RIOC Communications Policy Excludes Answering Local Roosevelt Island Media - Instead Places Propaganda Articles In Obscure Web Publications Praising RIOC President And Promoting His Personal Reputation, Does RIOC Pay For Placement?

On October 11, I asked the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors and President Shelton Haynes:

RIOC Directors & Shelton Haynes

During the September 14 RIOC Board Of Directors Public Session, I asked why RIOC does not answer questions from the local press about issues of community concern.

There was no response.

I am preparing an article for Roosevelt Islander Online on RIOC's communications policy and practices. Does the RIOC Board or Mr Haynes have any comment on the following.

Instead of answering questions from the local Roosevelt Island press, RIOC has placed articles in obscure web publications. A few recent examples include:

1. The Price Of Business (October 11, 2023) - "Under the leadership of CEO Shelton Haynes, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) is on a mission to transform Roosevelt Island into a vibrant cultural hub. With a strong commitment to fostering the arts and her solid creativity, RIOC is actively promoting cultural initiatives that enrich the lives of residents and visitors alike...."
2. Business Partner Magazine (July 26, 2023) " Shelton J. Haynes, the President and CEO of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC), has emerged as a driving force behind the island’s resurgence. His commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has transformed RIOC’s work culture, ensuring that it reflects our diverse world. With a focus on fostering relationships and investing in the workforce, Haynes has set the stage for Roosevelt Island’s bright future...."
3. Entrepreneur Partnership  (July 5, 2023) - " For a small island in the East River, Roosevelt Island has an exceptional safety department, according to Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation CEO Shelton Haynes, with a community that is closer to the feel of a small town with a population of 12,000 in the middle of the greater metropolis of New York City. Retaining this feeling of community while still watching out for influences from the city at large can be a challenge. Still, it’s one that Haynes recognizes as coming directly from the Public Safety Department, which strikes a careful balance between care and caution on the island."...
4. The Price Of Business (June 30 2023) - "Communities across the United States have taken a strong look at how to regain community trust due to recent tragedies in police work, as Shelton Haynes, CEO of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, knows well. Leading a community that has such strong ties as Roosevelt Island can be a challenge on some days, but Haynes knows that those challenges are not coming from his Public Safety Department (PSD) officers. This is because the community policing approach that Haynes has developed works well to create strong ties within the island community...."
5. Highlight Story (June 25, 2023) "Shelton Haynes Focuses On New Strategies For Roosevelt Island..."

Also, there was the February 13, 2023 City and State article that was labeled Sponsored Content:

 Roosevelt Island: A Hidden Gem Nestled Between Queens & New York City At the Helm of the State Ran Agency is President & CEO Shelton J. Haynes

and the August 14, 2023 City & State Manhattan Power 100 List which ranks Shelton Haynes as #91.

The seeming purpose of all these purported "news stories" are to praise Mr Haynes and attempt to enhance his personal reputation.

Has RIOC spent any funds on these or other "articles" promoting Mr Haynes and attempting to enhance his personal reputation? How much money has RIOC spent promoting Mr Haynes and attempting to enhance his personal reputation?

How much time, if any, does the RIOC Communications team spend writing these articles.

Why does RIOC place articles in digital publications which nobody on Roosevelt island or living in NYC read and not answer questions from Roosevelt Island press about local issues?

Please let me know if there will be a response.

There was no response from Mr Haynes. Recently appointed RIOC Board Member Ben Fhala replied on October 20:

I am deeply concerned about your email. I appreciate that you have forwarded this for review by the oversight board.

On the surface, it appears to be an attempt at SEO stuffing. As far as I understand the team, none of them are SEO experts (I have worked in that field in the past, and it involves very technical work). I'm assuming this has been carried out by a third party, although I have not confirmed whether it was done through a vendor hired by RIOC or privately.

Nonetheless, this is a matter of significant concern. We will be conducting an investigation to understand how this work was commissioned and under what authority.

Thanks,

Ben Fhala*

Resident Board Member

*Disclaimer: All statements made by Ben Fhala are made in his capacity as a RIOC Resident Board member. He does not represent the entirety of RIOC or the full board but serves as a Resident Board member, offering information to the community and its stakeholders.

Today I followed up asking the RIOC Board of Directors and Mr Haynes: 

I am following up on the messages dated October 11 and 20 below regarding RIOC Communication policies and practices.

Does the RIOC communications department or any RIOC employee engage in Search Engine Optimization practices for the purpose of enhancing the Corporation's reputation or any of its employees including RIOC President Shelton Haynes?

Does RIOC engage any private vendors to engage in Search Engine Optimization practices for the purposes of enhancing the Corporation's reputation or any of its employees including RIOC President Shelton Haynes? I do not recall any search engine optimization contract being placed before the RIOC Board at any Directors meeting this year or in past years.

If there was a private party Search Engine Optimization contract awarded by RIOC, who was the vendor, what was the dollar amount of that contract and specific terms.

Will update when more info available. Stay tuned.

Here's local Instagram satirist Weird Roosevelt Island humorous take on RIOC propaganda messaging praising Mr Haynes.

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A post shared by Weird R.I. (@weirdrooseveltisland)

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A post shared by Weird R.I. (@weirdrooseveltisland)

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A post shared by Weird R.I. (@weirdrooseveltisland)

As previously reported, last September Mr Haynes and RIOC General Counsel Gretchen Robinson: 

... filed a racial discrimination lawsuit in the Southern District Of NY against members of NY State Governor Kathy Hochul's Executive Chamber as well as the Commissioner, General Counsel and Deputy Counsel of the NY State Division of Homes and Community Renewal.

Though not named as defendants in the lawsuit, Mr Haynes and Ms Robinson claim in their lawsuit that NY State Senator Liz Krueger, NY State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright and Roosevelt Island Daily publisher David Stone contributed to a "racist backlash" against them.

The lawsuit also claims that Mr Haynes and Ms Robinson were excluded from the appointment process of 3 new RIOC Board Members in an attempt to undermine their authority and "ability to discharge their job functions." Haynes and Robinson claim the 3 new RIOC board members are antagonistic to them....

Also, Mr Haynes does not allow RIOC staff to speak with Mr Fhala or other RIOC Board members making it difficult, if not impossible, to perform the Board's function of overseeing RIOC.