Corey Johnson

Councilmember Corey Johnson was elected in November 2013 with over 86% of the vote to represent the communities of Manhattan's West Side. Corey Johnson was raised in a union household where his mother, a homeless services provider, and his father, a Teamster, instilled in him the values of community service and political engagement. Corey first came to national attention in 2000 when he became a trailblazer for LGBT youth. As the captain of his high school football team, he took the courageous step of coming out publicly, and kept not only his position of leadership, but also the support of his school and teammates. Corey’s bravery landed him on the front page of the New York Times. In 2005, Corey joined Community Board 4, where he quickly gained the respect and trust of local leaders for his tireless work ethic and ability to build consensus. Corey volunteered countless hours in the community and worked hard to make Community Board 4 more responsive, organized, and effective. In 2011, after 6 years of service on Community Board 4, Corey was elected Chairperson by his peers. Corey led Community Board 4 in negotiating for thousands of new units of permanent affordable family housing, educational scholarships for underserved children, and pressuring New York State to protect our watershed from hydrofracking. Corey stood up for protecting our parks and recreational facilities from over development, reducing class sizes in our public schools, and restoring the Mayor’s proposed cuts to senior centers and meal programs. Community Board 4’s activism and persistence led to the future creation of two new public schools on the West Side -- a 750 seat public school at Hudson Yards and a new school facility for P.S. 51 on 45th Street in Hell’s Kitchen.