For Immediate Release
#21-22

NYC EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT’S LATEST ¡PREPÁRATE! EPISODE WELCOMES NEWLY ELECTED NYC COUNCIL MEMBER CARMEN DE LA ROSA TO HIGHLIGHT WOMEN IN POLITICS AND THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT DURING EMERGENCIES

¡Prepárate! {Click to listen to episode 11}

March 16, 2022 ― The 2021 election year was filled with many first and trailblazing results, including the election of the second African-American Mayor in Eric Adams and New York City Council Speaker Adrienne E. Adams, as the first African-American woman in this role. And as we celebrate Women’s History Month, the election results also marked the first time women in the New York City Council held a majority (31-out-of-51 seats), including Carmen De La Rosa, the first Dominican woman to represent District 10.

On the latest episode of ¡Prepárate!, NYC Emergency Management’s Spanish-language podcast, co-hosts Inés Bebea and Yokarina Duarte celebrate Women’s History Month with newly elected Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, who represents Marble Hill, Inwood and Washington Heights for District 10. But before joining the City Council, De La Rosa was elected to the New York State Assembly (representing the 72nd District) in November 2016. Her entry into politics was with NYS Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell as his budget and services manager. During the episode, De La Rosa describes her passion for politics, being a role model to other women interested in politics, balancing work and family and overcoming obstacles that her male counterparts do not face.

“I look forward to continuing to work closely with NYC Emergency Management to help protect the people of Upper Manhattan and prepare for emergencies. As a district with a large immigrant population, it is essential factors such as age, race, gender, and income are not barriers to safety and recovery for our community," said Council Member De La Rosa. "Thank you to Yokarina and Inés for inviting me to the ¡Prepárate! podcast and using the platform to share safety tips with the Spanish speaking community.”

As a member of the New York City Council, De La Rosa said she will work closely with New York City Emergency Management and other response agencies to prepare her constituents for emergencies. De La Rosa’s district has a large immigrant and minority population, factors that according to the federal government, make minority communities more vulnerable to health disparities and impacts from climate change. The federal government has identified age, race, education attainment, income, and ethnicity as factors that impact an individual or family’s ability to prepare and recover from emergencies, something that De La Rosa is working to address in her community.

You can listen to ¡Prepárate! on SoundCloud and Spotify.

Profile

New York City Council Member Carmen De La Rosa emigrated from the Dominican Republic as a child and grew up in Inwood, where she continues to live. Her advocacy and passion for justice are deeply influenced by her roots. In November 2016, De La Rosa was elected to represent her community as the State Assemblymember of the 72nd District. Since her first day in office, she has fought against racism, xenophobia and economic injustice.

She successfully negotiated and passed the New York State DREAM ACT and the first in the nation Excluded Workers Fund (EWF) at $2.1 billion. As the member of the Assembly representing the district with the highest number of rent-stabilized apartments, Carmen actively participated in passing the strongest tenant protection laws in a generation.

On June 22, 2021, De La Rosa was victorious in the Democratic primary and subsequently won the general election on November 2nd, becoming the first Dominican woman elected to represent District 10 at City Hall. De La Rosa received her bachelor’s degree from Fordham University.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Inés Bebea (718) 422-4888

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