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Advisory Council Chair Freida Foster and Dean Ayman El-Mohandes are proud to welcome two new members to the school’s Public Health Advisory Council.
Shatic Mitchell serves as an ambassador to neighborhoods around Central Park in his capacity as Director of Civic Engagement for the Central Park Conservancy. Mr. Mitchell has played a pivotal role in facilitating opportunities for the Harlem community to connect with Central Park through initiatives like the upcoming Harlem Meer Center – a $150 million project slated to open in 2025 that will increase access to new and enhanced outdoor activities for communities around the north end of Central Park. He led the establishment of the inaugural Central Park Community Farmstand with the Corbin Hill Food Project which provides access to locally grown produce from black-owned farms to the Harlem community. He also facilitated a collaboration with NYPD Community Link, fostering direct communication between community leaders, city agencies, and non-profit organizations to address persistent substance abuse, mental health, and homelessness along the Central Park North Corridor.
An alumnus of The George Washington University, Mr. Mitchell began his career in government and politics as a constituent liaison intern in the office of New York State Senator David A. Paterson, who later became the Governor of New York. He later worked at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C, and served as District Manager of Manhattan Community Board 10.
Mr. Mitchell is a committed member of the NAACP Mid-Manhattan Branch and actively contributes to various community-oriented organizations, including serving on the board of the Harlem Little League and participating in a youth mentorship boxing program.
Duclas Charles, PharmD is a first-generation Haitian-American born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Dr. Charles is a pharmacist and consultant working in the medical cannabis field with expertise in the endocannabinoid system and phytocannabinoid-derived medications. He is the founder of CannaPharmD Education and Consulting, and Black Health Connect, an international network of Health Professionals of African descent focused on addressing the issues of Health Equity for Black and Brown patients by addressing increased entrepreneurship, leadership, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in healthcare.
Dr. Charles practiced in community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, and served as operations manager at a tech-based pharmacy start-up before leaping into medical cannabis. His love for helping and teaching others and his interest in integrative medicine made medicinal cannabis a perfect fit.
Dr. Charles served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Association for Cannabis Health Equity and Medicine (ACHEM), a member of the International Society of Cannabis Pharmacists, the Association of Cannabis Specialists, the National Pharmacist Association, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. He also sits on the advisory cabinet for Black Entrepreneurs NYC (BE-NYC), a groundbreaking model established in 2019 to help create equity of opportunity by advancing Black entrepreneurship.
Dr. Charles discovered his love for science and people as a chemistry major at Brooklyn Technical High School, which led him to pursue his pharmacy degree at Howard University.
“We’re thrilled to have these two remarkable individuals onboard and look forward to their contributions to our dynamic Public Health Advisory Council team,” says Dean Ayman El-Mohandes.
