LIC Partnership names new chair of board
BY BILL PARRY
While Amazon’s decision
to build its new HQ2 campus
around Anable Basin
along the East River has
dominated the headlines,
the neighborhood’s economic
development organization
has undergone a transition in
leadership as it prepares for a
new era in the nation’s fastest
growing metro area.
During its annual meeting
and legislative breakfast
on Dec. 14, the Long Island
City Partnership welcomed
Rockrose Development
Corporation’s senior vice
president Patricia Dunphy
was welcomed as its new chair
of the board of directors.
Dunphy replaces the retiring
Gary Kesner who will assume
the honorary role of chairman
of the board emeritus.
“The transition of Board
chair is a bittersweet
moment,” LIC Partnership
President Elizabeth Lusskin
said. “Gary has dedicated so
much of his time and energy
to this organization which
has positioned LIC as a rolemodel
Patricia Dunphy (l.) joins Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and members of the LIC Partnership
after it was announced she would be its new chair of the board of directors.
for urban centers
across the country. Patricia
has been a member of the
Board for years and knows
LIC from the inside out.”
Dunphy has been a driving
force in New York City real
estate for more than three
decades and said she’s “crazy
about Long Island City” where
she is playing a major role in
Rockrose’s $1 billion Court
Square project which is in
the process of bringing four
major residential projects to
the neighborhood.
“Patricia has been a very
active member of the Board
for many years and a true
leader in LIC and we are
fortunate to have her leading
us into this next great
chapter,” Lusskin said.
The University of
Wisconsin graduate
draws retail to Rockrose
developments and is credited
with New York City’s first
Whole Foods to Manhattan
in 2001.
“She is a perfect fit for
helping the area reach new
heights and I look forward to
working with Patricia in her
elevated role,” Lusskin said.
Other new officers on
the LIC Partnership’s board
include Charles Boyce of Boyce
Technologies as the first vice
chair, Elliot Park of Shine
Electronics Incorporated as
the new second vice chair and
Michelle Adams of Tishman
Speyer as a vice chair.
Alvarez Symonette of Lady
M Confections Co., Ltd., was
also named as vice chair.
Among the new board
members are John Hatfield
of Socrates Sculpture Park,
Andrew Chung of Innovo
Property Group, Sara Cohen
of Gotham Realty, Alan
Harker of Vayner Media
Group, Douglas Meyer
of Bank Leumi, Kenneth
Salzman of Lee & Associates,
Irene Zoupaniotis of Farrell
Fritz, P.C. and Frank
Zuckerbrot of Sholom &
Zuckerbrot Realty LLC.
Longtime congressman ponders next move
BY BILL PARRY
As the 116th Congress was
convening in Washington,
with Democrats returning
to the majority in the House
of Representatives for the
first time in eight years,
Joseph Crowley found himself
thousands of miles away from
Capitol Hill this week.
“I’m in Montana,
celebrating the holidays
with my wife Kasey’s inlaws,”
Crowley said in a
phone interview Monday. “I
have no plans to go back to
Washington and I said my
goodbyes last week.”
Crowley’s 20 year career in
Congress came to a stunning
end in June when the fourthranked
Democrat in the
House lost his first primary
challenge to Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez in June.
“I reached a pretty high
level and accomplished
quite a bit,” Crowley said.
“I’m relatively young at 56
compared to the average age in
Congress at 58. I have no plans
right now. I’m just moving on
to the next phase of my life. I
don’t know if I’m done with
elected politics yet. We’ll just
see what unfolds.”
Born and raised in
Woodside, where he still keeps
a residence, Crowley was first
elected to Congress in 1998.
In 2017 he rose to become
chairman of the Democratic
Caucus and was seen as a
potential Speaker of the
House.
“I had a great career and
representing the people of
western Queens and the
Bronx was the honor of a
lifetime,” Crowley said. “I
am proud of my legacy and
my record, and not just in
Congress, I also served in the
state Assembly for 12 years.”
In September, Crowley was
re-elected as chairman of the
Queens County Democratic
Party, a seat he has held
since 2006. As party boss,
Crowley holds a great deal of
influence in the selection of
Democratic candidate, both
political and judicial.
“At least for the
foreseeable future that will
keep me engaged on the
homefront and being out
of Washington will give
me more time to focus on
Joe Crowley’s run as a Congressman came to a stunning end with
his primary loss in June. File Photo
the party,” Crowley said.
“We’ve done a good job
diversifying the party and
I’m proud of what we’ve
accomplished over the years
both with political offices
and judgeships.”
Until he decides his
next move, and whether he
returns to elected politics,
Crowley will be enjoying
more time with his family.
“I have a lot to be grateful
for,” he said. “I have one of
my sons in the U.S. Naval
Academy in Annapolis, a
daughter in high school and
my other son in elementary
school.”
And he has seen his
successor struggle during
her early days on Capitol
Hill as incoming Speaker
Nancy Pelosi dashed Ocasio-
Cortez’s push for a Green
New Deal Committee this
week in favor of a Climate
Crisis Committee lacking
subpoena power.
“My advice is to realize
the House is a collaborative
body and you need to work
together to achieve goals,”
Crowley said. “Nothing
ever happens overnight.
Nothing. I would give that
advice to her and I would
give that advice to any
members of the freshman
class in Congress.”
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by e-mail at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by
phone at (718) 260–4538.
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