Earl Simons
Credit: Courtesy of Queens Borough President’s Office
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Queens Borough President Melinda Katz announced last week their latest selections to the Queens Borough Public Library Board of Trustees.
The administration and borough president’s office began naming replacements in recent weeks for the eight trustees that were ousted earlier this year after voting “no” on a resolution to force Library chief executive officer Thomas Galante to take a leave of absence in the wake of several scathing published reports detailing his hefty six-figure salary and questionable spending practices.
Early last week, de Blasio appointed Fresh Meadows resident Martha Baker, an advocate for the advancement of women who founded Equity in Education and Employment, which provides program design, advocacy and training to improve opportunities for women and girls. Baker, according to the mayor’s office, has also worked as the deputy director of operations at the State Workers Compensation Board and served in the Dinkins administration as the executive director of the Commission on the Status of Women, where she coordinated a year-long study on sexual harassment and published works on preventing it at college campuses and in the municipal workplace. Additionally, the married mother of two adult children is a recipient of the Susan B. Anthony Leadership Award and a founding board member of the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee.
Last Friday, Katz tapped Earl Simons to fill a board vacancy. A Cambria Heights resident, Simons is the director of government and community relations at York College. He is a member of the senior executive cabinet of the college’s president, Dr. Marcia Keizs, and is responsible for overseeing civic engagement efforts. The married father of two also organizes special events and helps secure federal, state and local funding to support York College’s capital improvement and programmatic initiatives.
“I am honored to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Queens Public Library,” said Simons, who once served as director of budget and grants in the Manhattan borough president’s office. “The Library is a critical resource to all Queens’ residents. I thank Queens Borough President Katz for appointing me to this important position and look forward to serving with this exciting team.”
Katz noted how she was impressed with Simons’ background in higher education and government, and his experience in overseeing municipal budgets.
“His intellect, work ethic and commitment to public service will be a great asset to the Queens Library,” she said.
Last month, de Blasio named Jukay Hsu of Flushing to the 19-member board, while Katz appointed Sunnyside’s Robert Santos.
The new trustees enter the fray during a tumultuous time for the Library, which finds itself under federal investigation as a result of the damaging Galante reports and an audit by city Comptroller Scott Stringer.
By Michael Cusenza
