Who is Adrienne Adams?
A lifelong resident of Southeast Queens, Council Member Adrienne E. Adams was elected to the New York City Council in November 2017, becoming the first woman elected to represent City Council District 28, which covers the Queens neighborhoods of Jamaica, Rochdale Village, Richmond Hill, and South Ozone Park.
Council Member Adams was raised in Hollis, Queens; attended St. Pascal Baylon Elementary School and Bayside High School; and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Spelman College. At the time of her 2017 run for City Council, Ms. Adams was in her third term as Chairperson of Community Board 12, Queens – the 2nd largest Community Board in the borough. Professionally, she is a Corporate Trainer who has worked in Human Capital Management at several Fortune 500 corporations, specializing in Executive Training and Telecommunications Management. After minoring in Early Childhood Development, Council Member Adams also worked as a Child Development Associate Instructor, training child care professionals to meet the requisite goals to obtain the CDA (Child Development Associate) credential in accordance with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Code of Ethics.
As past Education Chairperson of Community Board 12, Council Member Adams was the Board’s primary advocate for education equity of children within Queens School Districts 27, 28, and 29. She represented Community Board 12 at citywide education events, Community District Council and New York City Department of Education/Panel for Education Policy meetings, sharing critical DOE missives such as school closures and co-location intentions with the community. She remains a vocal advocate and activist for education equity for the children of Southeast Queens.
Council Member Adams’ experience includes appointed membership on the Queens Public Library Board of Trustees, one of the largest library systems in the United States, comprising 62 branches throughout the borough. The Queens Library maintains the highest circulation of a municipal library system in nation. Additionally, Ms. Adams was appointed to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Local Planning Committee (LPC) for the Jamaica Downtown Revitalization Initiative, which provided a $10 million dollar award for neighborhood transformation, helping to support several projects to advance the community’s vision of vibrancy and economic stability. Council Member Adams is also former co-chair of the Jamaica NOW Leadership Council, a diverse group of stakeholders who provide oversight of the revitalization and economic development of the downtown Jamaica core, which encompasses over $150 million in funding. The Council oversees a plan that outlines strategic actions in the areas of workforce and business development, education, health and wellness, public safety, youth development, housing, transportation, and urban design improvements for the revitalization and growth of Jamaica, Queens.
Council Member Adams is a long-standing member of several community-based organizations, including the NAACP and the National Action Network, which champion civil and equal rights and the provision of academic funding and scholarships to deserving students. Council Member Adrienne Adams is a proud, active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the first sorority for black college-educated women. Council Member Adams is also a professional vocalist, who considers her spiritually-inspired vocal gift as her “secret weapon.” She is #proudtoserveNYC
(From Ms. Adams Biography)