News | COVID-19
Alumni Lead the Way in COVID-19 Response
As an unprecedented global pandemic hit the United States last spring, Brooklyn Law School alumni were among those leading the response. In the public and private sectors and across practice areas, they rose to the urgent challenges and helped chart a course forward.
Camille Joseph Varlack headshot
Camille Joseph Varlack ’03
Founding partner and COO, Bradford Edwards & Varlack

In late March, Varlack, who specializes in risk and crisis management, packed a bag and relocated from Brooklyn to Albany at the request of the administration of Governor Andrew Cuomo to join the task force developing New York State’s initial response to the COVID-19 crisis.

We were a very small, tight-knit group, and we worked every single day. For me, it was an incredible opportunity to serve with the people in New York State government. Seeing what we were able to accomplish, seeing how sister agencies rolled up their sleeves and volunteered to help, was unbelievable.

We had to be willing to make tough decisions at times, but you can do that while still motivating people. I loved the fact that in every press conference, the governor would say, “I didn’t do it. We did it. We New Yorkers can figure it out, and we can get it done.”

Cole Riley headshot
Cole Riley ’16
President, Founders Give

In March, Riley launched Founders Give, an initiative streamlining food and beverage donations from the biggest brands in the country to support frontline healthcare workers across New York City. It quickly became the largest food drive in the city, collecting and donating 2.2 million products to 100,000-plus healthcare workers and patients at 51 hospitals.

At the height of the pandemic, there was no organization focused on getting essentials into our overloaded hospitals. We succeeded in bringing together a massive community of 300 brands, including KIND and Chobani, and made it easy for them to have a direct impact on those in need. Since then, we’ve been looking beyond hospitals and into our communities to fight food insecurity. Later this year, we’re launching our Direct-to-Need pilot program to disrupt the outdated food pantry model by delivering healthy and nutritious essentials directly to the doors of those in need.
Stan Wilcox headshot
Stan Wilcox ’88
Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

Since the cancellation of all collegiate sports in the spring and the challenge of restarting amid an ongoing pandemic, Wilcox has taken part in developing the fall season, addressing the concerns of student athletes, and rethinking recruiting.

Collegiate athletics is like a public trust now. What would help us the most is the same as what will help everybody in our nation: Wear masks. Continue to socially distance. Follow the guidance of the CDC leadership. If we would all get together and do these things, that’s what would help our student athletes the most—as well as their friends and families. And almost everybody, I think, would like to see sports get back to normal.
Daryn A. Grossman headshot
Daryn A. Grossman ’93
Managing Partner, Proskauer Rose

Over the last several months, Grossman has been responsible for steering a global law firm through the financial pressures of COVID-19, as well as ensuring the health and safety of more than 725 attorneys around the world.

As the pandemic set in, our lawyers made it their first priority to reach out to our clients and let them know we are here to help them navigate uncharted waters. We are in the relationship business, and this has been an opportunity for us to strengthen those ties. So, we’ve taken a “video first” rule of thumb, which has produced a level of professional intimacy that we never had before. Seeing people’s home offices, their pets walking behind camera, and the occasional child wandering in, personalizes our interactions in a way that doesn’t happen in an office.
Ross Levi headshot
Ross Levi ’97
Executive Director & Vice President, NYS Division of Tourism, Empire State Development

New York’s billion-dollar tourism industry, which attracts more than 250 million visitors a year, has been devastated by the pandemic. Levi has helped reimagine what a tourism promotion organization does when people can’t travel as they once did, leading New York State’s tourism response as the country locked down this spring and summer. Through iloveny.com and social media, the agency has coordinated with business owners to provide information on how residents can recreate locally and safely.

New Yorkers are resilient. In recent years, we survived 9/11, a major blackout, and catastrophic storms, and we’ve emerged stronger every time. While this pandemic has been devastating, it has also brought out the best in people. I’m confident the collective work of New York State’s tourism industry will position the state for a strong recovery when it is safe to fully travel once again.
Camille Joseph Varlack ’03
Founding partner and COO, Bradford Edwards & Varlack

In late March, Varlack, who specializes in risk and crisis management, packed a bag and relocated from Brooklyn to Albany at the request of the administration of Governor Andrew Cuomo to join the task force developing New York State’s initial response to the COVID-19 crisis.

We were a very small, tight-knit group, and we worked every single day. For me, it was an incredible opportunity to serve with the people in New York State government. Seeing what we were able to accomplish, seeing how sister agencies rolled up their sleeves and volunteered to help, was unbelievable.

We had to be willing to make tough decisions at times, but you can do that while still motivating people. I loved the fact that in every press conference, the governor would say, “I didn’t do it. We did it. We New Yorkers can figure it out, and we can get it done.”

Cole Riley ’16
President, Founders Give

In March, Riley launched Founders Give, an initiative streamlining food and beverage donations from the biggest brands in the country to support frontline healthcare workers across New York City. It quickly became the largest food drive in the city, collecting and donating 2.2 million products to 100,000-plus healthcare workers and patients at 51 hospitals.

At the height of the pandemic, there was no organization focused on getting essentials into our overloaded hospitals. We succeeded in bringing together a massive community of 300 brands, including KIND and Chobani, and made it easy for them to have a direct impact on those in need. Since then, we’ve been looking beyond hospitals and into our communities to fight food insecurity. Later this year, we’re launching our Direct-to-Need pilot program to disrupt the outdated food pantry model by delivering healthy and nutritious essentials directly to the doors of those in need.
Stan Wilcox ’88
Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

Since the cancellation of all collegiate sports in the spring and the challenge of restarting amid an ongoing pandemic, Wilcox has taken part in developing the fall season, addressing the concerns of student athletes, and rethinking recruiting.

Collegiate athletics is like a public trust now. What would help us the most is the same as what will help everybody in our nation: Wear masks. Continue to socially distance. Follow the guidance of the CDC leadership. If we would all get together and do these things, that’s what would help our student athletes the most—as well as their friends and families. And almost everybody, I think, would like to see sports get back to normal.
Daryn A. Grossman ’93
Managing Partner, Proskauer Rose

Over the last several months, Grossman has been responsible for steering a global law firm through the financial pressures of COVID-19, as well as ensuring the health and safety of more than 725 attorneys around the world.

As the pandemic set in, our lawyers made it their first priority to reach out to our clients and let them know we are here to help them navigate uncharted waters. We are in the relationship business, and this has been an opportunity for us to strengthen those ties. So, we’ve taken a “video first” rule of thumb, which has produced a level of professional intimacy that we never had before. Seeing people’s home offices, their pets walking behind camera, and the occasional child wandering in, personalizes our interactions in a way that doesn’t happen in an office.
Ross Levi ’97
Executive Director & Vice President, NYS Division of Tourism, Empire State Development

New York’s billion-dollar tourism industry, which attracts more than 250 million visitors a year, has been devastated by the pandemic. Levi has helped reimagine what a tourism promotion organization does when people can’t travel as they once did, leading New York State’s tourism response as the country locked down this spring and summer. Through iloveny.com and social media, the agency has coordinated with business owners to provide information on how residents can recreate locally and safely.

New Yorkers are resilient. In recent years, we survived 9/11, a major blackout, and catastrophic storms, and we’ve emerged stronger every time. While this pandemic has been devastating, it has also brought out the best in people. I’m confident the collective work of New York State’s tourism industry will position the state for a strong recovery when it is safe to fully travel once again.