Ruben Wills facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruben Wills
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| Member of the New York City Council from the 28th district |
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| In office January 1, 2011 – August 10, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas White Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Adrienne Adams |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ruben W. Mills
August 9, 1971 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Marcia Thompson |
| Website | Official website: http://council.nyc.gov/d28/html/members/home.shtml |
Ruben W. Wills (born August 9, 1971) is a former member of the New York City Council. He served the 28th district from 2011 to 2017. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
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Early Life and Background
Ruben Wills grew up in Southeast Queens, New York. He was born into an African-American family. He lived in the South Jamaica Houses. He went to Public School 40 and Thomas Edison High School. Ruben Wills and his wife, Marcia, are active members of the St. Albans Congregational Church.
Starting a Career in Public Service
Before working in government, Wills ran his own business. He did renovations for homes and businesses. In 2003, he started working for the City Council. He was a special assistant to Council Member Leroy Comrie. Later, he became the chief of staff for State Senator Shirley Huntley. Wills also worked for a large union called SEIU Local 1199.
Serving on the New York City Council
Ruben Wills became a New York City Council member in 2010. He won the seat for the 28th district in Southeast Queens. This happened after the previous council member, Thomas White, Jr., passed away. Wills was re-elected in 2011 and again in 2013. He worked with Thomas White Jr.'s family to rename a street in his district in White's honor.
Helping the Community as a Council Member
As a council member, Wills worked on many important projects. He helped his community with several issues. He worked to keep certain facilities away from schools. He also organized a town hall meeting. This meeting was to talk about police officers using body cameras. He also helped stop a youth facility from being built in South Ozone Park.
Raising Awareness for Homelessness
In 2013, Wills spent a week living like a homeless person. He wanted to understand and show the challenges faced by people without homes. He pumped gas for tips and slept in parks. He relied on soup kitchens for food. This experience was cut short when he became ill. Wills later said this experience motivated him. He pushed Mayor Michael Bloomberg to increase help for people needing housing.
Supporting Education in Queens
Councilman Wills was a big supporter of education. In August 2013, he provided a lot of money for schools. He gave $4.4 million in funding to schools in Queens. This made him the largest supporter of education in the borough during that budget year.
