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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 214-12
June 14, 2012

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENTS TO DISTRICTING COMMISSION

Seven Mayoral Appointees will work with the City Council’s Eight Appointees to Redraw the Council’s 51 Districts

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced seven appointments to the Districting Commission, which also includes eight members appointed by the Speaker and Minority Leader of the City Council. The Districting Commission meets once every ten years following the decennial census to redraw the City Council’s district lines to address population shifts within the five boroughs. The Districting Commission will submit a plan to the City Council for new Council district lines in accordance with criteria defined in the City Charter and the final submission will include a total of 51 City Council districts.

“I’ve always believed in nonpartisan redistricting, and in New York City – unlike many other places – no party can control the redistricting process,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “The New Yorkers I’m appointing to the commission are Democrats, Republicans, and independents who come from different boroughs and backgrounds – and some originally come from beyond our shores. Their diversity, combined with their experience in civic affairs, will help ensure that Council lines are drawn fairly. New Yorkers expect the redistricting process to promote democratic participation and competition – not to protect incumbents. And I expect this Commission will take that responsibility seriously.”

The Mayoral appointments are:

Madeline Provenzano

Madeline Provenzano served in the New York City Council representing the 13th Council District in the northeast Bronx from 1997 through 2005. During her tenure in the City Council, she chaired the Committee on Housing and Buildings, and served on the Finance, Governmental Operations, Rules, Privileges and Elections, and Standard and Ethics Committees. As Chair of the Housing and Buildings Committee, she sponsored legislation that created the framework for the adoption of the City’s new building code, the first significant revision since 1968. Prior to joining the City Council, Provenzano served as Chief of Staff to Council Member Michael DeMarco of the Bronx. Provenzano is a resident of the Bronx.

Oscar Odom III

Oscar Odom III is the former First Deputy Sheriff of New York City. His career in law enforcement spans a quarter-century, having held numerous assignments within the NYPD, including patrol officer, Police Academy instructor, and detective. Odom was the director of Public Safety at the MetroTech Business Improvement District, and currently serves as Professor and Chair of the Criminal Justice Division at ASA College in Brooklyn, having held similar positions at other area academic institutions. Odom served in the U.S. Army, has a bachelor’s degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a law degree from CUNY School of Law, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Education. Odom is a resident of Brooklyn.

Gloria Carvajal Wolfe

Gloria Carvajal Wolfe spent 35 years as a professional medical scientist doing research in the fields of cancer and mental disabilities, most recently at Merck & Co. She also did research at the New York State Institute for Basic Research on Staten Island, the Sloan Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, and Columbia University’s Institute for Cancer Research. She served on the Board of Directors of Staten Island Community Television, was a long-time judge in the New York City Science Fair (Staten Island region), and volunteered with a program administered by the Community Service Society that provides financial training and coaching to low-income New Yorkers. A native of Columbia where she completed her undergraduate work in chemistry, Carvajal Wolfe has a graduate degree in biochemistry from Tulane University. She currently resides in Manhattan.

Justin Yu

Justin Yu is the Chairman of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, president of Confucius Plaza Housing, past president of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of New York, and is active in many other civic organizations. Yu holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from National Taiwan University and a master’s degree from the Pratt Institute. A native of China who moved to Taiwan, he is currently a resident of Manhattan.

Benito Romano

Benito Romano is currently a litigation partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in their litigation practice group. For 20 years, he was a partner and the leader of the white collar defense practice group at Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Before re-entering private practice, Romano served as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Prior to being named US Attorney in 1989, Romano was an Assistant US Attorney, and served in a variety of supervisory and executive positions in that office, including Chief of Public Corruption and Chief Appellate Attorney. Romano also served on the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board, including as Acting Chair, on the 1998 Charter Revision Commission, and was a member and former Chair of the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund. He serves as Chair of the New York State Interest on Lawyer Account Fund, and is a member of the Oversight Board for Judiciary Civil Legal Services Funds in New York. He is a resident of Manhattan.

Frank Padavan

Frank Padavan served in the New York State Senate for 38 years. During his tenure in the Senate, Padavan held positions of leadership including Vice President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Chair of the Committee on Cities and Chair of the Mental Hygiene and Addiction Control Committee. Prior to his election to the Senate, he served four years as Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings and spent 14 years with the Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Padavan earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Brooklyn Polytechnic University and master's degree in business administration from New York University. He is a resident of Queens.

Scott Cerullo

Scott Cerullo is a Vice President and Project Manager for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney’s Global Wealth Management Technology Division. He has been with the firm for 20 years serving various technology roles and on Managing Engineering and Implementation projects. Cerullo earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from St. John’s University. He is a resident of Staten Island.







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