Bentley whitfield

Professor Whitfield has also taught at Nassau Community College since 2013. In addition to his teaching duties, Professor Whitfield was director of Special Project Development and founder/director of the College Preparatory Program for at-Risk Youth at the SUNY Farmingdale campus where he has taught since 2002. In 2013, he was appointed by the SUNY Farmingdale president to serve on the Long Island Regional Economic Development Corporation’s Opportunity Agenda Initiative. Prior to his career in academia, he held positions as a vice president at Merrill Lynch and was appointed a Team Leader of their elite Early Success Strategy (ESS) program. As a portfolio manager for the National Equity Fund, an affiliate of the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC - the nation’s largest social investment bank) he successfully oversaw a $600 million housing tax credit portfolio. Prof. Whitfield served as senior advisor to three administrations of the National Conference of Black Mayors. He has participated in many community-based activities including having served as an Auxiliary Police Officer for the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Active in his community, he has been a member of various boards and is the recipient of numerous honors including the prestigious 2015 Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Award.

In 2006, Professor Whitfield founded the College Preparatory Program for at‐Risk Youth (College Prep) at SUNY Farmingdale. He authored multiple grants and grant renewals from federal, state, local and private sector sources. Under College Prep, more than 1,500 high school students have taken over 80 field trips to multiple workplace venues, over 500 high school students have simulated the college experience by staying in the dormitories of numerous colleges and more than 1,100 high school students have visited more than 30 different colleges in five different states. College Prep’s First Responders Initiative is designed to bring together Black youth and law enforcement officers in teams where police officers act as mentors to at‐risk youth. College Prep’s Smart Scholar Early College High School Initiative has allowed at‐risk students to earn over 2,300 college credits, free of charge, while still in high school. In 2015, the Smart Scholar program was recognized by the NYS Education Department for its accomplishments.

Born and raised in Harlem NYC, Professor Whitfield holds a CFM from The Merrill Lynch School of Advanced Finance, MA from Columbia University in Comparative Literature and a BA from Colgate University. He is an avid race walking enthusiast and masters-age athlete who successfully competes and medals in multiple national endurance events. He is the director and coordinator for the Harlem Neighborhood Writers (aka Harlem Renaissance II) which consists of over 300 writers. Professor Whitfield along with his wife, Roberta and their three sons live on Long Island. Two of his sons have competed nationally as USA Junior Olympians.