On Thursday evening at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, friends and supporters of ICL (Institute for Community Living) came together to celebrate ICL’s 31-year commitment to improving lives and strengthening communities. This year’s gala paid special tribute to Builders of the Future honoring the team responsible for translating ICL’s vision for an integrated health hub into reality.
Rafael Espinal, NYC Council Member and winner of ICL’s Spirit of Advocacy Award, and Dr. Constance Silver, winner of ICL’s Visionary Leadership Award
The annual gala supports enhancement of ICL’s work with some 10,000 New Yorkers in transitional and supportive housing, counseling, rehabilitation, and other support services. The evening’s honorees included Dr. Constance Silver (Visionary Leadership Award), Lamb Insurance Services (Corporate Citizenship Award), Dr. Sabina Lim (Health Care Innovators Award) and Council Member Rafael Espinal (Spirit of Advocacy Award).
Builders of the Future were featured in a video on the Integrated Health Hub that will open later this year in the heart of East New York. This comprehensive health, mental health, and community service center was designed to address the significant health disparities East New York has endured for generations.
(L to R) Martin Silver; Dr. Constance Silver, winner of ICL’s Visionary Leadership Award; Andrew D. Hamilton, President of NYU
“It was a moving evening, honoring community leaders and visionaries whose work improves peoples’ lives,” said David Woodlock, CEO ICL. “I’m thrilled with the support and enthusiasm we’ve received for our work, particularly on the Integrated Health Hub. There was an incredible celebratory energy in the room. I want to thank all of our amazing honorees tonight for their support of our mission and for their tireless advocacy on behalf of marginalized communities.”
ICL paid special tribute to Connie Silver, dedicated social worker, acclaimed artist, and philanthropist, who received ICL’s Visionary Leadership Award. Among those celebrating Connie was Andrew Hamilton, President of NYU. New York City Public Advocate Letitia James presented the award, acknowledging Connie’s brave fight on behalf of New York’s most vulnerable populations.
Connie’s transformative philanthropy led to the creation of the NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research that partners with organizations like ICL to address systemic inequality and economic disparities that lead to intractable poverty.
Josh Lamberg, CEO of Lamb Insurance Services, accepted the Corporate Citizenship Award. “Our company strives to support social service institutions doing critical work in our communities. We are proud to partner with ICL, an organization that has always met the challenge of providing incredibly difficult but important services. We are grateful for this recognition,” he said in his acceptance remarks.
“ICL has played a major role in advancing the critical integration of health and behavioral health. We at Mount Sinai look forward to continuing to launch innovative behavioral health strategies in partnership with ICL. This award recognizes the importance of our collaboration,” said Dr. Sabina Lim, who received the Health Care Innovators Award.
“As an organization, ICL is doing tremendous work to advocate for the health and behavioral health needs of communities like East New York. The opening of the Hub later this year will truly have a transformative impact on our community. I am thankful to ICL for this recognition and for their advocacy on behalf of individuals and families in my district,” said Council Member Rafael Espinal, who received the Spirit of Advocacy Award.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams presented the award to Espinal, his friend and former Assembly colleague.
In presenting the Builders of the Future award to the dedicated companies responsible for turning ICL’s dream of an Integrated Health Hub into reality, Adams spoke of his pride in being an early advocate for a project that will have a sustainable and meaningful on the East New York community.
More than 300 people attended this year’s gala that was emceed by Sunny Hostin, co-host of The View and Senior Legal Correspondent and Analyst for ABC News.
When the Integrated Health Hub opens later this year, the state-of- the-art, 40,000 square-foot building will bring under one roof ICL’s family support and clinical programs. They will be joined in the Center by CHN (Community Health Network), their medical services partner, working together to begin to address the dearth of services and amenities in East New York vital to good health.
ABOUT THE HONOREES
CONSTANCE SILVER
Dr. Constance Silver, Visionary Leadership Award –
A PhD, psychoanalyst, acclaimed social worker, educator, philanthropist, and extraordinary artist, throughout her life, Connie Silver has shown fierce dedication and courage as a champion in the fight against inequality. Utilizing her passion for helping others into her bold vibrant artwork which is usually in bright camouflaged and masked human abstract figures that transcend into a fantasy world.
Working together with her husband Martin, Connie has helped to transform the field of social work; setting the highest bar as a philanthropist in donating funds and using the power of giving to advance the practice and programs at NYU Silver School of Social Work to better the lives of all people.
SABINA LIM
Dr. Sabina Lim, Health Care Innovators Award –
MD, MPH, is the Vice President and Chief of Strategy of Behavioral Health for the Mount Sinai Health System and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Lim graduated from the University of Michigan with a BS in Biology, received her MD from SUNY at Buffalo School of Medicine, and her MPH from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. She completed her psychiatry residency training at Yale University Department of Psychiatry, and held various clinical and administrative positions at Yale, including Executive Director of Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital. She joined Mount Sinai Hospital in 2013 as Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs for the Department of Psychiatry, became Chief of Clinical Operations of Mount Sinai’s Behavioral Health services in 2014, and was appointed to her current roles in 2015. Dr. Lim oversees the clinical, financial and administrative performance of Behavioral Health services across Mount Sinai Health System, which includes over 350 inpatient behavioral health beds and 60 outpatient clinics and specialty programs, with over one million ambulatory visits. She is also the primary lead in population health and risk-based pilots and programs for behavioral health conditions within Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai and Dr. Lim work closely with the ICL to meet the needs of a broad network of patients.
JOSHUA LAMBERG
Lamb Insurance Services, Corporate Citizenship Award –
Josh Lamberg is the founder and CEO of Lamb Insurance Services, the nation’s largest insurance broker dedicated exclusively to social service organizations. Prior to founding Lamb Insurance Services, he worked for insurance carriers- Philadelphia Insurance Companies and Liberty Mutual. Before starting his career in the insurance industry, Josh had a short career as a professional baseball player; a catcher with several different teams including a short minor league stint with the Cincinnati Reds organization.
The values and ethics that created his success as a professional athlete are the foundation of the character embraced by every Lamb employee. Attitude, Effort, and Preparation are the core elements of his company’s success. Grit, relentless drive, and continuous improvement are Lamb’s best practices.
In college, Josh was captain of University of Richmond’s NCAA Division 1 baseball team and graduated with a degree in Rhetoric and Communication. Josh currently resides in Westchester County with his loving wife and 3 children.
RAFAEL L. ESPINAL
Rafael L. Espinal, Jr. Spirit of Advocacy Award -
Was elected to the New York City Council in 2013, as the representative for District 37. A lifelong resident of Brooklyn, Rafael L. Espinal Jr. is the Council Member for the 37th district, proudly serving the diverse communities of Bushwick, Brownsville, Cypress Hills, and East New York. Council Member Espinal is Chair of the Council’s Committee on Consumer Affairs and Business Licensing, where he has overseen the implementation of NYC’s successful Paid Sick Leave Law, passed consumer protections for women, seniors, and immigrants, and continues to fight for a more fair and vibrant marketplace in NYC.