New York City may be going through its share of challenges because of the coronavirus pandemic, but plans to uplift the City are already underway, thanks to the work of passionate New Yorkers like alumna Melva M. Miller ’96. As the newly appointed CEO of Association for a Better New York (ABNY), she’s working with government officials, community organizations, and industry partners to spearhead efforts to get the City and New Yorkers back on track. “Historically, ABNY has been known as a convener—the organization that can bring diverse stakeholders to the table to educate, advocate, and talk about issues impacting all New Yorkers. Now we’re going to take those three things and transition that into implementable work in communities, so we can help solve the current issues affecting our communities as a result of Covid-19, and help the City move forward,” says Miller.

With deep roots in community organizing, Miller knows the key to creating real, effective change starts in local communities. And, she also knows that challenging times present an opportunity to not only develop a better city but a better future for all. “At ABNY, we’re working with partners and community-based organizations on the ground to support their work, whether it is increasing awareness and participation in the Census or creating an education campaign around Covid-19. Supporting the City, our partners, and community organizations in solving these issues, is something we at ABNY believe in strongly. We want to build a better New York for everyone.”

Making Her Way to Public Service
Growing up, Miller never thought of going into public service. “I was actually going to be a dancer. After graduating high school, I was in a couple of dance companies and was even a principal dancer,” says Miller, adding that she quickly realized it wasn’t going to work. “I got my first paycheck and said, ‘I have to go back to school. I have to go to college.’” So, she turned to one of her favorite cousins, someone she long admired and mirrored, for advice. “He worked in law enforcement and I did everything he did. I got the same car as him and even went to John Jay because he went there.” At first, she considered becoming a lawyer, but the faculty and her classes at the College opened her eyes to the joys of community work. “While at John Jay, I got really interested in the social sciences. It led to me exploring the different ways that I could contribute to my community, which I loved.” After graduating from John Jay, Miller went on to earn her master’s degree in Social Work, with a focus on Community Organization, Planning, and Development from CUNY Hunter College, and now, she is a Ph.D. candidate at the CUNY Graduate Center. “My research topic is stakeholder participation in community economic development. I’m interested in the way community residents and business owners participate in the revitalization of their own communities and what that looks like, specifically when it comes to government-sponsored projects.”

Championing Community Work
In the years that followed John Jay, Miller continued to deepen her community involvement, participating in committees and working with a local development corporation and public offices such as the Office of the Queens Borough President, where she worked for nearly 12 years, serving as the Director of Economic Development and as Deputy Borough President. When she looks back at those years, Miller feels a sense of pride in the work she was able to help bring to fruition. One of the projects she’s most proud of, is her work on the Jamaica Now Action Plan—which helped revitalize the downtown Jamaica, Queens area, by increasing the number of quality jobs, promoting commercial and economic growth, supporting small businesses, and improving the quality of life for residents. “The Jamaica Now Action Plan was really a community-based and community-driven project from start to finish. We had 300 community stakeholders, activists, and members in conversation to talk about jobs and the priorities and needs of the community. We implemented projects and created a community oversight committee to hold the City accountable and make sure the goals and the plans aligned with the community’s needs.”

Getting New Yorkers Counted
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Miller was instrumental in educating New Yorkers on the importance of being counted in the 2020 Census through her work with ABNY, using her organizing, grassroots, and stakeholder engagement skills to come up with a citywide plan for the Census. “I am passionate about the Census because it fuels our economy in so many different ways and is the backbone to a lot of underserved communities that need the financial support most,” explains Miller, who came to the College in February to lead a Census 101 conversation. “When you look at the programs that are supported by the Census, it’s things like Section 8 vouchers, income for housing, free food programs, free breakfast and lunch programs for schools. It’s one of the biggest public investments that we get annually, and people don’t usually make that connection. The Census supports and funds workforce development programs, transportation and infrastructure, our hospitals, our supply chains and our healthcare centers.” Covid-19 may have put an end to many of the face-to-face outreach efforts ABNY and its partners planned, but despite the incredible challenges, Miller is thrilled with all they were able to achieve. “Our outreach was increased tenfold. The ideas and innovations that came out of this Census effort were incredible. You look at what we were up against and it is absolutely a success. At the end of the day, ending up with almost the same exact self-response rate as we did in 2010 is phenomenal because the odds were against us. I’m proud of everyone involved in this outreach effort.”

Uplifting New York
Miller’s success with the Census, and her history of creating change in communities, led to her earning the CEO spot at ABNY in August 2020. In the appointment announcement, ABNY Chairman, Steven Rubenstein spoke of Miller’s ability to lead and inspire all those around her. “With Melva at the helm, ABNY will continue our legacy, build on our mission through stakeholder engagement, coalition building, and concrete action, and expand our network to reflect New York City’s diverse communities,” said Rubenstein. “Her leadership will help make New York a better place to live, work, and visit. I am thrilled you will all have the opportunity to get to know her even better than you already do and experience her passion, energy, and brilliance firsthand.”

At the height of the Covid-19 health crisis, ABNY created a digital media campaign in hopes of getting New Yorkers to mask up and flatten the curve. On the health-side, ABNY is also engaged, working with its partners to create awareness around testing and access to testing sites. But there’s another piece to the puzzle Miller and ABNY will play an integral part in, and that’s the City’s comeback. “The effects of Covid-19 are already visible—the economic impact, the impact on housing, on food insecurity, on businesses, on jobs. How can we start to address this impact? How can we make sure that people are safe, that people have food, and also that the economy bounces back in a way that positively affects the people of this City, the workers, the real estate industry and small businesses. That’s what we’re working on solving.”

Embracing Diversity
Looking back at her 25 plus years in community work, Miller is proud of what she’s accomplished, but she also knows there’s still work to do. “At ABNY, we really feel that this moment—amid Covid-19, the civil unrest across the country, and the contentious time in the City around the idea of growth and development—is the time to look at how we can continue to make New York City a great place to live, work and visit in a more inclusive way. It’s an opportunity to not only advocate inclusive growth, but to also show improvement and do it within the membership and within the programming that we do. We are really focused on making our organization representative of the diverse communities across all sectors. We want different voices to inform the work that we do.”

Thinking of current John Jay students, Miller hopes that they fully embrace what makes them unique: their John Jay education. “When you walk into a room and it’s mostly white men or mostly people with Ivy League degrees, there’s a sense of insecurity you may feel. But what has always helped me in those moments is remembering who I am and where I come from. I am a product of CUNY and I wouldn’t trade my CUNY education for anything in the world. It has equipped me with a set of skills that you can’t get anywhere else. So, when you walk into those spaces, wear your CUNY badge with pride and know that you are walking in there with skills they don’t have,” says Miller. “My career path, where I am in my life right now, being the CEO of the Association for a Better New York, is all because of my John Jay education. The College was where this road started for me and I’m so grateful for its impact on my life.”