Roosevelt Island Resident Lydia Tang Nominated By Mayor Adams For One Of Three Vacant Seats On RIOC Board Of Directors - Must Still Be Appointed By The Governor And Approved By State Senate Finance Committee Before June 8 Close Of Legislative Session

There were rumors last week that at least one, and possibly more, resident(s) were nominated to fill up to three currently vacant Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors seats.

On May 22, I asked Mayor Adams press representative:

I'm following up regarding the list of Roosevelt Island community concerns that were previously addressed to Mayor Adams during his visit to RI and to First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright during a community/ethnic media roundtable.

Among those community concerns were Mayoral appointments to the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors.

I have been told that Mayor Adams has selected a person to be appointed to the RIOC Board Of Directors.

Is that true? Who is that person?

Please provide details about the nominee and reasons for the person's appointment.

Thank you.

Mayor Adams press spokesperson replied: 

 We don’t comment on pending appointments.

I learned of at least one RIOC Board nomination.

On May 25, prior to a RIOC Board of Directors meeting, Roosevelt Island resident Lydia Tang told me that she was a Mayoral nominee to the RIOC Board of Directors. (Ms Tang is pictured below at the May 25 RIOC Board meeting standing next to RIOC Board member Howard Polivy).

I asked Ms Tang:

Do you have any comment to the Roosevelt Island community on your nomination... ?

Why do you wish to be on the RIOC Board and how do you see your role as a RIOC Director?

Ms Tang replied:

Being part of the solution and not part of the problem – that’s the only legitimate reason I have for wishing to be on the RIOC Board of Directors. Complaining about the state of affairs only goes so far, but stepping up to improve the state of affairs can be more effective if there exists the correct qualifications and experience. I believe that I have many of the correct qualifications and experiences.

I’ve been an active member of the Roosevelt Island community, having taken on official positions in my building’s tenant’s association, our public school’s PTA, RIRA, MSTDA, the Living Library (LifeFrames Inc.) and as advocate for our branch of the Public Library. I’ve also helped out in community events orchestrated by RIRA and RIOC, as well as volunteering with the after-school Beacon Program. My professional experience includes 10 years in the financial industry and, most recently, 25 years as a college math professor. My undergraduate and graduate degrees are in Operations Research from Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. My limited exposures from my summer college internships include working for the MTA in Staten Island (SIRTOA), Con-Edison, and CE-Lummus, an engineering firm.

Ms Tang's Mayoral nomination to the RIOC Board is subject to appointment by Governor Hochul and confirmation by the NY State Senate Finance committee which is chaired by Roosevelt Island's State Senator Liz Krueger.

Will Ms Tang have smooth sailing through the vetting process, if any, of Governor Hochul and the State Senate Finance committee?

As a Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) member, Ms Tang was co-chair of the RIRA Cherry Blossom Committee. As reported March 28, 2019:

... The preparation, financing and organization of the 2019 Cherry Blossom Festival has not been without the RIRA behind the scenes controversies as have also occurred in past years.

Prior to the March RIRA Common Council meeting to approve a budget for the Cherry Blossom Festival,  four Common Council Members, including the RIRA Treasurer, resigned over concerns related to the large sum requested that RIRA commit to raise ($25 Thousand) and a perceived lack of transparency by RIRA Cherry Blossom Committee organizers.

Following much discussion and email exchanges, the RIRA March Common Council meeting approved a much smaller budget of $9,520 for the Cherry Blossom Festival...

It is unclear precisely what caused the concern and resignations by RIRA members over the Cherry Blossom Festival fundraising. Ms Tang responded to my inquiry at the time saying;

... Prior to RIOC agreeing to assume the Homeland Security requirements for our growing event, the Cherry Blossom Festival subcommittee distributed fundraising appeals for our best estimate of what projected costs would be. After RIOC’s agreement, we revised our estimate.

The Cherry Blossom Festival embarked on fundraising efforts that RIRA unanimously approved, in the following motion:

Motion: “RIRA authorizes the expenditure of up to $9,520 for the Cherry Blossom Festival, based upon the budget of $9,520. RIRA encourages fundraising and in-kind contributions to minimize out-of-pocket expenses.”

A donation incentive, based on recommendations by FFP and in consultation with RIOC, includes a new promotional opportunity. In keeping with prioritizing promised donation incentives, the Cherry Blossom Festival Subcommittee set a policy of an opportunity to share a display table to previously grandfathered organizations. The new promotional opportunities supersede previous fundraising documents that some Council Members viewed as malfeasance.

We are currently collecting donation commitments from Amalgamated Bank, Hornblower and Manhattan Park, among others. Some donors choose to remain anonymous.

The approved budget is up to $9,250. We currently have committed donations of that will cover most of our expenses and are hoping to receive additional commitments.

There are no financial improprieties, as no money has been spent or collected.

There are a total of 9 RIOC Board seats. According to the NY State governing statute regarding RIOC Board members:

2. The board of directors of the corporation shall be composed of nine members. One member shall be the commissioner, who shall serve as the chair; one member shall be the director of the budget; and seven public members shall be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate. Of the seven public members, two members, one of whom shall be a resident of Roosevelt Island, shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the mayor of the city; and four additional members shall be residents of Roosevelt Island. Each member shall serve for a term of four years and until his or her successor shall have been appointed and shall have qualified, except that the commissioner and the director of the budget shall serve so long as they continue to hold their respective offices. Any action taken by the directors of the corporation shall be taken by majority vote of the directors then in office. The elected public officials who represent Roosevelt Island shall be representatives to the board of directors of the corporation entitled to receive notice of and attend all meetings of such board but shall not be entitled to vote. Failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of any action taken at a meeting of such board....

What does a RIOC Director do? 

In theory, the RIOC Board of Directors sets policy, approve the annual budget, an annual capital spending plan, hires and fires the President/CEO and oversees the operations of the corporation. In practice, many of the important decisions about Roosevelt Island are made by the Governor's office as explained by RIOC Director Fay Christian during a May 8 community meeting with Congressman Jerry Nadler.

RIOC Board members are volunteers and do not get paid.

The NY State Legislature is in session until June 8. The State Senate Finance Committee met May 30 and May 31 to consider various NY State nominations. RIOC board appointment was not on the Agenda. 

More info as it becomes available.