BREAKING NEWS - Governor Cuomo Selects Mount Vernon Planning Commissioner Charlene Indelicato As New President Of Roosevelt Island Operating Corp - Will RIOC Board Approve?

I had been hearing rumors yesterday that a new President for the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) was about to be announced. During yesterday's RIOC Real Estate advisory committee meeting, I asked RIOC Directors present as well as Acting President Don Lewis and CFO Steve Chironis if a new President was selected. All indicated no knowledge of such an appointment.

Earlier today, I received word that Charlene Indelicato was to be named RIOC President at tomorrow's RIOC Board meeting.

Image From City Of Mount Vernon

Just as I was about to publish the news, I received an Amended Agenda for tomorrow's RIOC Board meeting which included this item:

... Appointment of Charlene Indelicato to Position of President/Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation (Board Action Required)...

Charlene Indelicato is the Commissioner of Mount Vernon’s Department of Planning and Community Development. According to the Yonkers Tribune:

Ms. Indelicato has served in local government for over 20 years, as Corporation Counsel and City Manager of the City of New Rochelle and, more recently, as Westchester County Attorney where she supervised over one hundred employees.

... Ms. Indelicato has extensive experience in contracts, real estate, land use, zoning and municipal law. She has managed complex transactional and policy matters including: major infrastructure planning and development and construction management of projects, and regulatory compliance with State and Federal agencies. “She is developer savvy” said Mayor Elect Davis “and her expertise in planning and development will be extremely helpful to Mount Vernon as we seek to achieve our development potential.”

During Ms. Indelicato’s tenure as Corporation Counsel, and later as City Manager, the City of New Rochelle accomplished a major commercial redevelopment of a contaminated municipal waste site. Using Federal, State and private funds, the site was cleaned to DEC standards and is now home to Costco and Home Depot. This project was followed by negotiations for the development of New Roc City Mall, construction of the New Rochelle City Court and Police Facility, the New Rochelle Intermodal Transportation Center, and a number of other commercial and residential projects, including Avalon-on-the-Sound market rate rentals in the downtown.

Click here for entire Yonkers Tribune article.

The selection by Governor Cuomo of Ms. Indelicato appears to have been done without the knowledge and participation of the RIOC Board. It will be an interesting RIOC Board meeting tomorrow.

UPDATE 11 PM - Roosevelt Island's Assembly Member Micah Kellner comments on the selection of Ms Indelicato:

I am incredibly disappointed in the way the governor's office announced the appointment. The lack of transparency is glaring. They should have worked together with the community and the RIOC board to find a new president.

RIOC has been understaffed and without direction for too long, and the community has suffered because of it. If Ms. Indelicato is confirmed by the RIOC board, I sincerely hope that she will bring the experience and leadership that Roosevelt Island needs.

UPDATE 4/4 - RIOC Board approved Ms Indelicato as RIOC President with 5 votes to approve and 3 abstentions. More here.