Community Bridge Builders
Brian Barr
Senior Hope
Diana Mancini
UAlbany SCJ
Lillian Garland
ALERT Task Force
Micky Jimenez
Capital Dist. Latinos
Fred Blanchard
UAlbany
Brian Barr was born and raised in Albany, NY. He grew up in the Pine Hills. He is the son of a NY State Trooper.
He attended Vincentian Institute, Christian Brothers Academy, St. Michael's College, and Boston College.
He served for 30 years at La Salle School in Albany as Director of Clinical and Community Services. In this role he established a Day Treatment and Independent Living programs, as well as a Group Home, and After Care within the Albany area.
His contributions include him being:
• The President of the Neighborhood Resource Center, the organizing agency for 26 neighborhood associations in the City of Albany.
• The President of Pine Hills Youth Center, providing recreational activities for neighborhood youth.
• The Chair of the United Way Speakers Bureau training company representatives to speak on behalf of UW campaign in the Capital Region for agencies requiring fiscal support.
• A Board member of Next Step an organization in Albany established to provide residential treatment for 18 women in need of care for substance abuse disorder issues.
• The President of Family and Children’s Service Agency of Albany.
• He’s a ten (10) year volunteer for the Junior League of Albany, delivering food to the Interfaith Shelter for the Homeless and Hope House.
• The Chair & Founder of the Rotary Youth Recognition program. For thirty-seven (37) years, this program has given special recognition to youth from six (6) Child Caring agencies in Albany.
• The President Senior Hope Counseling treating patients who are 50 years of age and older that are seeking relief from substance abuse
• Board member of Families Together New York State and the United Way
We are also honored to have him as a Task Force member of ALERT
Diana Mancini grew up in Amsterdam, NY and has lived and worked in Albany since 2008.
She is the Assistant Dean in the School of Criminal Justice at the University at Albany. She joined ALERT in the summer of 2019 when she and a team of her students volunteered at the One City United / Albany Sports Challenge event.
Diana hosted the ALERT Community Leader and Law Enforcement Summit and assisted in the initial planning of our Award Ceremony.
Through the School of Criminal Justice, she has been involved in a number of community-engaging activities, including planning a public screening of Chasing the Dragon with a resource fair and panel discussion in collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Agency.
As a member of the Steering Committee for the Justice & Multiculturalism in the 21st Century Project, she was instrumental in managing major community events like Finding Justice: A Conversation about Cops, Communities, and the Search for Common Ground; and the Symposium on Incarcerating Girls and Women: Past and Present.
Diana coordinates the University’s Warm Winter Wishes Toy and Clothing Drive for residents in the Catholic Charities Family Apartment Program.
She is also a member of the ALERT Partnership Task Force
For these and many more reasons, ALERT is honored to recognize Diana Mancini as a 2021 Community Bridge Builder.
Lillian Garland is a 1983 graduate of Mercy High School. She attended Hudson Valley Community College with a Major in Criminal Justice. She currently attends Empire State College concentrating in Political Science.
While working for over a decade with the Brighter Choice Foundation, Lillian defied the odds, as during her tenure, she successfully helped open thirteen (13) Charter Schools in the Capital District, creating employment opportunities for many people of the minority community.
In 2000 she became a Trustee Board member for Green Tech Charter High School for Boys, and Albany Leadership High School for Girls. Serving as the Community Liaison she initiated a mass grassroot Charter School movement, giving parents more choices of a quality education for their children.
Lillian founded a Grandmas for Charter School movement which became a strong advocate for Charter Schools.
Served as Deputy Ward Leader from 2012-2016 in the 5th ward in Albany NY. Started the “MY Voice, My Vote” Campaign, registering hundreds of voters in the 5th ward. Working with elected Officials created awareness of the power in voting in the disadvantaged communities.
She has received awards from the Albany City School District, the Women’s Empire Federation, and is an Albany Common Council Black History Month award recipient.
Serving on the Task Force of ALERT Partnership, Lillian Evelyn Garland is a true 2021 Community Bridge Builder.
Migdalia “Micky” Jimenez has an extensive and impressive life story that cannot be fully captured in a brief bio.
She is a Brooklyn, NY native, born in Lorain, Ohio. One of six children born to Puerto Rican parents. In 1986 she relocated to Albany NY with her two children, Naomi and David Jimenez. She is proud to have both children serving in careers in law enforcement.
Micky has a bachelor’s degree in science with a major in nursing from Long Island University. She did post-graduate work at Babson school of Executive Education. She has been a Registered Professional Nurse since 1982.
Today she serves as the Regional Director of the Acacia Network / Camino Nuevo. This chemical dependency treatment Program and methadone treatment center—a program begun by Capital District LATINOS (CDL).
As the Executive Director of CDL, Micky works to address the health disparities social determinants of health in the community by providing a variety of Health Fairs focusing on cardiovascular and diabetes prevention among people of color.
Other programs CDL offers focus on food insecurities, substance abuse, mental health, and language access challenges among the Latino community.
During the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic, CDL assisted hundreds of families with clothing, food, and other necessities. As a member of the Mayor’s COVID-19 Task Force, Micky has continued to press for an equitable distribution of the various COVID vaccines among the Latinos and has been instrumental in undertaking several vaccine clinics at CDL headquarters in the Cultural Empowerment & Community Engagement Center.
For over thirty-four years, Micky has contributed to the Albany community through volunteerism. She has served on many organizational boards including Hispanic Outreach Services, Support Ministries, Capital District LATINOS and 100 Hispanic Women.
She has served as President of the New York State Association of Health Care Providers, is a member of the Capital District Substance Abuse Disorder Providers, the Vice-chairperson for Support Ministries, and Board Vice-chair for the Healthy Capital District Initiative.
Recognition and Community involvement
• William Olsten Leadership Award – Olsten Health Services
• Business leadership Award - Statewide Association of Minority Business
• Leadership Award - NYS Association of Health Care Providers
• Entre Nosotras - SOMOS el Futuro Community Achievement Award
• LATINO Magazine – Feature profile
• Harvard School of Public Health – Certificate of recognition for participating in the “The Nurse’s Health Study ll Twenty- year anniversary 1989-2009
• Recovery Community Service Award – 2nd chance opportunities and Albany friends of recovery
• Reversing the Stigma- OASAS sponsored NYS – documentary – 2018- featured in the film
• Citizen Action- Perry Leadership Award
• NY Capital Region Hispanic Chamber of Commerce – Outstanding Non-profit award
• ALERT- Albany Law enforcement Resolution Team
• Albany City Police Reform collaborative
• NYS COVID-19 Vaccine distribution and Implementation Task Force
Frederick Blanchard is an Educational Opportunity Program Senior Advisor/ Counselor at the University at Albany.
He earned his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Student Personnel Administration from SUNY College at Buffalo.
He is a native of Syracuse, NY and has lived in Albany for over 8 years. He has over 24 years of service in Higher Education which includes Athletics (Football), Residential life, Trio/ Upward Bound and EOP.
He also serves as a Coordinator for the EOP Summer Experiential Learning component for professions in law enforcement. This program introduces students to Local, State, and Federal, law enforcement agencies, for possible professional career opportunities.
Fred’s partnership with ALERT allows him assist EOP Students to connect with the Albany Community, while learning about law enforcement careers and opportunities.
In Addition, he is an ALERT Taskforce member and volunteer.
For these reasons and others, ALERT is honored to recognize Frederick Blanchard as a 2021 Community Bridge Builder.
Law Enforcement Bridge Builders
Elizabeth Coombe
1st Attorney
ND, NYS
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Nate Pendelton
Albany APD
Bobbie Murray-Jordan
NYS Police
Lawan Cancer
Albany Police Department
Amy Kowalski
Albany County Sheriff's Office
David Graham
Albany County
DA's Office
Elizabeth Coombe is the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York.
She began her career as a federal prosecutor in the District of Columbia in 1998.
She moved to Albany in 2003 so she and her husband could raise their children close to her extended family who lives on a farm in the Catskills where she is from. She also wanted to make a positive difference in her home state.
Since 2018, she has represented the U.S. Attorney’s Office at ALERT’s One City United and Albany Sports Challenge events, their Community Leader and Law Enforcement Summits, and is an active participant in their community planning and strategic meetings.
Elizabeth also participates in her office’s LEADership Project teaching fifth grade students about making good decisions. In addition, she loves to talk to young people about careers in law enforcement.
Outside of her profession, she is an active member of Westminster Presbyterian Church.
For these reasons and more, ALERT is honored to recognize Elizabeth Coombe as a 2021 Law Enforcement Bridge Builder.
Nathaniel E. Pendelton, was born and raised in Albany, New York. He grew up on Clinton Avenue and attended Arbor Hill Elementary School, Livingston Middle School, and graduated from Albany High School in 1991.
He attended Hudson Valley Community College, where he studied Business Administration . He is the proud father of his 15-year-old daughter, Elise Victoria.
He began his employment with the Albany Police Department in 1998. In July of 2004, became an Albany Police Officer.
He has worked in patrol at North Station, South Station and Center Station. In 2013 he became an officer in Albany Police Departments Unit (To Reach and Connect) referred to as “TRaC.” This program is part of Albany Police Department’s Neighborhood Engagement Unit which was formed to serve Albany’s communities more efficiently.
As a member of TRaC, he has co-coordinated community events such as TRaC's family appreciation cookouts; annual Washington DC trips; and bookbag give-a-ways.
He has partnered in many of the Police Athletic Leagues events including their Bike Rodeo's, Christmas Toy give-a-way, and is a coach in their 14 and under basketball league.
Officer Pendelton’s crowning achievement with APD is in co-creating the “Children Achieving Reading Excellence, Through Community Officers Promoting Success” [or the CARE Through COPS] reading program. This program is offered primarily at Brighter Choice Charter School for Boys and Girls.
He states that he is “Proud to serve his city and honored to be recognized by the Alert Partnership in receiving this award."
For these reasons and others, ALERT is honored to recognize Officer Pendelton as one of our law enforcement Bridge Builders.
NY State Trooper Bobbie Murray-Jordan is always available to assist our youth and community inspiring our residents to become better citizens and working towards a unified and peaceful city.
On any given day, you will almost certainly find her speaking with our youth and engaging them, letting them see that you can be a female, a mother, an African American and a police officer, making a difference in the lives of hundreds of people.
For these and many more reasons, ALERT is honored to recognize Bobbie Murray-Jordan as a 2021 Law Enforcement Bridge Builder.
Lawan Cancer was born and raised in the City of Albany.
He has been a Police Officer for the Albany Police Department for 13 years. He has been visibly working with the youth in Albany for over twenty (20) years and continues building strong community relationships as part of his mission to make a significant change… one life at a time.
Officer Cancer states that “His mission is to reduce youth violence in Albany by identifying, reaching out to, and connecting with at-risk youth.” Without his intervention, our city would see a much greater increase in violence.
He provides basic services and offers alternatives to negative behaviors through the existing programs of the Albany Police Department.
He is also part of the Albany Police Departments Neighborhood Engagement Unit and member of their “TRaC” (To Reach and Connect) program.
As a member of TRaC, he has co-coordinated community events such as TRaC's family appreciation cookouts; annual Washington DC trips; and bookbag give-a-ways. TRaC has been around since 2010
For these reasons and more, ALERT is honored to recognize one of Albany’s unsung heroes as a recipient of our 2021 Community Bridge Builder award.
Amy Kowalski is a lifelong resident of Albany County and a graduate of the Sage College of Albany with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.
Prior to a career in law enforcement, she worked five years as a Domestic Violence Victim Advocate.
She joined the Albany County Sheriff’s Office in 2014 as a Deputy Sheriff. She was promoted to the rank of Investigator in 2016 where she currently works in the Criminal Investigations Unit while maintaining the role of Community Liaison for the Sheriff’s Office.
Amy states that she has had “the privilege of working with ALERT since its onset.”
She also works with: Catholic Charities on Heroin addiction education in the community; fundraising for the Special Olympics of New York; she is on the LEADership project through the U.S. District Attorney’s Office, which provides gang awareness to fifth grade students; and she has worked with many other community organizations.
For these and other reasons, we are proud to honor Investigator Amy Kowalski as one of our Law Enforcement Bridge Builders.
David Graham has been an Albany County resident his entire life. He currently serves in Arbor Hill as Community Justice and Outreach Manager for the Albany County District Attorney’s Office. He has overseen Community Justice, Outreach and Youth programs since 2016.
After changing his major three times at Hudson Valley Community College, David earned an Associates degree and continued his education getting his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology, from the SUNY Polytechnic Institute at Utica-Rome.
For over twenty years he has mentored countless youth at the Albany YMCA, Abrookin Career and Technical Center at Albany High School, Arbor Hill Community Center, and a variety of summer programs.
In 2017, with the DA’s Office, he implemented a national mentoring project at the Tony Clement Center for Education: Albany’s Alternative Learning Center. The project has since expanded and is available our youth as he works in collaboration with the Boys and Girls Club, Arbor Hill/Hoffman Rec Centers, Albany Police Department and the Department of General Services.
Through his work with Manhattan based, “Community Solutions,” David led Albany community engagement for the Governor’s 2014 anti-poverty initiative, Community Opportunity for Reinvestment (CORe).
David hosts educational workshops, runs a federal law enforcement sponsored sports training academy, a local law enforcement sponsored basketball league, and facilitates local Teen Night events with Albany Gang Prevention.
David has received various community leadership awards including:
• 2018 OVATION Award from the Tony Clement Center for Education
• 2017 WMHT American Graduate Award
• 2010 FBI Director's Community Leadership Award from Robert Muller
For these reasons and more, ALERT is honored to recognize David as a Law Enforcement Bridge Builder.
