Five new neighborhood leaders have joined Manhattan’s Community Boards, after being nominated by Council Member Ben Kallos (D-Yorkville, Lenox Hill) and appointed by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (D).
Manhattan’s Community Boards serve the role of being the independent voices of the communities they represent. As Community Board members, the five appointees will play a pivotal role in shaping their communities and preserving the character of their unique neighborhoods.
“It’s never been more important to get involved in local government and these new community board members understand that,” said Brewer. “I commend Council Member Kallos for nominating these talented leaders and I am confident that these new members will use their voices to help their neighborhood, their borough and their city become a better place.”
The appointees were as follows:
- Saudra E. Coleman, a licensed local preacher of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and a former payroll supervisor for the NYPD. She will be serving on Community Board 8, which covers the Upper East Side, including Yorkville and Lenox Hill.
- Harrison Pierson-Panes, a politically active high school junior at The Beacon School in Midtown Manhattan. He will also be serving on Community Board 8.
- Felice Farber, the head of policy and legislative affairs for the General Contractors Association. She, too, will be serving on Community Board 8.
- Rev. Michelle Wiltshire-Clement, who has worked at Mount Sinai Hospital and at The Riverside Church of New York. She will be serving on Community Board 11, which covers East Harlem and Randalls Island.
- Charles A. Fernandez Jr., who received a citation from Councilmember Kallos in 2017 for his work to protect the residents of his building from an illicit construction project. He will be serving on Community Board 6, which covers the East Side of Manhattan from 14th Street to 59th Street.
“I am proud to nominate residents that have different areas of focus and expertise and that come from different walks of life to serve on our Community Boards,” said Kallos, a former member of Community Board 8. “There are a myriad of complex issues before the board that we will need help with. Thank you to Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer for an open process that has encouraged hundreds to apply with an impressive group interview process as well as all the applicants and appointees for their service to the community.”
