Will New Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) President Jeffrey Escobar Be Able To Mend Community Organization Asks Common Council Member? First Meeting Was A Great New Beginning

 Image Of March 2014 RIRA Meeting ( President Jeff Escobar Standing)

As reported last night following the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) March Common Council Meeting:

Just left tonight's RIRA meeting and am happy to say the Circus has left Roosevelt Island. This RIRA meeting under the leadership of President Jeff Escobar was efficiently run, productive, civil and informative. It provides hope for the future of RIRA as an organization.

After the meeting, the overwhelming consensus of those present was that Mr. Escobar did a great job. Some RIRA members even came over to me and said they now understand why Roberts Rules Of Order is a good framework for conducting meetings.

Hopefully, this will continue going forward in the future...

RIRA Common Council Member Dave Evans has this report on the meeting last night:

WILL NEW RIRA PRESIDENT JEFFEREY ESCOBAR BE ABLE TO MEND THE ORGANIZATION?

Many Councilors came to the RIRA meeting of 5 March 2014 with differing expectations which in effect means they did not know what to expect. Given the extensive discourse before the meeting, I had concluded that some felt Jeff would lead the meeting with too much of an iron fist, while some thought that he would show little if any warmth in his leadership style, some opined he would become frustrated and simply walk away, and others that Jeff would certainly please the audience.

Well, in my view he was a huge success. How was this accomplished? In one word, "inclusiveness". That is, due to the discord that had come to be an unfortunate standard, the organization was faced with the prospects of putting new people into a growing number of vacancies due to resignations. In a good way, those vacancies were filled with a mix of folks, some who had positive thoughts about the new President and others who thought negatively.

Thus, the new administration is now inclusive of those who were for and against the prior leadership of Polivy and Escobar. Coupled with Jeff's management and leadership style, this new inclusiveness should bode well going forward.

But, the defining moment was during Jeff's rendering of his President's report when he shared a very personal and touching challenge that his family has endured. I suddenly heard a quiet in the room unlike before. Then there was noise as the attendees erupted in applause aimed at the President. Jeff was suddenly humanized. At that point, I smiled given the collective evidence in his first meeting, that Jefferey Escobar is fully capable of mending the state of affairs in the RIRA Common Council.

RIRA Common Council Member Susan Marcus said Jeff Escobar:

... did a super job. This is the first time I saw Robert's being used correctly and it is wonderful and so efficient. Very impressive when done correctly.

Mr. Escobar told the Common Council:

... people want RIRA to work...  we are here for one purpose only and that is to represent the Island.

Here's Mr. Escobar's RIRA President's Report to the Common Council.



Also, during last night's meeting Susan Marcus was elected the new Chairperson of RIRA's Housing Committee. She invites any resident of Roosevelt Island to join RIRA's Housing Committee. According to Ms. Marcus:

RIRA's Housing Committee is being revitalized. I am very concerned about the loss of affordable housing, housing issues for seniors and retirees, and the issues regarding privatization, including renters' options, mortgages and home-owner insurance. I am interested in forming a wider coalition of neighbors who share these same concerns. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Housing Committee,which is open to any resident of Roosevelt Island, please email me at sqmarcus@gmail.com.

Last night was a good one for RIRA and Roosevelt Island.