INSIDERS CHAT: Navigating New York's Future Amid Federal Changes, featuring Bob Megna & Anne Williams-Isom

​Join us for the inaugural session of Insiders Chat: a new Fordham conversation series featuring Fordham Alumni designed to bring New York’s most experienced public leaders into direct, candid dialogue with Fordham’s community.

​This intimate fireside conversation will feature Bob Megna, one of the State’s most respected fiscal strategists, and Anne Williams-Isom, a transformational leader in human services, equity-focused policy, and community well-being. Moderated by Fordham University, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer, Tokumbo Shobowale, this session will explore how major decisions get made in state and city government, what leadership looks like under real pressure, and how New York may be impacted in 2026.

​The conversation will move from personal leadership moments to the “plumbing” of how city and state systems operate, and finally, to the emerging challenges and opportunities shaping New York’s future amid a change in federal landscape.

​Why Attend?

• ​Hear directly from leaders who have shaped New York through moments of crisis, transition, and innovation.

• ​Learn how fiscal, social, and institutional decisions intersect—and what often goes unseen by the public.

• ​Help shape the conversation: attendee questions submitted in advance will be woven throughout the dialogue.

​Featured Speakers
Bob Megna – Former New York State Budget Director; SUNY Senior Leadership; longtime fiscal strategist shaping state priorities and investment decisions.
Anne Williams-Isom – Former NYC Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services; former CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone; a leading national voice on community well-being, systems change, and equity-centered leadership.