August Newsletter: Celeste is a Crain’s New York Notable Woman Business Owner!

By Public Works Partners

August 10, 2021

Celeste Frye - Founder & CEO
Crain’s NY Recognizes Celeste Frye as a Notable Woman Business Owner

In recognition of Celeste Frye’s leadership throughout the pandemic and over the past 10 years, as well as her commitment to supporting her local communities, Crain’s New York has honored Celeste as one of its 2021 Notable Women Business Owners. Over the past year and half, Celeste guided Public Works through 30+ projects and pursued strategies to bring our work to more people and more communities across the Northeast. Celeste’s commitment to Public Works and compassion helped us all navigate the stresses of the past few years. Please join us in thanking Celeste for her superb leadership and congratulating her!

What We’re Doing
Help New Rochelle Public Library plan for its future

The New Rochelle Public Library has just kicked off the planning process for a strategic plan, which will be implemented from 2021-2026. Public Works is supporting the library, facilitating planning sessions and designing outreach strategies that enable all community members to get involved. The strategic plan will draw on community feedback to design ways to upgrade library facilities, improve programming options, and more. If you live in New Rochelle, please complete a survey in English or in Spanish to share your opinions on the future of the library. The survey will be open through September. You can also attend a board meeting on August 12th or September 9th to share your thoughts. To learn more about this process and find ways to get involved, you can visit the strategic planning FAQ page.

Image by Simon Bak, via Unsplash
The High Line wants to hear from you
Public Works is supporting the High Line to learn how it can better serve the community surrounding the park, including residents, business owners, commuters, community-based organizations, and other local stakeholders. The High Line and Public Works have released this brief survey, in coordination with tabling at local events and public spaces and meetings with an array of organizations across the West Side of Manhattan. The survey will be available until September 24. Please take a few minutes to fill it out!
Goodbye, MetroCards?
Turnstiles with OMNY readers
Image by Paulo Silva, via Unsplash

OMNY (One Metro New York) is the MTA’s new contactless payment system that will fully replace MetroCards by 2023. OMNY relies on near-field communication (NFC) to allow users to easily move through turnstiles by tapping their smart phones, contactless debit or credit cards, or, eventually, pre-loaded payment cards. In theory, this will decrease congestion and confusion at turnstiles, allowing for more efficient train and bus boarding. However, only 1 in 6 fares are paid using OMNY, the MTA announced recently. That is well below the number of New Yorkers who own a smartphone (80% according to a 2015 study from the NYC Department of consumer affairs). Our latest blog post explores some of the factors that may stand in the way of wider adoption, and some things you may want to consider as you prepare to say goodbye to your MetroCard. Read the full story {here}.

We’re hiring! We’re looking to fill positions at the analyst, manager, and senior manager levels. Click here to head to our careers page to learn more. And please spread the word!
One More Thing:

Check out Michael Kimmelman’s latest for the New York Times, a look into NYCHA’s PACT program: “A Rebirth in the Bronx: Is This How to Save Public Housing?

Public Works Partners, in partnership with LISC NYC, Public Policy Lab, and the Pratt Institute, is the lead program administrator for the PACT Resident Planning Fund, an innovative program that will directly connect NYCHA residents at developments participating in PACT to quality organizations and service providers.

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Public-serving organizations across the country are navigating a moment of profound uncertainty. As social, economic, and political pressures converge, it’s clear that many organizations are now operating in crisis mode. From policy rollbacks and funding cuts to rising community needs and burnout among frontline staff, these organizations are being pushed to their limits.

In her white paper, Crisis-Proofing: A Renewal Blueprint for Mission-Driven Business & Nonprofits, Public Works Partners Founder and CEO draws from her years of on-the-ground experience to explore what makes a crisis. She shines a light on key warning signs that you may already be in a crisis and outlines actionable recommendations for leaders in the field.

This guide is a must-read for leaders of organizations feeling existential pressures. View or download the white paper below!

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