Khari Edwards propels the message of affordable access to all
Tracing his roots to the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, Khari Edwards exudes the friendliness and charm associated with the Land of Carnival and Steelband.” For starters, everyone calls him by this first name, a sign that despite his position, he’s as down-to-earth as they come preferring to “let his actions” speak louder than his words. In fact, Khari is a spot-spoken man with a ready smile and brings to his work ethic a quiet efficiency and a willingness to be a team player.
“When you work for the people of any community, no matter in what capacity, you realize that the most important thing is to do your best to constantly deliver what you promised – and then some,”
Khari told CARIBBEAN TIMES NEWS recently.
For nearly 17 years, Khari has led a checkered career in politics and community development throughout New York City and State. He’s worked behind the scenes for a number of elected officials, non-profit organizations, and city agencies Khari’s career has been dedicated to strengthening communities and enhancing the everyday lives of New Yorkers.
Key to his success is maintaining a proactive approach to implementing community initiatives and special projects. Khari credits his ability to bridge the gap between members of the community, business leaders, public unions and other stakeholders to ensure everyone’s voice is heard. In his former role as Special Assistant to NYS Senator Leader, he took the lead on behalf of the State Senate Conference to help restructure Brooklyn’s ailing hospital systems—which led him to his current position as Vice President of External Affairs for Brookdale Hospital and Medical Center. He was the first Vice President of color in the history of the institution
“I look at this as an exciting challenge to continue to bring the kind of health care services to the community. At Brookdale Hospital our mission is simple – deliver quality affordable healthcare to our residents. Here I work with a team of the best and the brightest in the healthcare business. Everyday I am learning now things and finding ways and means to be of service to the people and patients that we serve,” Khari said.
As the Vice President for External Affairs Khari oversees the department by supervising and managing Government Relations, Community Relations, the department’s Public Affairs & Public Relations. He has been tasked with the cultivation of community contacts to increase awareness of the hospital and create collaborative opportunities for businesses, nonprofit organizations, government agencies and educational institutions. Khari manages the selection and performance of public affairs and government relations suppliers (for example, lobbyist and media consultants, polling and public affairs firms, trade and business associations). He’s also responsible for the public image of the hospital.
“In response to the plague of gun violence in our community, I created IT STARTS HERE, a program that brings students from surrounding area schools to visit Brookdale. Through tours of the morgue, lecturing, visual examples from our trauma department, and personal stories from guest speakers, students were educated about the long-term and short-term effects of gun violence on the victim, the community, and more,” Khari explained.
Khari is the father of three wonderful children and credits both his parents for instilling in him all the tools needed to be an advocate for others and for his ability to find the positive in every person.
and then 