AMISTAD LONG ISLAND BLACK BAR ASSOCIATION

2024 Installation:

Meet the Board

Incoming President

(Elected as President-Elect for 2022-2023)

Alyson E. Bass, Esq.

Alyson is currently in private practice serving residents of Nassau and Suffolk Counties helping to ensure that their family legacies are preserved and protected. Prior to shifting her practice to Estate Planning and Probate & Administration, Alyson was based in New York City and focused on Real Estate Litigation. For over fifteen years, Alyson successfully & fiercely litigated contract disputes, contested heirship, partition actions, foreclosures, code violations, and other matters before various state and local courts and administrative agencies, with several landmark cases having concluded in her favor.

In 2022 Alyson was appointed Principal Assistant County Attorney in Suffolk County and served as the Municipal Counsel to the County's Law Enforcement Agencies. She held that post until returning to private practice in late 2023.

Alyson has volunteered countless hours in her community, most recently serving as a Special Master to Hon. Lyle Frank in New York County Supreme Court and Arts in Education Chair of the Suffolk County Region PTA Board of Managers. Currently, Alyson serves as the Vice President of the Greater Gordon Heights Chamber of Commerce and is an Officer of Sound Justice Initiative.

Alyson has championed the mission of Amistad since joining the board in 2021. Working closely with her colleagues to ensure that AMISTAD's independent voice remains relevant and vigilant has been her priority. This year, Alyson seeks to RAISE THE BAR in providing opportunities, insight, and community to all of our member practitioners, students, and esteemed judges.

2024 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

SLATE OF NOMINEES

President-Elect

Hon. Geoffrey N. Prime

Currently, Hon. Prime sits as a District Court Judge in Nassau County, having held this position since January of 2023. Prior to that, from April of 2010 through December of 2021, he was the Mayor of South Floral Park. Judge Prime began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Nassau County from 2002-2006, after which he was the principal of a criminal law practice for 16 years, from 2006-2022.

Judge Prime has been an active member of Amistad since 2012 and has served as Parliamentarian since 2019. He looks forward to working with our incoming President and advancing her vision for our organization.

Vice President - Programming

Jamie Milfort (Eliassant), Esq.

Jamie Milfort is an Associate at Rivkin Radler LLP in their Insurance Fraud Practice group. She focuses her practice on insurance defense and no-fault insurance fraud matters.

Prior to joining Rivkin Radler, Jamie was an Assistant District Attorney at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office prosecuting DWIs and drug-related crimes.

Jamie has served on the board of AMISTAD as both Corresponding Secretary and Recording Secretary. Elevating to the role of VP-Programming will allow Jamie to better develop programs that appeal to and engage our Membership.

Vice President - Membership

Lisa A. Harvey, Esq.

Lisa A. Harvey, Esq. is a Matrimonial and Family Law Attorney admitted to practice law in the states of New York and New Jersey. At the outset of her career, she represented victims of domestic violence, rape and sexual assault. Later in her practice, she represented clients in Supreme Court and Family Court, both in Suffolk and Nassau Counties.

Ms. Harvey currently holds the position of Principal Law Clerk in the Suffolk County Supreme Court – Matrimonial Part. She is an active member of the legal community and a member of the Suffolk County Bar Association, Amistad Black Bar Association and New York State Bar Association and New Jersey Bar Association. She also sits on the New York State Attorney Grievance Committee.

Ms. Harvey earned her Juris Doctor degree at Western Michigan University where she graduated with honors. She has a Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology.

She is proud and honored to be called to serve as a member of the board of the Amistad Long Island Black Bar Association.

Recording Secretary

Tyleana K. Venable, Esq.

Tyleana K. Venable is an Associate at Jaspan Schlesinger Narendran LLP in Garden City, NY. Her practice is focused on providing real-time guidance to public school districts and public libraries on issues of, inter alia, policy development, student privacy, school board elections, Title IX, and special education.

Prior to joining Jaspan, Tyleana was a litigator in federal court and during law school, clerked for Hon. Judge Denise Hochul and Hon. Judge Walter Ruehle of the Executive Office for Immigration Review.

Tyleana is looking forward to becoming a board member of AMISTAD as she believes in the power of representation and the importance of creating a platform for underrepresented voices in the legal profession.

By being actively involved in the association, she plans to contribute to the development of programs and initiatives that address the unique challenges faced by Black legal professionals. Serving on the board is a meaningful way for her to give back to the community and work towards a more equitable legal landscape.

Corresponding Secretary

Blaise A. Gibson, Esq.

Blaise A. Gibson, Esq. is the first attorney appointed by the New York State Office of Cannabis Management and serves as its Assistant Counsel. Before his appointment, he was a NYS Excelsior Fellow from 2019-21, working at the Department of Health and tasked to oversee legal matters related to the use of medical marijuana in New York State as part of the Department’s role under the Public Health Law. Blaise graduated from Brooklyn Law School, has a B.S. from Hofstra University, and earned an Associate's degree from Nassau Community College.  He is a native of Hempstead, New York, and he resides in Wheatley Heights with his forever-bride Stephanie, twin boys Mason & Micah and daughter Mia.

Blaise understands that Amistad brings together a rich community of attorneys of color, and aims to ensure that we stay connected. This profession comes with great honor and responsibility, which can also be a tremendous burden. We sometimes carry this burden in isolation even though we all are carrying it together - so let's lean on each other as we strive to strengthen this esteemed community of legal practitioners. Thank you for this opportunity.

Join us for the Installation of our 2024 Executive Committee

Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at 6:30 P.M.,

Rivkin Radler, LLP | RXR Plaza

Ballot Voting & Networking 6:30-7:00 P.M.

Special Meeting commences promptly at 7:00 P.M.

Refreshments will be served.

https://bit.ly/AMISTAD2024

Become a Dues Paid Member for 2024!

Click Here to Complete the Application.

If you are a continuing member or need to make payment: Click Here

or pay with Paylink: https://pay.amistadjournal.com/2024dues

*Memberships are for one (1) calendar year and are not prorated*

2024 Membership Benefits include:

• AMISTAD LAPEL PIN
• Weekly Job Listings through email
• Members Only Chat for Referrals, Events Postings, Practice Questions and other information sharing
• Priority registration for limited events
• Discounts & Specials with local and national vendors
• Directory Listing on our upcoming online member database: photo, practice area(s), contact info & links
• Committee participation/leadership opportunities

2024 Committee Appointments are pending!

2024 Members may express interest by emailing:

President@amistadblackbar.org

Open Committees Include:

Amistad Institute

Community Outreach

Law School/Student Committee

Programming

Membership

Gala

To learn more about AMISTAD LI Black Bar Assn, visit our website - www.amistadblackbar.org

AMISTAD 2024: Raising the Bar - Empowering Excellence in the Law