The Knicks D-League Team Host Career Fair at Westchester County Center
The New York Knicks have started their initiative to make the new Knicks Developmental Team a success at the Westchester County Center. The Knicks D-League team has also begun fulfilling their promise to be an intricate part of the community of White Plains and Westchester County.
On Tuesday, April 1, the Knicks Developmental Team held a free Career Fair at the Westchester County Center and interviewed over 300 applicants for consideration to fill positions, including full-time marketing, sales, game presentation, and marketing partnerships for the Knicks D-League franchise.
Also, while partnering with Westchester County, there were part-time positions available with the Westchester County Center at the Career Fair.
“We are extremely excited and I am not surprised to see the crowd that attended,” stated Kathleen O’Connor, Commissioner Westchester County Parks, Recreation and Conservation. “MSG and the Knicks are fabulous organizations to be affiliated with and this is a great place to work and to work out of the Westchester County Center in White Plains is also a plus,” said O’Connor.
Bill Boyce, Vice President of Sales and Business Operations for the Knicks Developmental Team was on hand taking a personal interest in applicants. Boyce joined The Madison Square Garden Company this year, after four years as the President of NBA D-League Texas Legends, which is an affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks.
Boyce spoke personally with many applicants during the Career Fair and took a hands-on approach to hiring the best possible people to make the Knicks-D-League Team a success at the Westchester County Center.
“This is draft day for us and the people in this room are the draft pool. We can only be as successful as the people that we have working on the team. This is probably the most important day that we will have in the history of this franchise,” stated Boyce.
Applicants traveled from all over to participate in the event. Potential employees lined up at different tables of interest and Knicks D-League and Westchester Parks representatives reviewed their applications. Subsequent to their initial interview, certain applicants were called back that same afternoon for a second interview.
Gus Raynor, a 57 years old native of White Plains, is a senior custodian for the White Plains City School District. Raynor took his lunch early to attend the Career Fair, while seeking part-time employment as an usher or security personnel.
“The application was online and I came here looking for part-time positions. I think the Knicks-D-League coming to White Plains is a very good opportunity for fans, employment and for Westchester County to again be in the limelight,” commented Raynor.
Lady Johanna Renza traveled form Los Angeles, California, while seeking employment with the Knicks D-League. “A friend of mine e-mailed me about the event. In this industry it is important to let people know who you are in person as opposed to just a resume or online application,” stressed Renza, who previously worked with the Los Angeles Clippers.
This is a tremendous success anytime you have several hundred people show up for a job fair. That is a great sign and we want to help as many of them as we can,” said Boyce. “Also, the jobs help drive the local economy, so to put people to work is a good thing for all of us,” Boyce added.
The NBA NY Knicks Developmental Team will play 24 home games at the Westchester County Center November 2014 through April 2015, with the potential for six playoff games in April.
Fans can log onto NYKnicksDLeague.com to place a $100 deposit on season tickets. Individual and season tickets start at $12. There will be an Open House this month at the Westchester County Center for season ticket holders to select their seats.
The name of the new Knicks Developmental Team remained the responsibility of the fans through online voting and is yet to be determined. “We got tremendous input from the community here and all that input is being taken into consideration. We should have a name in the near future,” said Boyce.
From this local sportswriter and photographer, my suggestion is “The Knicks Promise.”
Tarrytown Resident Honored with Sweetwater Clifton “City Spirit Award”
While the New York Knicks fight for the eighth and final playoff berth in the NBA Eastern Division, the Knicks organization honored a Tarrytown resident, who fights to make a significant positive difference in the lives of children with autism.
Virginia Campbell, a Westlake Special Education Teacher from Tarrytown was the recipient of the Knicks Sweetwater Clifton “City Spirit” Award for the month of April.
The Sweetwater Clifton Award is named in honor of Nate “Sweetwater” Clifton, the first Afro-American player on the Knicks. Each month members of the Knicks front office select a winner of the “City Spirit” Award to be honored during a game and presented a $2,000 check, which is donated to the recipient’s preferred charity.
On Wednesday, April 2, Campbell was honored at center court during the Knicks versus Brooklyn Nets game, on Autism Awareness Night at MSG. She was presented a donation for $2,000, from Knicks legend John Starks.
Campbell will donate her award to Northeast Westchester Special Recreation, a community based therapeutic recreation agency serving children and adults with developmental disabilities.
Campbell has a history of over 18 years striving to develop children with autism both academically and socially. The Tarrytown resident began working as a volunteer with autistic individuals at special needs camps at the young age of 12 years old.
To date, Campbell has worked with over 100 students, ages 18 months to 18 years old with organizations including, the Mount Pleasant Central School District and Northeast Westchester Special Recreation and Autism Speaks. Campbell also started and taught the first Communications Development Class at Westlake Middle School and developed the first special education program for autistic students at the Columbus Elementary School, in Thornwood.
