Alumni from all classes, their guests, and current Stuyvesant students are warmly invited to attend a panel discussion that celebrates notable black Stuyvesant alumni on Thursday, May 3 from 6:30-9:30PM at Stuyvesant High School in the Murray Kahn Theater. Younger children who aspire to gain admittance t0 Stuyvesant are also invited to attend with their parents.

The event will open with Principal Eric Contreras followed by a panel of seven notable alumni, whose graduation years span four decades. There will be a Q&A following the presentation, and an opportunity to meet the panelists and other attendees.

Ted (Burrell) Landsmark, PhD ‘63
Ted is a distinguished professor and Director of the Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban Policy at Northeastern University. He worked for a decade in Boston’s Mayor’s Office overseeing programs that reduced the city’s murder rate by 80%. During his seventeen-year tenure as President and CEO of the Boston Architectural College, Ted led the growth of the school from a center into an internationally recognized, multi-disciplinary institution. He has been an advocate for equal rights from Selma to recent urban income inequality work. He is a writer on early African American material culture and artisanry. He has served as a Trustee and Board member for many non-profit organizations, including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the New England Foundation for the Arts. Ted graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Political Science, Yale Law School, and Yale Architecture School with a Masters of Environmental Design. He also holds a Ph.D. in American and New England studies from Boston University.

Jamil Ellis ’95 (Moderator)
Jamil has 18 years of experience developing software and hardware solutions for tech-enabled businesses. Before joining BlocPower, where he serves as their Chief Technology Officer, Jamil lead technical teams at HBO, Major League Baseball Advance Media, and the NFL. He also performed with the comedy troupe, Experimental Troupe Comedy, started by six Stuyvesant grads in 1994 and continues to perform as a solo artist in NYC and produce podcasts. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from Columbia University.

Curtis Archer ’75 
Since 2006, Curtis has been president of the Harlem Community Development Corporation, successfully rejuvenating the agency’s role in promoting New York State’s planning and economic development in partnership with area stakeholders. Curtis served on Manhattan Community Board 9, was chair of its Economic Development committee, and was a Commissioner on Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s New York City Charter Revision Commission. He has also served as a panelist at numerous economic development forums and received multiple community service awards. Curtis received an academic scholarship to Mercy College, where he played varsity basketball, made the Dean’s list for scholar athletes, and double majored in Sociology and Criminal Justice. He attended Columbia University as a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science.

Lisa A. Bing ’77
Lisa is a strategy and leadership expert and author of a forthcoming book targeting senior leadership teams. As president of Bing Consulting Group, Inc., she works with executives to accelerate business strategy. Lisa has been an Adjunct Professor at New York University since 2000. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education from Boston University.

Linda Gadsby, JD ’84 
Linda is Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Scholastic Inc., the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, where she has worked for 20 years. She is responsible for handling all labor and employment, immigration, and employee benefits law matters, and serves as the divisional general counsel for the Company’s Education, Book Fairs, and National Service Organization. Linda values giving back to her community, especially in support of youth, education, and women. She serves on Cornell University’s Board of Trustees, and as a volunteer leader at NYU School of Law. She’s also Co-Founder of the Stuyvesant HS Black Alumni Diversity Initiative. Linda has been honored for her professional achievements and community service by several organizations, including the Consulate General of Barbados, Chambers USA, NYU School of Law, and the Girl Scouts of Greater New York. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial & Labor Relations from Cornell University, and her J.D. from NYU School of Law.

David Jacobs, MD, MBA ’87 
David is Vice President of Clinical Development and Affairs for Osmotica Pharmaceuticals. He has worked in the Pharmaceutical industry in varying positions since 2000. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and English at SUNY Stony Brook, and his M.D. from Rutgers Medical School in ’96, followed by a residency in Internal Medicine. David also earned an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Graduate School of Management.

Dennis Johnson ’70 
Dennis Johnson is Executive Vice President for Government Affairs at the Children’s Health Fund, a non-profit organization that initiates and supports innovative pediatric programs designed to meet the complex health care needs of medically underserved, homeless and economically-disadvantaged children. He directs Children’s Health Fund’s public policy, government affairs and advocacy agendas and coordinates its relationship with a broad spectrum of public officials, public and private sector entities, advocacy groups and health provider organizations. Dennis is also the Policy Director, National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, where he acts as a liaison between the Center and policymakers and elected officials at the state and federal levels. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his Master’s Degree in Political Management from the Graduate School of Political Management at Baruch College.

Nzingha Prescod ’10 
Nzingha is a two-time fencing Olympian and a Brooklyn native. She became the first African-American woman to win an individual medal at the Senior World Championships when she took bronze in 2015. She has ranked as high as #5 in the world and qualified for the London Olympic Games at just 19. In 2016, she returned to the pinnacle of fencing competition in Rio at 23 where she finished 11th. Through her career, she has been recognized by a number of publications including ESPN’s 2016 Body Issue. In 2015, she graduated from Columbia University with a degree in political science and concentration in race and ethnicity. She is currently working as a consultant at Ernst & Young, where they accommodate her training and travel schedule as an Olympic partner. In her spare time she teaches fencing to the youth of the Peter Westbrook Foundation.

Stephen Trent, MBA ’87 
Steve has spent most of his 20 years on Wall Street doing equity research. He currently serves as the Latin America aerospace & transportation equity analyst for Citigroup. Steve speaks six languages with varying degrees of fluency, including Spanish and Portuguese. He earned his BA from the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude, and holds an MBA degree from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.