The Bronx Economic Development Corporation (BXEDC) announced the addition of five new members to its Board of Directors. This announcement comes at an exciting time for BXEDC, with Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson recently naming Rob Walsh, former Commissioner of New York City’s Department of Small Business Service, as President of BXEDC. Walsh has already rolled out several business boosting initiatives in the borough.
Joining the board are:
- Nallely De Jesús, Vice President, National Supermarkets Association;
- Phillip Grant, Chief Executive Officer, Hunts Point Market;
- Winston Peters, Program Director, Entrepreneur Center at Manhattan College and Principal, MyÜberLife Consulting Group;
- Yesenia Quinones, Vice President & Community Manager, JP Morgan Chase and Co.;
- Julio Reyes, Jr., Vice President/Regional Manager, Citizens Bank;
- Lourdes Zapata, President & Chief Executive Officer, South Bronx Economic Development Nonprofit Corporation.
“We are excited about the leadership we see in each of our newest board members,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson. “Nallely, Phillip, Winston, Yesenia, Julio, and Lourdes represent some of the best and brightest in our Borough. Each is committed to our vision of empowering, uplifting, and supporting our small business community here in the Bronx. I look forward to seeing these dynamic individuals in their new roles and working with them to ensure our business community receives the tools they need to succeed in this new economy.”
“I am thrilled to welcome these five accomplished business leaders to our board,” said Rob Walsh, President of the Bronx Economic Development Corporation. “Each one of these notable individuals brings a wealth of knowledge and their own unique perspectives and talents to our already impressive group of people. I look forward to working together to help Bronx businesses grow and thrive well into the future.”
“I am very excited to join the Bronx Economic Development Corporation’s Board of Directors,” said Nallely De Jesús, Vice President of the National Supermarkets Association. “I am pleased to serve on such a dynamic board and I look forward to working with the new leadership at BXEDC.”
“I am honored and humbled to be one of the newest board members of our esteemed Bronx Economic Development Corporation. I strongly believe that economic development is more than a matter of commerce and industry; it’s about fostering sustainable growth, nurturing local talent, and empowering our community to realize its fullest potential,” said Phillip Grant, Chief Executive Officer of Hunts Point Market. “I look forward to working in unison with our diverse community to create an environment where businesses thrive, and everyone shares in the prosperity. To the Board, I express my deepest gratitude for this opportunity. Together, we will ignite the spark of progress and set forth a vibrant, economically resilient future for all.”
“I am honored to be joining the Bronx Economic Development Corporation’s Board of Directors at such an exciting time as the borough grows into a global destination for both its residents and its visitors,” said Winston Peters, Program Director of the Entrepreneur Center at Manhattan College and Principal at MyÜberLife Consulting Group. “I look forward to working with Rob Walsh and his whole team to elevate the Bronx and its stakeholders.”
“I am super excited to join the Bronx Economic Development Corporation’s Board of Directors and eager to collaborate with this esteemed group to help shape a brighter future and economy for the Bronx,” said Yesenia Quinones, Vice President and Community Manager at JP Morgan Chase.
“I am very excited to be joining the Board of Directors of the Bronx Economic Development Corporation,” said Julio Reyes, Jr., Vice President / Regional Manager at Citizens Bank. “As someone from the Bronx myself, I am all for doing anything I can do to support our local businesses and help them thrive, as well as get them the resources they need to grow and prosper.”
“I am thrilled to join the Board of Directors of BXEDC at such an exciting time for the borough,” said Lourdes Zapata, President and CEO of SoBro. “It is an honor to be supporting Rob Walsh and his amazing team. The Bronx is the place to be and our commitment to our hometown will drive our efforts and always be at the heart of our work together.”
Over the past six months, BXEDC has advanced its mission by:
- Successfully being approved for the SBA Community Advantage Loan Program, which will allow the Business Initiative Corporation of New York (BICNY) to supply working capital loans from $5,000 to $350,000 to businesses throughout the borough.
- Initiating the $1 million Green Action Challenge for the borough’s 12 colleges and universities to boost environmental stewardship.
- Launching a Storefront Improvement Initiative under the State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), with the goal of transforming up to two commercial corridors by investing in the beautification of storefronts and reclaiming public space.
Rounding out BXEDC’s Executive Committee for the upcoming year are:
- Borough President Vanessa Gibson;
- Chairman of the Board Clarence Stanley, Jr., President & CEO of Stanley Associates;
- Vice Chairman of the Board Kathy Zemechansky, President of KZA Realty Group;
- Benjamin Arana, Business Representative of Local Union No. 3 IBEW.
