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By STACY DRIKS sdriks@liherald.com
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NUMC files lawsuit against its ex-leader
Lawmakers revive construction protection bill State lawmakers announced plans two weeks ago to reintroduce a bipartisan bill written earlier this year aimed at preventing payroll and contracting fraud in public school construction. The move was sparked by a complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York accusing a Bronx-based contractor who was working in the Uniondale school district of cheating construction workers out of millions of dollars. Officials said the legislation would require no new funding and would strengthen oversight between school districts and local building trades to help ensure that construction projects are given to responsible New York-based contractors who employ local workers. “When we talk about making sure we build opportunity for our fellow Long Islanders, why not do it through good-paying union jobs?” Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages said. “We know when a union does the work, they do it efficiently; they do it right the first time. They don’t require these construction companies that are thinking about profit first, then the people of Long Island. We’ve got to be smart when we talk about this bill.” Solages, the lead spon-
THE LEADER IN PROP ERTY TAX REDUCT ION
The board announced Ryan’s firing in June, stating the termination was with “cause,” The ongoing saga between according to a letter issued by Nassau University Medical Dr. Richard Becker, the new Center and its former president interim chief executive of the hospital. The letand chief executive continued last ter showed that week, after hospiRyan authorized tal officials filed a payments of $3.5 lawsuit against million to herself Megan Ryan, citand others ing misconduct, around May 30, self-enrichment after the state legand a deliberate islature began its sabotage of hospirevamp of the tal affairs. board. It further Over the last stated that $1 milfew months, operalion was more tions at NUMC and than amounts its public benefit that were due to group, the Nassau Ryan and other Health Care Coremployees. The poration, were payments, accordtaken over by New ing to the board, York state in accorallegedly served dance with provivalid purpose. GOV. KAThY hOChuL no At sions that passed an Aug. 13 in the state budget Spokesperson board meeting, in May. The board according to unofwas restructured to include 11 ficial minutes on NUMC’s webmembers. Gov. Kathy Hochul site, the board ratified the act named most of the new board by Becker “in his capacity as members, based on powers interim president and CEO to given to her in the most recent discontinue the administrative budget bill, and also designated leave” of Ryan and to terminate the chairman, Stuart Rabinow- her employment for cause, itz, former president at Hofstra effective June 18. University. Ryan and her legal represen-
By JORDAN VALLONE
jvallone@liherald.com
Photo courtesy Obama Foundation
Former President Barack Obama greeted the My Brother’s Keeper ambassadors in Washington in June.
Okoye is an ambassador for My Brother’s Keeper By ALEXIA CROLL Intern
When Ikenna Okoye walked into a room full of young leaders from across the country, he didn’t just find a cohort — he found a brotherhood. Selected as one of 18 national ambassadors in the Obama Foundation’s newly launched My Brother’s Keeper Alliance program, Okoye, a native of Uniondale, has quickly emerged as a young leader committed to community service. Just a year after graduating from Uniondale High School Okoye is part of a nationwide initiative aimed at improving the lives of boys and young men of color through mentorship, service and leadership development. The highlight of his ambassadorship came in Washington,
D.C., on June 24, when he and his fellow MBK leaders met former President Barack Obama at the first national ambassador convening. “You always hear his voice on TV or in the videos, and now that he’s in the room, it feels surreal,” Okoye said. “Before taking pictures, he made sure to shake hands with all of us and greet us and ask us where we represent and where we’re from. “It was awesome that the first thing he did was greet everybody directly,” Okoye added. “It gave it more of a personal level to it.” At the meeting, Okoye found himself in a room buzzing with anticipation — every ambassador was eager for a chance to ask Obama a question. During the hour-long Q&A, they had COntinued On Page 20
T
he recent revelations further validate Gov. Hochul’s decisive action to restructure the board and restore accountability to this critical safety-net institution.
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