Vanessa Gibson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vanessa Gibson
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| 14th Borough President of The Bronx | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2022 |
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| Deputy | Janet Peguero |
| Preceded by | Rubén Díaz Jr. |
| Member of the New York City Council from the 16th district |
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| In office January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Helen Foster |
| Succeeded by | Althea Stevens |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the 77th district |
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| In office June 16, 2009 – August 31, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Aurelia Greene |
| Succeeded by | Latoya Joyner |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 19, 1979 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University at Albany (BA) Baruch College (MPA) |
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Vanessa L. Gibson (born March 19, 1979) is an American politician. She is currently the Borough President of The Bronx in New York City. She started this important job in 2022. Before that, she was a member of the New York City Council from 2014 to 2021, representing the 16th district.
Vanessa Gibson is a member of the Democratic Party. She was elected as Bronx Borough President in November 2021. Her four-year term began in January 2022. She focused on helping the community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. She also worked on issues like making sure everyone has enough food (called food security) and stable homes. She is the first woman and the first African American person to be the Bronx Borough President.
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About Vanessa Gibson's Life and Career
Vanessa Gibson grew up in New York City, specifically in Bedford-Stuyvesant. She finished Murry Bergtraum High School in 1997. She then went to the State University of New York at Albany. In 2001, she earned a bachelor's degree in Sociology. Later, in 2009, she received a master's degree in Public Administration from Baruch College.
Starting in Politics
During her last year of college, Vanessa Gibson worked as an intern for Assemblywoman Aurelia Greene. An intern helps out in a political office. In 2003, she became the District Manager for Assemblywoman Greene's district. This meant she helped manage the office and connect with the community.
In June 2009, Vanessa Gibson was elected to the New York State Assembly in a special election. She took over the role from her mentor, Aurelia Greene. Greene had moved on to work with the Bronx Borough President at that time.
Working in the New York City Council
On November 5, 2013, Vanessa Gibson won her election for the New York City Council. She worked hard to help people in her district. She was very focused on ending homelessness and hunger.
Helping Her Community
Vanessa Gibson organized yearly Housing Conferences. These events helped landlords and tenants in her district work together. She also held free meal events to feed children in the South Bronx. She made sure that a lot of her district's money went to schools and homes for senior citizens.
Working with the Police Department
Vanessa Gibson was the chairperson for the council's public safety committee. This committee helps oversee the New York Police Department (NYPD). After some public concerns about police actions, she promised to make the NYPD more open. She also worked to give officers better tools for public service.
She worked with Mayor Bill de Blasio and other leaders. They helped bring in body cameras and GPS trackers for police officers. These tools help make policing more transparent.
Supporting Students
Vanessa Gibson also worked on an issue called the "school-to-prison pipeline." This term refers to how some school rules can lead students into the justice system. In March 2015, she introduced a new bill. This bill, called Intro 0730-2015, aimed to make school discipline information public. It also asked for data on student arrests to be reported to the NYC Council. This bill became a law in October 2015. It was the first law she introduced to the NYC Council.
Responding to Health Issues
In 2015, there was an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in the Bronx. This disease mostly affected people in her district. Vanessa Gibson worked with Mayor Bill de Blasio and health experts. They investigated what caused the outbreak. They also created new laws to prevent future outbreaks.
On August 18, 2015, she stood with the Mayor as he signed a new law. This law, Local Law 866, requires cooling towers in the city to be registered and properly maintained. This helps keep people safe from the disease.
Improving Parks
Vanessa Gibson also helped secure funding for several parks in her district. She helped get $25 million for Grant Park. She also helped get $4.6 million for Bridge Playground and $4 million for Corporal Fischer Park. She supported a large renovation project for Roberto Clemente State Park, which is the only state park in the Bronx.
