Kelly Vilar
Founder & CEO of the Staten Island Urban Center
Kelly Vilar is the founder and CEO of the Staten Island Urban Center, an organization dedicated to community development through community involvement, striving for cultural equity, thrivability, and self-determination. As an urban policy and community engagement thought leader, she holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Policy & Planning from the New School for Social Research. Her work experiences have led to her appointments on the NYC Waterfront Management Advisory Board, where she contributed to the 2030 NYC Waterfront Plan, and subsequently an appointment on the NYC Off Shore Wind Energy Advisory Council. More recently Vilar has become a member of the charter mandated NYC Commission for Racial Equity.
Vilar is widely recognized for her leadership and impact, having been named one of City & State Magazine's Top 100 Most Powerful People on Staten Island and cited among the Top 25 most influential individuals in Staten Island’s African American community. Recognition for her community service and humanitarian work include the 2022 All In For NYC Award from Citizens Committee NYC, a community service award from Nonprofit Staten Island in 2023, the Harriet Tubman Award from the Purple Hats Society, the SI NAACP William A. Morris Humanitarian Award, the Elizabeth Connelly Leadership Award from the Staten Island Women’s Political Caucus, the Gertrude Tate Award for Community Service from the Alice Austen House, and honors from the Staten Island Soroptimists.
As a lifelong passionate advocate for youth and community development, Vilar utilizes placemaking and the arts to engage and empower her community. Guided by her philosophy of "Art with Purpose," she is a curator, producer, and artist, using creative expression as a medium for social impact, a vehicle for diverse emotional experiences, and a tool to celebrate ancestral traditions that foster community resilience. Her acclaimed multimedia curations exhibited at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art and through a 2 year residency at Governors Island, included Landfill Fashionista, Abuela’s Kitchen, and the Paper Doll Revolution, serving as powerful tributes to women and social justice.
Vilar is widely recognized for her leadership and impact, having been named one of City & State Magazine's Top 100 Most Powerful People on Staten Island and cited among the Top 25 most influential individuals in Staten Island’s African American community. Recognition for her community service and humanitarian work include the 2022 All In For NYC Award from Citizens Committee NYC, a community service award from Nonprofit Staten Island in 2023, the Harriet Tubman Award from the Purple Hats Society, the SI NAACP William A. Morris Humanitarian Award, the Elizabeth Connelly Leadership Award from the Staten Island Women’s Political Caucus, the Gertrude Tate Award for Community Service from the Alice Austen House, and honors from the Staten Island Soroptimists.
As a lifelong passionate advocate for youth and community development, Vilar utilizes placemaking and the arts to engage and empower her community. Guided by her philosophy of "Art with Purpose," she is a curator, producer, and artist, using creative expression as a medium for social impact, a vehicle for diverse emotional experiences, and a tool to celebrate ancestral traditions that foster community resilience. Her acclaimed multimedia curations exhibited at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art and through a 2 year residency at Governors Island, included Landfill Fashionista, Abuela’s Kitchen, and the Paper Doll Revolution, serving as powerful tributes to women and social justice.
Board of Directors
Debbie Quinones is Chair of the Staten Island Urban Center's board of directors. She is long time activist who has worked for more than 30 years on the issues of health, women, youth, policy and the built environment. She is a fellow of the National Hispana Leadership Institute, co-founder of Muevete: Puerto Rican Youth Conference, Young Bucks Sports, Friends of Art and White Park Alliances, and former board member of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, Civitas, East Harlem Preservation, and Stanley Isaac Community Center. Debbie has made her mark in Harlem as a cultural placemaker developing historic markers in NYC communities through art, preservation, and urban policy development.
Roxanne Mustafa is the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors. She was born and raised in Brooklyn and has been a Staten Island resident for 14 years. She lives in St George with her husband and 2 boys. Roxanne is a User Research and Product Designer, and leverages her skills in research and facilitation, as well as her work in Diversity and Inclusion in the technology sector, to help build her community and raise the voice of women and other targeted groups Staten Island. She started the facebook group “Staten Island Women who March” after learning about the immense numbers of women from her community traveling to DC to the Women’s March as a way for the women to stay connected during the event. She was quickly propelled into a leadership position in order to help organize and facilitate the needs of the almost 1000 member strong group which has become a platform for under-represented communities on Staten Island. Her goal is to help build a network of strong, smart and capable Staten Island women to improve their representation in our borough.
Leslie Colon is a 25 plus year veteran of the NYC EMS and CPR instructor. Leslie has been a long time activist working on housing and political issues. She was responsible for increasing benefits for more than 10,000 Mitchell-Llama families. Through her work with communities all over NYC she has educated hundreds on how to save a life at the basic level and at a community level, engaging people to get involved in their communities. Leslie is a worldly and an outdoor type of person who loves to travel and experience new things. Leslie loves working with people and is passionate about hitting community goals.
Sarah Vilar is a retiree and lends her expertise as a former 40 year career hospital administrator to be a staunch advocate for senior citizens, quality housing and health care. She has served as past board treasurer for her 20,000 plus residents coop for several years. Sarah has been a leader in her community helping to create a positive environment for local residents spearheading neighborhood programs such as annual block celebrations for the last 20 years.
Armando Alexander Carles also known as Sandy is retired NYC Law Department professional with 40 years of experience in urban planning and development. He is a saavy administrator, facilitator and collaborator with expertise in urban planning, leasing, procurement, proposal preparation and evaluation, and overseeing contract management. He is a founding member of Latinx Unidos of Staten Island; a member of Community Board No. 1. He holds various degrees and certifications including a Masters in Urban Affairs and Planning from Hunter College and graduate studies at New York University. He is an avid collector of MOLAS indigenous textile art from the Island of San Blas, Panama.
Olga Ayala is a Nuyorican artist who grew up in the heart of Spanish Harlem. She is a graduate of The High School of Art & Design in New York City where she received most of her formal artistic training. In 1997, Olga discovered polymer clay and has since been working primarily with this medium. Her pieces employ a variety of polymer clay techniques as the core material and as accents in her overall body of work. Olga has been commissioned to design awards for special recognition events and to create custom pieces for private individuals and groups. Her skills as a Prop and Costume Designer have also extended to the Indie-Film Industry and to the Theatrical stage. During the past decade, Olga has evolved into a teaching artist. She has led classes and workshops in schools, museums and at senior citizens centers, throughout NYC and along the East Coast. She also co-founded PRIDA (Puerto Rican Institute for the Development of the Arts).
Advisory Board Leadership
Rev. Dr. Alfonso Wyatt is an Elder on the ministerial staff of The Greater Allen Cathedral A.M.E. Cathedral of New York. He provides vital leadership to youth, young adults, and professionals in both the sacred and secular communities in New York and around the country. He retired as vice president of The Fund for the City of New York after serving over two decades. Dr. Wyatt is founder of Strategic Destiny: Designing Futures Through Faith and Facts. He has mentored thousands ranging from young people in foster care and juvenile detention facilities as well as adults in prison, or individuals receiving their PhD. He serves as an advisor and consultant to government, colleges, civic groups, community based organizations, public and charter schools, education intermediaries, foundations and the faith community. Dr. Wyatt, married 39 years to Ouida C. Wyatt, co-published their first book, Soul Be Free, Poems Prose Prayers. His second book is titled Mentoring From The Inside Out: Healing Boys, Transforming Men. He is a sought after speaker in his role as youth development expert and public theologian. He attended Howard University, Columbia Teacher’s College, The Ackerman Institute for Family Therapy, Columbia Institute for Nonprofit Management and New York
Theological Seminary where he earned his D.Min. Rev. Dr. Wyatt recently joined the Board of Trustees of New York Theological Seminary; and he is a founding Board member of The Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy and served two years as Chairmen for The 21st Century Foundation.
Theological Seminary where he earned his D.Min. Rev. Dr. Wyatt recently joined the Board of Trustees of New York Theological Seminary; and he is a founding Board member of The Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy and served two years as Chairmen for The 21st Century Foundation.
The Staten Island Urban Center is a non profit (501c3) community based organization. We are grateful to all of the individuals, groups and organizations past and present who have contributed financial and in-kind resources that help us to improve the promising urban communities of Staten Island through our youth and community development work. List of funders past and present...
- Citizens Committee NYC Catalyst - Nonprofit Finance Fund
- Brooklyn Legal Associates- Take Root Justice- NYC Small Business Services
- NY Women's Foundation Girls IGNITE
- Liveable Neighborhoods Program of the NYC Municipal Arts Society
- Beacon Giving Group, an advised fund of the Brooklyn Community Foundation
- D'Addario Foundation
- NYC Council's Young Women's Leadership Initiative
- NYC Department of Youth and Community Development
- Staten Island Arts NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Premier Grant
- Citizens Committee of New York: Grantee,
- Staten Island Foundation
- NYC Commons - a project of Common Cause NY
- Poets & Writers
- Pinkerton Foundation
- Trinity Wall Street
- NYC Communities of Color Non Profit Stabilization Fund - NY Urban League and Hispanic Federation
- NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes
- NYC Office of Emergency Management
- NYC Small Business Services
- New York Lawyers Alliance and the Pro Bono Legal Services of Paul Hastings, LLP
- NY RENEWS
- City Parks Foundation
- Urban Designe Forum - The Local Center
- Wellmet Foundation
- Charles Hayden Foundation
- NYC Summer Youth Employment Program -Children's Aid Society
- Private Individuals and Anonymous Donors