Queens Lawmakers On The Move July 25, 2018

Kim Welcomes New Staff Member Ellen Young

Assemblymember Ron Kim (D-Whitestone, Flushing, College Point, Murray Hill) yesterday announced the newest addition to his staff: former Assemblymember Ellen Young.

Young’s role will be serving as Kim’s senior advisor and assisting him in all matters including serving to the Chinese American community. As a former lawmaker who represented the same district, Young brings a wealth of policy experience and legislative expertise, said Kim in a release.

Young has served the Flushing community for over thirty years in various roles, and began her career in government as a district administrator for then-Council Member John Liu. She was elected Assemblymember for District 40 in 2006, and as the first Asian American female in that role she passed a record five bills during her first term. She has served as executive director for the Flushing Chinese Business Association, vice president for the Central Queens Regular Democratic Club, co-founder and president of the Chinese American Voters Association of Queens, co-founder of the Chinese American Women’s Association, founder of the Asian Pacific Islander Political Forum, National Chair of the Asian American Pacific Islander Public Policy Forum, co-founder of the Chinese American Parents’ Association, president of Friends for Queens library, and is a former auxiliary officer for the NYPD.

“I am proud to welcome Ellen Young as my Senior Advisor,” said Kim. “Her extensive experiences and exemplary service will help us better serve our constituents and work more closely with other government offices. We hope to celebrate the important and invaluable contributions she will make in her new role, and I know that she is as committed as I am to fighting for our community.”

Sanders To Host Compost Give Back Event With DSNY

State Sen. James Sanders Jr. (D-Richmond Hill, South Ozone Park, Jamaica, Rochdale Village, Rosedale, parts of Far Rockaway, in partnership with the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), will host a Compost Giveback Event on Saturday.

NYC Compost is made by DSNY from your food scraps and yard waste and is available in 40-pound bags.

There are many benefits to using compost including it builds good soil structure, it enables soil to retain nutrients, water, and air, it protects against drought, it helps maintain a neutral pH, it protects plants from many diseases commonly found in the garden and it feeds earthworms and other microbial life in the soil.

The event is slated for between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, July 28 at the corner of Beach 36th Street and Beach Channel Drive in Far Rockaway. Pre-registration is required to receive compost. Contact Senator Sanders’s District Office at 718-523-3069. The compost s for NYC residents only. Business and commercial vehicles will not be served.

For more information on other ways to get compost in New York City, visit nyc.gov/getcompost.

Gillibrand Pushes Bill Promoting Technical Skills Training

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) yesterday announced that following her push, the senate passed the bipartisan Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, which includes provisions from two of her bipartisan bills to promote technical skills training and prepare students for high-demand, good-paying jobs in the 21^st century economy.

The measure reauthorizes funding for career and technical education programs. This bipartisan legislation is now one step closer to being signed into law.

“Companies across New York have many good-paying, high-tech jobs available, but they can’t fill them because too many graduates don’t have the technical and computing skills they need to apply. We need to make sure that all of our schools have the resources they need to prepare students for these great jobs, no matter where they are in the state,” said Gillibrand.

Gillibrand’s provisions included her bipartisan Computer Science Career Education Act that would help provide more opportunities for students to learn computer science skills, especially for women, minority, rural, and low-income students across New York State who are underrepresented in STEM careers, in order to prepare them for in-demand careers in computer science.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2024, one in every two STEM jobs will be in computing, and there will be 1.3 million job openings in computing occupations due to growth in the field. However, fewer than 50,000 students graduate each year with bachelor’s degrees in computer science.

The legislative package also included provisions from Gillibrand’s bipartisan 21st Century Strengthening Hands On Programs that Cultivate Learning Approaches for Successful Students (SHOP CLASS) Act, which would prepare teachers to offer expanded training for students across New York State in advanced manufacturing technologies like 3D printers, laser cutters, and computerized machine tools. Modern manufacturing is increasingly high-tech and creates complex technical jobs that require technical-skill training.