. She continued her studies in the Masters of Science program in Urban and Environmental Studies at Renssealear Polytechnic Institute in 1994.
Her professional experience has been at the Long Island Progressive Coalition (LIPC), where she has been working since 1996 and is currently the Director. Her role as Director of a non profit organization with eight full time staff people is fundraising, policy development and organizational management.
Some of her legislative successes include passing a $3 million affordable housing bond in the Town of East Hampton, writing and passing Nassau Counties Living Wage Law, ensuring voters integrity by lobbying successfully for optical scanners, and working in a statewide campaign to change the statewide education formula to be based on students needs.
Lisa is a founding member of the Working Families Party and is a Steering Committee member of the WFP Nassau County Chapter. She sits on the Advisory Council of the Long Island Center for Non Profit Leadership at Adelphi University. She was also awarded Long Island's best Activist by the Long Island Press in 2007 and received an award from the Nassau County League of Woman Voters for "Making a Better World".
Lisa can be reached at 516-541-1006 ext.11 or ltyson@lipc.org
o
o
Danielle Asher
Danielle Asher, Lead Organizer
Danielle Asher was born and raised in Greenlawn, Suffolk County. She has served the community the last 6 years as a Redemptorist Youth Minister at Saint Martin of Tours in Bethpage. Leading the youth group, Danielle joined the fight for social justice doing mission work in countries such as Dominica and Grenada. She also participated in organizations such as Habitat for Humanity in Greater Portland, Maine and Sarnelli house in Philadelphia, an outreach for the less fortune. Danielle's work continued on the streets as a local activist for counter military recruiting. In the Fall of 2006 she worked as a field coordinator on the Dave Mejias' campaign and found that she had a real passion for moving politics. Combining her love for youth and politics, she joined LIPC in January 2007 where she began working on the Alliance for Quality Education campaign. She also is the liaison for LIPC and the Suffolk County chapter of the Working Families Party.
Danielle can be reached at 516-541-1006 ext.12 or danielle@lipc.org
Jonathan Grindell
Jonathan Grindell, Community Organizer
Jonathan Grindell was born in the Five Towns and spent his high school years in Long Beach. He became inspired by social justice struggles during his time as an undergrad student at Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a BA in Telecommunications. His feminist beliefs eventually led him to embrace animal liberation.
While at Penn State, Jonathan was also a part of The Village. The Village formed after the school administration was not actively confronting racial death threats aimed at students of color. As a result, he was involved in the occupation of the student union building for a 9-day period that led to more diversity programs being offered by the university.
Jonathan joined the Peace Corps to promote Sustainable Development in Nicaragua. Following his service, he was accepted into Arizona State University's Global Technology & Development graduate program where he earned his MS in Science & Technology. His master's thesis examined the notion of global community and how technology enables community members to organize without borders. His case study was the animal rights movement.
Currently, Jonathan volunteers with Long Island Food Not Bombs. He helps pick-up and distribute food to the hungry every Sunday afternoon in Hempstead and tries to help out on Tuesday evenings in Huntington Station, as well as Thursday nights in Farmingville. He also serves on the Board of CARECEN (Central American Refugee Center).
Jonathan joined the staff of LIPC in March of 2007, where he started working on the Repowering Campaign.
Jonathan can be reached at 516-541-1006 ext.15 or jonathan@lipc.org
Untitled Document
Maritza Silva-Farrell, Community Organizer
Maritza Silva-Farrell was born and raised in Ecuador. After getting a BA in journalism at the Central University of Ecuador and working as a reporter for a local TV station, Maritza decided to continue her education in the United States. While going to Nassau Community College, Maritza was a project leader for NYPIRG. Her passion for social justice and her interest in foreign policy led her to work on the anti-sweatshop campaign with United Students Against Sweatshops. She also took an interest in her local community, organizing with Freespace, a collective youth organization.
While Maritza was attending SUNY Westbury pursuing her B.A. in Media and Communications, she began volunteering with Jobs with Justice on issues related to youth, workers, and immigrant rights. In school, Maritza combined her passion for documentaries, journalism and activism by producing stories exposing the day labor worker situation on Long Island. She also interned at CNN for two semesters.
Maritza is currently working as a community organizer at LIPC, on the affordable housing campaign. For more information, please visit www.yimbyli.com.
Maritza can be reached at 516-541-1006 ext.20 or maritza@lipc.org
Debbie-Ann Chang
Debbie-Ann Chang,
Director for Administration and Fundraising
Debbie-Ann grew up in Queens, New York and has been living on Long Island for over 20 years. Prior to joining LIPC, Debbie-Ann worked as a Community Planner with Sustainable Long Island another non-profit organization in Bethpage, New York where she focused on sustainable development and community revitalization. She has over 20 years of success in event planning, fundraising and membership building in the non-profit sector in the fields of academia and healthcare. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from York College and a master’s degree in social work from Adelphi University. Prior to joining Sustainable Long Island, Ms. Chang worked for ERASE Racism, a non-profit organization in Syosset, New York whose focus is on institutional and structural racism in housing, education, health care and economic development.
Ms. Chang perfected her skills at ERASE Racism by building the Partnership for Racial Equity program, increasing the enrollment numbers from 113 to over 396 new partners, coordinating the production and distribution of the newsletter EMERGE and coordinating the Undoing/Unraveling Racism trainings. She was also instrumental in the 2nd annual fundraising event at ERASE Racism, raising over $140,000. Ms. Chang was also successful in building local and national membership programs as the Associate Director of Alumni Relations at Adelphi University. She effectively launched chapters in Florida, San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles. She was instrumental in establishing the Multicultural Alumni chapter and became the chapter’s main liaison for the Office of Alumni Relations. She coordinated several special events with the chapter’s leadership including, for the first time in the University’s history, a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. She has taught sections of the Freshman Orientation Curriculum at Adelphi University, mentored students in high school and college and advocated for disabled adults. Ms. Chang’s dynamic personality, stellar communication skills and professional abilities have been put to good use in the for-profit sector as well as with non-profits, advancing the cause of social justice. She also volunteers with several organizations including serving on the finance committee of her church and is the recent past treasurer of the Association of Black Women in Higher Education (ABWHE).
Debbie-Ann joined LIPC in September of 2008 as Project Coordinator. Debbie-Ann can be reached at 516-541-1006 ext.14 or debbieann@lipc.org
Untitled Document
Mary Dimino, Office Manager
Mary Dimino joined the Long Island Progressive Coalition in August 2009 as Office Manager. Mary was born and raised in Brooklyn and has been living on Long Island for the last nine years. Mary has had a long interest in health care and education. She has volunteered for over two years at Lutheran Medical Center helping out in many areas, including feeding patients of all ages. At present she is working with the Cub Scouts of Suffolk County and is on the local Scout Governing Committee. Mary is interested in learning more about how the Long Island Progressive Coalition achieves its successes in noteworthy causes like affordable housing, clean energy and quality education. Mary has a wealth of experience in office management, including various administrative positions at a large hospital. Mary earned an Associate’s Degree from New York City Technical College with a concentration in Medical Secretarial Studies.
Mary can be reached at 516-541-1006 ext. 10 or mary@lipc.org
Untitled Document
Andrew Calderaro,
Project Director Nassau Government Efficiency Project
Andrew E. Calderaro is a Long Island native. He studied political science and history at Harvard University’s Extension School, Hofstra University, and Nassau Community College.
Andrew brings robust, progressive campaign experience to his role as Project Director of the Nassau County Government Efficiency Project. Most recently, he was a campaign Field Organizer for Leslie Crocker Snyder for Manhattan District Attorney. Judge Snyder valiantly tried to become Manhattan’s first female DA on the heels of her heroic career as a litigator and judge.
Prior, Andrew was the Director of Advance for New York City Council Member Jim Gennaro’s State Senate campaign. Andrew assisted Council Member Gennaro step-for-step while he boldly challenged a nearly-forty-year incumbent in northeast Queens.
Additionally, Andrew has experience with New York City Council and New York Assembly constituent services.
The Efficiency Project is the Nassau residents’ ability to mend government mismanagement and lessen an unbearable tax burden by eliminating or consolidating special tax districts (while keeping essential services in tact). When does problematic government end? When you begin working to make the change you need!
Andrew can be reached at 516-541-1006 ext. 13, via cell at 516-650-0081 or andrew@lipc.org.
