NYCID is growing by leaps and bounds!  Help us welcome some of the newest members of our team and learn a bit about why each of these fine people are committed to improving lives every day.

Adria Gulizia

Welcome to Adria, one of our new Community Dispute Resolution Center (CDRC) employees who comes to us after earning her law degree. Adria thrives on delving into a person’s emotional, psychological, and spiritual realities – a valuable skill in being an effective and successful mediator. She values collaboration because to Adria, working together in a trusting relationship will enable people to feel safe, be honest with one another, and be able to work together towards great goals.

Christopher Magurno

NYCID is thankful for Chris, our newest member of the Community Dispute Resolution Center. Chris graduated from the College of Staten Island with a Bachelor’s Degree in History and then followed his passion to help others, becoming our Community Dispute Program Coordinator. Chris has what it takes to be an effective mediator; he is patient, alert, interested, and objective. Helping others to become valuable members of society is his passion. The NYCID value that speaks to Chris is resilience because according to him, you need resilience to help people in need since sometimes your first time doesn’t work, and you don’t want to give up on them.

Joshua Garcia

Thanks to Joshua for choosing NYCID – welcome. A former Port Richmond student, Joshua is now part of the PS 78 team, working as a mentor. A graduate of The College of Staten Island, his future career goal is to become a Physical Education teacher. In his current role, he is committed to empowering our youth to develop their own strengths, beliefs, and personal attributes. He loves working with children and feels that recognition is the first step in improving students’ attendance and behavior.

Elizabeth Browne

Hello to Elizabeth who is now working at IS 96 Seth Low, as a social worker. Having earned degrees in Psychology and Social Work, she is passionate about helping our youth navigate through young adulthood. Elizabeth has a love for both plants and animals and is a great supporter of human/animal rights. To Elizabeth, collaboration is a key core value because it is important in most careers, areas of study, and lifestyles.

Lara Halwani

NYCID welcomes Lara – a new mentor at Port Richmond High School who holds both Psychology and Social Work degrees. We know she will be a trusted adviser and role model for our youth because she is enthusiastic about the topics of child welfare and youth development. Lara is a stout believer in collaboration – everyone is born with a talent, gift, or calling and that when like-minded individuals work together, real change can be made.

Lisa Mattera

Welcome aboard, Lisa. She earned a Master of Social Work degree from The College of Staten Island and is now working at PS 78. A Brooklyn native, Lisa now calls Staten Island her home. She values ongoing learning and growth in the field of Social Work. In addition to being passionate about her son and her family, being with her students and assisting them in becoming successful are of utmost priority. She believes in making the most out of every day.

Francisco Torres

A big Welcome to Francisco who is more affectionately known as Cisco. He originated from Brooklyn but currently resides in New Jersey. After completing his Master in Social Work degree, he became a valuable member of our team at Port Richmond. Francisco is dedicated to our youth, providing guidance, motivation, and emotional support each day. His motto is Teamwork makes the dream work, and he views collaboration as a key value in achieving your goals in life.

Michael Santiago

NYCID, say hello to Michael. Michael is a lifelong Staten Islander who attained undergraduate and graduate degrees in English with a minor in Political Science. He is now a member of our PS 44 team. He maintains an enthusiasm for working with children and a love of teaching which he demonstrates through his work at The College of Staten Island as an adult education teacher. He has an impassioned love of baseball and softball, as well. Resilience is his core value of choice because to Michael, being able to adapt is paramount to being able to grow.