Power Players in Corporate Social Responsibility

As the KPMG national leader for Government, Lorna Stark is responsible for developing and executing a strategy to meet the changing needs of government clients. She has experience in providing both audit and advisory services to many of our most prominent government clients, including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the City of New York, the State of New York, the District of Columbia, the State of New Jersey, and the State of Vermont.  Lorna is also the lead account partner for the City of New York.

Why is corporate social responsibility important to you and your organization?
KPMG matches community engagement efforts with business interests and our people’s passions to drive societal progress. We recognize our connections to where we live and work and the importance of improving opportunities within historically marginalized communities and direct our community investments to address systemic challenges of equity and access.

How does your organization ensure that CSR flows through all of its areas?
To drive community impact and foster a prosperous society, KPMG promotes equity and access, cultivates lifelong learning, and protects the environment through partnerships with companies, nonprofits, governments, and non-government organizations. We are dedicated to maintaining transparency and accountability; setting and executing ESG aspirations that deliver for our business, people, communities, and the planet; and continuing to evolve, adapt, and innovate as we develop tools and strategies that we can share with our clients.

What are some of your organization’s specific CSR goals and what social impact do you hope to accomplish?
KPMG is focusing resources and efforts in four areas:

• People- Enhance DEI at all levels of our firm. 
• Planet- Achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030; continue to source 100% renewable energy; factor cost of carbon into business decisions.
• Prosperity- $125 million commitment to advance equity and access among underrepresented groups; act with stewardship to impact our communities for better; return our community activity to pre-pandemic levels.
• Principles of Governance- Set the bar for ethics and integrity; enhance our governance model; lead the profession in audit quality.

How would you describe CSR in three words?
Together, for better

Roy Swan is the inaugural head of the Ford Foundation’s $1.4B Mission Investments program, which makes market rate and concessionary impact investments around the world and supports the ESG and impact investing infrastructure with grant capital. He has over 30 years of experience in finance, investments, and management, and has served on numerous corporate and nonprofit boards. Roy is a 1986 graduate of Princeton University and a 1992 graduate of Stanford Law School, where he was a notes editor of the Stanford Law Review.

Why is corporate social responsibility important to you and your organization?
The Ford Foundation is guided by a vision of social justice—a world in which all individuals are included in the political, economic, and social institutions that shape their lives. We believe in the inherent dignity of all people and strive to implement change with openness and transparency.

How does your organization ensure that CSR flows through all of its areas?
The Ford Foundation’s sole reason for being is the advancement of human welfare.  The foundation’s workforce is driven by trust, constructive debate, and leadership that values excellence and accountability. Our charter, the organizations we support, society at large, the laws that govern our nonprofit status, and our strong values ensure that we maintain a high degree of social responsibility in everything we do.

What are some of your organization’s specific CSR goals and what social impact do you hope to accomplish?
For more than eight decades, the Ford Foundation’s mission has been to reduce poverty and injustice, strengthen democratic values, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. We do so through investing in individuals, building institutions to work on social change issues, and supporting new ideas for social good. Our goal is to create a world in which we all work toward the protection and full expression of human rights, actively participate in the decisions that affect us, equitably share resources, and achieve our potential.

How would you describe CSR in three words?
Positive social progress

Michael Trunzo is the director of government affairs at Shenker Russo & Clark LLP. One of Trunzo’s notable successes includes enacting a law that lowered the carbon and greenhouse gas emissions of heating oil. Prior to joining Shenker Russo & Clark LLP, he founded and led Northeast Public Affairs LLC, a government affairs firm that served clients in New York, New England, and Washington, D.C. Trunzo earned his B.A. in political science and MPA from Long Island University.

As vice president of communications and public affairs, Emma Van Susteren leads several areas of Vox Media’s corporate communications practice and the company’s response to a changing social and political climate. Before working for several NYC-based mission-oriented organizations, Van Susteren worked in Washington DC as an aide to Senator Patrick Leahy and in the US Department of Education in the Office of the Secretary during the Obama administration. She is a graduate from Wesleyan University and the Harvard Kennedy School.

Why is corporate social responsibility important to you and your organization?
At Vox Media, we believe it is our responsibility to build a better media industry. Through our corporate citizenship framework, we have an always learning mindset and take an action-oriented and optimistic approach to improving our company and the industries and communities that we serve.

How does your organization ensure that CSR flows through all of its areas?
Corporate citizenship is organically embedded in initiatives led by many others across Vox Media. Our purpose is to give and lead in ways aligned with our work and identity as a media company. For example: free, public style guidance and tools on languageplease.org; pro bono creative ad services and strategic partnerships that donate; ad policies that restrict false information, violent content, and promotion of fossil fuels; and tools like Coral, Forte and Vox MediaIQ.

Andrew Walrond is the vice president of loan programs at the Fund for the City of New York. He manages the day to day lending to nonprofits awaiting city, state, federal, or foundation payments. Under his leadership, the Cash Flow Loan Program has lent a record breaking $1.5 billion in cash flow loans to nonprofit organizations. Each year, the loan program provides financial support to over 300 unique organizations. He has a Bachelor of Science from UMASS Boston and is a leadership fellow of the Coro New York Leadership Center.

Why is corporate social responsibility important to you and your organization?
It is the Fund’s responsibility to be responsive to the public and nonprofit sector in a manner that allows them to function smoothly. In my program, swift response eliminates program disruption. This disruption would negatively impact families/communities, especially NYC residents who rely on the multitude of services nonprofits provide.

How does your organization ensure that CSR flows through all of its areas?
The Fund for the City of New York has collaborated on developing and facilitating innovations in policy, programs, and practices to advance the function of and recognize the excellence in government and nonprofit organizations. The Fund ensures that CSR flows through all our operations since we apply an equity lens to our programs and services. Consistently, reviewing who are we serving well, where the greatest needs are, and can we address any gaps.

What are some of your organization’s specific CSR goals and what social impact do you hope to accomplish?
We are guided by the mandate to be responsive to needs of the public and nonprofit sector. We will accomplish our goals by; providing more financial assistance to nonprofits in order for their programs to thrive and expand, to increase our portfolio of partner projects from 85 to 95 groups which allow their management to pivot from budgeting and benefits to focus on their programs and fundraising. We will also train a new cohort of urban planning students for local community boards assignments, helping them meet their community planning needs.

How would you describe CSR in three words?
Mission, responsibility, and responsiveness

Pat Wang has dedicated her career to championing the healthcare needs of vulnerable New Yorkers. In 1993 Ms. Wang helped create Healthfirst based on a pioneering value-based model that aligns payments for care delivery to the quality of care provided. Today it is one of the largest not-for-profit health insurers in the United States. As president & CEO, Ms. Wang is proud to lead more than 5,000 employees who focus on providing excellent health insurance to more than 1.8 million New Yorkers including one-third of NYC’s Medicaid population.

Why is corporate social responsibility important to you and your organization?
Healthfirst is committed to reducing health disparities through the provision of comprehensive, high quality, culturally competent health insurance.  Our annual priorities include advancing health equity and addressing racial and social injustice and we apply this lens to all our corporate giving.

How does your organization ensure that CSR flows through all of its areas?
Healthfirst ensures that CSR is embedded in all our organizational efforts through our annual Enterprise Priorities. Our employees use these as the foundation for their annual goal setting, which drives performance evaluation and measures success through the lens of impact made towards advancing health equity and addressing racial and social injustice. By integrating CSR metrics into our enterprise goals, Healthfirst is able to support the elimination of barriers to optimal health outcomes.

What are some of your organization’s specific CSR goals and what social impact do you hope to accomplish?
Healthfirst aims to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to excellent health care in collaboration with our valued provider partners and local health systems.  

• Healthfirst offers members a free digital, self-care referral platform designed to connect to vital health and social services
• Healthfirst grants employees one additional paid day off annually to engage in social justice activities or a service that positively impacts our communities
• Healthfirst combats social isolation through TimeBank, a volunteer service exchange program in which participants share their talents/time through a supportive community network

How would you describe CSR in three words?
Equity, impact, community

Valerie White, senior executive director NY, is responsible for leading the expansion strategy to promote LISC’s statewide efforts to create an economic and community development ecosystem that addresses deep rooted systemic inequities. Through the usage of capital investment, policy and legislative advocacy, and programmatic initiative design and delivery, she elevates LISC’s role as a key voice among legislative, government, private sector, philanthropic, and nonprofit/community partner stakeholders across New York. Valerie also oversees the LISC NYC and LISC WNY local offices.

Why is corporate social responsibility important to you and your organization?
Under Valerie White’s leadership at non-profit LISC NY, the organization has played a pivotal role in becoming an effective lifeline for hundreds of minority-owned small businesses and countless New Yorkers engaging with our communities – meeting them where they are. In 2022, $49.3MM was invested and $144.6MM was leveraged. 

How does your organization ensure that CSR flows through all of its areas?
Valerie, and all of LISC NY, work hard every day to ensure equity and opportunity for all New Yorkers. The work they do speaks for itself: under Valerie’s leadership, LISC NY has launched a Developers of Color Training Program, connecting 20+ MBE developers to the training and networks needed to grow. As NY moved through COVID-19 pandemic, she led the deployment of $4 million+ to hundreds of MBE small businesses, helping them cover business expenses.

What are some of your organization’s specific CSR goals and what social impact do you hope to accomplish?
Moving into 2023, LISC NY has positioned itself for another critical year in facilitating a more equitable, diverse, and accessible business community throughout the Empire State. We will show through our commitment to CSR-based programming such as The Developers of Color Program – built to strengthen the MBE network of development firms in NY to help them grow their capacity and leadership – is sustainable, meaningful, and effective for New Yorkers.

How would you describe CSR in three words?
Accountability, impact, transcendence

Jordana Zangwill is a human resources assistant vice president at Northwell Health with a focus on the development and management of programs, initiatives and partnerships that support our corporate social responsibility strategy.  She also has experience in various facets of human resources management, including strategy development, project management and data analytics and research. Prior to joining Northwell Health 10 years ago, Jordana spent 10 years at Deloitte Consulting. Jordana holds a bachelor’s degree in biometry and statistics from Cornell University and is a member of the Society of Actuaries.

Why is corporate social responsibility important to you and your organization?
Northwell’s mission and understanding of what transforms health has led us to broaden our role, activities and investments over the years, e.g., taking on challenges of food insecurity, gun violence and climate change. CSR is the right thing to do and also makes business sense, promoting innovation, trust and transparency.

How does your organization ensure that CSR flows through all of its areas?
We established a multidisciplinary CSR governance team that sets strategies and goals based on input from key stakeholders, and monitors progress within each of our focus areas.  With representation from our community and population health, human resources, environmental responsibility, foundation, center for equity of care, finance, procurement, marketing and communications and operations teams we are able to generate open dialogue and diverse thought.  Our network of Business Employee Resource Group members help to foster support.

What are some of your organization’s specific CSR goals and what social impact do you hope to accomplish?
Our CSR framework reflects 4 key pillars:

• Environmental Responsibility
• Excellence & Equity in Care
• Community Partnership & Well-being
• Our Team Members (focus on equity, diversity & inclusion and well-being)

We have specific long term goals within each pillar, highlighted on our CSR website (www.northwell.edu/csr), with the overall objective of partnering with our communities to enhance well-being, expand access to equitable care and take environmental responsibility.

Michael leads Boingo’s commercial strategy. He is responsible for driving growth and results across 5G, private networks, Wi-Fi 6/6E and IoT, and leading Boingo’s emerging businesses, venue acquisition and monetization strategies. A seasoned corporate executive, Michael has a successful track record for building new businesses and creating profitable growth. Prior to Boingo, he was vice president of Internet of Things Solutions, and founder and general manager for AT&T’s Smart Cities and emerging IoT solutions. Before joining AT&T, Michael co-founded and served as CEO of Proximus Mobility.