On March 14th and March 19th, AHRC New York City’s CEOMarco Damiani held the first two of an ongoing series of staff meetings called “Mornings with Marco” at AHRC NYC Headquarters and at the Dorothy and Michael Styler Day Services, respectively.  “Engaging with the people who support individuals and families is a top priority of mine, and getting out there right now is especially critical because a lot of changes are happening in the field. These breakfast meetings are the beginning of an opportunity to have dialogues with local staff about key opportunities and challenges,” explained Marco. He has plans to continue these meetings in the other boroughs and to regularly meet with staff throughout his time at AHRC NYC.

Kerry-Ann Dacres, a Junior Revenue Analyst in the Finance Department who attended the Manhattan breakfast said, “I think it is great that he is holding these meetings because it keeps us informed about the challenges and opportunities facing AHRC. It also gave us the opportunity to ask questions and share concerns among each other.”

Marco discusses new AHRC NYC Initiates with staff at Dorothy and Michael Styler Day Services

Marco discusses new AHRC NYC Initiates with staff at Dorothy and Michael Styler Day Services


After a short introduction and presentation, Marco dedicated the rest of the time to questions and discussion. In addition to having the opportunity to share achievements and concerns, employees also appreciated that Marco was taking the time to get to know them. “I think that the fact that Marco is holding these meetings in each borough lifts the morale of the staff,” said Georgette StratisCommunity Support Supervisor at Styler Center.

Some staff presented questions about the challenges that they see in their departments or in the agency as a whole. “I like that he is keeping communication open and allowing us to provide feedback,” Kerry-Ann said.  Marco appreciated the feedback he received from staff, noting “Staff have been highly engaged.  They haven’t been shy to ask tough questions.  We have had discussions of what staff expectations of me are and about my expectations of staff, which promotes the basis for clear communication.

Employees across departments left the meetings interacting with each other and thinking about how they contribute to AHRC New York City’s direction and its bigger picture. Iris DeJesus-NievesAdministrative Operations Coordinator in the Education Department remarked, “I love and appreciate that our CEO values our input and wants to get to know us.”