Meet the Coaching and Mentoring Leadership Academy Participants 

In January 2023, NYCHA launched its first ever Coaching and Mentoring Leadership Academy. The 16-week program is providing participants with an opportunity to enhance their leadership and management skills through training and mentorship.  

Academy participants are receiving training and coaching in areas such as strategic communications, public speaking, crisis management, effective writing, customer service, and diversity and inclusion. They are also engaging in activities that enhance their professional development and management skills.  

Over the next few weeks, we will profile some of the mentors and mentees participating in the Leadership Academy. 

Meet Property Maintenance Supervisor Russell Hartfield & Chief Procurement Officer Sergio Paneque 

Russell Hartfield, a mentee in the Leadership Academy, is a Property Maintenance Supervisor at Isaacs Houses. He joined NYCHA as a Seasonal Aide in 1991 and has risen through the ranks to one of the top positions in his department. 

Mr. Hartfield decided to join the Leadership Academy to “develop and advance [his] supervisory skills while obtaining more knowledge and experience as well as communicating and networking with other NYCHA professionals.”  

Sergio Paneque, NYCHA’s Chief Procurement Officer, is Mr. Hartfield’s mentor. He joined the Authority in 2020. Before joining NYCHA, Mr. Paneque was an attorney in private practice, providing counsel to private and public-sector companies. He is not new to the role of Chief Procurement Officer, having served in that position for the State of New York, City of New York, and the State of Michigan.  

“The Coaching and Mentoring Leadership Academy provided an opportunity to share my government and private-sector experiences with colleagues who also want to grow individually and see NYCHA improve the way we serve our residents,” Mr. Paneque said about his reason for joining the program.