3 New Roosevelt Island Residents Joining RIOC Board Of Directors And Will Be Attending June 29 Board Meeting, Come Ask Your Questions During Public Session - Among Items On Agenda Are Executive Session To Discuss Pending Litigation, But Which One?

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors will meet in person tomorrow, June 29 at the Cultural Center Theatre (548 Main Street) beginning 5:30 PM. 

As reported June 7, the RIOC Board of Directors will have 3 new members who are residents of Roosevelt Island:

Roosevelt Island Residents Ben Fhala, Michal Melamed And Lydia Tang Appointed To Fill 3 Vacant Seats On The RIOC Board Of Directors - Approved Today By The NY State Senate Finance Committee

Here's Mr Fhala and Dr. Melamed with NY State Senator Liz Krueger at Roosevelt Island Day. 

Mr Fhala has said he:

... Hopes To Bring Change And Fresh Perspective To Roosevelt Island - Goals Include Safeguarding Quality Of Life For All Residents, Managing Impact Of Tourism And Revitalizing Northern Side Of RI Among Others...

Below is the June 29 RIOC Board of Directors Meeting Agenda

 which includes:

Chair’s Motion for Executive Session 

1. Discussion of pending litigation

It is unknown if the pending litigation being discussed by the RIOC Board is concerning:

• Former RIOC President Susan Rosenthal's wrongful termination lawsuit,
• Former RIOC employees whistleblower lawsuit alleging corruption against RIOC President and Senior Staff,
• Former RIOC attorney lawsuit claiming employment discrimination 

or something else.

To date, RIOC has not commented publicly on these matters to the Roosevelt Island community.

Executive session means this portion of the meeting will be held in private, excluding the public from attending.

With the appointment of 3 new members, the RIOC Board had a few days of every Director's seat being filled. That only lasted a few days. According to a RIOC Tweet:

President Haynes stated, “On behalf of the RIOC Executive Team, I want to thank Mr. Ekpo for his deep commitment to helping grow our island and wish him well in his future endeavors.”2/3

— Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (@RIOCny) June 16, 2023

Mr. Ekpo’s board seat will be replaced by incoming member Michal Melamed. We look forward to working with her and all our new Board Members to improve our island and the lives of all island residents. 3/3

— Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (@RIOCny) June 16, 2023

Michal Melamed was appointed to the RIOC Board to fill a vacant seat and before Mr Ekpo left the RIOC Board. It is not known why RIOC would claim that she was replacing Mr Ekpo.

Filling this vacant RIOC Board seat with a new appointment cannot be considered until at least next January when the NY State Legislature is back in session. 

You're invited to attend,  ask questions and share concerns about Roosevelt Island during the opening Public Session before the start of the meeting. Sign up to speak here. 

But be aware that RIOC Board Members and staff usually do not respond to questions during the Public Session though sometimes they may do so or address the subject later during the actual Board meeting.  

If you have a question or concern, give it a try, you may get a response. 

UPDATE 6/29 - RIOC reported this afternoon:

Roosevelt Island Community,

RIOC has been informed a clerical error was made in removing Conway Ekpo from the Board of Directors. The Governor’s office will reinstate him in January 2024 pending Senate approval.

President & CEO Shelton Haynes commented, “I was pleasantly surprised and pleased to hear about the pending reappointment of Conway. I look forward to continuing the great work we have achieved together over the years. Conway has already left an indelible mark on the community thanks to his inclusive ideas and collaborative efforts.”

Team RIOC