2011 Partners of the
Year
Liu Tee Shu and Peter Tu
President and Executive Director
Flushing Chinese
Business Association
Workforce
Development Partner
Sheena Gillespie, Ph.D.
Chair, Faculty Executive Committee QCC and Chair, English Department (Retired)
Academic
Partner
QUEENSBOROUGH’S 24TH ANNUAL PARTNERS GALA CELEBRATES THE “EDGE FOR SUCCESS” FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN,AND CONTINUES TO FOSTER STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Women in Leadership Positions are Lauded at Event
April 29, 2011 – (Flushing, New York) – Since its official launch last year at this time, Queensborough’s Edge for Success Fundraising Campaign has enabled scores of deserving students to continue their education, achieve their academic goals and pursue their dreams. Moreover, it has helped support the development of student-centered events, clubs and activities as well as field trips and programs such as Study Abroad. These major accomplishments were celebrated on Thursday, April 28, 2011 at the
24th Annual Partners for Progress Gala, held at Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadows Park, Queens. Over 400 guests convened for the event, including corporate, community and business leaders, alumni, faculty, staff, students, retirees, friends, and legislators.
The occasion was also notable for the fact that all three Honorees are women: The Workforce Development Partner is Liu Tee Shu, the first woman President of the Flushing Chinese Business Association and the founding President of Queensborough Community College's new Asian Community Advisory Board; the Business Partner is Nancy Goshow, Founder and President of Goshow Architects, the largest woman-owned architectural firm in New York City; and the Academic Partner is Dr. Sheena Gillespie, a long-time faculty member and former Chair of the Faculty Executive Committee. In addition, Queensborough has, for the first time in its 50 year history, a woman president, Dr. Diane B. Call.
The Edge for Success Fundraising Campaign is designed to further the mission of supporting the student learning experience and to take the College through the final phase of the 2015 Invest in CUNY Campaign goal of $25 million.
“By sharing tonight’s special occasion with us you all have made a lasting, positive difference in the lives of our students,” said Dr. Diane B. Call, Interim President of Queensborough Community College. “I applaud your generosity and know that you join me in paying tribute to our distinguished honorees, all of whom have a special connection to the Queensborough community and are committed to the future of its promising students.”
The Partners Gala is hosted by the Queensborough Community College Fund, Inc. All funds raised by the Gala support student scholarship and help Queensborough Community College maintain academic excellence and cultural enrichment, providing the opportunity for students to earn a quality education.
Nursing student
Donna Chandrapaul is originally from Guyana. At 44 years of age, she is a
mother of college students and is the first family member of her generation
to attend college. “This overwhelming experience would have been unimaginable
without the supportive and understanding faculty and staff at Queensborough,”
said Donna. “With their encouragement and guidance, I have grown into an
independent and confident woman.”
This year’s honorees, whose careers range from community partnership to entrepreneurship to teaching, represent distinct areas of excellence.
Community Partner of the Year, the Flushing Chinese Business Association (FCBA), is led by Liu Tee Shu, President and Peter Tu, Executive Director. Their mission, as leaders of the 29-year-old organization, is to enhance the commercial and economic growth of Flushing, Queens.
“We realize what a golden opportunity this
is to connect with members of the community and with Queensborough to form
lasting partnerships for the benefit of all,” said Liu Tee Shu, who has
established an endowed scholarship in her father’s name. The gift serves as a leadership grant for
the Asian community to join her in an effort to support Queensborough
Community College. She continued, “My father, Ling Chun Chu, who recently
celebrated his 100th birthday, is an ardent supporter of public
higher education. When I presented his
birthday present, he smiled and said, ‘I thank you for this very generous
gift, but please give it to Queensborough—a College that has opened its doors
to students who want and need a college education.’”
Business Partner of the Year, Nancy Goshow, AIA, LEED AP is Founder and Managing Partner of Goshow Architects, the largest woman-owned architectural firm in New York City. “It’s exciting to be part of the vibrancy of Queensborough— both as architect for the new, sustainable student cafeteria that will improve the day-to-day quality of life for its nearly 15,000 students and as an Honoree.”
Academic Partner of the Year, Dr. Sheena Gillespie is Former Chair of the English Department; former Chair of the Faculty Executive Committee (Retired) at Queensborough; and Planned Giving Liaison for the Queensborough Community College Fund, Inc. Dr. Gillespie, who is endowing a scholarship for full-time QCC students who have demonstrated interest and merit in writing literary papers or analyses commented, “I consider myself privileged to teach at a community college in CUNY and think of my students as partners in the learning process. I expect them to engage in informed discussions by reading assignments by the required dates and am constantly inspired by their insights and reflections. My goal is to foster a sense of community in which students create their own narratives.”
This year’s Gala was chaired by Charlotte Biblow, Esq., a Partner of the Law Firm, Farrell Fritz, P.C. Ms. Biblow, who also serves as Secretary of the QCC Fund Board, Inc., pointed out that “your generous support of Queensborough can be expressed in innumerous personal and meaningful ways, including naming opportunities at the College’s three cultural beacons— the Kupferberg Holocaust Center, the QCC Art Gallery and Queensborough’s Performing Arts Center—corporate and planned giving and private foundation grants, to name just a few.”
Others who played a major role in the event were the co-chairs of the Gala Journal, namely, Arlene Haims, Haims Insurance; Judy Lev, Morgan, Stanley, Smith, Barney; and Paula Scappatura, Scappatura Real Estate. Ocelia Claro, a long-time community resident, was the Gala Raffle Chair.
Help Us Reach $25M by 2015!
