Vanessa Gibson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vanessa Gibson
14th Borough President of The Bronx
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2022
Deputy	Janet Peguero
Preceded by	Rubén Díaz Jr.
Member of the New York City Council from the 16th district
In office January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2021
Preceded by	Helen Foster
Succeeded by	Althea Stevens
Member of the New York State Assembly from the 77th district
In office June 16, 2009 – August 31, 2013
Preceded by	Aurelia Greene
Succeeded by	Latoya Joyner
Personal details
Born	(1979-03-19) March 19, 1979 (age 46) 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 has been the Borough President of The Bronx since January 2022. Before this, she was a member of the New York City Council. She represented the 16th district from 2014 to 2021.

As a Democrat, she was elected 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 getting enough food for everyone and making sure people had stable homes. Vanessa Gibson is the first woman and the first African American person to be the Bronx Borough President.

About Vanessa Gibson's Life

Vanessa Gibson grew up in New York City. She lived in Bedford–Stuyvesant. She finished Murry Bergtraum High School in 1997. Then, she went to the State University of New York at Albany. She earned a degree in Sociology in May 2001.

Later, in May 2009, she earned a Master's degree in Public Administration. She got this from Baruch College (City University of New York).

Early Career in Government

During her last year of college, Vanessa Gibson worked as an intern. She helped Assemblywoman Aurelia Greene. In November 2003, she was promoted. She became the District Manager for Greene's 77th District.

In June 2009, Vanessa Gibson was elected to the New York State Assembly. She took over from her mentor, Aurelia Greene. Greene had joined the team of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. earlier that year.

Serving on the New York City Council

On November 5, 2013, Vanessa Gibson was elected to the New York City Council. She won a challenging primary election.

Helping Her Community

Gibson with NYPD at Mullaly Pool in the Bronx, NY, July 2015

In her district, Gibson worked hard to reduce homelessness and hunger. She organized Annual Housing Conferences. These events helped landlords and tenants work together. She also held free meal events for children in the South Bronx. A large part of her district's budget went to schools and senior homes.

Working with the Police Department

Vanessa Gibson was the chairperson of the council's public safety committee. This committee helps oversee the New York Police Department (NYPD). After public concerns about civilian deaths, she promised to improve the NYPD's transparency. She also wanted to better prepare officers for public service.

She worked with Mayor Bill de Blasio and others. They helped bring in body-worn cameras and GPS tracking for officers. They also provided funding for new technology for the NYPD.

Gibson with Mayor Bill de Blasio during the Legionnaires Bill Signing on August 18, 2015

Gibson also focused on the "school-to-prison pipeline." This term refers to policies that push students out of school and into the justice system. On March 31, 2015, she introduced a change to the 2011 Student Safety Act. This new bill, Intro 0730-2015, required the Department of Education to share school discipline information online. It also asked for data on student arrests to be reported to the NYC Council. This bill became law on October 13, 2015. It was the first New York City law that Council Member Gibson introduced.

Responding to Health Concerns

Gibson also responded to the 2015 Bronx Legionnaires' disease outbreaks. This disease mainly affected people in her district. She worked with Mayor Bill de Blasio and other city leaders. They investigated the cause of the outbreak. They also put in place new laws to prevent future outbreaks.

On August 18, 2015, Mayor de Blasio signed Local Law 866 (Int 0866-2015). This important law requires cooling towers to be registered. It also sets rules for how these towers must be maintained across the city.

Improving Parks and Public Spaces

During her time on the City Council, Gibson helped secure funding for several parks. She got $25 million for Grant Park. She also secured $4.6 million for Bridge Playground and $4 million for Corporal Fischer Park. She supported a $100 million renovation of Roberto Clemente State Park. This is the only state park in the Bronx.

Election Results