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Donovan Jr. Richards
Queens Borough President at Office of the Queens Borough PresidentDonovan Richards Jr., a lifelong resident of Southeast Queens, was elected Borough President in November 2020 and sworn in one month later.
As a child, he attended Jamaica High School and Redemption Christian Academy before studying communications, radio, and TV at Nyack College. He later received a degree in Aviation Management from Vaughn College in East Elmhurst.
Following the tragic killing of a close friend during his teenage years, the Borough President got involved in his community and the fight against gun violence, holding numerous positions in the City Council before being elected in 2013 to represent District 31, serving Southeast Queens and the eastern Rockaway Peninsula.
As a Council Member, he chaired influential committees on Environmental Protection and Public Safety, while also leading the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, resulting in historic citywide investments in affordable housing, police oversight, clean energy and infrastructure — including a $2 billion investment in new sewer and water infrastructure to alleviate chronic flooding issues across Southeast Queens.
As Queens Borough President, he has been a tireless advocate for The World’s Borough. Over the course of his administration, Borough President Richards has allocated more than $100 million dollars across Queens’ schools, cultural institutions, hospitals, libraries, parks and more.
Jhendon Hendon
Commissioner at NYC Department of Veterans' ServicesJames Hendon is the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Veterans' Services. Previously, Hendon served as Director of the NYU Veterans Future Lab, a small business incubator for practicing and aspiring entrepreneurs who are US Military Veterans or Veterans' Spouses.
A Veteran entrepreneur himself, James was also the CEO of the Energy Economic Development Corporation, an organization that helps communities and small businesses take advantage of energy-related advancements. Prior to that, Hendon served as the COO for BlocPower, a Department of Energy-sponsored company that helps nonprofits, small businesses, and faith centers perform energy efficiency retrofits.
He previously worked as an Associate in the Real Estate Investment Banking Group at Deutsche Bank.
Before entering the civilian workforce, Hendon spent seven years in the US Army as an Active Duty Infantry Officer where he deployed as a Mortar Platoon Leader and Battalion Public Affairs Officer to Iraq (2005), worked as an Admissions Officer for West Point (2006-2007), and served as the Senior Advisor to the Afghan Border Police in Afghanistan (2007-2009).
Hendon is a 2002 graduate of West Point, a 2012 graduate of Harvard Kennedy School and Columbia Business School, and a 2015 graduate of the Earth Institute's Program in Conservation and Environmental Sustainability.
Hendon also served as a Mayoral appointee on the eleven member New York City Veterans Advisory Board. He has volunteered as a mentor for the Eagle Academy for Young Men in the Bronx since 2014. As a drilling US Army Reservist, Hendon, a Lieutenant Colonel, acts as the New York City Lead for the 75th Innovation Command.