City & State’s Women’s Thought Leaders Reception honors influential women across the state

“What do these 10 fabulous women have in common?” asked Suri Kasirer, the president of government relations firm Kasirer, at City & State’s Women’s Thought Leaders Reception, hosted in collaboration with Kasirer in midtown Manhattan on Nov. 13. “I thought about a couple of things. They’re all women who never gave up. They’re all women who mentor other women. Most importantly, they’re all women who are really making a difference in this world.”

Kasirer delivered opening remarks to dozens of industry professionals who came together to celebrate this group of women.

“I am such a believer in women meeting women, because really, that’s when things happen,” she said. “I’ve had the opportunity to introduce so many of you in this room to each other, and I know you’ve all done great things individually and together.”

Reflecting on her work with rising professionals, Kasirer said, “When I speak to young people, I really talk about how important networking is and how important it is to find people who can mentor you. All of us in this room, in some way, fashion or other, have faced a glass ceiling. That quality of never giving up is so important.”

Kasirer introduced Kathryn Garcia, director of state operations for Gov. Kathy Hochul, and presented her with the Women Thought Leader of the Year in Government award.

“I want to say and reiterate that being recognized as a woman in public service is also about recognizing all of you for what you do in public service, because there’s no part of it that’s about getting the big paychecks,” Garcia said. “It’s incredibly rewarding to be with this group of women and to be able to talk at this moment about what it means to be a woman in public service, because it’s hard.”

Garcia added, “Women need to be able to see themselves in different roles, because that’s how we succeed. For those of us who are leaders, who have that special privilege, it is about ensuring that we are seeing everyone and making sure that we are holding ourselves accountable, but that we are doing it with empathy and equity and inclusion. We bring to the table leaders in government a different perspective.”

She concluded by saying, “We are bringing to these roles the power of our experiences and the power of what we have seen and how we perceive other people in all of the roles that we have.”

Garcia’s speech was followed by a presentation of three other awards. The Women’s Thought Leader of the Year in Nonprofit awards went to Adama Bah, founder of Afrikana; Ligia Guallpa, executive director of the Workers Justice Project; and Dr. Miriam A. Knoll, co-founder and CEO of Jewish Orthodox Women’s Medical Association.

Bah has spent her career advocating for fair access to resources and recently has dedicated her time to supporting Black migrants and helping people navigate the asylum-seeker process in New York City. Guallpa has successfully secured better working conditions for low-wage immigrant workers and helped pass the nation’s first minimum pay rate for app-based delivery workers. Knoll’s organization supports over 700 Jewish women physicians and trainees, and she has been a leader on issues relevant to the medical workforce, women in medicine and health care.

The Women’s Thought Leader of the Year in Real Estate awards went to Leslie Wohlman Himmel, founder and managing partner of Himmel + Meringoff; Nicole Lockett, managing director, development of Genesis Companies; and Susi Yu, co-founding partner of Bungalow Projects.

Himmel has added long-term value to New York City office and industrial properties by increasing affordable housing units and open space. Lockett finances complex housing projects and has played a significant role in tackling New York City and state’s affordability crisis. Yu helped launch a purpose-built soundstage and production real estate company in partnership with Bain Capital Real Estate.

The Women’s Thought Leader of the Year in Corporate awards went to Jane Builder, principal manager network advocacy Northeast region at T-Mobile; Patty Ornst, managing director of New York state and local government affairs at Delta Air Lines; and Lisa Sorin, president of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce.

Builder has over 20 years of experience in telecommunications policy, overseeing projects from the Canadian border to South Carolina to expand digital access. Ornst led government relations for American Airlines in the Northeast and directed aviation strategy for then-New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Sorin paved the way for young women by creating a scholarship program for Bronx high school girls.