Theme
Community in Motion: Moving Together for Better Health and Well-being
The COCA Benefit & Gala is in its 6th year and it is our flagship event, celebrating the achievements and contributions of our community to our mission.
Introduction:
Join us for an elegant evening at the Circle of Care Awards Benefit & Gala. This year’s theme, “Community in Motion,” celebrates our unwavering commitment to being an active presence in the lives of those we serve.
“Community in Motion” embodies action, engagement, and making a tangible impact on people’s lives. It’s about being actively involved in the community, addressing the most pressing needs, and working to improve health outcomes and overall quality of life for all.”
MEET THE COCA 2024 HOST
Toya Beasley
Her voice is unmistakable, her impact is undeniable. Toya Beasley is a champion for empowering people to live their best lives. She is an ambassador for some of the nation’s most recognizable brands, building positive connections and inspiring people to reach higher.
Toya Beasley headlines Sunday mornings on 94.7 The Block, hosting and producing
‘Inspirations On The Block’ New York’s number one station for Throwbacks.
Most recently, Ms. Beasley was the inspirational format content director and on-air personality for InspireU with Toya Beasley at Radio103.9FM in New York City. She also hosted the weekly In Focus community affairs talk show and was heard in 48 markets across the U.S. through her Westwood One syndicated show, Sunday Inspirations.
Prior to joining Radio103.9FM, Ms. Beasley was the well-loved voice of New York WRKS-FM, better known to fans as 98.7 KISS-FM. She hosted New York City’s number one Sunday morning gospel program, KISS Inspirations, as well as KISS-FM’s weekday gospel show, Morning Glory. With the station since 1989, Ms. Beasley started as a programming assistant and worked her way up to Program Director, a position she held for 10 years.Additionally, she is the Creator and Executive Producer of the annual Stellar Women of Gospel™ Awards, honoring outstanding women in the gospel music industry. Ms. Beasley is also Founder and CEO of SistaFriendz™, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to educate, equip and empower women for success in their personal and professional lives.
Ms. Beasley has received numerous accolades and awards for her work in the media industry and in the community, including Keys to the City of New York for producing her Night of Healing events, which took place each year for 10 years after 9/11.
Ms. Beasley’s professional accomplishments are many, but nothing drives her more than her passion for God and His people. She works diligently to communicate that passion through every endeavor.
MEET THE COCA 2024 HONOREES
Garry Harvey
CaregiverDistinguished veteran of the United States Army, Garry Harvey brings a profound background in cybersecurity, warfare, and military intelligence. With over a decade of seasoned hands-on expertise in Information Technology, Service Management, and Operations, expertise lies in cybersecurity risk, regulatory compliance, and data privacy. He is also proficient in evaluating complex operational challenges, identifying inefficiencies, and crafting pragmatic solutions for productivity, cost savings, and enhanced service delivery. Garry's extensive experience, deep knowledge, and a commitment consistently contribute significant value to projects and initiatives. Known for effective communication and interpersonal skills, Garry's technical prowess is complemented by graduate studies in Management Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness, enhancing analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Mr. Harvey is the Community Representative on the CABS Continuous Quality Improvement committee.
DESIREE PILGRIM
CaregiverCaregiver has been employed with the agency since 1986
JUANITA DAYMON
CaregiverCaregiver has been employed with the agency since 1998
YOLETTE FILS
CaregiverCaregiver has been employed with the agency since 1984
Nora Chaves
Nora Chaves is the Director of Partnerships for Delivery System Innovations at Healthfirst. She holds a Master of Philosophy from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. At Healthfirst she has worked for 8 years to build clinical partnerships between primary care practices and community-based organizations to optimize access and quality of care, patient experience, and health equity.
Before joining Healthfirst, she worked as a health care consumer advocate. She was the Director of Community Health Advocates at the Community Service Society. In this role, she oversaw the operations of the New York State’s Consumer Assistance Program, the state-wide ombuds program created as part of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act to protect consumer’s rights under the health care and health insurance system.
Rafik Patel
Officer Patel has been on the job with the NYPD for 19 years. He started working with Operation Impact, followed by patrol for 13 years. During his years on patrol, he covered radio runs to assist citizens in crisis situations, kept records and wrote reports of all important incidents, and answered questions from the public. He also conducted investigations, gathered evidence, obtained witnesses, and made necessary arrests as part of the job scope.
He then started working as a Crime Prevention Officer, where he interacted with citizens to identify and solve problems within various neighborhoods. He gave presentations to senior groups and to other community members. In addition, he has been directly involved with community members in organizing crime prevention activities in neighborhoods. He also works alongside the Auxiliary Police Officers, where he was the Auxiliary Police Officer Coordinator. He mentors the volunteers, leaving a positive impact and impression of the NYPD, many of whom go on to pursue a careers in law enforcement.
Currently, he is works in Community Affairs, where he is involved in creating, managing, and maintaining programs and initiatives related to crime prevention within the community. He works closely with community members, provides training, and conducts presentations. In addition, he addresses crime problems through collaborative efforts with various government agencies, businesses, and the community.
Mullery Jean-Pierre’s
Leaving a successful career in corporate America, Jean-Pierre answered God's call, serving a small congregation for two years without compensation, demonstrating his unwavering faith. Under his leadership, Beraca Baptist Church has flourished, growing into a vibrant multicultural congregation of over 1,400 members across three locations, representing 20 different nationalities. This multicultural tapestry reflects his own life, born to Haitian and Dominican parents, married to a Jamaican woman, Puerto Rican Daughter-in-law, Trinidadian sister-in-law and a family blended with diverse cultural backgrounds.
Jean-Pierre's ministry extends beyond the church walls, fueled by a desire to uplift and empower his community. He founded Beraca Community Development Corporation (BCDC), a vital organization addressing critical needs in Brooklyn. BCDC offers youth development programs, a food pantry, an adult day care center for local seniors, and employment and mentoring opportunities for youth. Jean-Pierre's commitment to restorative justice led him to partner with the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office Alternative Sentencing Program, offering alternative rehabilitation pathways for individuals who have committed misdemeanors.
His vision for service transcends geographic boundaries reaching the shores of Togo and Benin in Africa, Estonia in Europe and the Caribbean nations of the Bahamas, Dominican Republic and his homeland Haiti. Jean-Pierre established three BCDC offices across seven Haitian cities, expanding the organization's impact through church planting, leadership development programs, job creation initiatives (including motorcycle taxi and microloan programs), and medical clinics. These efforts have empowered over 1,700 Pastors and Community leaders, established partnerships with over 10,000 churches of various networks, created over 8,000 jobs, brought healthcare to over 50,000 in underserved communities and build several earthquake and hurricane proof homes.
His impactful work has garnered recognition from various media outlets, NGOs, and government agencies. Articles about his mission have appeared in both local and international publications, including The New York Times and Haaretz Israeli newspaper. He has been featured on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), Public Broadcasting Network (PBS), and numerous radio programs. Jean-Pierre's influence extends to the highest levels of government, having led invocational prayers for the New York City Mayor's Office and been invited to the White House for a World Vision summit. He has also been invited by the Department of Housing (DOH) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to discuss advancing services for the local church.
Recognizing the need to bridge racial, cultural and ethnic divides in the United States, Jean-Pierre founded United Praise NYC, uniting believers from various backgrounds to promote racial reconciliation and unity. United Praise has rallied acclaimed Christian artists from around the world, amplifying the message of love, understanding, and solidarity.
His dedication to humanitarian work has earned him a Congressional Record from the United States House of Representatives and an International Humanitarian Award from the United Nations and the European Union. He has received over 20 citations from elected officials for his service to his community.
Jean-Pierre also serves as Vice President of the 69th Precinct Clergy Council, where he works to bridge the gap between the police and the community. He is a member of the Board of Converge Worldwide's National and regional board of trustees and serves as director of their Haitian Ministry Expansion Team, focusing on church planting and strengthening.
Despite his extensive commitments, Jean-Pierre prioritizes his family, cherishing his wife Cacheta, six children, and seven grandchildren. His life, a testament to the power of faith, community, and international service, serves as a beacon of hope for others seeking to make a difference in the world.
Roger Milliner
Mr. Milliner rejoined MetroPlusHealth Plan Inc. in August 2020 as the Associate Executive Director of Marketing after spending 10 years at two Health Maintenance Organizations and was quickly promoted to Deputy Executive Director. Prior to his current position, Mr. Milliner held the position of Assistant Marketing Director for Neighborhood Health Providers, a subsidiary of Royal Health Care LLC; from August 19966 to August 2000. From August 1991 until August 1996, Mr. Milliner was employed at US Healthcare, now known as Aetna/US Healthcare, where he began as an Enrollment Sales Representative and was promoted to Marketing Supervisor and later promoted to Regional Manager of Marketing.
Mr. Milliner attended St. Joseph’s College in Brooklyn, NY for his undergraduate studies and graduated in May 1991 with a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration. He is completing course requirements toward his Master of Science in Healthcare Policy and Management at New York University. Throughout his career in the healthcare industry, he obtained a Certified Health Care Insurance Executive (CHIE) certification from AHIP (Americas Health Insurance Programs).
In his current role at MetroPlusHealth Plan Inc., Mr. Milliner oversees The Growth Division which includes Sales, Provider Account Management Services, Corporate Transportation and Customer Recovery-Retention Departments. Since joining, when the health plan’s membership was slightly over 50,000K members, he has helped increase membership by 1,386% to its current membership of over 743,000k+ members. His involvement with various regulatory agencies as a Healthcare Executive has helped shape many of the current healthcare policies and government sponsored programs in New York.
He works diligently to foster relationships with community leaders, New York City government agencies, unions, trade associations, funds, as well as civic and community-based organizations such as, The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, New York Urban League, National Black Leadership Commission on Aids, American Lung Association, and the American Diabetes Association. In his role as the Chief Growth Officer, he sponsors several community initiatives such as the DYCD Affirming Fatherhood Initiative, Barbershop Talk Series, Healthy Community Needs Assessment, and the Spring Into Health Series all which focus on improving the health conditions of the communities he serves. In addition, he supports the Family Health Symposium, which is an association of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity Psi Lambda Lambda Chapter, that promotes healthcare options to NYC residents and promotes recognition of the MetroPlusHealth Plan Inc. brand among various ethnic groups and communities.
Toya Beasley
Toya Beasley headlines Sunday mornings on 94.7 The Block, hosting and producing
‘Inspirations On The Block’ New York’s number one station for Throwbacks.
Most recently, Ms. Beasley was the inspirational format content director and on-air personality for InspireU with Toya Beasley at Radio103.9FM in New York City. She also hosted the weekly In Focus community affairs talk show and was heard in 48 markets across the U.S. through her Westwood One syndicated show, Sunday Inspirations.
Prior to joining Radio103.9FM, Ms. Beasley was the well-loved voice of New York WRKS-FM, better known to fans as 98.7 KISS-FM. She hosted New York City’s number one Sunday morning gospel program, KISS Inspirations, as well as KISS-FM’s weekday gospel show, Morning Glory. With the station since 1989, Ms. Beasley started as a programming assistant and worked her way up to Program Director, a position she held for 10 years.
Additionally, she is the Creator and Executive Producer of the annual Stellar Women of Gospel™ Awards, honoring outstanding women in the gospel music industry. Ms. Beasley is also Founder and CEO of SistaFriendz™, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to educate, equip and empower women for success in their personal and professional lives.
Ms. Beasley has received numerous accolades and awards for her work in the media industry and in the community, including Keys to the City of New York for producing her Night of Healing events, which took place each year for 10 years after 9/11.
Ms. Beasley’s professional accomplishments are many, but nothing drives her more than her passion for God and His people. She works diligently to communicate that passion through every endeavor.