ONIDA COWARD MAYERS

Ms Mayers is the Executive Director/Coordinator of the New York City Voter Assistance Commission. VAC is the first government agency in the country created to fulfill the nonpartisan mission of promoting voter participation.

Ms. Mayers is responsible for designing and implementing voter initiatives for the City of New York. Partnering with government agencies, good government and groups along with corporate leaders Ms. Mayers enhances the quality of voter participation in the New York City electoral process such as addressing the growing language access issues affecting voting New Yorkers, creating strategic initiatives to benefit underserved communities.

In 2006, Ms. Mayers created and launched with major support from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg the City’s first ever Voter Awareness Month (VAM) program a five-borough coordinated campaign to promote voter education, awareness and participation. Now in its fourth season, Voter Awareness Month continues to hold civic engagement forums and voter registration drives aimed at encouraging New Americans, Young New Yorkers and Underrepresented Populations to become more civically involved and to exercise their right to vote.

In 2005, Ms Mayers launched with major support from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg the City’s first ever-Video Voter Guide (VVG) program. The Video Voter Guide is an exciting and new way for voters to access information about those candidates seeking to represent them. Helping New Yorkers connect to the democratic process central to the mission of VAC and the VVG will be particularly helpful to voters looking for information in the races for citywide, borough wide and borough based seats. The program transmitted on NYC-TV was provided in English, Spanish, Chinese and Korean.

Prior to joining the NYC Voter Assistance Commission, Ms. Mayers was the Founding Director of Brooklyn Community Access Television BCAT where she led the design, construction, launch and daily management of the 10,000 square foot multi-media television station along with its four channels.

In November of 2003 Ms. Mayers guest curated “Our Journey, Our Stories, Our Panama”, an art exhibit designed to celebrate the Afro Panamanian Experience. The exhibit featured the works of nine extremely talented Panamanian artists. Over 500 people visited the exhibit and payed homage to the 100,000 Caribbean men and women who traveled to Panama to play a significant role in Panama’s history and future.

Ms Mayers is the married to Gregorio Mayers, Esq. a senior policy advisor for the Office of the Mayor. They live in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, with their two young children, Carlos and Lavoneia. Ms Mayers holds an MBA from Bernard Baruch College and a B.A. in Communications from Buffalo State College.

Blondell Lighty has worked with  Senior Level Corporate Officers for many years, and is currently employed with Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc, in the Office of the Chairman. Prior to joining Con Edison , Ms. Lighty served in various capacities in the Media Industry. She worked with organizations such as MTV, Nickelodeon, Broadcast Music Inc (BMI) and American Online. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Civic Engagement Committee for the NAACP , Brooklyn Branch.  The Civic Engagement Committee works to increase participation of African Americans in the democratic process through the elimination of barriers that impede their full civic engagement.

Ms. Lighty is also Co-Chair of the Community Relations Committee of the American Association of Blacks in Energy, New York Metropolitan Area Chapter (AABE-NYMAC). AABE is a non-profit, national organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with chapters throughout the country.  It is an association of energy professionals dedicated to ensuring the input of minorities into the discussion and development of energy policies , regulations, R&D technologies, entrepreneurial opportunities and environmental issues.  The Community Relations Committee of AABE-NYMAC is responsible for developing strategies for marketing events and activities for the membership and other interested persons or organizations outside of the Chapter. The Committee is also involved in mentoring and other community service projects .

Ms. Lighty is also currently involved with The White House Project .  The White House Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that aims to advance women's leadership in all communities and sectors—up to the U.S. presidency—by filling the leadership pipeline with a richly diverse, critical mass of women Blondell Lighty received a Bachelor's Degree from the New York Institute of Technology , and a Master's Degree in Organizational Psychology from Brooklyn College .

Ms. Lighty is originally from Hartsville, SC, and is a member of the Butler Heritage Foundation .  She currently resides in Brooklyn, NY and is a member and volunteer staff of the Christian Cultural Center .