On April 27, Milano faculty joined with more than 500 community leaders in a summit organized by U.S. Congressman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan to discuss how to best access federal stimulus dollars.

The conference aimed at providing established nonprofit organizations with the necessary resources to apply for funding opportunities in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Participants chose from nine issue-specific workshops that provided local leaders with an opportunity to network with government representatives and discuss specific funding initiatives.

Mary Watson, chair of management programs at Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy, advised leaders from 25 organizations on grant applications for money allocated to labor and training. Professor Dennis Derryck served as the faculty consultant on green initiatives, advising a group of 40 organizations. Faculty from other New York area universities included representatives from Baruch, Columbia University, John Jay College, and New York University.

“We hope that today is the beginning of local relationships and partnerships that will last beyond this stimulus initiative and that can provide insight and assistance when other federal opportunities come down the pipeline,” said Congressman Rangel. “This should be just the beginning of extending your network and your base of resources.”