Photo Courtesy of NYC
In November 2018, city voters overwhelmingly approved three ballot initiatives proposed by the 2018 Charter Revision Commission, which included campaign finance reform, community board term limits and the establishment of the Civic Engagement Commission.
By Michael V. Cusenza
Mayor Bill de Blasio has tapped the executive director of a Richmond Hill nonprofit organization to serve on the New York City Civic Engagement Commission, a 15-member panel tasked with: promoting civic trust and strengthening democracy; establishing a citywide participatory budgeting program; providing language interpretation services at poll sites; and supporting community boards to help them be more effective and more representative of the communities they serve, the administration announced on Tuesday.
Annetta Seecharran leads Chhaya CDC, a nonprofit group that advocates for the housing needs of the city’s South Asian community. Headquartered in Jackson Heights, Chhaya CDC in February opened a community center in Richmond Hill.
Seecharran said she’s looking “forward to working with” her fellow Civic Engagement commissioners.
“Every New Yorker should know how, when and where she can influence the decisions that impact her life and her community,” the borough resident added. “I’m deeply committed to ensuring that this commission builds pathways and removes barriers to increase the civic participation of all New Yorkers.”
Prior to joining Chhaya CDC, Seecharran was the director for Policy and Advocacy for United Neighborhood Houses, a program director for International Youth Foundation, and executive director of South Asian Youth Action. She is a current and former member of several local and national boards, including Chayya CDC, and a founding member of New York State Immigration Action Fund. The Guyana native holds a master of arts degree in international political economy and development from Fordham University; a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Manhattanville College; and executive management certificates from Columbia Business School and Harvard Business School. She currently serves on the board of the New York Immigration Coalition.
One other World’s Borough resident has been appointed to the CEC by Hizzoner. Linda Lee is the executive director of the Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc. She is a member of Community Board 11 in Queens, as well as a board member for the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City, and the Korean Church of Queens. Lee is the National Community Committee representative at the Prevention Research Center at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The Civic Engagement Commission will play a crucial role in strengthening this democracy, which is why our appointees have decades of experience elevating the voices of New Yorkers from all walks of life,” de Blasio said.
In November 2018, city voters overwhelmingly approved three ballot initiatives proposed by the 2018 Charter Revision Commission, which included campaign finance reform, community board term limits and the establishment of the Civic Engagement Commission. The commission will be responsible for enhancing civic participation, promoting civic trust and strengthening democracy across the five boroughs. The commission will have 15 commissioners; eight are appoint by the mayor, two by the City Council, and one by each borough president. Initially, three mayoral appointees will serve two-year terms; four mayoral appointees (including Seecharran) will serve four-year terms; borough president appointees will serve three-year terms; one City Council appointee will serve a two-year term and one will serve a four-year term. After the initial terms, all future appointments to the commission will be for four-year terms.
