And Leadership For All

Vilda Vera Mayuga joined the NY Department of State in July 2018 as Deputy Secretary for Economic Opportunity. In that capacity, she oversees the Office for New Americans, the Division of Consumer Protection, and the Division of Community Services.

From 2014 until June 2018, she served as Chair of the New York State Industrial Board of Appeals, which is an independent review and appeals board that provides an impartial review of rules, regulations and orders issued by the Commissioner of Labor. She was the first Latina to hold the position.

Prior, Vilda was Deputy Commissioner for Worker Protection at the New York State Department of Labor, overseeing the divisions of Labor Standards, Safety and Health and Immigrant Policies and Affairs. She had started at the Department of Labor in February 2011 as Executive Director of the Division of Immigrant Policies and Affairs, when she implemented the agency’s first U-visa certification protocol and expanded the agency’s role and presence in the fight against human trafficking. Under her direction, the Agriculture Labor Program was started to provide services to both agricultural employers and workers. Vilda also played a critical role in ensuring the agency’s compliance with language access requirements and worked heavily on the drafting of the statewide policy resulting in Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 26.

Vilda also served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York State Office of the Attorney General. There, she managed a diverse caseload of civil rights cases and handled every stage of litigation. Vilda tried and settled numerous immigration services fraud cases that resulted in multimillion-dollar judgments. As a result, she received the 2009 Special Award from NYS Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo for achievement in the Immigration Fraud Initiative.

Prior to her appointment as Assistant Attorney General, Vilda served as an Agency Attorney and investigated Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaints within the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). She also conducted on-site inspections of FDNY premises, such as firehouses and EMS stations, to ensure compliance with the FDNY EEO Policy. Vilda also worked at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, where she analyzed, processed and monitored requests for evidence from foreign countries.

Vilda graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor in Arts in International Relations from Boston University in Boston, MA. She completed her law degree at the University of Puerto Rico School of Law in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. Vilda is a member of the New York Bar, and she speaks English and Spanish.

Dr. Schrader was recently appointed President of Kingsborough Community College of the City University of New York, effective September 15, 2018. Prior to that, she served as the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Success at Bronx Community College (BCC) where she maintained executive oversight of 15 academic departments and a host of programs and affiliated offices. As BCC’s Provost, she worked closely with divisions across the college on matters critical to the effective delivery of the College’s mission, particularly in efforts to increase student completion. Prior to joining BCC, she served as the Associate Provost for Academic Development at William Paterson University of New Jersey. Dr. Schrader spent 12 years at Medgar Evers College of The City University of New York where she held faculty rank as an Associate Professor with tenure in the Education Department; served as the Deputy Department Chairperson and NCATE Coordinator Assistant Provost for Assessment, Research, Institutional and Student Success and Associate Provost of Academic Affairs. Dr. Schrader believes strongly in community service. She is an active peer evaluator with the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, a 25-year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and an avid supported and volunteer with Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village Program. Dr. Schrader earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Africana Studies. She received a Master of Arts in Special Education and a Master of Education in Instructional Practice in Special Education from Columbia University, Teachers College, where she also earned her Doctor of Education degree in International and Transcultural Studies.

Adeola Akinrinade has over 12 years of experience providing financial and strategic advisory services to companies and creditors. Adeola’s experience focuses on restructurings, turnaround management, bankruptcies, mergers and acquisitions, financings/refinancings and strategic advisory. She has worked with clients across a wide range of industries including consumer, retail, industrials, energy, power and utilities, and media.

Adeola is currently a Senior Manager in the Financial Advisory Services Group at EisnerAmper where she focuses on restructuring and bankruptcy engagements. Prior to that, Adeola was part of the Corporate Finance Team at Alvarez and Marsal (A&M) where she worked on both debtor and creditor engagements in in-court and out-of-court restructuring situations. In her role, Adeola explored strategic alternatives including mergers and acquisitions, financings/refinancings and restructuring of the existing capital structure. She performed various financial and valuation analyses, led various marketing processes for sale and financing situations, and provided strategic advisory services. Prior to joining A&M, Adeola spent three years in the Investment Banking Division at Lehman Brothers, where she focused on the power and utilities sector.

Adeola graduated from Baruch College with a BBA in Finance and Investments.  She is a Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor (CIRA).  She is a member of the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation, as well as the American Bankruptcy Institute and the Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors.

Adeola is passionate about mentoring relationships and philanthropy.  She likes to travel and enjoys trying new cuisines.

Victoria Smith grew up in Bronx, NY and is currently a junior at Macaulay Honors College Lehman College. She is pursuing a major in philosophy and a double minor in political science and music, and is an alumna of a Bronx high school, where she was an avid percussionist, the Secretary of Music, leader of a diversity club called “Diaspora,” and captain of the Cross Country team. During her freshman year, Smith was awarded the Jeannette K. Watson Fellowship, a prestigious three year program that provides funded summer internships and unprecedented opportunities to promising undergraduate students from 12 New York City partner colleges, such as Lehman. Smith had the opportunity to intern at Mount Sinai Beth Israel as a research assistant her first summer and as an Investigative Intern at the Bronx Defenders her second summer. She will know which where she is interning for her third summer in a matter of days. At Lehman, Smith has been a percussionist for the college’s various jazz ensembles, and is a College Assistant in our campus’ wonderful edTPA lab for the school of education. Smith is thoroughly enjoying her time at Lehman college, and she is looking forward to applying to other fellowships and continuing her route to higher education with Lehman and Macaulay’s support.