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Veolia Launches New York State’s First Water Affordability Program
As part of its four-year rate plan, Veolia North America has initiated New York State’s Water Affordability Program to assist financially vulnerable water utility customers in New York. Under this new program, qualified residential customers will be able to access bill discounts of up to 25 percent with additional benefits that include boosted rebates on certain water-saving appliances.
Veolia’s Affordability Program is designed to create a financial cushion for customers who are facing a hardship that could prevent their ability to stay current on paying their basic expenses. It offers a lifeline to families that find themselves in financial distress and is also structured to help customers access assistance before unpaid bills become a family crisis.
“Losing a job, raising a family, unexpected medical bills — there are so many reasons we can find ourselves behind on affording basic services, said Chris Graziano, Regional President of Veolia’s New York operations and chairperson of the New York Chapter of the National Association of Water Companies. “That’s why we want to make sure we provide as much access as possible to the assistance customers need, when they need it most,”
Veolia’s residential customers who previously received benefits under the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) will automatically be enrolled for the first year. Customers are also eligible for the program if they participated in another utility affordability program in the last 12 months or received assistance through qualifying government programs, including:
- Supplemental Security Income
- Temporary Assistance to Needy Persons/Families
- Safety Net Assistance
- Medicaid
- Federal Lifeline Program
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
- Tribal Head Start
- Tribal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
Veolia’s Water Affordability Program is being administered by NJ Shares. Customers who believe they qualify for the program are encouraged to enroll by contacting NJ Shares (Mon.- Fri.; 8:30am – 5:30pm): apply.njsharesgreen.org; info@njshares.org; (866) 657-4273
ARTSROCK Names Laura Steinberger Managing Director
ArtsRock has named Laura Steinberger as its Managing Director. Steinberger succeeds Founding Managing Director, Dara Falco, who led the organization for fifteen years. Laura brings to the position a wealth of experience in executive leadership, strategic planning, finance and development and ArtsRock is delighted to welcome her to the leadership team.
ArtsRock is especially grateful to Dara Falco for her years of commitment and dedication to ArtsRock’s mission of bringing the arts to the community in Rockland and beyond, the organization said in a press release. “Through Dara’s tireless work and dedication as Managing Director, she has made possible fifteen seasons of adventurous and inspiring programming to benefit the community and increased funding to support new initiatives through the years.”
“As we say goodbye and thank you to Dara Falco for 15 years of professionalism and friendship, we welcome Laura Steinberger,” said Elliott Forrest, ArtsRock’s Executive Artistic Director. “We are all excited about ArtsRock going into our 16th Season of professional performing arts in our community.”
Steinberger’s previous positions include Chief Operating Officer of The Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation and Senior Vice President, Marketing and Thought Leadership at Neuberger Berman. A long-time Nyack resident, she graduated from Columbia University with both an MBA in Finance and a BA (Art History and French). She has been active in the community as a volunteer with Homes for Heroes Rockland and as a former member of the South Nyack Comprehensive Planning Board.
“As a long-time Nyack resident, I recognize the important role that ArtsRock plays in promoting artistic expression and bringing the community together,” said Steinberger. “I’m thrilled by the opportunity to apply my financial and operational skills to support and grow its impact on the cultural fabric of our county.”
Founded in 2008, ArtsRock’s mission is to produce or sponsor arts, multi-cultural and entertainment programming for the benefit of diverse audiences in and around Rockland County. This fall, ArtsRock begins its 16th season, bringing the Rockland community together with concerts, family shows, celebrity interviews, one-of-a-kind original productions and multi-media events.
ArtsRock begins its 2024-25 Season on Saturday November 9th with a Classical Candlelight Concert featuring Trio Fadolín. Further information and tickets at ArtsRock.org
RCC Awarded $51,557 Grant From Office of the SUNY Provost & Innovative Research Council
Rockland Community College (RCC) has been awarded a $51,557 grant from the Office of the SUNY Provost and the Innovative Instruction Research Council to support a year-long project titled “The Digital/Print Divide: Bridging the Gap to Promote Equitable Access to Digital OER Across the Disciplines.”
The project involves collaboration among eight RCC faculty members across eight disciplines, which includes faculty from SUNY Potsdam and several other SUNY institutions. The goal is to improve digital literacy among faculty and students. The initiative aims to benefit the entire SUNY system, enhancing the effectiveness of Open Educational Resources (OER) and ensuring equal access to digital content.
The grant was awarded through the Innovative Instruction Technology Grants (IITG) program, which is open to SUNY faculty and support staff from all disciplines. The program encourages the development of innovations aligned with the Power of SUNY’s transformative vision. Grant recipients, including RCC, will share project outcomes in the SUNY Learning Commons, allowing colleagues across SUNY to replicate and expand upon these innovations.
Rockland Community College’s Open Educational Resources (OER) Committee has rapidly expanded its membership, representing diverse disciplines across the institution, in response to the increasing adoption of OER in classrooms.
“Building on the Committee’s and SUNY’s mission of promoting equity and access, we recognize the need for research-based training for faculty and students, focusing on effective digital literacy strategies to enhance the use of OER,” said Rachel Kraushaar, Associate Professor of English. “The SUNY IITG grant has provided us with the opportunity to implement these practices at RCC and share them with other SUNY campuses.”
Rachel Kraushaar and Talia Lipton, Associate Professor of Communication Studies, co-lead the IITG Grant initiative, spearheading the project with eight other faculty and staff members. The team is dedicated to advancing the mission of improving access to educational resources and fostering meaningful engagement through innovative digital literacy initiatives.
The project will culminate in a presentation at the SUNY CIT Conference in May 2025, highlighting the outcomes and insights gained throughout the year.
