48 THE QUEENS COURIER •RISING STARS •JANUARY 24, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com rising stars JANUARY 31, 2013 H H H H s Attorney Queens Medallion Vice President of StrategyHHALLMARIATRACIE D.MESSADOSPrincipal/Insurance Broker ANOKYE SOYINI BLISSETT, ESQ Law Firm of Russo & Blissett, PLLC Maria Messados cur- and Organizational Anokye Soyini Blissett, Esq was born to two rently works at the Queens Development Jamaican parents who immigrated to the United Medallion group of compa- Queens Library States, in the 1970s. In 1999, she was accepted nies as an insurance broker. to the elite Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Her father is the CEO of the Tracie D. Hall is vice president Education at City College of the City University of company so she is learning of Strategy and Organizational New York to pursue a career in medicine. all the little pieces to the Development at the award winning About two years later, she left the program and puzzle. Queens Library, voted national “Library pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics at City Before working in the of the Year” in 2009. Before coming to College. In 2003, St. John’s University School of insurance department, she Queens Library, Hall was a strategist for Law offered her a full scholarship to its very presti- worked in the leasing depart- the Boeing Company’s Global Corporate gious school. ment which was an excellent Citizenship international investments In February 2006 she took and passed the New experience with the yellow and eventually Community Investor at York State Bar Exam. She was subsequently hired taxi drivers. its corporate headquarters in Chicago. by George Russo & Associates. In 2010, she and What do you love most Hall has also served as Assistant Dean George Russo, Esq decided to open an immigration about your job? of Dominican University’s Graduate law fi rm in order to give the residents of Queens an I love learning new things School of Library and Information immigration law fi rm they could trust. & meeting new people every Library Association’s Offi ce for Diversity.Science and as Director of the AmericanThe Law Firm of Russo & Blissett, PLLC has becomeday. what I would say I love a well known immigration fi rm in the Richmond Hill She has worked for and consulted at and Ozone Park areas, and has proudly helped many my surroundings, I’m in an libraries across the country and has gar-the most about my job is lawful residents of the United States. ance, it’s taxi drivers, it’s a infl uential person in your youth advocacy, outstanding service andarea where it’s not just insur-Who has been the mostnered awards for community outreach, families reunite and obtain the dream of becoming given an immigrant visa to enable her to come and is ask, and all of a sudden son in my life, my mentor, Working in Strategy and OrganizationalThe most infl uential per-my interests all I have to dojob?son impact your life?whenever something triggersWhat do you love most about yourlife, and how did this per-innovation in the fi eld.new venue, it’s fi nance, andWhat do you love most about your job?For the last few months, most of my problem cases have been solved. A man’s wife from Trinidad was here after living apart for nearly eight years. Another new and interesting. would be my father. The list because I love helping people and orga-and one of my best friendsyou’ve learned somethingDevelopment at Queens Library is a joy, enter the United States and reside with her husband client from Pakistan was also fi nally given an immi- nizations get better. When I was young grant visa after two years of waiting; he was able What have been your big- could go on forever about jumping double-dutch, I learned that if to reunite with his US citizen wife and newly born gest obstacles and how did how he has impacted me, you studied people you could turn the daughter. What I love most is reuniting families. you overcome them? throughout my life and also rope in a way that helped them jumphe has been my teacher What is one characteristic that you believe One of my biggest obsta- someone I run to the min- higher and longer. Now that’s my day job. every leader should pos- ute I feel frazzled. He has What have been your biggest obsta-cles has been learning and sess? taught me so much about his cles and how did you overcome them?educating myself through dif- be able to listen and tience—wanting to get everything doneso much about what he hasa college in the USA, insteadEvery leader shouldEarly on I had to manage my impa-business, and while learningferent ways. I did not attend be compassionate. At “yesterday.” At a conference I heard viceachieved, it’s taught me soI decided to move to Greece the end of the day, to president Al Gore share an African prov-much about him as a busi-at the age of 18 and explore be able to sit and lis- erb : “If you want to go fast, go alone. Ifnessman. Before workingmy heritage, while explor- ten to one’s problems you want to go far, go together.” Thatwith him, he would comeing I also met my husband. and issues just shows had a lasting impact and has infl uencedhome and the family wouldI couldn’t ask for more, but your supporters, whether not having the education and laugh and tell each other my working style ever since.sit and have dinner together,one of the diffi culties I face is it be your client or patient, techniques that college gives about our day. Now I realize Who’s your favorite speaker or that you do care about him. you, so instead I listen and what his day consists of author? Not everyone’s problem ask questions to educate and that has brought I’m a librarian so there is fi xable, but hear it is H H us that much closer. are many authors. Butthem to disrupt oldread that she wasn’tSojourner Truth. I’veence is abolitionistspeakers? A big infl u-myself. just knowing someone took the time to more than afraid to ask tough enough. questions and to use H thinking and stim-at things.of lookingulate new ways H H H H H
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