Candace Gonzalez Recognized for 25+ Years of Service with NYCID
By Danielle Wiseman, Staten Island Chamber of Commerce
Candace Gonzalez, CEO of the New York Center for Interpersonal Development (NYCID), has dedicated nearly her entire life to helping others.
Originally from Brooklyn, Gonzalez moved to Staten Island in 1979 and began her professional journey in 1985, when she began working as an Executive Assistant at a local nonprofit. During her time at Northfield Community Local Development Corporation (LDC), Gonzalez supported the Port Richmond community through the advancement of affordable housing and the promotion of economic development.
While working at Northfield Community LDC, Gonzalez started volunteering with the New York Center for Interpersonal Development, a nonprofit committed to building community and nurturing personal growth by promoting conflict management, social-emotional learning, and youth development. In 1982, NYCID was chosen to create Staten Island’s first Community Dispute Resolution Center (CRDC), an alternative to criminal litigation in which mediators help to solve disputes. Gonzalez first became involved with NYCID as a CRDC mediator, helping to mediate custody disputes, housing issues, child custody, school-based mediation services, and small claims and financial cases.
“I had an itch to do something more with my life,” says Gonzalez. “When I found out about mediation, I thought, ‘Hey, that’s something I can wrap my head around,’ so I went to the training and completely fell in love with mediation. It brought me so much joy.”
Shortly after she began volunteering with NYCID, Gonzalez was offered a position as Executive Assistant and jumped at the opportunity to deepen her engagement with the organization. At the time, NYCID was a budding nonprofit with less than ten employees, and Gonzalez worked side-by-side the original CEO, Dominick J. Brancato, to help build upon NYCID’s growing services.
Driven by her dedication to nonprofit work, Gonzalez returned to her education and began attending the Metropolitan College of New York while working full-time at NYCID and raising a family. In 2000, Gonzalez graduated as Valedictorian with a Bachelor of Human Services and immediately went on to obtain her graduate degree. Three years later, Gonzalez graduated with a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Recognizing Gonzalez’s commitment to both the organization and her education, NYCID quickly moved Gonzalez up the ranks, elevating her to Director of Administrative Services in 2000 and later Director of Conflict Resolution Services in 2002. In both of these roles, Gonzalez gained key administrative and programmatic skills, secured funding for, developed, and implemented new programming, and acted as a liaison for government officials, city and state agencies, and private organizations.
In 2004, Gonzalez took on the role of Senior Director of Programs, responsible for the administration of NYCID’s programs and providing one-on-one supervision to NYCID’s six program team leaders. Just one year later, Gonzalez became NYCID’s Associate Executive Director, working with Brancato to manage, uplift, and build upon the quickly growing organization.
“We do a lot of work with at-risk youth; that tends to be a sweet spot for us because we relate well to the kids and are able to help those who need it the most,” emphasizes Gonzalez. “We plant seeds for them and hope that the seeds grow, and we never know what kind of impact we’re going to make. I lead the organization every day with the goal of making lasting changes in the community.”
Under the direction of Gonzalez and Brancato, NYCID began working directly in schools across Staten Island, offering not only mediation services but also workforce training, job placement, interpersonal skills, and educational support. Every year, over 5,200 4 to 24-year-olds participate in NYCID programs, resulting in 2,000 earned diplomas and 1,000 internships and job placements.
“We came from very humble beginnings and grew into a mid-sized organization,” reminisces Gonzalez. “We take our mediation and conflict work and turn it into effective communication, threading that needle through all of our programs. Our staff is all trained in effective communication, and we always stress that when working with the kids.”
After nearly 15 years serving as both Associate Executive Director and Executive Director and helping to bring in over $5 million in grant funding, Gonzalez was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2018. Upon Brancato’s retirement, he was thrilled to leave NYCID in Gonzalez’s hands, having worked with her since 1996 to create the organization that we see today. In her role as CEO, Gonzalez oversees the 90 full-time employees, 300 part-time employees, including interns that NYCID employs, in addition to managing a $17.5 million budget and supervising daily operations.
NYCID has grown tremendously under Gonzalez, who pours her heart into the work that she does. The organization currently serves approximately 10,500 New Yorkers each year through its various life-changing programs. While based in Staten Island, NYCID also works with residents of the other boroughs, creating a strong presence throughout New York City. In addition to the CDRC and their school-based programs, NYCID also offers after-school enrichment programs, several transfer high schools and community schools, dropout prevention services, workforce development, crime prevention programs, and professional development training.
NYCID has become a pillar of Staten Island, guiding countless individuals and improving relationships through constructive problem-solving, effective communication, and intercultural awareness. NYCID’s impact reaches far beyond the borough, serving as a stellar example for other organizations to model after.
For her accomplishments, Candace Gonzalez is being honored with a Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Award, which she will receive in the Not-for-Profit Businessperson category. The awards, which are presented by the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and the Staten Island Advance, honor the memory of Louis R. Miller, a businessman and West Brighton resident who was also a community leader. Gonzalez is the second person at NYCID to receive the Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Award, following in the footsteps of Brancato, who was honored by the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce in 2012.
Gonzalez has shown through her work over the last 28 years that she is fully committed to bettering the lives of Staten Islanders and making a lasting impact on the borough that she has called home. In addition to her contributions through NYCID, Gonzalez is also a member of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Board of Directors at Nonprofit Staten Island and the Rolling Hills Estates. Gonzalez has also received a certificate from the Staten Island Leadership Institute, as well as being a New York State Unified Court System Certified Mediator.
“The work that we do is incredibly rewarding. Our tagline is improving lives, but in our world, we don’t always see that return right away,” says Gonzalez. “But when you do see it, when you get to experience being a part of changing someone’s life, it’s a feeling like no other; it’s the greatest gift.”
Current occupation AND title: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NYCID.
Hometown: Arden Heights.
Past occupation/s and titles: Executive Assistant for Northfield Community LDC, various positions at NYCID.
Community involvement: Current Board member of Nonprofit Staten Island, Audit Committee Chair for Nonprofit Staten Island, Board member of Northfield Community LDC (Secretary) and Rolling Hills Estate. Past Board positions: Village Parks, Secretary.
Some of my life goals include: More traveling.
The best part of my job: The best part of my job is working with a committed staff that enjoys the work that they do.
The most difficult part of my job: The most difficult part of the job is to see viable programs receive budget cuts and not being able to pay staff a markable salary.
My life philosophy: My life philosophy is “Things happen for a reason that sometimes we don’t understand right away but eventually we see that it was the right thing.”
I am most proud of: My family and the work I do at NYCID.
Something that no one knows about me: I played the violin at the World’s Fair in the 6th grade.
The quality I like best about myself: My ability to find humor in all situations.
Personal interests and hobbies: Reading, crosswords (word games).
I laugh at: Myself.
I am really good at: In the face of hard times I have been able to stay steadfast and keep people calm all while keeping the mission in the forefront.
I admire: People that are honest.
Some important thing/s I would like you to know about me: I like to have fun. I got my Masters in Public Administration from Columbia University while being a full time Mom and working full time at NYCID.