RIOC Promotes Erica Spencer-EL To New Director Of Community Relations Position - Responsible For Community Relations, Events & Roosevelt Island Youth Center

Ms. Spencer-El Sprucing Roosevelt Island Trees With Girl Scouts In 2015

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Director of Public Information Alonza Roberson reports:

Erica Spencer-EL, an employee of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation since 2007, was promoted Tuesday to the new Director of Community Affairs position.

“We are happy to announce that Erica Spencer-EL, a long-time RIOC community relations manager has been promoted to the position of Director of Community Affairs,” said RIOC President Susan Rosenthal. “Erica’s new position will encompass oversight of the community relations department, Island-wide events and the Roosevelt Island Youth Center,” she said.

While serving in her previous positions as a Community Relations Specialist and Community Relations Manager, Spencer-EL demonstrated management success negotiating several internal and external RIOC partnership agreements, procedures and program agreements.

Some of those successes include:

• The design and drafting of the first-ever operating procedures for the renovated RI Cultural Center
• Establishing the Bike New York program on Roosevelt Island, a free bicycle workshop and training center for residents
• Helping create several Island and Main Street beautification initiatives including seasonal street banners, holiday lamp posts and tree lights (working with co-sponsors Hudson Companies Inc.), the Motorgate Art Gallery and the soon-to-be unveiled Good Shepherd Garden rotating sculpture display featuring works from local artists.

RIOC Chief Operation Officer Shelton Hayes added, “during my time here, I’ve watched Erica grow professionally and I personally recommended her for this promotion with no hesitation.”

Other initiatives that Spencer-EL was responsible for include RIOC’s internal and external marketing and branding; the planning and implementation of eight annual community events, including Roosevelt Island Day, the Fall for Arts Festival and July 4th event; as well as creating and managing RIOC’s first community-wide emergency alert notification system and the recent redesign and launch of the new RIOC website.

“During my tenure here at Roosevelt Island, I’ve worked hard to build sustainable relationships which not only allowed me to connect with our residents, but also resulted in my gaining a deep understanding of the community’s needs,” said Spencer-EL, who will supervise a staff of five employees including Jessica Murray, RIOC’s current communications and events coordinator.

“I’m looking forward to providing professional and unique programming to benefit the Island’s evolving community of young adults, families, and our growing population of active and involved youth,” she said.

Spencer-EL is a Philadelphia native and a 2000 graduate of Temple University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Physiology and Sports Science. She formerly founded an inner-city Fencing program in Houston, Texas and previously served in programs such as Nike P.L.A.Y. Corps and the National Youth Sports Program providing coaching, clinics and activities of non-traditional sports to children in underserved communities.

She was a collegiate varsity team fencer, is a New York Yankees and Rangers fan and spends her free time engaged in activities with her four children. She is also a member of A Better New York (ABNY), Black Women in Sports Foundation and the New York State Policy and Networking Group.

RIOC expressed thanks to former Roosevelt Island Youth Center Director Roy Magsisi and members of his staff for their work in keeping the center open with no service disruptions during this transition period.

On Way To Work At Roosevelt Island, RIOC Employee Sees Something, Says Something and Arrests Are Made

Image From cribfashion

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Community Relations Specialist Erica Spencer-El reports today on the good deed accomplished by one of her RIOC colleagues. From Ms. Spencer-El:

I wanted to share a recent incident that occurred on the island and the remarkable action taken by one of my fellow co-workers in response to witnessing the event:

 

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation would like to praise a member of its staff, Rudy Rajaballey, whose quick actions in notifying the Public Safety Department upon observing that something did not quite look right, led to the arrest of two off-islanders.

 

While coming to work this morning, Rudy noticed two men loading scrap metal into a Burgundy work-van from beneath the Motorgate Garage. He had seen this same van parked in the entranceway of the bottom level just the day before. His knowledge that the materials being loaded into the van belonged to the Corporation was vital in recognizing that a crime was being committed. Rudy immediately called PSD and the two men were apprehended and placed under arrest. They are being charged with Burglary, Grand Larceny and Criminal Trespass.

 

The men under arrest indicated that the 5 metal doors and pipes (valued at over $1,000) were going to be sold at a scrap yard. Our thanks go out to Rudy for his keen observation and speedy response in notifying PSD.  He definitely followed the saying, "If you see something, say something."

Public Restroom Update -RIOC Responds

RIOC President Steve Shane responds to the issue of public access to existing Roosevelt Island bathroom facilities at the Tram and Octagon Soccer field.

FYI. Per our personnel at the Tram:
The bathrooms at the Roosevelt Island Station are accessible to the
public at any time. But for security reasons the bathrooms are locked at
all times. When somebody needs the bathrooms any one of the cabin
attendants or a tram employee will open the door upon request. In this
way we control who is going into the bathrooms. At the Manhattan side
they are closed to the public because the homeless were getting into the
bathrooms and locking themselves in. Once we had a homeless person
molesting a woman that was coming to use the bathroom. For this reason
we keep the Manhattan Station out of reach from the public.

The Comfort Stations located by the Octagon Soccer fields are open:

M - F
Open 11:00 - 11:30am
Close 9:00 - ( if there is a game in progress 10:00pm)
Sat & Sun
Open 10:00 - 10:30am
Close 9:00 - ( if there is a game in progress 10:00pm

In regard to the lack of public restrooms and the possibility of additional bathroom stations Mr. Shane states:

FYI. We are looking at the possibilities of either permanent or
portable facilities.

Please let me know and contact RIOC directly if you find the restrooms closed during the times they are supposed to be open. The RIOC directory with employee phone numbers and email addresses is here.

The picture above is from the 34th Street automatic public toilet in Herald Square which cost fifty cents per visit.