Inspirational Voices of Black Pride Stories of challenge and mentorship from community leaders
Michael Massiah
PANYNJ Chief Diversity & Inclusion, RET.
For me, African American history
month is a time to ask myself
what have I done to pay
forward the benefits I received
from the many African American
hero’s that came before me.
My reflections this year included
Richard “Dick” Rowe, the first
African American GM of Kennedy
Airport. .
When I first meet Dick I was just
entering the Human Resources
Management profession at
the Port Authority, and Dick
was transitioning to the Aviation
AIRPORT V 18 OICE, FEBRUARY 2022
Department. He impressed
upon me the importance of the
Human Resources function
in building a quality inclusive
workforce, as well as the impact
I could have in ensuring the advancement
of equal opportunity
at the Agency. He also influenced
me to join professional
associations in order to acquire
knowledge of the profession’s
best practices. I took his advice,
and it supported me in obtaining
decision making positions that
enabled me to advance equity
and diversity at the Port.
To ensure diversity, I casted a
wide net and found a talented
native son of Queens, Huntley
Lawrence who was hired
through this aviation supervisor
trainee program. Huntley
rose through the ranks, and was
recently appointed by Executive
Director Rick Cotton as the
Chief Operations Officer for the
entire PA, as well as Aviation Director
for all the Port’s airports.
The values learned from African
American history, such as paying
forward by providing advice
and opportunities to others continues.
Others who model this “community
of support” rooted in African
American history include
African American Aviation leaders
such as Catherine Young a
former aviation professional at
the Port who was subsequently
hired as Manager Groton Airport
in Connecticut; and Renee
Spann who was the Manager of
Teterboro Airport before her recent
retirement from the Port.
In closing, my reflection of African
American history this year
is about being appreciative of
folks like Dick; continuing to take
up the baton to further our forebears’
journey by intentionally
taking affirmative actions to ensure
others are afforded opportunities;
and encouraging those
who come after me to do their
part in continuing our legacy of
“the community of support”.
Queensboro President
Donovan Richards
“Black History Month is a time to honor
our heritage and our heroes”
Black history is Queens history,
as much as it is American history,
and Black History Month
is a time to honor our heritage
and our heroes — both extraordinary
and everyday — upon
whose shoulders we stand today.
Those who have fought and
those who are still fighting to
make our nation a fairer one deserve
to be celebrated, all while
we aim to advance their legacies
and lessons into the future.
As the first Black man elected
to serve as Queens Borough
President, I’m fortunate to have
many figures who have inspired
me throughout my career of
public service.
One of my heroes is Helen Marshall,
the first African American
Queens Borough President.
She paved the way for African
Americans like me to serve in
City government, and she was
a tireless fighter in her push for
Queens to get its fair share of
City resources — a goal I share.
Another icon I admire is Shirley
Chisholm, who shattered barriers
as not only the first African
American woman elected to
Congress, but also the first African
American to run for a major
party’s nomination for President
of the United States. As she
knew more than most, it’s not
easy being the first to do anything,
especially being the Black
person to do it, which brings
me to President Barack Obama
— a true hero of mine. In him,
I saw myself. I saw people who
looked like me represented at
the highest levels of government,
proving to me and millions
of other young Black men and
women across this country that
there was nothing we could not
achieve.
Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom
X are also major influences
in my life and work as a public
servant. They showed me the
value of fighting for those who
can’t fight for themselves, and
how to unite to demand better
for each of us.
The legacies these heroes left
behind fuel me every single
day. I hope that by carving out
my own path, I can one day do
the same for the next generation
of Black leaders in Queens and
across New York City.
Black History Month
Reflection Dr. Gerrard
Bushell’s' Journey:
Impact, Innovation, and Inclusivity
WRITTEN BY DR. GERRARD
BUSHELL
As Chair and CEO of New Terminal
One at JFK International
airport, I have the pleasure to
work on an exciting and impactful
Public-Private Partnership
(P3). The New Terminal One is
entirely privately financed, investing
more than $1.8 billion of
equity and $7.2 billion of debt to
deliver a sustainably designed,
technology-focused, state-ofthe
art facility that will serve as
the global gateway to New York.
Building a career path required
overcoming many hurdles, and
it also necessitated a willingness
to ask for help and develop
enduring partnerships. During
my early years, I had the great
fortune to have the support of
my mother, Shirley, who drilled
into me the importance of education
and building a network
of support to help navigate you
through life. In other words,
choose wisely who you model
and who you follow. Studying at
Columbia University gave me a
first-rate education. It exposed
me to one of my first inspirations,
Dr. Charles V. Hamilton,
civil rights leader and eminent
political scientist.
I worked for C. Virginia Fields
when she served in New York
City Council. Virginia, who
hailed from Alabama, helped
me learn and understand to take
nothing for granted and never
be afraid to advocate for what
you want. I am forever grateful
for her support. She taught me
the importance of leadership at
an early age.
Comptroller H, Carl McCall,
New York State's first black
statewide elected official, asked
me to work for him as an executive
leader in the New York
State Comptroller’s Office. Under
Comptroller McCall's leadership,
Carl opened my eyes to
the significance investing has
on place, people, and innovation.
This period gave me a vision
and the aptitude to follow a path
that would ultimately bring together
my experiences from labor,
government, and business.
My work continues. This is just
the beginning of a great project
where New Terminal One will
drive the creation of thousands
of well-paying jobs for southeast
Queens and hire M/WBE firms
to achieve 30% goals across
professional services, design,
construction, and operations.
We are just beginning this journey,
and we have so much more
to contribute.