Right now, someone you know is embattled in a conflict they don't have the skills to resolve alone. A friend is fighting with a neighbor over a parking space or the trash. A loved one is facing the devastating choice of dropping out of school to pay the bills. A family member could be struggling to decide between a bad and worse job. Right now, you know someone who needs NYCID’s help.

Communicating effectively through conflict is a cornerstone of healthy human relationships and thriving communities. For 50 years, we at New York Center for Interpersonal Development (NYCID) have nurtured people and helped them develop those skills which makes New York City move toward the goal of being a more civil and economically stable city for all.

Every day, we bring that vision closer to reality by providing youth, community, and professional development programs, each one emphasizing problem-solving, communication, trauma care, and intercultural awareness.  If not for NYCID’s services our community would not have a trusted ally in finding solutions to their everyday problems. Our neighbors would be at odds and have no choice other than arbitration; and our kids would not have mentors to help them through the tough stuff like failing out of school, homelessness, addiction, teen pregnancy, and dead-end jobs. 

Based in Staten Island, a historically underserved borough, and operating throughout New York City, our teams are embedded in schools, courts, family spaces, and neighborhoods, becoming a part of daily life for many of the more than 9,000 New Yorkers we currently serve. Our approaches include numerous innovative mediation and conflict management services, dynamic workshops centered on personal and professional development, after-school enrichment programs, alternative pathways to high school completion, dropout-prevention services, essential skills training, entry level and advanced credentialing and job placement.

Our success stems from how we bring our conflict management expertise into our focus on  youth and workforce development. Our conflict management approach leverages effective communication and addressing trauma and harm, while our youth and workforce development tactics help empower our kids through extensive social-emotional learning, goal setting, and personal leadership and essential skills training.   

Every day we are in our community helping people resolve their conflict through one-on-one mediations, conflict management and communications training. Each year we mediate more than 700 cases, and train more than 1,000 people in effective communication and conflict resolution. 

Every year over 5,200 “At-Promise'' 4 to 24 year olds begin various programs with NYCID. Each of our kids gets a fresh start. Thousands get the extra support in after school enrichment, some are being given a second chance at a high school diploma and a job.  Dozens are introduced to a NYCID Credible Messenger who helps them stay focused instead of behind bars.  

This is how we improve lives.

Dominick served as NYCID Executive Director and then as the Chief Executive Officer from 1990 to 2020.  In his thirty years of service, the organization’s budget increased from $250,000 to nearly $10,000,000. 

Over the years, many innovative approaches were implemented to broaden the scope of community mediation and youth development programs from a strong conflict resolution knowledge base.

Dominick was a doer: a long-time member of the North Shore Rotary Club; a founding member of the Black-Korean Mediation Project; a member of the City University of New York Dispute Resolution Consortium; a member of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce; a member of the I Am Staten Island Coalition; a member of the Vision for Staten Island Steering Committee; a member of the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution; served on the Board of Managers of YMCA of Greater New York Camping Services; and served as a member of the Staten Island Borough President’s Anti-Bias Task Force.

In 2012, Dominick received the Louis Miller Leadership Award by the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award from NYC Council Member Michael McMahon in 2002 for his work in improving and strengthening diverse communities on Staten Island.  Dominick received his B.A. from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York and completed graduate credits at NYU's School of Education.

Dominick was a man of service always giving to his family, friends, community, and his work. He lived a life that demands notice, unwavering in his beliefs and exemplified in his honesty and trust. He inspired people to do good and spread kindness and always looked to pave the way for others to grow. He did his all without needing thanks as this was his calling. Dominick was passionate about his work and this translated to everyone he worked with.

We will all miss this rare, positive, friendly, and charming man.

Read the SI advance Article HERE