2024 Election Information

Section 1. President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board; shall be an ex-officio member of all committees; shall appoint the Secretary and Treasurer for the Council; shall appoint the Chairs for each of the standing committees; and shall serve as immediate past President in the succeeding year.

Section 2. President-Elect. The President-Elect shall serve as a member of the Council; shall, in the absence of the President, assume all the duties and privileges of the President; shall permanently assume the duties of the President until the next election should the President resign or otherwise be unable to perform the duties of the office.

Section 3. Secretary. The Secretary shall record and maintain the minutes of meetings of the Council; shall prepare the correspondence of the Council; shall maintain files of all matters pertaining to the Council; shall serve as a member of the Council; and shall perform such other duties as the President may direct.

Section 4. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall act as Treasurer of the Council. The Treasurer shall serve as the chair of the Finance Committee and will faithfully execute the policies and procedures the Finance Committee establishes. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection and dispersal of funds in accordance with such policies as may be established by the Council.

Section 5. Duties of the Council. The Council will set guidelines and provide general chapter oversight including program and finance, ensure a regular audit is conducted, and other duties as required.

Joel Desouve currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff to a New York City Council Member and the Chair of the Committee on Education. Before this role, he was the Director of Policy, Budget & Infrastructure at the New York City Council. In that position, Joel managed large budgets, conducted legislative research, and worked closely with city agencies and nonprofits. He played a key role in overseeing a budget of over $60 million and allocating more than $22 million for capital projects and local organizations. In the past, he has worked at the Baruch College and interned for Jumaane D. Williams, the Public Advocate of New York City, and Assembly Member Mathylde Frontus. In these roles, he proposed impactful policies and collaborated with community leaders and officials. Joel also currently serves as the Secretary of ASPA New York Metro.

Joel holds a Master of Public Administration from Baruch College’s Marxe School of Public & International Affairs, where he also served as the President of the Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society. Joel also has a BS in Public Affairs with honors and a minor in Communication Studies. Volunteering with organizations such as the Salvation Army and the International Rescue Committee has given Joel a strong background in community engagement and social services. Additionally, his ability to speak French, Haitian Creole, and intermediate Spanish enhances his capacity to collaborate with professionals from diverse backgrounds and in diverse environments. 

Manuel Gonzalez started his career with the U.S Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division in 2017 as an Investigator in the Albany District Office where he conducted various investigation under the acts enforced by the Wage and Hour Division. After a few years of working as an investigator in the Albany District Office Manuel was promoted to Assistant District Directors for the NYC District Office. In his current role he oversees a team of investigators who conducts investigations that are related to advancing the mission of the U.S. Department of Labor. 

Manuel has a master’s degree in public administration from John Jay College of Criminal with a dual concentration in Management & Operations and Human Resources Management. Manuel earned his bachelor’s degree also from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Criminal Justice with a minor in Law.

Manuel is also currently a mentor within the United States Department of Labor Mentoring @ Labor since 2024 and a mentor at John Jay College of Criminal Justine within Alumni Engagement department since 2022 to present. 

Rinchen Lama is a public administration professional with over 3 years of Human Resources experience working at CUNY School of Professional Studies. Lama is currently pursuing her MPA at CUNY Baruch College where she was the Secretary of the Baruch College MPA Club for a year. Lama is interested in public service especially regarding public finance, retirement, social security, and health care access. Lama also has experience with data analysis, social media content development, auditing, and policy implementation. Lama also keeps up to date on her workplace’s policies, federal guidelines, and rules on a regular basis to better serve in HR.