Kevin Nunn: President of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp., an arm of the borough president's office. Nunn started with the corporation 10 years ago, and returned as president last year after seven years as an aide to Ferrer. The corporation will oversee the disbursal of the $51 million in empowerment zone grants the borough expects from the federal, state and city governments.
Fernando Ferrer: As borough president, Ferrer submitted his own plan to the feds, trying to include more of the borough in the zone. His plan lost to the one that Reps. Charles Rangel (D-Manhattan) and Jose Serrano (D-South Bronx) submitted. He and Serrano have quarreled over the right to name a member of the advisory board for the New York zone.
Jose Serrano: His competing plan stoked the fires of a decade-long political feud with Ferrer.
America Works: Fast-growing, for-profit job training firm. America Works is named in the Bronx zone budget outline as a potential contract winner. The company already places about 500 city residents in jobs each year. America Works has a policy of not accepting payment until it places its clients.
Francesco Galesi: Chairman of the Galesi Group, a real estate and telecommunications company developing the Harlem Rail Yards, one of the largest open tracts of land within the zone. He was invited by Nunn to attend a recent community meeting on the zone's proposed budget.
South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp.: Non-profit job education and training firm. The city recently decided to cut off a training grant from to it; a city spokeswoman said "a lot of weight was placed on past performance." Its leader is John Patterson, who, according to ®MDUL¯New York Newsday, makes $190,000 a year at a time when 225 jobs have been lost in his area.
George Steinbrenner: As principal owner of the Yankees, Steinbrenner would benefit from myriad tax breaks. Ferrer fought hard to ensure that Yankee Stadium made the final plan. Steinbrenner, who also was invited by Nunn, did not attend the recent meeting.
Ramon Velez: Founder of the Hunts Point Multi-Service Center, which has controlled over $170 million in government antipoverty programs since its founding in 1967. Instrumental in Ferrer's political ascendancy, the two have since parted ways. He has been a quiet presence in the zone so far, though as one insider said, "You know Velez has to be in there somewhere."