OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Champions of Change Award Ceremony - New Rochelle - March 6, 2026

Meeting Portal — Friday, March 6, 2026
BodyNew Rochelle, New York
SessionMeeting Portal
DateFriday, March 6, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 46:18

Transcript — Verbatim
0:26

Welcome to the Champions of Change events.

0:30

We would like to take this time to introduce Miss Diana, Mr.

0:37

Johnny, and last but not least, Miss Sonia.

0:44

Woo.

1:09

We hope that you enjoy the rest of this ceremony.

1:25

Good evening, everyone, and thank you to Trifecta Steppers for that wonderful opening for our show tonight.

1:32

Um, my name is Diana Fosella, and I am the assistant director of the New Rochelle Youth Bureau and one of the youth council advisors.

1:42

My name is Sonia Spady.

1:43

I'm the NAACP Nerja High School Advisor.

1:47

On behalf of our team, our youth councils, and our partners, thank you for joining us this evening as we celebrate our champions of change, individuals who continue to uplift, inspire, and strengthen our community.

2:09

We are especially honored to have members of our city, state, and federal leadership with us tonight.

2:16

Your continued support of our young people and the work of the youth bureau truly makes a difference, and we are deeply grateful.

2:25

It is my honor to invite Councilmember David Peters and Deputy Mayor to bring greetings.

2:30

Please join me in welcoming him.

2:38

So hello everybody.

2:40

How's everybody doing?

2:41

Hello.

2:42

Welcome to City Hall.

2:44

Welcome to our conference area, and welcome to this wonderful event that's being staged today for all of you.

2:51

We're really, really happy.

2:52

I just want to extend our greetings on behalf of City Council on behalf of the city of New Rochelle.

2:58

Um, you know, this is a really important day, right?

3:00

This is a day where we're talking about champions.

3:02

This is a day that we're talking about change.

3:05

We're closing in on the last few days of Black History Month here, and that this act activity and this event is is a tremendous honor for all of you to be here.

3:15

Uh, I just want to read one one thing.

3:17

I just want to read very quickly to you as you consider and think about what today means and what your life means for many of you as champions and young people during this particular time in this environment that we live in.

3:35

A lie told once is questioned.

3:39

A lie represented often enough becomes accepted.

3:43

And once it becomes common sense, people stop investigating it.

3:48

That is how deception survives.

3:52

So keep that in mind.

4:03

Live in the truth.

4:04

We welcome you.

4:05

Thank you.

4:12

Thank you, Councilmember.

4:13

At this time, we would like to invite Deputy Manager City Manager Todd Costaldo to come forward and bring greetings on behalf of the city.

4:20

Please help me welcome him.

4:26

Good evening, everyone.

4:28

Good evening.

4:29

On behalf of our city manager, Will Melendez, I am honored to welcome you to City Hall for this champions of change award ceremony as we celebrate as we celebrate Black History Month.

4:40

Black History Month is a time to reflect, to honor, and to recognize the generations of black leaders, innovators, advocates, and everyday heroes, heroes whose contributions have shaped our community and our nation.

4:54

Tonight we gather not only to remember history, but to celebrate those who are actively making history right here in our own city.

5:07

I see our city clerk Kim Jones, our police commissioner Neil Reynolds, our Human Resources Commissioner, Michelle Oliveros, and our Parks Commissioner Vin Parisi.

5:17

I also must want to extend a special thank you to Kelly Johnson and his Youth Bureau staff, the Youth Bureau Youth Council, and the NAACP NRHS Youth Chapter for organizing this meaningful celebration.

5:31

Your leadership, energy, and vision are powerful reminders that the next generation is already leading with purpose and courage.

5:39

And of course, tonight is about our honorees.

5:42

To our champions of change award recipients, congratulations.

5:46

Your leadership and service have made a meaningful difference in our community.

5:50

We are grateful for your impact and proud to celebrate you tonight.

5:54

Thank you for being here.

5:56

Thank you for your service.

5:57

And congratulations again to our champions of change.

6:00

Have a good evening, everybody.

6:06

Thank you.

6:08

We are grateful to have representatives from Senator Shelley Mayor's office.

6:13

Christine Fizeme and Luis Ochoa.

6:16

If you could please join me in welcoming them.

6:32

And we also have Miss Jean Anderson as well.

6:38

Thank you for attending.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Youth Programs█████████████████████████████████████████████70%
Community Engagement██████████15%
Education███5%
Procedural███4%
Arts And Culture██3%
Public Health██3%
Summary of Proceedings

Champions of Change Award Ceremony - March 6, 2026

The City of New Rochelle hosted its annual Champions of Change Award Ceremony on March 6, 2026, at City Hall. The event, organized by the New Rochelle Youth Bureau, the Youth Council, and the NAACP New Rochelle High School Youth Chapter, honored three adult and three youth leaders for their community impact. The evening featured performances, poetry, and remarks from city officials and youth leaders.

Opening Remarks

  • Councilmember David Peters (Deputy Mayor) welcomed attendees, emphasizing the importance of truth and living authentically, referencing Black History Month.
  • Deputy City Manager Todd Costaldo greeted attendees on behalf of City Manager Will Melendez, thanking organizers and recognizing city officials present, including City Clerk Kim Jones, Police Commissioner Neil Reynolds, Human Resources Commissioner Michelle Oliveros, and Parks Commissioner Vin Parisi. He praised the Youth Bureau staff, Youth Council, and NAACP Youth Chapter for their leadership.
  • Representatives from Senator Shelley Mayer's office (Christine Fizeme and Luis Ochoa) and Jean Anderson were acknowledged.
  • Youth Council President Valeria Carmen and NAACP Youth Council President Harmony Hopwood served as mistresses of ceremony.

Performances & Poetry

  • The New Rochelle Black Youth Chorus performed a piece on unity and strength.
  • Youth Council member Misha Lamb recited an original poem titled Who Taught You That, challenging internalized hatred of Black features.
  • Jaden Cooper sang the hymn Tis So Sweet.
  • Harmony Hopwood delivered an original poem, A History of Firsts, celebrating Black resilience and pride.
  • The event closed with a step performance by Leaked Steppers (also referred to as Trifecta Steppers), who highlighted their mission to empower youth through stepping.

Adult Champion of Change Awards

  • Howard Golding – Presented by Youth Council member Malia Paris. Golding, a lifelong New Rochelle resident and educator, taught physical education and coached basketball at New Rochelle High School. He expressed gratitude for the recognition from "young Black kids of New Rochelle."
  • Stephanie Bartie Allen – Presented by Youth Council member Betsy Matthews. Allen, a community liaison and NAACP executive board member, works on food security, housing, and youth programming. She thanked Mr. Johnson (Kelly Johnson) for his support and stated her motto: "I need to do good by consistency."
  • Valerie Cadet Simpkins – Presented by Hollis Bugar. Simpkins, a first-generation Haitian American and assistant principal at New Rochelle High School, leads the Sisters Keeper program and advocates for educational equity. She noted she chose New Rochelle 22 years ago and appreciated being honored by the youth.

Youth Champion of Change Awards

  • Brianna Sinckfield-Tyler – Presented by Amario Reed. A high school senior and national gold medalist in the NAACP ACT-SO competition, she founded "Hope Runs Red," raising $5,000 for blood disorder foundations. She plans to pursue an MD/PhD in hematology/oncology.
  • Kira Mulrain – Presented by Isaac Evans. Kira served as a student researcher for the 2025 Air of Truth exhibit, analyzing air quality and redlining links. She became a youth member of the City’s Ecology and Natural Resources Advisory Committee.
  • Storm Pride – Presented by Youth Council member Eliza Jennings. Storm developed a toxin-free hair growth oil and maintains a 4.0 GPA while balancing internships, mentorship, and fitness. He advised: "You should be comfortable with being uncomfortable."

Closing Remarks

  • Kelly Johnson, Executive Director of the New Rochelle Youth Bureau, praised the youth for "taking over" the event in a positive way. He encouraged support for the upcoming Black History Month celebration on Saturday, March 7, at the Linda Kelly Theater.
  • Aisha Cook, President of the NAACP New Rochelle chapter, emphasized trusting youth with space to lead and thanked attendees for supporting the honorees.

Key Outcomes

  • Six Champions of Change awards were conferred: three adults (Howard Golding, Stephanie Bartie Allen, Valerie Cadet Simpkins) and three youth (Brianna Sinckfield-Tyler, Kira Mulrain, Storm Pride).
  • Organizers announced a photo opportunity for all honorees and Youth Council members.
  • Refreshments were served following the ceremony.
  • The Leaked Steppers (Trifecta Steppers) performed, highlighting their nonprofit status and regional step championships.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome to the Champions of Change events. We would like to take this time to introduce Miss Diana, Mr. Johnny, and last but not least, Miss Sonia. Woo. We hope that you enjoy the rest of this ceremony. Good evening, everyone, and thank you to Trifecta Steppers for that wonderful opening for our show tonight. Um, my name is Diana Fosella, and I am the assistant director of the New Rochelle Youth Bureau and one of the youth council advisors. My name is Sonia Spady. I'm the NAACP Nerja High School Advisor. On behalf of our team, our youth councils, and our partners, thank you for joining us this evening as we celebrate our champions of change, individuals who continue to uplift, inspire, and strengthen our community. We are especially honored to have members of our city, state, and federal leadership with us tonight. Your continued support of our young people and the work of the youth bureau truly makes a difference, and we are deeply grateful. It is my honor to invite Councilmember David Peters and Deputy Mayor to bring greetings. Please join me in welcoming him. So hello everybody. How's everybody doing? Hello. Welcome to City Hall. Welcome to our conference area, and welcome to this wonderful event that's being staged today for all of you. We're really, really happy. I just want to extend our greetings on behalf of City Council on behalf of the city of New Rochelle. Um, you know, this is a really important day, right? This is a day where we're talking about champions. This is a day that we're talking about change. We're closing in on the last few days of Black History Month here, and that this act activity and this event is is a tremendous honor for all of you to be here. Uh, I just want to read one one thing. I just want to read very quickly to you as you consider and think about what today means and what your life means for many of you as champions and young people during this particular time in this environment that we live in. A lie told once is questioned. A lie represented often enough becomes accepted. And once it becomes common sense, people stop investigating it. That is how deception survives. So keep that in mind. Live in the truth. We welcome you. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember. At this time, we would like to invite Deputy Manager City Manager Todd Costaldo to come forward and bring greetings on behalf of the city. Please help me welcome him. Good evening, everyone. Good evening. On behalf of our city manager, Will Melendez, I am honored to welcome you to City Hall for this champions of change award ceremony as we celebrate as we celebrate Black History Month. Black History Month is a time to reflect, to honor, and to recognize the generations of black leaders, innovators, advocates, and everyday heroes, heroes whose contributions have shaped our community and our nation. Tonight we gather not only to remember history, but to celebrate those who are actively making history right here in our own city. I see our city clerk Kim Jones, our police commissioner Neil Reynolds, our Human Resources Commissioner, Michelle Oliveros, and our Parks Commissioner Vin Parisi. I also must want to extend a special thank you to Kelly Johnson and his Youth Bureau staff, the Youth Bureau Youth Council, and the NAACP NRHS Youth Chapter for organizing this meaningful celebration. Your leadership, energy, and vision are powerful reminders that the next generation is already leading with purpose and courage. And of course, tonight is about our honorees. To our champions of change award recipients, congratulations. Your leadership and service have made a meaningful difference in our community. We are grateful for your impact and proud to celebrate you tonight.

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