Team - New York Safety and Training

Mike O’Donnell

President and C.E.O.

Mike is originally from Flatbush, Brooklyn, and has a lifelong relationship with safety and service. His father and three older brothers were NYC firefighters, and his fourth brother is a Sergeant with the NYPD. Instead of joining the FDNY or NYPD, Mike chose to serve our great country in the U.S. Navy. Mike graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis, MD) and served as a carrier-based Naval Flight Officer with multiple combat deployments and later served as a senior military instructor at the Naval Academy. After resigning his commission to pursue teaching, Mike taught at St. John’s University, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, The Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), and Nassau Community College before founding New York Safety and Training in June of 2014. Mike is an OSHA authorized outreach trainer in the Construction and General Industries and brings his lifelong passion for education and service to the development and administration of all of NYST’s safety training. Mike lives in Rockaway Beach, NY, where he enjoys running on the boardwalk and walking his three dogs on the beach.

Joseph O’Donnell

Vice President

Joseph has a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Health and Safety and has spent his entire adult life as a safety professional. Joseph is a retired New York City firefighter, where he was assigned to Special Operations, worked as a rescue technician, and taught at the Fire Department Training Academy. Joseph also served our country for 22 years as a Naval reservist as a SeaBee (Construction Battalion). After the fire department, Joe continued in the safety field as a safety engineer on the East Side Access Transportation project and on the Madison Square Garden Transformation, as well as other major NYC projects. Additionally, He has provided safety training to U.S. military and consultants in Iraq, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. Joseph is a married father of four living in Massapequa, NY.

Sharon O’Donnell

Chief Operations Officer

Before joining NYST, Sharon was the Executive Assistant to Executive Counsel and General Counsel for the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) for 20 years. At MLBPA, Sharon organized international and domestic special events and travel, oversaw renovations at MLB stadiums, traveled to Florida and Japan to support players during training and all-star games, and managed MLBPA intern hiring and supervision. Prior to working for the Players Association, Sharon was the assistant manager at the Harbor Light Restaurant for 8 years and a flight attendant for several years. Sharon now puts her decades of organizational, operational, management, and customer care experience to work in service of NYST’s instructors, students, and clients. Sharon is originally from Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Massapequa, NY with her family.

Alejandro Alvares

Instructor

Alejandro is a minority owner of a social enterprise, Envirolution One, which provides energy efficiency training and connects participants to the industry, and he also manages a DOL-funded construction training program for Youth Action YouthBuild in East Harlem for young adults ages 17-24 who are pursuing their high school equivalency diploma.. Prior to Envirolution and YouthBuild, Alejandro joined Americorps as a first-grade teacher assistant at Jefferson Elementary School in New Rochelle and then was a Journeyman Journeyman in Local 157 Carpenters Union in New York City for five years. Alejandro is an OSHA authorized outreach trainer for Construction, and he also delivers Green Construction skills training and NCCER Certifications. Alejandro was born in Port Chester, NY and now lives in New Rochelle.

Ana Lucas

Instructor

Ana has nearly 25 years of experience in the construction industry, with a focus on electrical contracting. In 2004, Ana was one of the founders of Starlite Electric, which specializes in Commercial and Industrial Electrical Contracting. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Education from Rutgers University and a Master’s Degree in Administration from Nova University. Ana is an OSHA authorized outreach trainer in the Construction industry and teaches most of NYST’s Brooklyn Spanish weekend classes. Ana is originally from Spain and lives in Howell, NJ with her husband and two children.

Balfour Albacarys

Instructor

Balfour “Rico” Albacarys was born in Colombia and emigrated to the United States when he was four years old and speaks fluent Spanish. Rico served in the United States Armed Forces for 24 years, 13 years with the U.S. Army and 11 years with the U.S. Navy. In the Navy, Rico was a SeaBee (Construction Battalion) and served as his Battalion’s Safety Petty Officer and mishap investigator. Rico is now a Uniformed Park Officer for New York City Parks and Recreation and is the Parks Department’s lead trainer for the borough of Queens. He has an Associate Degree in Communication from the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC). Rico is an OSHA authorized outreach trainer in the Construction and General Industries and teaches most of NYST’s Bronx Spanish classes. Rico lives with his wife and three children in Jackson Heights, Queens.

Brian Bowers

Instructor

Brian Bowers spent seven years as a union plumber with Local 9 and then six years as a union laborer with Local 79. Brian is a military veteran and served four years with the U.S. Army as a 31 uniform Signals Support. Brian is an OSHA authorized outreach trainer in the Construction industry and regularly teaches Brooklyn and onsite safety classes for NYST. Brian grew up in Hells Kitchen, NYC and now lives in Bayonne, NJ with his wife and three children.

Brian Schroeder

Instructor

Brian has spent six years working in construction health and safety. In 2011 he started with New Jersey’s largest electrical utility company (PSE&G) as a site safety professional. Brian now works as a Field Safety Professional for a union electrical contractor in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Before his career led him to construction health and safety, driven by the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks, Brian joined the United States Army. He served two overseas tours in the Global War on Terror. Brian now lives in Cherry Hill, New Jersey with his wife and 6 children.

Cristiano Godoy

Instructor

Cristiano has almost 15 years working in construction industry with a focus health and safety in the past five years. He previously lived in Florida where he owned his own construction company for five years. He continued as a coating inspector, where he realized the need for emphasis on safety knowledge in the work place. Shortly after moving to NJ, he became a Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) and an OSHA authorized outreach trainer. Cristiano is Brazilian but is fluent in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. Although Cristiano misses Florida weather, he lives happily in Bridgewater, New Jersey with his wife and two daughters.

Diane Kelly

Instructor

Diane has over twenty years of experience as an educator for NYC Department of Education at schools in Brooklyn and East Harlem. Diane teaches Chemistry, Earth Science, and Spanish to General Education and Special Education students. Diane is an OSHA authorized outreach trainer for Construction and General Industry. Diane speaks fluent Spanish and teaches both English and Spanish classes for NYST; as a professional educator, she has provided essential contributions to NYST curriculum development. Diane grew up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and now lives in Nanuet with her husband and their four sons.

Ed Opfer

Instructor

Ed has over 30 years of experience in Safety and Emergency Preparedness, both as a responder and a trainer. Ed served the city of New York for 21 years as an NYC firefighter. During his tenure in the FDNY, Ed responded and assisted with the search and rescue effort during the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks and with the response and recovery phase in the months that followed. Ed currently manages the Americas Region for an international financial banking firm as Vice President of Health & Safety. Ed has a Master of Science in Emergency Management from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and is an OSHA Authorized Trainer for General Industry and the Construction Industry. Ed is a native New Yorker who grew up in Manhattan and continues to work in Manhattan.

Jack LaMantia

Instructor

Jack has managed Safety and Health programs as a director for over 30 years and has been in construction for over 44 years. He is a Certified Safety Professional with a Master’s Degree in Environmental Occupational and Health Sciences. Jack became the Director of Health and Safety for Brooklyn Union Gas and retired after 30 years of service. Jack then held a position for 10 years as a Project Director managing an environmental health and safety auditing consultant’s contract for a major New York City Public Agency and then served for 4 years as the NY Metro region Director of Environmental Health and Safety for a global construction company. Jack is an OSHA authorized outreach trainer for the Construction industry and holds a certification as an Associate in Risk Management. Jack was born in East Flatbush and now resides in Staten Island with his family.

Javier Gallardo

Instructor

Jim Krebs

Instructor

Jim is an OSHA authorized outreach trainer in General Industry and Construction. In addition to teaching for New York Safety and Training, Jim is currently employed as an Equity Trader at Pzena Investment Management, where he has run the Trading Desk for the last 20 years. Prior to that, he was a Trader and Operations assistant at Brown Brothers Harriman. Jim attended Boston College as an undergraduate, and received his MBA from Fordham. He grew up in Queens and now resides in Westchester.

Junior Sappleton

Instructor

Lloyd Hunsdorfer

Instructor

Lloyd is a retired New York City Licensed Master Plumber who owned and operated his own successful plumbing company for over 35 years, serving the five boroughs of New York City.
Lloyd is now the nationwide safety and plumbing instructor for Roto Rooter.
Prior to his plumbing career Lloyd served in the U.S. Navy for eight years at the Naval Amphibious Force stationed in Norfolk, Virginia where he achieved the rank of “Chief Hull Technician” for four years followed by two years of reserve duty. Lloyd is an OHSA authorized outreach trainer for Construction and General Industry. Lloyd was born in Cleveland, Ohio and lives on Staten Island with his wife, with whom he has 3 children and 8 grandchildren.

Luisa Arias

Instructor

Nereo Hutchion

Instructor

Phil Chodroff

Instructor

Phil has 35 years of experience in the construction industry and has always prioritized safety in his various projects. Phil began as a carpenter but also has experience in the solar, granite and stone fabrication, metal working, and high-end furniture industries. Phil has been contracted for work at many of the nation’s most prestigious universities, schools. libraries, and private companies. Phil is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and an OSHA authorized outreach trainer in Construction and General Industry. Even after training thousands of students, Phil still considers himself a student and is pursuing a Masters Degree in Occupational Health and Safety.

Sharlene Lawrence

Instructor

Sharlene is a carpenter by trade, out of Union Local 157, with a family history in the industry. Her grandfather was a carpenter from Jamaica and her father was an electrician from Belize. Sharlene has been working with and providing carpentry training to under-privileged youth in Harlem for more than a decade. Sharlene is an OSHA authorized outreach trainer for Construction and General Industry and teaches both with NYST. Sharlene is originally from Belize and lives in Harlem with her husband of 25 years and their three children.

Amelia

Receptionist

Amelia oversees phone lines and greets all our students at NYST’s Brooklyn Training Center. Amelia has a Bachelors of Arts degree in History from Fordham University and teaches Spanish classes to elementary school children in local afterschool programs. Amelia is originally from Nicaragua and speaks fluent Spanish and French. She lives in Brooklyn with her two children.

Brendan

Administrative Assistant

Brendan provides admin support for the NYST Brooklyn location and often oversees multiple Brooklyn classes. He is skilled with computers and helps keep many files updated and organized. He graduates from Chaminade High School in 2018 and aspires to attend the University of Massachusetts to pursue a career in Veterinary medicine. Brendan has taken six years of Spanish throughout his schooling and loves administering Spanish classes. Brendan is from Nassau County and currently lives there with his family.

Daniel

Admin Assistant

Daniel provides admin support for the NYST Brooklyn Training Center and often oversees multiple Brooklyn classes. He is highly skilled with computers and is integral to NYST recordkeeping and class management. He graduated from Baruch High School in 2015 and is aspiring to attend college for Information Technology. Daniel understands basic Spanish and is happy to assist with Spanish classes and students. Daniel is from Manhattan and lives in the West Village with his family.

Deana

Administrative Assistant

Deana provides admin support for NYST classes in Brooklyn and the Bronx. Deana is a senior in high school and will continue her education at the College of New Jersey for Engineering Education. Deane lives in New Jersey with her parents and brother.

Fara

Administrative Assistant

Fara provides administrative support to NYST Bronx classes. Fara is a senior in high school in Harlem and hopes to become a chef. She lives in the Bronx with her mother and five siblings.

Janellie

Administrative Assistant

Janellie provides admin support for NYST Queens and Bronx classes. Janellie recently graduated from Central Park East high school and now attends the SUNY Potsdam, majoring in Mathematics and Education. Janellie speaks fluent Spanish and lives in Washington Heights with her family.

Karen Carney

Office Manager

Karen Carney is an integral part of the NYST team as a part-time Office Manager for our Brooklyn Training Center. When not working with NYST, Karen is a preschool teacher in Nassau county. Karen holds a BA degree from Brooklyn College and a MA from Tuoro University. Karen was born and raised in Flatbush, Brooklyn and now lives in Nassau county with her husband and four children.

Maci

Administrative Assitant

Maci provides administrative assistance at NYST’s Brooklyn Training Center. Maci attends high school in Nassau County, where she studies American Sign Language. Maci lives in Nassau County with her parents and three siblings.

Mairead

Administrative Assitant

Mairead provides administrative assistance at NYST’s Brooklyn Training Center. Mairead attends high school in Brooklyn. Mairead lives in Brooklyn with her parents and three siblings.

Reana

Administrative Assistant

Ron

Administrative Assistant

Sabrina

Senior Administrative Assistant

Silvia Posada

Office Manager

Siobhan

Social Media and Contact Manager

Siobhan works remotely for NYST doing assorted data entry, class filings, client correspondence, and social media work while pursuing her Masters in Occupational Therapy at Tennessee State University in Nashville. When home in New York, Siobhan serves as an NYST assistant Office Manager at our Bronx location. Siobhan graduated from SUNY Cortland in 2016 with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Psychology. Siobhan was born and raised in Nassau County and now lives in Nashville, Tennessee.