Gale Brewer

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Gale Brewer
Gale Brewer 1.jpg
27th Borough President of Manhattan
Assumed office
January 1, 2014
Preceded byScott Stringer
Member of the New York City Council
from the 6th district
In office
January 1, 2002 – December 31, 2013
Preceded byRonnie Eldridge
Succeeded byHelen Rosenthal
Personal details
Born (1951-09-06) September 6, 1951 (age 70)
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Cal Snyder
EducationBennington College (BA)
Columbia University (BA)
Harvard University (MPA)
WebsiteOfficial website

Gale Arnot Brewer (born September 6, 1951) is an American Democratic politician from the state of New York, and is the 27th Borough President of the New York City borough of Manhattan. She was a member of the New York City Council, where she represented the Upper West Side and the northern part of Hell's Kitchen in Manhattan. She was elected Manhattan Borough President on November 5, 2013.

Education[]

Brewer graduated from the Winsor School in Boston in 1969,[1] and then obtained her undergraduate degrees from Bennington College in 1973 and Columbia University in 1997. She then earned her Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Career[]

From 1975 to 1978, Brewer served as director of scheduling for Mary Anne Krupsak, the former Lieutenant Governor of New York. From 1978 to 1990, she was chief of staff to then-New York City Council member Ruth Messinger. From 1990 to 1994, Brewer was director of the New York City Office of Federal Relations in New York in the administration of David Dinkins. From 1994 to 1998, she was Deputy Public Advocate for Intergovernmental Affairs under Mark J. Green.[2]

Brewer then served as Project Manager for the NYC Nonprofits Project and worked with the Telesis Corporation, a private firm that builds affordable housing. She was a member of Manhattan's Community Board 7 and Chair of the New York State chapter of the National Women's Political Caucus.[2] In 2000, she was cited by the New York Daily News as #20 of "50 New Yorkers to Watch".[3]

City Council[]

Brewer began serving on the New York City Council in 2002. In each re-election vote in 2003, 2005, and 2009, she received over 80% of the votes cast.[2]

Brewer has helped to pass legislation protecting domestic workers, establishing the New York City Broadband Advisory Committee, establishing an electronic death registration system and requiring New York City publications to be made available via the Internet, as well as two bills aimed at eliminating graffiti and unwanted stickers.[2]

Brewer chaired the Select Committee on Technology in Government (now the Committee on Technology) from 2002 to 2009[2] and remains a member of that committee.[4] In June 2004, in conjunction with a graduate student Digital Opportunities Team at CUNY Hunter College departments of Urban Affairs and Planning supervised by Professor Lisa Tolliver,[5] the committee published a study and recommendations titled Expanding Digital Opportunity in New York City Public Schools: Profiles of Innovators and Leaders Who Make a Difference.[6] The report was one of numerous initiatives and events implemented by the Select Committee, which included roundtables, conferences, hearings, and collaborative partnerships.[4][7][8]

Brewer chairs the Committee on Governmental Operations.[2] Other committees on which Council Member Brewer serves include: Aging; Finance; General Welfare, Higher Education; Housing & Buildings; Mental Health; Technology; Transportation; and Waterfronts. In addition, she co-chairs the Manhattan Delegation, sits on the Council's Budget Negotiating Team, and is a member of the Rules Committee Working Group.[2]

Brewer was a member of the New York State Universal Broadband Initiative’s Digital Literacy and Community Outreach Action Team and served as a member of the New York State Attorney General’s Real Estate Working Group/Subcommittee on Enforcement and Mediation, the Foundation Center Library Advisory Committee, and the Information Technology and Communications Committee of the National League of Cities.[2]

Brewer is a member of the Board of Directors of the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee; she also sits on Advisory Committees to John Jay College of Criminal Justice and William E. Macaulay Honors College. Gale also sits on the New York Academy of Medicine's Age-Friendly Board.[2]

Manhattan Borough President[]

Brewer was ineligible to run for re-election to the City Council in 2013 because of term limits. In February 2013 Brewer announced she would run for Manhattan Borough President.[9] On September 10, 2013, Brewer won the Democratic primary, taking nearly 40% of the vote in a tight four-way race.[2] Brewer won the general election on Tuesday, November 5, 2013 and assumed office on January 1, 2014.

Brewer was re-elected in 2017. Due to term limits for Borough Presidents, she is ineligible to run for re-election in 2021 to that office.[10] In December 2020, she announced her candidacy for her former City Council seat.[11] In the 2020 Presidential Election, Brewer served as an alternate elector, replacing Christine Quinn.[12][13]

2021 City Council Campaign[]

Brewer ran in the Democratic primary for the 2021 New York City Council election in the 6th District and is the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Personal life[]

Brewer is married to Cal Snyder. They have adopted several children. Their son Mo Sumbundu, works for Empire State Development.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ "A Promise Kept: The Winsor Promise Campaign Report" (PDF). Winsor School.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j k "Gale A. Brewer profile". Biography. New York City Council. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  3. ^ Saltonstall, Dave (January 1, 2001). "50 NEW YORKERS TO WATCH IN 2001". Daily News. p. 7. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "About Us". NYC Council Committee on Technology's Blog. 13 November 2009. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  5. ^ Select Committee on Technology in Government of the New York City Council (June 2004). "Thanks and Acknowledgements". Expanding Digital Opportunity in New York City Public Schools: Profiles of Innovators and Leaders Who Make a Difference (PDF). p. 19. the graduate student Digital Opportunities Team at CUNY Hunter College departments of Urban Affairs and Planning was comprised of Danisa Dambrauskas, Kazu Hoshino, Gavin O'Donoghue, and Jennifer Vallone and supervised by Professor Lisa Tolliver
  6. ^ Select Committee on Technology in Government of the New York City Council (June 2004). Expanding Digital Opportunity in New York City Public Schools: Profiles of Innovators and Leaders Who Make a Difference (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-02-13.
  7. ^ "Fall 2003 Hearing and Event Schedule for The New York City Select Committee on Technology in Government, Chaired by Council Member Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan)". Solutions for State and Local Government Technology. 17 October 2003. Archived from the original on 5 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  8. ^ Select Committee on Technology in Government of the New York City Council (June 2004). Expanding Digital Opportunity in New York City Public Schools: Profiles of Innovators and Leaders Who Make a Difference (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-02-13.
  9. ^ Walker, Hunter (2012-02-17). "Brewer Says She's 'Definitely' Running For Manhattan Borough President". Observer. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  10. ^ Khurshid, Samar. "With 5 Candidates Declared, 2021 Manhattan Borough President Race Has Begun". Gotham Gazette. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  11. ^ Tannenhauser, Carol (12 December 2020). "Gale Brewer Files to Run for Her Old City Council Seat in 2021". West Side Rag. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  12. ^ Cuomo, Andrew M.; Stewart-Cousins, Andrea; Heastie, Carl E. (2019-11-05). "2020 Electoral College Results; New York Certificate of Vote 2020". National Archives. pp. 3, 2. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  13. ^ Brehm, Robert A.; Valentine, Todd D. (3 November 2020). "AMENDED Certification for the November 3, 2020 General Election" (PDF). New York State Board of Elections. pp. 5, 10. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.

Further reading[]

  • Jack, Hulan Fifty Years a Democrat:The Autobiography of Hulan Jack New Benjamin Franklin House New York, NY 1983

External links[]

Political offices
Preceded by
Ronnie Eldridge 		New York City Council, 6th district
2002-2013 		Succeeded by
Helen Rosenthal
Preceded by
Scott Stringer 		Borough President of Manhattan
2014–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from ""