Vaughan Toney

For more than three decades, Vaughan Toney has combined a robust career in public service with a passionate commitment to child-care advocacy, early childhood education and community activism. He currently serves as President / CEO of The Friends of Crown Heights Educational Centers Inc., (FOCH), one of the largest not-for-profit providers of subsidized child care and Early Childhood Education in the City of New York. Before accepting his current appointment, he had previously served for nearly two decades as chairman of the agency's board of directors. Under his leadership, FOCH now administers 20 day-care and early childhood education centers in the city. The agency also manages numerous After-school programs for Elementary and Middle School students, in addition to its popular Summer in the City Day Camp. Additionally, Toney currently serves on the board of the Day Care Council of New York; he is a former member of the Board of Directors of Child Care Inc., a non-profit advocacy group for children, and in contract negotiations with day-care workers, he is a member of the management team.

Toney’s passion for politics and public service was nurtured in his early college years, during which he served as an elected member of the student governing body at the State University of New York (SUNY) Albany, and as a student intern in the office of Assemblyman Angelo Del Toro. Upon graduating from SUNY in 1978 with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, he was recruited directly to the staff of the New York State Assembly Education Committee, where he served with distinction as legislative assistant to Chairman Leonard Stavisky. When Stavisky acceded to the New York State Senate six years later, Toney followed as senior staff analyst and special assistant to the Senator, who was appointed ranking member of the chamber's Education Committee. In 1992, following the adoption of a new City Charter and an expanded City Council in New York, Toney left Albany to serve as Chief-of-Staff to Councilwoman Una Clarke, the first Caribbean-American woman elected to the municipal legislature; four years later, he moved on to accept the position of Chief-of-Staff to the Rev. Dr. Lloyd Henry, representing the adjacent 45th Council District in Central Brooklyn. In both capacities, he crafted the legislative strategy that brought millions of dollars in capital investment and economic stimulus to the Flatbush, East Flatbush and surrounding communities of Central Brooklyn. Amid these political engagements, Toney also pursued studies toward a Master’s degree in Public Administration at New York University.

As a community leader and activist, Vaughan Toney has served as a member of the Kings County Hospital Advisory Board. He is a founding member of the Caribbean American Political Organization, past President of the 42nd Assembly District Democratic Club and a former member of the Carlos Lezama Archives and Caribbean Cultural Center. A Vincentian national, Mr. Toney is also a founding member of the SCOPE Foundation, which provides scholarships to indigent school children in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

In recognition of his dedication to public service, Vaughan Toney has received numerous awards and commendations.