Real Estate Conflict Ridden, Non-Resident, Non - Elected Child School Executive Director Sal Fererra Intends to Stay on Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors - First Sought Appointment To RIOC Board This Month, June 2011

 Image of Maple Tree Group Meeting With Mr. Fererra (hand on chin) 

A post earlier today stated:

Mr. Fererra still has not stated publicly whether he will resign or stay on as a RIOC Board member as he had previously promised to do by last Monday.

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Matt Katz just forwarded this response he received from Mr. Fererra:

To the Editor,

I would like to begin by thanking everyone who has called or emailed me regarding my appointment to RIOC. Your thoughts and opinions are deeply appreciated; indeed, they are much needed in order for us to continue to enhance Roosevelt Island together. I also want to address the concerns recently expressed by The Wire regarding my motivations in seeking to be appointed to the RIOC board.

I have rigorously devoted my professional career to education and ethical public service. Over the years I have led or participated in community enhancing projects. These projects were always developed in partnership with the community, very well received and have proven to be highly successful. Not surprisingly, shortly after arriving on Roosevelt Island as the new president of the Child School, I sought to continue my 30+ years of public service. I immediately opened up the facilities of the Child School to residents. I encourage Child School employees and students to become more engaged in the life of our community regardless of whether or not they are full time residents. I also applied in June to be appointed to the RIOC board. I sought appointment hoping that I could, in a more direct way, assist in enhancing the life of our beautiful island. I did not seek to be appointed by the Governor in order to engage in unethical conduct or to promote my own interests or return some phantom political favors.

As a member of the RIOC board, I will work tirelessly to enhance the resources that should be improved or made available to our community. From the very first day I begin my tenure of service on the RIOC board, I will also insist upon a culture of responsiveness and transparency so we can achieve our common cause together. I agree that the voice of the residents on Roosevelt Island is and should remain the most powerful decision-making body on the RIOC board; six out of the nine currently appointed members are residents of the island. The democratic process on the Island remains, and will continue to remain intact. "I will, of course, recuse myself from any RIOC board decision involving the Child School."

The Wire article was correct in saying that I will be doing favors for people. Unfortunately, the article did not specify for whom. So let me state for the record that the only "favors" I will do are favors for the Roosevelt Island community, namely, the New Yorkers who live, study, work and enjoy the beauty of this island. Please remember that we—child and adult, resident, employee and visitors—all contribute to the creation of a vibrant, open and healthy community.

I sincerely look forward to collaborating with everyone to achieve the goals of the community, namely, making Roosevelt Island the best place to live, work and enjoy life.

After receiving the letter, I inquired of Mr. Fererra to confirm if he first sought appointment to the RIOC Board this month - in June. Mr Fererra responded with a "Yes".