Alicia L. Hyndman was elected to the New York State Assembly on November 10, 2015 in the 29th AD, encompassing the neighborhoods of Laurelton, Rosedale, St. Albans, Addisleigh Park, Hollis, Springfield Gardens and Jamaica. The daughter of Caribbean immigrants, Assemblywoman Hyndman emigrated to the U.S. from London, England as a young child. She spent her formative years growing up in Hollis & South Ozone Park attending public schools, PS 34, IS 109, JHS 226 & John Adams High School.
As a longtime community education advocate, Assemblywoman Hyndman will focus heavily on bringing resources and information back into the community to support youth and senior services, alleviate flooding, grow small businesses, and provide access to living wage jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities. She will continue her advocacy in Albany as a tireless fighter for residents of the 29th Assembly District.

Assemblywoman Hyndman holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Framingham State College, Mass. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She currently resides in Rosedale, Queens with her two lovely daughters Nia and Nyla.

Ron Kim, a longtime resident of Flushing, Queens, was re-elected to his third term as the representative of the 40th Assembly District in November, 2016. He is the first and only Korean-American ever elected to the New York State Legislature. After spending his adult life in public service, Ron is committed to delivering real results for the community he has called home since the age of 7.
Ron began his career in public service in then-Councilmember John C. Liu’s office, focusing on quality-of-life issues in his beloved downtown Flushing community. He then moved on to become an aide to then-State Assemblyman Mark Weprin. After working in Assemblyman Weprin’s office, Ron joined the New York City Department of Buildings, followed by the Department of Small Business Services. In 2004, he was accepted into the National Urban Fellows Program, advising the Chief Education Office of the Chicago Public Schools while simultaneously earning his Masters in Public Administration from Baruch College.
In 2006, Ron joined the staff of New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn as a Policy Analyst, writing and examining legislation on issues related to transportation, infrastructure, and economic development.
From 2007 to 2010, Ron served as a Regional Director for Government and Community Affairs in the administrations of Governors Eliot Spitzer and David A. Paterson, where he collaborated and worked with a varied group of state agencies, elected officials, and community organizations. After leaving the Governor’s office, he worked as a legislative advocate for children with special needs, small business, and vulnerable New Yorkers.
Since his election in 2012, Ron has stood firm in his message of striving to provide quality education for all students, securing funding for local schools, and supporting small businesses in the Flushing community.
He has sponsored numerous bills, including: A.7642, which seeks to raise the age of criminal responsibility for certain crimes; A.8050, which would amend civil service law in relation to implementing a minority employment act within New York State; and A.6530, which seeks to secure equal access to health and human services for limited English speaking individuals.
In his first term, Ron made national and international news by mediating an issue between local businesses and senior citizens in the community seeking a social space in Flushing’s crowded neighborhood. In response, he wrote and introduced the “Community Corner Cafe Fund”- legislation that sought to grant tax credit to cafes, restaurants, and diners that collaborate with local nonprofits to serve and provide services to older adults.

Catalina Cruz was elected to serve the residents of the New York State Assembly’s 39th District. Assemblywoman Cruz has the privilege of representing one of the most diverse districts in the nation, which encompasses the neighborhoods of Corona, Elmhurst and Jackson Heights.
Catalina was born in Colombia and came to Queens at the age of 9. Catalina grew up as a DREAMer; she lived in the United States for more than 10 years as an undocumented American. Catalina was raised by a single mother, who like many immigrants had to work multiple and menial jobs to provide for her family. As a single mother of four children, she worked long hours during the week as a nanny, cleaned offices at night, and sold tamales and empanadas at the soccer fields on the weekends. Inspired by her mother’s perseverance, Catalina has committed her career to fighting for our community and to ensure our workers, neighbors and families not only survive, but thrive.
Catalina is an experienced attorney and a leader for tenant protections, immigration reform and workers’ rights. Prior to becoming the Assemblywoman for the 39th District, she most recently served as the Chief of Staff to the New York City Council Finance Chair, Julissa Ferreras. Catalina worked to help pass key legislation protecting workers, women and small-business owners. She previously served as the Director of the Governor’s Exploited Workers Task Force, helping New York become a national leader in the fight against worker exploitation and human trafficking. This first-of-its-kind task force conducted statewide outreach and enforcement within key low-wage industries, including car washes, restaurants and nail salons, where workers are often victims of wage theft and subject to unsafe working conditions, but do not come forward for fear of retaliation.
Catalina also served as Counsel to the New York City Council’s Immigration Committee, where she helped write and implement legislation that led to New York City becoming a Sanctuary City. She also worked on projects such as the Detainer Law and IDNYC (municipal identification). Additionally, Catalina served as Counsel to the New York State Department of Labor’s Division of Immigrant Policies and Affairs, where she helped this agency become a leader in combating labor trafficking. Catalina began her career as a Staff Attorney, representing low-income, rent-stabilized tenants in New York City housing court, ensuring that they received the full protection of the law under their leases.

Michael G. Miller represents the 38th Assembly District in Queens County, which includes the neighborhoods of Woodhaven, Ridgewood, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park and Glendale. He was elected in September of 2009 in the Special Election called by Governor Paterson.
A resident of the 38th Assembly District for most of his life, Mike is a graduate of Archbishop Molloy High School. He attended Queens College and the University of Georgia CUNA Management School.
Before his election, Assemblyman Miller worked to improve the quality of life in the Queens community for over 20 years, and his record includes expanding emergency services, protecting public safety and improving the quality of education. As a Board Member of Community Board 5, he advocated for affordable housing, expansion of services for seniors and additional after-school programs. As the Capital Campaign Director for the Greater Ridgewood Youth Council, Mike helped increase the Council’s operating budget to over five million dollars. Mike has been recognized for his anti-graffiti efforts, as well as his commitment to supporting adults with mental disabilities in founding the Forest Park Aktion Club.
Mike dedicated his professional life to bettering people’s lives. He was the Branch Manager for the only New York Office of Tiger Federal Credit Union and responsible for all East Coast operations. There he assisted numerous people to achieve the “American Dream” by securing loans for their first homes, cars and college educations. Mike also served as their Community Liaison, building relationships between corporate America and local organizations.
During Mike’s tenure as a Member of the NYS Assembly; he proudly supported and voted in favor of passing an on-time NYS Budget for three consecutive legislative sessions and co-sponsored hundreds legislative bills to improve the quality life of residents. As a freshman member of the NYS Assembly; Mike Authored two NYS Laws; Chapter 250 of the Laws of 2010, which permits decisions arrived at an alternative dispute resolution be permanent; and Chapter 532 of the Laws of 2011; which requires level two sex offenders to register their employment address.
Assemblyman Miller is dedicated to protecting working families, improving the education system and increasing services for seniors.
Assemblyman Miller understands the importance of New York’s working families making a livable wage-that’s why he advocated for and voted in favor of increasing Minimum Wage to $9.00 which will be phased in within the next two years.

Catherine Nolan represents the 37th Assembly District in Queens County, which includes the historic New York City neighborhoods of Sunnyside, Ridgewood, Long Island City, Queensbridge, Ravenswood, Astoria, Woodside, Maspeth, Dutch Kills and Blissville. She was first elected to the Assembly in 1984.
A resident of the district for most of her life, she is a graduate of St. Aloysius R.C. School and Grover Cleveland High School. Ms. Nolan graduated from New York University cum laude with a B.A. degree in Political Science.
Assemblywoman Nolan was appointment Deputy Speaker in the winter of 2018 by Speaker Carl Heastie. Prior to this, Ms. Nolan chairs the Assembly Education Chair (2006-2018). She has spearheaded efforts to achieve class size reduction, universal pre-k, middle school initiatives, improve high school graduation rates and other measures that will ultimately mean success for the more than three million school children in New York State. As a parent of a public school student, Assemblywoman Nolan will bring a parent’s perspective to ongoing education debates.
Ms. Nolan served as the chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Banks from 2003- 2006. She has focused that Committee’s efforts on enhancing consumer protections and maintaining a competitive balance among financial institutions, successfully passing numerous new banking related laws. Among her initial achievements was the extension of the state's wildcard provisions that foster parity between federal and state-chartered banks. She also authored a new law to extend the retention period for ATM surveillance tapes in an effort to curb ATM fraud.
Ms. Nolan also Chaired the Committee on Labor. As Chairwoman she led the Committee’s review of workers' compensation, worker safety, protection and privacy laws. She successfully passed legislation in the Assembly to raise the minimum wage, to enhance whistleblower protections for healthcare workers, strengthen sweatshop enforcement, tighten enforcement of unpaid wage violations, protect innocent bystanders involved in strikes and to create a special fund to investigate prevailing wage violations. Ms. Nolan also continued to focus on occupational safety and health and worker education and retraining, securing funding for several programs, including the first ever occupational safety and health clinic in Queens. She has also held hearings on such important issues as raising the minimum wage, wage and hour violations, workers' compensation, the understaffing of nurses and age discrimination in the workplace.

A lifelong resident of Astoria, Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas has represented the 36th District in Queens since 2011. Aravella was the first Greek-American woman elected to office in New York and the first woman to represent her district in the State Assembly.
Since she first took office, Aravella has been a steadfast advocate for gender equality and championed progressive policies to address the needs of working families in New York. During her time in the Assembly, she has passed legislation to combat sexual violence, protect the rights of workers, expand access to quality health care, and support small businesses. She currently serves as Chair of the Assembly’s Task Force on Women’s Issues.
Dedicated to supporting and empowering survivors of sexual assault, Aravella has authored laws to mandate timely testing and preservation of rape kits, establish a Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights, require transparency from law enforcement, and extend the statute of limitations for rape to provide survivors with adequate time to process their trauma and pursue justice.
In 2019, Aravella passed a series of comprehensive reforms to strengthen protections against harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Aravella’s landmark legislation eliminated the burdensome “severe or pervasive” standard for harassment claims, made it easier to hold negligent employers accountable, extended the time period to report harassment, expanded protections to cover all workplaces, and established crucial safeguards for employees who sign non-disclosure agreements. Aravella is a strong ally to organized labor and has supported efforts to bolster union membership, extend collective bargaining rights, and improve wages and working conditions.
Aravella is committed to ensuring all New Yorkers can access quality, affordable health care. In 2015, her bill made New York the first state in the nation to guarantee all pregnant people the opportunity to enroll in health insurance and access vital prenatal care. Aravella has also written laws that expanded insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization and fertility preservation services and created programs to reduce infant mortality and support families affected by substance abuse.
As the daughter of small business owners who immigrated from Greece when she was an infant, Aravella grew up keenly aware of the challenges facing local businesses. She has passed several bills to provide small business owners with the support and guidance they need to navigate state regulations and avoid excessive fines. A product of the New York City public school system who attended P.S. 17, I.S. 126 and William C. Bryant High School, Aravella has fought to improve public education and secured millions of dollars in funding for schools in the community.

Jeffrion L. Aubry for the 35th A.D. of Queens County was elected to the New York State Assembly in a Special Election on January 3, 1992.
Assemblyman Aubry presently is the New York State Speaker Pro Tempore and member of the following committees: Ways and Means, Rules, Social Services and Governmental Employees. Assemblyman Aubry is a member of the Council of State Governments and is a “Toll Fellow,” a distinguished association of state legislators from across the country.
Mr. Aubry has served as a chairman of the Board of Justice Center, a national organization which provides technical assistance to states to develop data driven consensus supported criminal justice policies to reduce crime and decrease the cost of incarceration nationwide.
He has also been a past Chair of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus. He is a member of the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators, Inc., and a member of the New York State Assembly/Senate Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force. As a former Chairman of the Committee on Correction, Assemblyman Aubry successfully championed legislation enacted in 2009 that significantly reformed the Rockefeller Drug Laws in New York State by returning discretion to judges to sentence drug addicted offenders to treatment as an alternative to prison, and led the fight to ensure that prisoners suffering from serious mental illness receive needed treatment and are not confined under inhumane conditions through the enactment of the Special Housing Unit Exclusion Law. He has developed a series of efforts to advance several national and statewide issues. He has also raised money to advance the cause of bone marrow donor identification in the state of New York and passed legislation to allow employees to receive sick time if they choose to become a donor.

Assembly Member Michael DenDekker represents New York’s 34th Assembly District, which includes Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, and parts of Woodside and Corona. Mr. DenDekker was first elected to the New York State Assembly on November 4, 2008 and was elected to his sixth term in November 2018. Prior to entering the New York State Assembly, he served on Queens Community Board #3, was the chair of the Neighborhood Advisory Board, and was a former Deputy Chief for the Jackson-Heights Elmhurst Volunteer Ambulance Corps. From 1998 to 2002, he worked as a district representative for New York State Assembly Member Margaret Markey.
A lifelong resident of his district, Mr. DenDekker was born in Jackson Heights and attended Our Lady of Fatima Grammar School, Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School, and SUNY at Farmingdale – where he majored in Automotive Technology.
After college, Mr. DenDekker worked as a Banquet Manager for Dante Caterers, and as an Account Representative for MetLife. In 1995, he joined the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), where he was assigned to the collection of household refuse and recycling in Woodside. Mr. DenDekker was promoted to the rank of Supervisor; he was later assigned to the Bureau of Public Information and Community Affairs. After the events of September 11, 2001, Mr. DenDekker was detached to the New York City Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM), where he was assigned to the Joint Information Center as a Public Information Officer. In this capacity, Mr. DenDekker was responsible for assisting with the proper dissemination of information and statistics as they related to the attacks on the World Trade Center. Assembly Member DenDekker’s achievements during and after the World Trade Center disaster have been recognized with numerous decorations and awards. In March 2003, Mr. DenDekker was given additional responsibilities as a Special Projects Coordinator, where he worked on the Ready NY campaign, public service announcements, and the OEM Speakers’ Bureau. In March 2006, Mr. DenDekker retired from the DSNY and his assignment at OEM to take an appointment as the Facilities Manager for the New York City Council. While at the City Council, he was responsible for all day-to-day operations of all City Council Member office facilities, as well as assisting in the operation of City Hall.

Assembly member Clyde Vanel was elected to the New York State Assembly on November 8, 2016. He serves the 33rd Assembly district of Queens, New York, encompassing the neighborhoods of Cambria Heights, St. Albans, Hollis, Queens Village, Bellerose and parts of Floral Park.
Clyde Vanel is an attorney, entrepreneur, private pilot and community advocate from Cambria Heights, New York. He previously served as the Chief of Staff for New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. Clyde Vanel is the owner and operator of Vanel Law Firm, P.C. where he focuses on intellectual property law, business law and wills and estate planning. Clyde is also an Internet entrepreneur. He is the owner and operator of TrademarkReady.com which provides trademark filing and protection services. Additionally, Clyde was the owner and operator of Vanel on First; a restaurant, bar and lounge in lower Manhattan for five years.
Clyde is the founder of the New York Metro chapter of the Black Pilots of America, Inc. The organization trains and exposes the community and youth to the field of aviation. Through the organization, many youth and community members have been trained in pre-flight of an aircraft and aviation-related trainings.
Assembly member Vanel has worked extensively in political community empowerment. He has helped many community members become involved with and informed the community regarding elections and political matters. Clyde has mentored young men with Eagle Academy in the Bronx and in Queens and the Young Men's Rites of Passage with the Allen A.M.E Church in Jamaica, Queens.
He holds a Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law, where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Science & Technology Law.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Administration and an Associate of Applied Science in Aerospace Technology from Farmingdale State College, where he served as the Student Government President.
Clyde Vanel was raised in Cambria Heights, New York, with nine siblings. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Assemblywoman Vivian E. Cook was born in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Cook graduated from DeFrans Business Institute and entered the business world. Her civic role began more than 30 years ago when the Kennedy Airport and airfreight expansion threatened her community. For over 25 years, Mrs. Cook has served as a District Leader of Queens County and has striven to improve her community as an advocate for education, economic development, housing, youth, the aging, and the battle against drug abuse.
Cook, an activist for community improvement, secured funding for various building and reconstruction projects. Her efforts helped in building a park at the Baisley Park Extension/150th Street and in rebuilding the Charles R. Drew Memorial Park, 140th Street Park, Rochdale Park and the tennis courts and recreation building also located at this site. She has helped develop community housing programs that provide residents with affordable homes. She has also obtained improved benefits, housing, and medical services for senior citizens. She is the founder of the Rockaway Boulevard Local Development Corporation.
Some of the numerous awards she has received in light of her achievements include: Sojourner Truth Award - National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Club, Inc.; Rockaway Boulevard Senior Citizens Golden Kiwanis Community Service Award; 113th Precinct Senior Citizens Award; 103rd and 113th Precinct Community Service Award; Friends of Arts Award; New York State Assembly and Senate Award; Sutphin Boulevard Civic Association Award; South Ozone Park Women's Club Award; Citizens for Jenkins Community Service Award; City of New York 10-Year Community Board Service Award; Neighborhood Council Award for Community Service; Springfield Gardens Mother's Day Award; NYS Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute and Commission Service & Leadership Award; P.E.F. Political Action Committee Award; New Jerusalem Eastern Star; J-Cap Award; Rochdale Village Little League Award; Military Women of NYC Award; Forestdale Foster and Adoptive Parents Association Award; Neighborhood Housing Services of Jamaica Award; South Jamaica Houses Award; Partner in Education Award; Square Deal Civic Association Award; Queens EOC Award; Kew Gardens Civic Association Award; Jamaica Service Program for Older Adults Award of Appreciation; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Finer Womanhood Week Award; Kiwanis Club of Rochdale Village Woman's Month Award; Southeast Queens Clergy for Empowerment Community Service Award; Better Community Civic Association Community Service and Leadership Award; a Citation of Honor from the President of Queens Borough; Rochdale Village Civic Association Community Service Award; Association of Minority Enterprises of NY Political Leadership Award; and numerous other awards of appreciation from community organizations, including the New York Junior Tennis League, Brooks Senior Center, Community Baptist Church Little League, York College Small Business Development Center, and the York College Women's Center; Jamaica Chamber of Commerce; The United Black Men of Queens County, Inc., Congressman Gregory Meeks Congressional Award, and Angeldocs.

Brian Barnwell was born in New York City in 1986 and is a longtime Woodside resident. He comes from a middle-class family of law enforcement officers, nurses and teachers. He earned his bachelor’s in political science, cum laude, from Arizona State University and his law degree from Albany Law School.
During his time in law school, Barnwell worked for two judges, the Albany County District Attorney’s Office and the Albany Law School Civil Rights and Disabilities Law Clinic. After law school, Barnwell went into private practice before working for New York City Councilman Costa Constantinides. During his time with Councilman Constantinides, Barnwell helped organize various community volunteer operations and helped countless constituents in local community matters. Barnwell also currently organizes volunteer groups that work with local churches and City Harvest to feed the needy.
Barnwell’s legislative priorities include strengthening the middle class and helping those who are striving to get into the middle class, as well as helping seniors and veterans.

Andrew D. Hevesi was first elected to serve the residents of the 28th district in the New York State Assembly on May 10, 2005. A lifelong resident of the area, Assemblyman Hevesi has been privileged to represent the constituents of Forest Hills, Rego Park, Ridgewood, Richmond Hill, Middle Village, Glendale, and Kew Gardens.
In February 2015, Assemblyman Hevesi was named Chairman of the Assembly Social Services Committee, which is responsible for providing oversight of programs administered by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) and analyzing the state’s multi-billion dollar funding allotment for social services each fiscal year. In this role, the Assemblyman reviews legislation addressing financial, medical, and other support for people in need throughout New York State.
In order to address the worst homeless crisis in New York since the Great Depression, Assemblyman Hevesi partnered with the Campaign 4 NY/NY Housing and the Supportive Housing Network to work towards the creation of 35,000 units of Statewide Supportive Housing for the chronically homeless. In 2015, Assemblyman Hevesi gathered bipartisan support of 133 of his Assembly colleagues and called for the development of 35,000 new units of supportive housing over the next ten years. Subsequently, the Governor announced in his 2016 State of the State Address that New York State would fund 20,000 of these units, and in the 2016-2017 enacted budget, $1 Billion was allocated to build the first 6,000 units. The Mayor of the City of New York also publicly committed, and is currently in the process of building, 15,000 units of supportive housing in New York City.
Unfortunately, in 2016 New York State reported to The Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that in New York, over 19,000 more people enter homelessness per year than exit homelessness each year. Recognizing that New York State has done nothing of scale to address this growing trend of homelessness, Assemblyman Hevesi began working with the Coalition for the Homeless, the Empire Justice Center, the Legal Aid Society, and the New York State Coalition against Domestic Violence to create the Home Stability Support (HSS) program to stem the tide of homelessness in New York State.
HSS is a new statewide rental supplement for families and individuals who are eligible for public assistance that are currently homeless, facing eviction, or have lost their housing due to domestic violence or hazardous conditions. This program is designed to be 100% state-funded, thereby providing mandate relief to financially strained counties. 113 members of the NYS Assembly support HSS and the number of NYS Senators of both parties continues to grow. In addition, the Mayor, the Comptroller and the Public Advocate of the City of New York as well as over 30 members of the New York City Council are in support. A number of Congress members, County Executives, Mayors and advocacy groups across the state have joined the coalition in support of HSS as well. Additionally, The New York Times and several other papers have supported this program in their editorial pages.

Daniel Rosenthal first assumed office to serve New York’s 27th Assembly District in November of 2017. A proud resident of Queens, Assemblymember Rosenthal is the elected representative for the constituents of Kew Gardens Hills, Kew Gardens, Pomonok, Electchester, College Point and parts of Whitestone, Richmond Hill, Briarwood and Forest Hills.
Serving as the youngest sitting representative in the New York State Legislature, Assemblymember Rosenthal has fought to bring real results to our communities. In one of his first major victories, he effectively advocated for the preservation of the historic Lefferts Boulevard Bridge. This legislative triumph resulted in safeguarding a neighborhood landmark, as well as protecting the livelihoods of local small business owners. Assemblymember Rosenthal has also remained dedicated to our future generations by being a fierce proponent of adequate funding in our educational institutions and libraries. Furthermore, the Assemblymember stands firmly against the injustices within our public housing systems. During the 2018 budget session, he helped secure a $20.5 million investment for the Pomonok Houses to ensure that no resident experiences a lack of heat or hot water. The Assemblymember also continues to advance legislation that preserves affordable housing and addresses cost of living concerns in New York City.
Assemblymember Rosenthal has been a committed servant to Queens County residents since beginning his career in 2011. Serving alongside Councilman Rory Lancman of Queens, he entered the public arena as a councilman aide for 6 years. He would then ascend to the position of District Director, where his proactive voice for his community fought to bring numerous essential services to constituents. Some of his early victories included pushing the City’s Department of Design and Construction to finally complete the long awaited Kew Gardens Hills Library, representing the district's interests on the Flushing Meadows Corona Park Community Advisory Board and helping to secure increased sanitation services in Briarwood and Kew Gardens Hills.

Assemblyman Edward C. Braunstein was born and raised in Bayside and now resides in Bay Terrace with his wife, Stephanie, and their three children. Assemblyman Braunstein was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2010 to represent the 26th District in Northeast Queens, which includes the neighborhoods of Auburndale, Bay Terrace, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Broadway-Flushing, Douglaston, Floral Park, Glen Oaks, Little Neck, New Hyde Park, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, and Whitestone.
Assemblyman Braunstein is the Chair of the Cities Committee and is a member of the committees on Aging, Health, Judiciary, and Ways and Means.
Assemblyman Braunstein has introduced numerous bills, including legislation to cap the increase on market values for co-ops and condos; provide tax credits for small businesses that hire senior citizens; prohibit price gouging during emergencies; protect consumer privacy; prevent sex offenders from residing within 1,000 feet of a school; and expand the availability of naloxone to help prevent drug overdose deaths.
In July 2011, Assemblyman Braunstein’s first bill to be signed into law banned so-called “bath salts” (Chapter 130 of 2011). Assemblyman Braunstein’s legislation protecting New Yorkers from fraudulent attorneys by making the unlicensed practice of law a felony was signed into law in December 2012 (Chapter 492 of 2012).
Assemblyman Braunstein’s legislation requiring campuses to notify local law enforcement of on-campus violent crimes and missing persons was signed into law in December 2014 (Chapter 486 of 2014), and his bill establishing the crime of unlawful dissemination or publication of an intimate image, also known as “revenge porn,” was enacted in July 2019 (Chapter 109 of 2019).
Assemblyman Braunstein attended the University at Albany, where he received a B.S. in Finance. Previously, Assemblyman Braunstein worked as a Legislative Assistant in the Assembly Speaker’s New York City office. Assemblyman Braunstein attended New York Law School and passed the bar exam in February 2009. He is currently licensed to practice law in New York State.

Assemblywoman Nily Rozic represents New York’s 25th District, which spans the Eastern portion of Queens, including the communities of Flushing, Queensboro Hill, Hillcrest, Fresh Meadows, Oakland Gardens, Bayside, and Douglaston. Upon her election in 2012, Assemblywoman Rozic became the youngest woman in the state legislature and the first woman ever to represent the 25th District.
In 2015, she was named Chair of the Subcommittee on Emerging Workforce that oversees workforce development programs and identifies the needs of New York's workforce. Since then, Nily has championed bills creating flexibility in the workplace, fair practices for work shifts, pay equity, and increased entrepreneurship in underserved communities. Most recently, she authored a new law to ease work schedules for state employees and expand current flexible workplace practices. In 2017, Nily was named as chair of the Task Force on Women’s Issues. She is currently the Chair of the Assembly's Office on State-Federal Relations.
Nily serves on the Assembly’s Ways & Means, Labor, Energy, Correction, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, and Consumer Affairs and Protection Committees. She is a member of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus and the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force.
Nily is focused on serving Queens’ day to day needs for services and fighting for key quality of life issues in her district. In Albany, Nily is an outspoken advocate for working and middle class families, immigrant communities, and students, and she has already sponsored and passed legislation aimed at revitalizing New York’s environment, expanding government transparency, and strengthening the state’s workforce development system. She is also committed to social justice, equality and opportunity for all.

Assembly Member David Weprin, elected to the Assembly in a Special Election on February 9, 2010, has devoted his life to public service and making government more responsive, efficient and accountable. Weprin represents the 24th Assembly District in Queens, the same district represented by his father, the late Assembly Speaker Saul Weprin, for 23 years and his brother Mark Weprin, for over 15 years. In 2017, Weprin was named Chair of the Assembly Committee of Correction. Prior to serving as the Chair of Committee on Correction, Weprin served as Chair of the Assembly Task Force on People with Disabilities from 2014 – 2016. Weprin was also named Co-President of the National Association of Jewish Legislators in January 2017.
Born in Queens on May 2, 1956 to Saul and Sylvia Weprin, Weprin has lived in the Hollis-Jamaica area his entire life. He is a graduate of Jamaica High School, SUNY at Albany, with a cum laude degree in Political Science, and a law degree from Hofstra University.
In 1983 Weprin was chosen by then Governor Mario Cuomo to serve as the Deputy Superintendent of Banks and Secretary of the Banking Board for New York State. As part of his tenure through 1987, Weprin was a watchdog of nearly $2 trillion, regulating more than 3,000 financial institutions and financial service firms in New York State, including international banking institutions, mortgage brokers, and mortgage bankers. One of several accomplishments Weprin is proudest to have achieved on behalf of consumers as Deputy Superintendent was to reduce the number of days banking institutions may hold checks before clearing them, thereby reducing the interest they can earn on the backs of consumers and businesses. He delivered advice and counsel to the Banking Department on the formulation of banking standards. As part of the Board, he analyzed the condition of banks and exercised power to approve or disapprove the issuance of bank charters and licenses and the establishment of branch banks.

Stacey Pheffer Amato is proud to represent the New York State Assembly's 23rd District, encompassing the Queens neighborhoods of Broad Channel, Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach, Lindenwood, Ozone Park and the Rockaway Peninsula. Stacey’s mother, Queens County Clerk Audrey I. Pheffer, previously held this Assembly seat for over twenty five years, and upon Stacey’s election, they became the first mother-daughter team to hold the same seat in the New York State Legislature.
Born in Rockaway, Stacey has a longstanding commitment to community advocacy and involvement. Stacey has served as President of the parent associations at her children's schools, most notably stepping up to the plate when the entire school was displaced as a result of Superstorm Sandy, despite her own family’s displacement. Additionally, she has been an active member of the Rockaway Beach Civic Association for over 15 years and serves on the NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program-Rockaway West Committee, which is tasked with overseeing the state's storm recovery efforts. Prior to holding office, Stacey worked as an education paraprofessional for the NYC Department of Education and as a Procurement Specialist for the FDNY and the NYC Department of Sanitation.
Stacey has never shied away from stepping up to advocate for causes she feels passionate about. In Albany, Stacey is an outspoken advocate for our hardworking families, veterans, and seniors. Being recognized for her efforts, Stacey was appointed Chair of the Child Product Safety Subcommittee along with serving on the Veterans’ Affairs, Corporations, Authorities, Commissions, Governmental Employees, and Racing & Wagering Committees. In addition, she is a member of the Legislative Women’s Caucus and Women’s Issues Task Force.

Toby Ann Stavisky, the first woman from Queens County elected to the State Senate and the first woman to Chair the Senate Committee on Higher Education, is a native New Yorker who was born and raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She attended P.S. 9 before graduating from the Bronx High School of Science and Syracuse University, which she attended on an academic scholarship. The Senator completed graduate school at Hunter and Queens Colleges.
After working in the actuarial department of a major insurance company, Mrs. Stavisky taught Social Studies in the New York City high schools. As a result of her involvement with issues such as better schools, programs for older adults, social justice, opportunities for New Americans, and assisting small business, the Senator has been honored by many organizations. These include the Taiwanese Association, the Korean American Association of Queens and the Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps. For her “dedicated service to seniors across Queens,” Senator Stavisky was presented with the Rose Kryzak Legislative Award from the Queens Interagency Council on the Aging. The New York Branch of the NAACP honored her contributions toward furthering “freedom and human dignity.” The Senator is proud to have been honored twice by the Flushing Chinese Business Association and in 2016 by the University Student Senate of CUNY. In June, 2016, at the Queensborough Community College commencement, she was awarded the Presidential Medal for her “exceptional and longstanding commitment to public higher education.”
Currently, she serves as Vice Chairwoman of the Democratic Majority Conference and Chairwoman of the Senate's Committee on Higher Education.
Senator Toby Ann Stavisky was first elected to the Senate on November 2, 1999, and has subsequently been re-elected ten times. The Senator resides in Forest Hills.
Standing Committee Assignments 2019: Higher Education (Chairwoman), Education, Ethics, Finance, Health, Judiciary, and Racing, Gaming and Wagering.
The former Toby Ann Goldhaar was married to Dr. Leonard Price Stavisky, a university professor, who served in the Assembly and Senate until his death in June of 1999. She has one son, Evan, who is married to Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky.

Elected to the New York State Senate in 2008 after serving seven years in the New York City Council, State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. continues to proudly carry on the public service tradition of his father, Congressman Joseph P. Addabbo, Sr., who served 13 terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1960 to 1986.
A lifelong resident of Queens, Senator Joe Addabbo represents the 15th Senatorial District encompassing the communities – in whole or in part – of Broad Channel, Elmhurst, Forest Hills, Glendale, Hamilton Beach, Howard Beach, Kew Gardens, Kew Gardens Hills, Maspeth, Middle Village, Ozone Park, Rego Park, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, South Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Woodside and most of the Rockaways.
In the State Senate, Joe has continued to make constituent service a priority, just as he did as a representative of the 32nd New York City Council District, where he secured millions of dollars for infrastructure improvements, school technology, and senior and youth services. Through his Senate offices, Joe and his staff have assisted thousands of constituents with problems involving housing, health, transportation, taxes, public safety and many other issues, including efforts to aid local residents whose lives were so deeply affected by Hurricane Sandy in late October of 2012. As a member of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force on Hurricane Sandy, Joe worked to help his community recover and rebuild from the devastating storm.
As a member of the Senate, Joe is deeply concerned with the welfare of New Yorkers in all stages and walks of life. His legislative record, which includes bills he has introduced and supported, reflects Joe’s commitment to fighting on behalf of children, the elderly, families, working people, consumers and veterans. He has also devoted himself to efforts to protect the environment, create new jobs and economic opportunities for small businesses, provide tax relief for state residents, and improve transparency and accountability in New York’s government. As a State Senator, Joe is well known for organizing and sponsoring dozens of community events for his constituents each year, including job fairs for local residents and veterans, comprehensive recycling events, informational sessions for seniors and consumers, health screenings, Metrocard van visits, and many other free programs.
In addition to other legislative responsibilities, Joe serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering. He is also a member of the Senate Committees on Aging, Civil Service and Pensions, Children and Families, Education, and Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs. As a past Chairman of the Senate Elections Committee, Joe worked to pass ethics reforms and led the fight to force large corporations to disclose information about money they spend to influence the outcome of elections.
Joe has proven himself in the political and civic world. He is a multi-term New York State Democratic Committee member and a ranking member of the South Queens Regular Democratic Club. His community service can be seen in his work on behalf of the Ozone Park Kiwanis, as the former president of the Ozone Tudor Civic Association, and his past tenure as Executive Secretary of Community Board #10Q.

New York State Senator Leroy Comrie was elected to represent the 14th Senatorial District of Queens (encompassing portions of Jamaica, Cambria Heights, Queens Village, Hollis, St. Albans, Laurelton, Jamaica Estates, Briarwood, Hillcrest and Kew Gardens) in November 2014, officially taking office January 1, 2015. He grew up in the South Queens communities that he now represents, attending P.S. 116, I.S. 8, Jamaica High School and the University of Bridgeport, where he developed his passion for politics and government. He is a lifelong member of Saint Albans the Martyr Episcopal Church and was President of his local Community School Board.

For the 2015-16 legislative term, his committee assignments include: Consumer Protection; Elections; Civil Service and Pensions; Judiciary; Racing, Gaming & Wagering; Veterans, Homeland Security & Military Affairs; and Infrastructure & Capital Investment. He currently serves as the Ranking Member of both the Senate Consumer Protection and Elections’ Committees.

Senator Comrie believes that government must be responsive to the needs of all people. His office is the conduit through which access to quality education, healthcare, and services for seniors; programs and resources for youth; avenues to enhance small business growth; increased public safety measures; and smart sustainable economic development that provides living wage jobs in the community are provided.

Senator Comrie served twelve years as the Deputy Majority Leader of the New York City Council, as well as the Chairman of the Queens Delegation; and as chair of Rules, Consumer and Land Use Committees, giving him broad oversight and detailed working knowledge of the budget process and the city’s legislative agenda.

Senator Comrie’s positive impact in government is evident with his long track record of legislative accomplishments such as increasing tax and property exemptions for seniors, instituting the city’s first foreclosure prevention program, curtailing “pay-day” loans, improving the criteria for safety on construction sites, reducing truck traffic emissions, improving electrical and building codes, advocating for the containment of waste transfer stations, and increasing job opportunities by establishing direct-to-work training programs.

Senator Comrie took his decades of experiences to Albany, where he continues to serve the public and work tirelessly with his colleagues in government to ensure that residents of the 14th Senatorial District and all New York State residents have the very best possible opportunities and quality of life.

Leroy Comrie, Jr. is the son of the late Ruby Frith-Comrie and the late Leroy Comrie Sr., both of whom immigrated to the United States from Jamaica. He is the brother of Ronald E. Comrie, and has been married to Marcia Moxam since 1990. They are the proud parents of two delightful young adults.

Jessica Ramos has spent her life fighting for working families, advocating for labor, and organizing her local community. Born in Elmhurst to an undocumented seamstress and a printing pressman, Jessica was raised in Astoria, attended Queens public schools, and now lives in Jackson Heights with her two sons.

A strong union advocate, Ramos worked with Build Up NYC to fight for construction, building and hotel maintenance workers in New York City. Ramos also worked with SSEU Local 371 and 32BJ SEIU, where she helped building maintenance workers, office cleaners and public schools cleaners win contracts that protected their rights, wages, and benefits.

Jessica was a member of Queens Community Board 3 and served as Democratic District Leader in the 39th Assembly District. Jessica sat on the boards of the Jackson Heights Beautification Group and Farmspot, Jackson Heights’ community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. She has received awards for her work with the LGBTQ community and her advocacy on behalf of Women and Minority-Owned Businesses.

As the first American-born in her family, Jessica feels a deep sense of responsibility in bridging the gap between immigrant and non-immigrant communities. Jessica’s mother crossed the Mexican border by herself at 24, and her father was arrested in a workplace immigration raid in the early 1980’s and spent days held in a detention center.

Even as a teenager, Jessica was outspoken against poverty and the internal displacement of Colombians. She was elected President of the NYC Colombian Liberal Youth Council in 2002 and subsequently elected President of the NYC Colombian Liberal Party in 2005.

Most recently, Jessica served as Director of Latino Media for the City of New York. As the city’s chief Latina spokesperson, Jessica helped keep our city’s 1.87 million Spanish-speaking residents, and the community and ethnic media at large, informed about government services and initiatives.

Jessica credits her love for activism and public service to her parents, Colombian immigrants who fought for and won the right to dual citizenship for Colombian-Americans and founded Siempre Colombia, a not-for-profit organization in Jackson Heights.

Jessica does not have a driver’s license—she rides the subway every day.

Senator Michael Gianaris serves as Deputy Majority Leader and proudly represents western Queens. Guided by the principle that the playing field between everyday New Yorkers and powerful interests is grossly skewed in favor of the wealthy, Senator Gianaris is a progressive champion for tenants’ rights, better subways, election reforms, a fairer criminal justice system, LGBTQ+ equality, and ending unfair economic development policies. As a member of the leadership of the largest Democratic Senate Majority in over a century, Senator Gianaris is proud to partner with progressive advocates and grassroots leaders to deliver results after years of lost opportunity.

A child of immigrants, Senator Gianaris was born and raised in Astoria, Queens, where he continues to reside. He is the product of New York City public schools and graduated from Fordham University and Harvard Law School before embarking upon on a career in public service. As a first-generation American, Senator Gianaris knows the struggle of immigrant families and leads the fight against harmful federal policies that tear apart families and unfairly discriminate against immigrant communities. He supports and works with community groups, such as Immigrant Families Together, to reunite families separated at the border and wrote legislation barring discrimination based on immigration status. He secured funding for community groups providing legal services to immigrants in need and was one of the first state legislators in the United States to call for abolishing ICE – the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency – when it began separating parents from children at the border.

In a city with millions of renters, Senator Gianaris always stands with tenants. Knowing the corrosive impact of real estate money in politics, Senator Gianaris does not accept campaign donations from real estate developers. In 2019, Senator Gianaris passed the most comprehensive tenant protections in New York State history. The new rent reforms, which Senator Gianaris helped author, ended the vacancy bonus, repealed vacancy decontrol, ended increases on preferential rents, and limited landlords abilities to pass capital improvement costs along to tenants. Senator Gianaris also secured funding for tenant legal services for the Ridgewood Tenants Union.

With a strong belief that we must live up to our highest ideals of “justice for all,” Senator Gianaris is working hard to transform our criminal justice system. In an effort to end the criminalization of poverty, Senator Gianaris wrote the Bail Elimination Act to end bail in New York and in 2019 passed the most comprehensive bail reform legislation in the United States. He also wrote legislation to create an Innocence Commission to review wrongful convictions and protect juvenile offenders Miranda rights.

Senator Gianaris is a chief critic of the MTA, fighting for transit riders while pushing for improved service and increased accessibility. He understands New York cannot function without reliable mass transit, which is why he helped secure record funding for mass transit and an independent audit of the MTA.

New York has the second-lowest voter turnout in the United States. When more New Yorkers vote, their government is more accountable. Senator Gianaris wrote legislation to register more New Yorkers to vote and sponsored reforms to enact early voting and vote by mail.

ohn C. Liu is a New York State Senator representing a broad area of northeast Queens. He is chairperson of the Senate’s committee on New York City Education and also serves on the committees of Finance, Education, Transportation, Alcoholism and Substance Abuse and Rules. John was Comptroller of the City of New York (2010-2013) and a New York City Councilmember (2002-2009). In 2013, John was a candidate for Mayor of New York City, in lieu of running for re-election as Comptroller. Currently, John teaches municipal finance and public policy in Masters programs at the City University of New York (CUNY) and Columbia University.
The 43rd Comptroller of New York City, John Liu established an impressive record as the chief financial officer for 8.4 million residents and overseeing municipal government with an annual budget of $70 billion. John saved taxpayers $5 billion through rigorous audits of City agencies, detailed scrutiny of contracts with private companies, and refinancing of $20 billion of outstanding City bond debt. During his four-year term of office, he achieved an enviable total investment return, increasing the City’s pension asset portfolio to $150 billion. John created the nationally acclaimed online application “CheckbookNYC.com” providing unprecedented transparency in government spending. He facilitated economic development and new job creation with acceleration of City capital projects, capturing low interest rates in the bond markets.
Always emphasizing that “it’s not just about numbers, it’s about people,” John Liu championed fairness and equality. An early and staunch opponent of stop-and-frisk tactics, John highlighted the risks to communities and taxpayers alike due to damaged police-community relations. John presented daily-updated M/WBE Report Cards for City agencies to monitor and encourage greater government contracting opportunities for minority entrepreneurs. John also proposed sound economic policies to create real economic growth and narrow the ever-widening wealth gap, protected wage standards and recouped back wages and fines on behalf of cheated workers from contractors who just don’t want to play by the rules, and exposed the billions of dollars in publicly-subsidized corporate welfare doled out by the City that failed to deliver on promised new jobs and fair housing. He published numerous reports analyzing and issuing recommendations on a wide range of public priorities, including education and the need to take students beyond high school, affordable housing and family support, retirement security and protection of pension benefits, and the fiscal and social benefits of legalizing marijuana.

Now in his fourth term, New York State Democrat Senator James Sanders Jr., a lifelong public servant, Marine Corps veteran, proponent of education and advocate for working class families, continues to approach the legislature with a fresh perspective and promise to bring economic opportunities and resources to the people of Southeast Queens.
Sanders’ passion for public service and politics began as a young man working for then-United States Congressman, Floyd H. Flake, engineering civic and community projects that aided in revitalizing social and economic opportunities in his District.
Senator Sanders is a product of Southeast Queens, born in Hammel Houses, a public housing development in the Rockaways and graduate of Far Rockaway High School. He served his country in the United States Marine Corps for three years. He then earned his Bachelor’s degree in History, specializing in African-American studies from Brooklyn College in 1984.
Prior to his time in the State Senate, Sanders served 10 years on Queens School Board District 27; seven years as president and the first African-American to do so. As a married father of two, Sanders saw first-hand how economic advancement was dependent upon the quality of education within the community. He took an interest in youth and educational affairs by working in the nonprofit sector to organize and assist students and other youth throughout New York City.
In 2001 Sanders was entrusted by the people to further aid his community when elected as New York City Council Member for the 31st District, representing the communities of Laurelton, Rosedale, Springfield Gardens, Edgemere, Bayswater, Arverne and Far Rockaway.
As Council Member, Sanders was unanimously voted Chairman of the Economic Development Committee, making him the first African-American in City history to hold the post. Having an immediate impact in his new role - overseeing the EDC and Department of Small Business Services - Sanders commissioned a major study that became the basis upon which New York City re-instituted policies of affirmative action, and enhanced opportunities for women and minority-owned businesses.
Sanders also authored the toughest anti-predatory lending bill in the country, and got passed legislation criminalizing the sale of ammunition to minors. His work in City Council rebuilt and updated many parks and libraries in the 31st District, and he led the charge against sexual assaults throughout Queens, forming a coalition of community activists to address safety and other issues affecting women.
Sanders served on the City Council 12 years, the term limit.
On September 13, 2012 the people elected Sanders to represent them once again, this time as Senator for the 10th Senatorial District which includes the neighborhoods of South Jamaica, Rochdale Village, Rosedale, Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, Springfield Gardens and most of the Rockaways.

Tom’s career has spanned the printing and publishing industries over the past 25 years with RR Donnelley & Sons Company, Merrill Corporation and SONY DADC. For the past five years, he has been involved in the energy industry. Most recently, Tom was Director of Sales for CCI Energy Solutions, Inc.

His other interests include investing in multi-family real estate, adviser to non-profit and for-profit boards.

Originally from Astoria, Tom lives in Malverne, NY with his wife and their daughter and son. He is a graduate of the University of Scranton, Scranton, PA with a BS in Accounting and received his MBA in International Business from Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY.

He has served as President & CEO of Queens Chamber of Commerce since July of 2015.