Montefiore Einstein is committed to providing state of the art healthcare and conducting life-saving research aimed at improving the lives of our patients, associates, and the communities we serve. We are immensely proud to partner and support Lehman College in its mission to provide quality education and training, preparing the next generation of leaders. We are especially proud of the annual partnership on our Healthy Thanksgiving Initiative providing hundreds of Lehman College students with fresh produce for their Thanksgiving holiday while addressing the social determinants of food insecurity. Follow us @Montefiorehealthsystem on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to find out about the great work that we’re doing in the community.
The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation is a private, independent grantmaking foundation that began active operation in 1998. The Foundation aims to increase economic opportunity by strengthening college and career pathways for low-income New Yorkers. Its goal is to ensure that all New Yorkers have the resources and opportunities needed to reach their goals in school, work, and life.
with special recognition of
2023 Alumni Achievement Award RecipientLesmah J. Fraser ’75Founder and President/CEO, The Paige Fraser Foundation
Fraser is the Founder, President, and CEO of The Paige Fraser Foundation (TPFF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to inspiring young, emerging artists, with or without physical and mental health challenges, to reach their full potential. A seasoned healthcare professional and innovative educator, Fraser has more than 30 years of experience in executive leadership roles. She is currently a professor of Healthcare Management at New York University’s School of Professional Studies (SPS) in the Division of Applied Undergraduate Studies (DAUS) and a former Director of the Ambulatory Care Network at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia.
Fraser holds a Master of Professional Studies (MPS) from the New School for Social Research and is a Life Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (LFACHE) as well as a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM). She is the COO and Treasurer of The Leslin Healthcare Leadership Foundation (LESLIN), a nonprofit whose mission is to discover and activate the leadership potential that resides in us all, as well as a Board Member of the Bellevue Literary Review.
2023 Bold, Persistent, Unbreakable Award RecipientJames Malcolm Jenkins ’23Entrepreneur, Record/Film Producer, Tastemaker, and Educator
James “Jimmy Luv” Jenkins is a veteran entertainment executive with a stunning track record of success. As co-founder of Uptown Records, Jenkins is credited with the development of artists such as Guy, Heavy D & the Boyz, Teddy Riley, Al B. Sure!, Mary J. Blige, Christopher “Biggie” Wallace, and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Alongside entertainment titan, childhood friend, and Lehman College classmate Andre Harrell, Jenkins introduced many customs, colloquialisms, mannerisms, and social positioning that, while having evolved significantly, cemented the style, persona, and unique swagger of rap and hip hop.
Recent film credits include “Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur,” and “What’s Going On: The Marvin Gaye Story.”
2023 Honorary Doctor of Music Degree RecipientAndre O’Neal Harrell (posthumous)Founder, Uptown Enterprises & TV, Film and Music MogulAndre Harrell (1960-2020), born and raised in the Bronx, spent three years as a student at Lehman College, from the Fall of 1980 to the Spring of 1983. He was a precocious musical talent, and while still in high school he had early success as one half of the duo Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, formed with his high school friend Alonzo Brown. Their success continued while they were both students at Lehman College with the release of singles such as “Genius Rap” in 1981.
During his years at Lehman, Harrell was a student leader on campus. Together with his classmates James Jenkins and Kurt Woodley, he brought many famous musicians to play on campus, usually at Lovinger Theatre or the Center for the Performing Arts. He notably recruited James Brown, Miles Davis, Prince, Tito Puente, José Feliciano, and Chaka Khan. They also brought several hip-hop and rap artists to campus, including Mr. Magic, Fly Ty and the Juice Crew, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, and Eric B. & Rakim. During meetings with Jenkins and Woodley in the Leonard Lief Library and student life buildings, Harrell conceived the style and sound of what would later become his own music label, Uptown Records.
In 1983, Harrell left Lehman to work for radio stations WWRL and WINS. He then went to work under Russell Simmons, head of Def Jam Records, at Rush Management. From there he ascended to vice president at Def Jam. He eventually founded Uptown Records (named after the subway sign he often saw on the trips he took from downtown to uptown Manhattan). At Uptown he signed many new artists, including Guy, Al. B. Sure!, Heavy D & the Boyz, Father MC, Jodeci, and Mary J. Blige. He also hired Sean “Diddy” Combs as an intern. Harrell was offered a multimedia deal by MCA in 1992 and went on to executive produce New York Undercover, House Party (1990), Strictly Business (1991), Who's The Man (1993), and Honey (2003), which he also co-wrote. In 1995, Harrell was appointed CEO of Motown Records. He was also CEO of Harrell Records and a president of Combs’ Bad Boy Records.
In 1993, Harrell created Uptown Enterprises, a conglomerate that included all his music, film, and tv projects. In 1995, Harrell was appointed CEO of Motown Records. He was also CEO of Harrell Records, distributed through Atlantic Records, and a president of Combs’ Bad Boy Records. In 2001, Harrell partnered with Kenneth "Babyface" Brian Edmonds to create Nu America Records, distributed through Interscope Records, and launched the career of Robin Thicke. From 2013 he was also the vice chairman of Combs’s Revolt TV.