14 THE COURIER SUN • JANUARY 16, 2014 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.couriersun.com politics GENNARO JOINS GOV’S TEAM BY MELISSA CHAN mchan@queenscourier.com A former environmental leader in the City Council will take his fight for a cleaner, more sustainable city to the governor’s office. Governor Andrew Cuomo has hired former Councilmember Jim Gennaro to join the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) as deputy commissioner for New York City Sustainability and Resiliency, the governor announced last week. “This year, the state is reimagining New York for a new climate reality, building back better and more resilient after the major storms from the last few years,” Cuomo said in a statement. “I am pleased to have Mr. Gennaro join our team at DEC, where he will bring his many years of environmental experience to help protect and prepare New York City for extreme weather.” Gennaro served in the city’s lawmaking body from 2002, chairing the Environmental Protection Committee, until he was term-limited in 2013. The outspoken fracking skeptic and geologist had more than 42 pieces of environmental legislation passed by the City Council in that time. He was also awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Environmental Quality Award” in 2013. Gennaro’s new responsibilities include helping the city rebuild after Sandy and preparing it for climate change challenges and future storms. “Jim’s demonstrated passion for improving the environment and his leading role in shaping environmental policies to protect New Yorkers make him a natural fit for DEC,” said DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. THE COURIER/File photo Former Councilmember Jim Gennaro has taken a deputy commissioner role at the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation. THE COURIER/File photo Former Councilmember Jim Gennaro has taken a deputy commissioner role at the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation. VANEL LATEST TO EYE SMITH SEAT BY MAGGIE HAYES mhayes@queenscourier.com The race for State Senator Malcolm Smith’s seat is heating up with new contender Clyde Vanel. Vanel joins attorney Munir Avery in an attempt to snag the Senate seat from Smith, who was arrested last April on corruption charges. “We have zero representation right now in the Senate,” Vanel said of the 14th District, which is comprised of southeast Queens neighborhoods including Jamaica, Queens Village, Hollis and Cambria Heights. Vanel, a Cambria Heights native, wants to focus on bringing jobs back to the district and straightening out “Albany’s dysfunction.” “We need to bring more jobs to our state, and economic policy,” he said. “I have owned and run businesses before. I’ve had employees. I’m a business attorney, so I understand the policies and regulations that make it diffi cult for people to keep small businesses in New York.” Vanel most recently ran to replace the termlimited Councilmember Leroy Comrie, but fell limited short by two percent of the vote to current Councilmember Daneek Miller in September’s primary. Since then, the attorney said he has “been trying to get back on my feet” and expand support in the district for this upcoming election. If elected, he said he would “be loyal to the Democratic party,” criticizing Smith for associating with the Independent Democratic Conference, a bipartisan legislative group. He also hopes to fi nd alternative ways to bring in revenue outside of raising taxes. “We have to be more creative with respect to how do we generate revenue from the government, and how do we do more with less,” he said. He added he will soon be releasing a plan of ideas on how to do so. “I’m the best person that is currently in the race now,” he said. “The thing is, I’m not running against Malcom Smith, I’m running for the seat. The plan of attack is to just stand on the issues.” FILE PHOTO Attorney Clyde Vanel is the latest to enter the race for State Senator Malcolm Smith’s seat. FOR MORE POLITICS, PLEASE SEE PAGE 18
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