Meet the Coaching and Mentoring Leadership Academy Participants
In January 2023, NYCHA launched its first-ever Coaching and Mentoring Leadership Academy (CMLA). Participants in the 16-week program received training and coaching in areas such as strategic communications and crisis management, and they had the opportunity to enhance their leadership and management skills through mentorship.
Read on to learn more about a few of the mentors and mentees participating in the Leadership Academy.
Property Manager Yukia Napoleon and Training Manager Zatarsha Barrett
Yukia Napoleon joined NYCHA in 2019 as a Housing Assistant. Prior to joining the Authority, she worked as a Case Manager at various shelters and in the reentry program at the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. She was promoted to the position of Assistant Property Manager at Beach 41st Street Houses in Queens in 2022, and is currently Property Manager at Pink Houses.
Ms. Napoleon joined the CMLA because she wanted to better understand her new position and how to perform at the highest level.
“It was an immense pleasure to be part of the program,” said Ms. Napoleon. “It allowed me to connect with others and understand that we are all doing our very best to ensure our residents get the services that they need. My mentor is the very best. She supported me in many ways, including outside of work. I know that everything she did was genuine, and it was appreciated.”
Zatarsha Barrett has been with NYCHA for 29 years. Throughout her nearly three decades at the Authority, she has held various positions, including as a Bookkeeper/Teller, Housing Assistant, Assistant Manager, Property Manager, Customer Information Representative, Work Experience Program Coordinator, and Administrative Manager. She is currently a Training Manager in the Learning and Development Department.
Ms. Barrett joined the CMLA to give back by sharing her knowledge and experience and to support her colleagues on their journey to greatness.
“I am proud to have been a part of the vision, and I am optimistic that this is a steppingstone in the right direction to pour into our staff, so that we can pour into our residents and build better relationships with both our internal and external customers,” said Ms. Barrett. “But it all begins with ‘WE.’ As a 29-year dedicated employee and current member of the Learning and Development team, I must say this was a refreshing approach to an important area of professional development for our colleagues. All too often we get caught up in the transactional part of our jobs and forget the relationship aspect of the work we do here. This 16-week program set the foundation and paved the way for a new appreciation of our greatest assets at work…the PEOPLE! My mentee, Yukia Napoleon, is the prime example of what can happen when you support the people that support the business. During this program, she elevated and was promoted to Property Manager. It was an absolute pleasure to work with her in both her professional and personal growth. She continued in the program even when she faced a challenging obstacle and could have opted out. Congratulations to you, Yukia, and thank you to all that have participated, and I look forward to great work experiences in the future.”
