ABOUT US

Four-time Olympian and former NCAA 400-meter champion Aliann Pompey serves as the director of the St. John’s track and field program after seven seasons as an assistant coach. Under Pompey’s leadership, the Johnnies have earned many BIG EAST Championships.  

In 2019, Pompey was named the President of the Panam Sports Athlete Commission. The Guyana native was elected to represent more than 6,600 athletes across 41 countries that compete in the Pan American Games and has served as a standing member of the Athletes’ Commission since 2015. She also serves on the organization’s executive board and as an International Olympic Committee’s Athlete Liaison. Pompey is now in her third year as the Metropolitan Athletic Conference President.
 

During Feb. 2020, World Athletics announced that the Aliann Pompey (AP) Invitational would be included on the 2020 Continental Tour. The inaugural meet held in Guyana hosted 11 athletes who went on to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio and serves as a gateway to Olympic qualification.
 

Pompey, a native of Georgetown, Guyana, brings a world-class athletic resume and the experience of representing her country in four-consecutive Summer Olympic Games to St. John’s. A 400-meter specialist who owns the South American indoor record of 51.83 seconds at the distance, Pompey adds a gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and a bronze medal at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo to a long list of accomplishments.
 

Pompey has represented her native Guyana at the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics in addition to participating in the World Championships in Athletics five times and the IAAF World Indoor Championships on four occasions. Her personal-best 400-meter time of 50.71 was achieved in August 2009 at the World Championships in Berlin, Germany. A graduate of Manhattan College, Pompey became the Jaspers’ first-ever national champion after winning the 400-meter dash at the 2000 NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships, and also added multiple Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and Metropolitan titles to her collegiate resume. A team captain during her time at Manhattan, Pompey was ranked 12th in the world in the indoor 400-meter dash as a senior at Manhattan.
 

Since retiring from competition following the London Olympic Games, Pompey has dedicated her time to Armory College Prep, a non-profit college access and success program that works to get high school students from New York City’s high need schools into college.
 

While pursuing her Olympic dreams, Pompey worked as a personal trainer at New York Sports Clubs, taught at the Harlem Academy and Urban Institute of Math and Science for Young Women, and served as a Director of Development for PowerPlay NYC and a Development Associate for Harlem Renaissance High School. A dedicated volunteer, she has also served as board member for the Manhattan College Alumni Society, regional board member for the Catholic Youth Organization and president of the Manhattan College Black Alumni Club.
 

Pompey earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance with a minor in Communications in 1999 and an M.B.A. in Finance in 2003 from Manhattan College. She moved to the United States at the age of 14 and graduated from Cohoes High School in Albany County, N.Y. she also served as a board member for the Manhattan College Alumni Society, a regional board member for the Catholic Youth Organization and president of the Manhattan College Black Alumni Club.

Joe Compagni is a Coach and Event Director with the Shore Athletic Club, New Jersey’s oldest and most well-established running club. Among the events he helps direct are the Elliott Denman NJ International Track & Field Meet, the Asbury Park George Sheehan Classic 5K, the Monmouth Mile, and the Jersey Shore Half Marathon.

Compagni also assists with collegiate competitions, serving as a technical advisor or meet referee with the IC4A/ECAC, Penn Relays, Patriot League, Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

Joe was the Director and Head Coach for Women’s and Men’s Cross Country and Track & Field at Monmouth University from 1995-2019. During that time, his teams won 60 conference titles in the Northeast Conference (NEC), the MAAC and IC4A/ECAC, including 11 straight team titles in outdoor track for both the women and the men. Compagni earned NEC, MAAC and NCAA Division I Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year honors on 58 occasions. 

A native of Cortland, NY, Joe was named one of the 25 Most Influential People in New Jersey Running in 2015; was a two-year President of the IC4A/ECAC Coaches’ Association; and served on the NCAA Division I Track & Field Executive Committee for more than a dozen years. 

Michael J. Cusick serves as President and CEO of the Staten Island Economic

Development Corporation, a non-profit organization where he brings a lifetime of

experience leading economic policy and community leadership to enhance Staten

Island’s economy. In June of 2023 he also was appointed by the Governor to

serve as a Trustee for the New York State Power Authority.

Mike represented Staten Island as a Member of the New York State Assembly

for the past twenty years. During his tenure, he authored 120 pieces of

legislation which were signed into law, including the New York I STOP law, which requires prescribers to consult the Prescription Monitoring Program registry

when writing prescriptions for controlled substances such as opioids. He also

worked with the legislature to protect families of military service members from

protests at funerals, and provided the significant Verrazzano Bridge discounts for Staten Island residents. 

Michael Cusick is a graduate of Villanova University where he was a member of the Cross-Country and Track & Field teams. Prior to being elected to the State Assembly Cusick worked for the NYC Council President’s office, was Chief of Staff for Assemblyman Eric Vitaliano, and Director of Constituent Service for U.S. Senator Charles

Schumer. He has been honored as a Belfast Ambassador by the City of Belfast, was awarded the College of Staten Island President’s Medal in 2022, and was inducted into the Msgr. Farrell High School Hall of Fame in 2007.

Mr. Cusick currently serves as a member of the Empire State Development NYC

Regional Economic Development Council and continues his public services as a member of the board for numerous organizations, including the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, American Irish Historical Society (NYC), Ocean Breeze Park Alliance, and the College of Staten Island Foundation.

Mike resides in Staten Island with his wife Yasmin and daughter Violet.

Tara Deighan has nearly 20 years of experience working for the City of New York. Currently she is the Chief of Staff for the Bureau of Public Affairs and Communications with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). A Bronx native, she grew to love Staten Island while formerly serving as a press secretary for the New York City Parks Department. Throughout her tenure at NYC Parks she oversaw press for Staten Island parks, working on various projects including the recovery and rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Sandy, the landfill-to-park transformations of Brookfield and Freshkills parks, and the construction of the Ocean Breeze Track and Field Athletic Complex. She also has experience in the nonprofit world, previously managing media relations for the Historic House Trust of New York. Tara has a B.A. in Communications from the College of Mount Saint Vincent, a M.S. in Urban Affairs from Hunter College, and a Crisis Communications Certificate from NYU. 

Sean Fortune is USATF Level II coach and the founder of Central Park Coaching – a private one-on-one coaching service for runners of all abilities located on the UES of Manhattan.

Since 1998, Sean has been a fixture in the New York City running community in many different roles – athlete, coach, event organizer and officiant, and fundraiser. As a coach, Sean held roles at New York City institutions like CUNY Hunter College, the New York Road Runners, and the St. Bernards School. Currently, he is the Head Cross Country Coach at The Hewitt School. 

In addition to impacting thousands of runners in his various coaching roles, Sean has served on the inaugural USATF-NY Executive Board as V.P. of Member Services and Manhattan Borough Representative; worked as a Running Technical Adviser for New Balance’s 2022 NYC Marathon print campaign; a featured guest on Sirius XM's Doctor Radio discussing youth running; profiled in the New York Road Runners' Fall 2013 magazine; and a frequent contributor to running articles from mainstream media outlets including GQ, NYMAG, Refinery29, Women’s Health, SHAPE, and many more.

A lifetime New Yorker, Garafola received his BA in Political Science from SUNY Buffalo where he became fascinated by a class in Environmental Planning and Design. This subsequently led him to receive a Master’s Degree from Harvard University in City and Regional Planning and an eventual career in public service. 

Garafola served with the NYC Housing Preservation and Development Agency (HPD) as Budget Director, then Assistant Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner for the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. His career at Parks spanned five mayors and six Commissioners and included an assortment of responsibilities and assignments including, Management and Budget, Public Programs, Revenue and Concessions and Special Events.

As an aside he was also instrumental in getting the Rolling Stones to actually have a news conference in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx to kick off their International Tour and arrive and depart in a full-size blimp. 

During his tenure, he was responsible for all Parks Recreation Programs, including, 35 Recreation Centers, 25 newly developed Computer Resource Centers and Special Events and program development. His mantra has always been that our New York City children, teens and adults deserve the best maintained, operated and safe facilities with quality and expert programing which all New Yorkers can be proud.

Subsequently the Ocean Breeze Track and Recreation Facility became the newest addition to the Park Recreation Center portfolio and is the largest and most sophisticated Indoor Track 

Facility on the East Coast. Garafola was closely involved in the opening, funding and staffing of Ocean Breeze Track, Recreation Facility and adjacent park. He is enthusiastic and committed to ensure that funding, staffing and programs are sustainable into the future and provide New Yorkers with the finest facilities and programming on the East Coast.

Finally, Garafola became fascinated with long distance running as a young adult and has participated in many regional races in the NY metro area including the NYC Marathon. He now is retired, an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys biking, tennis, golf and kayaking and believes New Yorkers should enjoy the opportunities to participate in indoor and outdoor activities.

On weekends Garafola spends time with his long-term partner, Ruth Baumann either enjoying the cultural and outdoor resources of NYC or at his weekend retreat in Connecticut.

Andrew Guido is a lifelong Staten Islander and member of the local running community. In addition to his role as a board member for the Ocean Breeze Park Alliance, Andrew serves as the President of New Dorp Central Civic Association, Vice President of the OLQP Sports Committee, Board Member of CEC 31 and Board Member of the SSG Michael Ollis Freedom Foundation. He also serves as the race director for the SSG Michael Ollis 5K Run & 2-Mile Walk, the first leg of Staten Island’s road racing Triple Crown and the larges road race on Staten Island. 

Andrew and his wife, Elaine, live in New Dorp with their 2 sons, Oliver and Henry. He works in Corporate Finance and hopes to maintain a pace below 9 minutes as he gets older. 

A retired competer and fair weather completer, Jon Phillips joins the Ocean Breeze Park Alliance as an industry veteran in New York City running. With nearly 20 years of experience in the industry across a variety of roles (NIKE Running/mktg, New York University, Brooks Running, and currently New York Road Runners as Director of Social Media), Jon brings a passion and expertise in helping grow and celebrate the sport of running at all levels.

A former NCAA DIII All-American and NCAA Cross Country Champion at New York University, Jon now enjoys running slower, spending time with his wife and toddler, and playing music.

Craig Sutherland is a dynamic professional with a deep-rooted passion for both the financial world and athletic excellence. With an impressive track record of 18 years on Wall Street, Craig has emerged as a distinguished figure in the realm of equity capital markets. As the Vice President of Equity Capital Markets for China Renaissance (US) Inc., he showcases his prowess in navigating the complex landscape of finance, contributing significantly to the company's success and growth.

Beyond the bustling world of finance, Craig's commitment extends to the realm of high school track and field as an assistant at Paul Robeson Campus. A true mentor and coach, he has dedicated himself to nurturing young talent, guiding them towards their personal bests and fostering a legacy of champions. Craig's coaching journey has witnessed the rise of multiple state champions, state record holders, and Division One scholarship athletes. His unique ability to instill discipline, motivation, and a winning spirit has propelled his athletes to unparalleled heights in the world of track and field.

Peter M. Trapani was born & raised in Brooklyn, NY, where he resided for 30 years of his life. He moved to Staten Island in 2011 with his wife, Nicole, who is currently a Dean at Elias Bernstein Intermediate School 7. He currently works for Nucor Steel as the Inside Sales /Operations Manager of their Northeast Distribution Division. His daughter, Sofia, is currently a freshman at Notre Dame Academy where she will be part of their soccer team & track and field program. His son, PJ, is a student athlete currently playing soccer for Player Development Academy’s (PDA) regional team and is successfully competing for the Ocean Breeze WaveRunners track team since 2019. In addition to his professional career, he dedicates his free time as a Team Parent for the OB WaveRunners helping the coaching staff with the kids and team necessities. It is because of his own children’s love for sports, and his ability to communicate with and support parents, that he has decided to join the Ocean Breeze Park Alliance.

Daniel Zarrilli is the Special Advisor for Climate and Sustainability at Columbia University where he is supporting the creation of its new, world-leading climate school and advising on pathways to achieve the university’s deep decarbonization goals. He joined Columbia University from the NYC Mayor’s Office, where he served most recently in the role of Chief Climate Policy Advisor.

Daniel is currently an author on the Fifth National Climate Assessment, a member of the New York Independent System Operator's Environmental Advisory Council, an advisor to the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy, and serves on the NYC Water Board. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in New York, a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and holds an MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from MIT and a BS in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University. He resides in Staten Island with his wife and three children.

Michael Schnall, a Staten Islander, currently works for a national non-profit and is responsible for outreach and engagement with cities across the nation. He has worked as a government relations and community engagement consultant with non-profit organizations in New York City and served as the Vice President of Government Relations for New York Road Runners, creating greater awareness of the non-profit's free youth and community programs throughout the city. Mike previously served as Staten Island Chief of Staff and Director of Government Relations for NYC Parks, where he secured money for the building and refurbishment of parks across the five boroughs, and drafted and got signed into law legislation that banned smoking in parks, and protected street trees. Mike is deeply committed to and has helped build non-profit organizations that support youth and community running in Staten Island. He earned his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and B.A from Binghamton University. In his free time, Mike enjoys spending time with his family and running, biking and exploring the Borough of Parks.