The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation hosted its Power of Partnership Breakfast on Jan. 15, bringing together community leaders, nonprofit partners and local stakeholders whose collaboration supports the Yard’s high-impact work across Brooklyn.
The event on Jan. 15 recognized three outstanding partners with awards while highlighting the Yard’s role in driving inclusive economic growth and deep community engagement.
The breakfast featured the presentation of three awards celebrating distinct forms of partnership:
The Community Anchor Award was presented to the Resident Associations of the Farragut, Ingersoll and Whitman Houses for their long-standing collaboration with the Yard.
The associations were recognized for connecting public housing residents to jobs, training and educational opportunities, as well as for co-hosting community initiatives such as the annual Back-to-School Bash and Toy Drive.
The award was accepted by association presidents Dorene Flowers, Darold Burgess and Julie Sharpton.
The Horizon Award was awarded to Emily Anadu, founder of The Lay Out, a platform focused on celebrating and expanding Black community, culture and business.
The honor recognized Anadu’s role in transforming the Yard’s Annual Holiday Market into a premier showcase for more than 50 hyperlocal minority- and women-owned businesses each year, along with her creative contributions to community-centered programming.
The Waymaker Award went to The Robin Hood Foundation for its strategic philanthropic leadership in expanding access to economic opportunity.
Since 2011, Robin Hood has invested nearly $2.5 million in the Yard’s inclusive economic development efforts, supporting the Albert C. Wiltshire Employment Center and Adult Upskill Training Programs.
These investments have helped connect hundreds of local jobseekers to family-sustaining careers in advanced manufacturing, officials said. The award was accepted by Chymeka Olfonse, managing director of Adult and Household Support at Robin Hood.
“The power of the Navy Yard comes to life through partnership,” said Lindsay Greene, president and chief executive officer of BNYDC. “It is through the dedication and dedicated advocacy and activism of organizations and leaders like those we honor today that we are held accountable for and also able, through their partnership, to deliver on our core commitment to deliver opportunity directly to our community, creating a tangible impact on thousands of lives."
