While all ears may be tuned into Albany and state budget negotiations… All eyes were on Long Island this week as Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete Caitlyn Jenner joined Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman for a press conference in Mineola in support of a county-wide transgender sports ban, calling out Attorney General Tish James who issued a cease and desist order for the ban…
Later that evening, hundreds of political personalities gathered at Leonard’s Palazzo in Great Neck for the Rep. Tom Suozzi ‘Thank You’ party, including his colleague Rep. Grace Meng, former Town of Hempstead Supervisor and NY-4 Congressional candidate Laura Gillen, NYC Council Member Linda Lee (rocking a cool metal bangle by an Israeli designer), Dem Chair Jay Jacobs, NYLCV’s Josh Klainberg, Suozzi Field Director Barry Caro (grandson of Robert Caro, author of ‘The Power Broker,’ which we know every political personality owns a copy). Suozzi is re-energized and ready to pick up where he left off in Congress, and with supporters in the room like Matty Aracich of the Building & Construction Trades Council of Nassau & Suffolk Counties, AFL-CIO; Altice’s Samantha Pardal-Jerez and LIPA’s Gaspare Tumminello; Long Islanders are eager to see how Suozzi will deliver this time around…
Speaking of current and former members of Congress, Kathleeen Rice has been named Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer of the Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation. In her role as Nassau County District Attorney and dog lover and rescuer herself, she is known for establishing the state’s first animal crimes unit…
In New York City, we hear Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was well-received at the 100 Black Men Gala at Pier Sixty this week, at which Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, Phil Banks, spoke, as well as the City’s Chief Business Diversity Officer, Michael Garner, who emphasized NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ commitment to diversifying the City’s expenditures by working with more MWBE organizations…
New daddy Wil Lopez, head of government relations for Urban Resource Institute (URI), moderated a discussion at the UJA headquarters this week in his capacity as a JCRC Bridges Fellow, a program designed to engage and connect diverse leaders in NYC from different religious and ethnic backgrounds…
Jasmine Ray, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Sports, Wellness and Recreation, moderated a star-studded panel discussion at Gracie Mansion this week surrounding the topic of sports, to benefit the Gracie Mansion Conservancy, which is run by former Queens Deputy Borough President and Duke grad, Rhonda Binda. A crisp Chenin Blanc was the white wine of choice for the event which featured networking reception followed by a Q&A with New York Islanders co-owner, Jon Ledecky; Olympic Silver Medalist, Gail Marquis; Super Bowl Winner, OJ Anderson; and New York Road Runners CEO Rob Simmelkjaer (was his first time to Gracie Mansion!) In the audience, a humble Jordan Coleman identified himself to the panel as ‘a documentary filmmaker’ as he posed his question surrounding the connection between sports and music, before being publicly recognized by panelist and hip-hop legend, Eric B., as ‘The Mayor’s son’ and received a round of applause…
Political Personality of the Week:
Jasmine Ray – Director, NYC Mayor’s Office of Sports, Wellness & Recreation
Jasmine Ray is an entrepreneur, former recording artist, renowned public speaker, dedicated public servant, and avid athlete.
“As a minority, woman business owner, and as a person who grew up in an underserved community, I know, firsthand, that sports are not only a vehicle to promote health and wellness, but also a tool that can be used for crime prevention, and I share Mayor Adams’ vision for a safer, healthier, and more equitable New York City”
As founder of Wallball World LLC and the CEO of The U.S. Wallball Association Inc., Jasmine–inspired by the tragic death of her little brother, Jonathan Robert Ray, in 2009–has worked tirelessly to motivate young people in underserved communities to stay in school, embrace healthy lifestyles and pursue alternatives to drug use and violent behavior.
Also a talented singer, Jasmine was a member of a hip-hop group signed to Casablanca/Universal Records that scored hits in Europe in 2005 and 2006. In 2013 she landed a sports consulting contract with Red Bull that lasted almost a decade, which spearheaded large initiatives in street sports throughout NYC.
Fast Facts
- Grew up in Stapleton, Staten Island
- Rides Motorcycles
- Runs marathons
- CEO, US Wallball Association
- 4th-degree blackbelt in Shotokan Karate
- Former recording artist
