Empowering Leadership at NYCHA: The Coaching and Mentoring Leadership Academy

On August 20, NYCHA hosted a kickoff event for the second cohort of its Coaching and Mentoring Leadership Academy (CMLA), a groundbreaking program designed to cultivate the next generation of leaders at NYCHA and help them build their professional skills and effectiveness. The kickoff, which took place at NYCHA’s 90 Church Street headquarters, was attended by program participants – both mentors and mentees – who gathered in person to begin their semester-long journey of learning and enrichment together.

The CMLA is a 16-week program that enhances participants’ leadership and management skills through trainings that include four full-day, in-person sessions (once monthly); regular one-on-one mentorship from seasoned leaders from across NYCHA; and self-guided online study through NYCHA University. The program aims to increase mentees’ success by enhancing their professional, leadership, and management skills and building their NYCHA networks. Training and coaching topics include strategic communications, public speaking, effective writing, customer service, crisis management, diversity and inclusion, and resume writing, among many others, with weekly assignments for completion by the students.

The CMLA is the brainchild of two Authority veterans: Yvette Andino, Vice President of Employee Engagement, and Cherry McCutchen, a former Director of Learning and Development. Ms. Andino and Ms. McCutchen built the program to focus not on any one skillset or specialty but instead to cultivate participants’ leadership and management skills more generally.

The August 20 CMLA Kickoff event brought together program participants from across NYCHA to begin a rich semester of learning in community.

“NYCHA does a great job of promoting within the ranks, within the organization,” Ms. Andino said. “But Cherry and I both felt that NYCHA needed to improve in its support for our rising leaders once they’ve been promoted, to help them become more skillful and effective and to move into their new leadership roles as successfully as possible.”

The program was developed to ensure that NYCHA’s rising leaders are empowered to be more effective no matter what position they are in – and while the program intended initially to serve front-line supervisors at NYCHA developments, this year NYCHA staff from central office locations were also encouraged to apply. This second cohort of the CMLA includes participants in a wide range of NYCHA positions, including supervisors, managers, and assistant managers at developments and across the Authority.

Another important aspect of the CMLA program is its focus on connecting mentors and mentees with one another, for the benefit of each and of the wider Authority.

“Our idea there was to help build connections within NYCHA to help break down the silos folks live and work in and help the mentees to develop their own networks,” said Ms. Andino. “For example, maybe I am a superintendent at one development, and you are too at another one. Maybe you’ve been in your position for two years, and I’ve been in mine for six. I may have a bit more experience, maybe I’ve seen a little more than you have – maybe I even used to work where you do now. If that’s the case, I may know the ins and outs of that development and could help advise you. Wouldn’t it be a good thing if staff were empowered to share that kind of expertise more – for everybody’s benefit?”

By facilitating such relationships, the CMLA program makes it easier for seasoned supervisors to share the knowledge they’ve gained over their careers with newer leaders. This helps those newer leaders to become more effective while also preserving the veterans’ expertise for the benefit of the whole Authority, ensuring continuity and quality management at NYCHA developments citywide.

Cohort II’s efforts continue through December, and participants are already speaking highly about the program.

“Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this great program,” said Tiphany Malloy, a Superintendent at Woodson Houses. “I am a mentor, but I will become a mentee from all the knowledge I will be collecting from everyone. The kickoff was a great experience!”

 

“Thank you for this opportunity,” said Robert Victorian, an Assistant Resident Buildings Superintendent at LaGuardia Houses. “I’m so excited to be a mentor, and I’m even more excited to be a mentee – because I plan to learn from everyone!”

“This is exciting,” said John Robinson, a Superintendent at East River Houses. “I can’t wait for us to network and create something great!”

At the conclusion of the program, participants will gather again, joined by program alums from Cohort I, for a “Passing of the Torch” ceremony at 90 Church Street to recognize participants’ completion of the program and to begin building a CMLA alumni association. 

If you want to learn more about the CMLA, please visit the Employee Engagement webpage on NYCHA Connect or reach out to Yvette Andino at yvette.andino@nycha.nyc.gov.