Testimony - February 2025
Harnessing the Arts to Boost Economic Vitality in Cities StatewideIn this testimony before the New York State Senate and Assembly for Arts Day, Editorial and Policy Director Eli Dvorkin details the transformative economic impact of the arts across New York State and urges policymakers to boost investment in the arts including increasing the representation of the arts and culture sector on REDCs.
Testimony - January 2025
Expanding Pathways into the Arts and Cultural Workforce for New YorkersIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations, Data Researcher Rachel Neches explains that New Yorkers of color are underrepresented in the city's creative sector and provides recommendations on how policymakers can create a more diverse creative workforce, such as replicating existing talent pipeline initiatives.
Testimony - June 2024
Preparing Asylum Seekers and Migrants for the WorkforceIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committees on Immigration and Small Business, CUF Senior Editor Dori Block details that more is needed to help build the capacity of the city’s immigrant-serving organizations and support more of the newest New Yorkers, including investing in adult literacy programs and easing restrictions on workforce training programs so they can work with more migrants.
Testimony - June 2024
How NYC Policymakers Can Boost Transfer Student Success at CUNYIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Higher Education, CUF Editorial & Policy Director Eli Dvorkin argues that most CUNY students who intend to transfer from a community to a four-year college and complete a bachelor’s won’t reach that finish line. He recommends new and baseline investments in CUNY's transfer student initiatives to boost college completion rates.
Testimony - April 2024
Harnessing CUNY’s Talent to Build a Green FutureIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Higher Education, CUF Senior Fellow for Climate and Opportunity John Surico calls for the city to build a greener CUNY, not just to help the city meet its crucial emissions reduction goals, but also to provide much-needed infrastructure improvements. CUNY's own sustainability-focused initiatives are the secret weapon to decarbonization of CUNY buildings.
Testimony - March 2024
Implementing Innovative Ways To Fund Parks and Open SpacesIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Parks and Recreation, CUF Senior Fellow for Climate and Opportunity John Surico makes the case for why, and how, city leaders can establish sustainable sources of recurring funding for parks.
Testimony - March 2024
The importance of investing in CUNYIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committees on Finance and Higher Education, CUF Senior Editor Dorian Block strongly encourages the Council to fully fund CUNY in the FY 2025 budget, outlining four key areas where these investments can have the greatest impact.
Testimony - February 2024
Supporting the Needs of Immigrant Older AdultsIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Aging and Committee on Immigration, CUF Data Researcher Rachel Neches details the need to support the rapidly growing older immigrant population in New York.
Testimony - November 2023
Supercharging CUNY Reconnect to Support Returning StudentsIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Higher Education, CUF Senior Fellow John Surico, on behalf of CUF Policy Director Eli Dvorkin, makes the case to further support the CUNY Reconnect program to help ensure that far more returning students succeed the second time around in postsecondary education.
Testimony - November 2023
Strengthening New York State’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)In this testimony before the NYS Assembly Higher Education Committee, CUF Researcher Melissa Lent, on behalf of CUF Policy Director Eli Dvorkin, outlines three specific recommendations for New York State to further strengthen its Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) into one of the most effective and inclusive in the nation.
Testimony - September 2023
Training NYC’s Future Teachers to Integrate Computing EducationIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committees on Technology and Education, CUF Data Researcher Rachel Neches and Policy Director Eli Dvorkin urge the Council to expand training programs for thousands more of the city's future teachers - at all grade levels and in every subject - to integrate the core concepts of computing education into their classrooms.
Testimony - June 2023
Strengthening Immigrant- and Minority-Owned Small Businesses by Expanding Access to CDFIsIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Small Business, CUF Data Researcher Rachel Neches and Policy Director Eli Dvorkin urge the Council to expand the reach of the city's Community Development Financial Institutions to strengthen immigrant- and minority-owned small businesses.
Testimony - December 2022
Reforming NYC’s Broken Capital Construction Process to Build Vital Social InfrastructureIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Parks & Recreation, CUF policy director Eli Dvorkin urges the city to reform the broken capital construction process in order to build and maintain New York’s most vital social, economic, and ecological infrastructure.
Testimony - October 2022
Strengthening CUNY’s Vital Role as a Launchpad into Tech CareersIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Economic Development & Committee on Higher Education, CUF policy director Eli Dvorkin highlights three specific recommendations for the Council to fully harness CUNY as a launchpad into tech careers.
Testimony - September 2022
Expanding employment opportunities for New Yorkers with disabilitiesIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction, CUF researcher and multimedia specialist Melissa Lent outlines four key recommendations for the Council to expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Testimony - March 2022
Expanding and Improving NYC’s Workforce Development SystemIn this testimony before the NYC Council's Committee on Economic Development & Committee on Oversight & Investigations, CUF policy director Eli Dvorkin details four key steps that city government should take to make the city’s workforce development system stronger and more effective.
Testimony - February 2021
Supporting the Governors Island Zoning AmendmentIn this testimony before the City Planning Commission, CUF policy director Eli Dvorkin details his support of the proposed Governors Island zoning amendment, which will help realize the island’s full potential as a vibrant, year-round resource for all New Yorkers.
Testimony - October 2020
Supporting the Recovery of New York State’s Arts and Cultural CommunityIn this testimony before the NY State Senate Standing Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation, CUF editorial and policy director Eli Dvorkin outlines what New York State will need to do to lay the groundwork for a long-term recovery for the state’s cultural sector.
Testimony - September 2020
Supporting the Recovery of New York City’s Tourism EconomyIn this testimony before the NYC Council Committee on Economic Development and Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations, CUF data researcher Charles Shaviro and policy director Eli Dvorkin outline what the city will need to do to help lay the groundwork for a long-term tourism recovery.
Testimony - September 2020
Why I Support the Industry City RezoningIn this testimony before the NYC Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, CUF executive director Jonathan Bowles details his support for the Industry City rezoning, which can help New York build both a larger and a more inclusive innovation economy.
