Mount Saint Mary College recently hosted “Building Stronger Communities: Intersections of Health, Law, and Housing” on campus.
The panel discussion, which explored the intersections of law, housing, and health, and what it means for the Newburgh and Hudson Valley communities, was co-sponsored by the Mount’s Pre-Law Society and the Desmond Center.
After a greeting by Tiffany N. Gagliano, dean of the Mount’s School of Business, and Michael L. Fox, assistant professor and Pre-Law Advisor at the college, the audience heard keynote talks by City of Newburgh Mayor and Mount alumnus Torrance Harvey, MSEd ’03, and Genesis Ramos, executive director of the Mount’s Desmond Center for Community Engagement and Wellness and Orange County Legislator for District 6.
Panelists included:
- Samuel Bergsohn, Esq., staff attorney, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley
- Inaudy Esposito, executive director, Orange County Human Rights Commission
- Colin Jarvis, executive director, Newburgh Ministry
- Rene Mejia Jr., community organizer, For the Many
- Cathy Rehfus-Wilsek, associate professor and graduate coordinator, Mount Saint Mary College’s School of Business
The panel was moderated by Ashley Collazo, program coordinator of the college’s Desmond Center; and Octavius D. Fryar, a future graduate from the college’s School of Business.