Special Editorial Feature Honors Accomplished Black Leaders and Executives in New York State
Westhab, Inc. is pleased to announce Steve Myrthil, Vice President of Information Technology, has been named to Crain’s 2022 Notable Black Leaders list. This honor is awarded to those who have a proven ability to affect change in their current role and who have gone above and beyond to be a leader in matters of diversity and inclusion.
At Westhab, Myrthil is leading the charge on addressing the urgent technological needs of over 8,000 shelter and affordable housing residents across New York City and Westchester County. Since his arrival in October of 2020, he has been actively crafting a strategic plan for Westhab’s growth, leading ideation across teams, and implementing and supporting scalable solutions that allow Westhab to serve more people than ever before. This includes designing the infrastructure that provides residents with reliable broadband access and rapidly deploying technology to establish and grow Westhab’s programs. Myrthil’s work also focuses on establishing the cybersecurity platforms and practices necessary to keep Westhab’s people and information safe.
Most recently, Myrthil worked on the grand opening of the Dayspring Campus, a 63-unit affordable and supportive residence next door to the newly gut-renovated Dayspring Community Center, where Westhab provided all apartment residents and the entire community center with free Wi-Fi access. In collaboration with the Westchester County Association and the City of Yonkers, Myrthil also helped to establish the Dayspring Community Center as a home base for Project OVERCOME’s Y-Zone initiative. Project OVERCOME is a $2.7 million effort designed to expedite the delivery of broadband services to underserved communities across the United States. The Y-Zone initiative serves the Yonkers community and will act as a starting point for the future of digital connectivity.
“As a child of Haitian immigrants, I learned firsthand the importance that education and technology can have on one’s life,” said Myrthil. “While other kids in school had Apple computers, I was using a discarded typewriter I salvaged. It wasn’t until my mother saved up enough money for a PC that I was finally exposed to new technology.”
Myrthil joined Westhab after spending over 12 years in education, where he worked in charter schools with children with similar backgrounds to his own. Throughout his tenure in education, Myrthil did his utmost to help close the technological divide that exists in lower-income communities. While working with Excellence Community Schools, he led the COVID-19 EdTech strategy for students working remotely. In this role, he helped thousands of students across New York and Connecticut learn remotely during the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Myrthil is also a board member of The Ascenders, Inc., a nonprofit that utilizes higher-ed networks and knowledge to guide students to and through college successfully with the support of mentors.
“The entire Westhab team is proud of Steve for being recognized as a notable Black leader on such a prestigious list,” said Rich Nightingale, President and CEO of Westhab. “He is fiercely dedicated to serving Black communities and other underserved communities, and he is a true leader in the quest for digital equity and to close the digital divide.”
The entire Crain’s 2022 Notable Black Leaders feature can be accessed through this link HERE.
