Michael B. Gerrard

Michael B. Gerrard, director of Columbia Law School’s Center for Climate Change Law, traces his passion for environmental protection back to growing up in Charleston, West Virginia, a city dominated by major chemical manufacturing companies like Union Carbide and DuPont. As a child, he lived on the banks of the Kanawha River, where large amounts of toxic chemicals had polluted the water and air.

After graduating from Columbia University, Gerrard worked for a local environmental policy group, which reaffirmed his interest in environmental protection. Believing that the most effective work in the field was being accomplished by lawyers, he entered New York University Law School in 1975 with the goal of becoming an environmental lawyer. (read more…)

Daniel R. Garodnick

Council Member Daniel R. Garodnick, the recently re-elected representative for Manhattan’s 4th District and chair of the subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions & Concessions, takes pride in being born and raised in the district he represents. Garodnick grew up in a rent-stabilized apartment in the Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village community and still lives in that neighborhood with his wife. His district also includes parts of the Upper East Side, Midtown, and Murray Hill.

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Garodnick worked as a litigator at Paul,Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. He also served as a public member of Manhattan Community Board 6, where he gained a deeper understanding of local issues and their effect on residents. When a City Council vacancy arose in 2005, Garodnick ran as the Democratic Party’s candidate and won 63 percent of the vote in the general election. (read more…)

Wilhelm Ronda

Wilhelm Ronda applies a “small-town” approach to his duties as the Director of Planning for Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. Whether it’s identifying parcels of land for new schools, or taking steps to protect the architectural integrity of a neighborhood building, Ronda understands that these issues can profoundly affect the borough’s residents. For this reason, Ronda encourages his staff to treat each issue with the same “tender love and care” that a small town’s officials would exercise. He says that it is important to address residents’ concerns by “taking charge with executive authority and not letting bureaucratic red tape get in the way.”

Ronda, a resident of the Kingsbridge neighborhood in the Bronx, has worked at the borough president’s office for twenty years. He began his career in City government at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Seven years later, he became district manager of Bronx Community Board 2, where he gained experience in open space development, environmental justice, and other local land use issues. After serving as CB2’s district manager for two years, Ronda received an unexpected invitation to join then-Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer’s staff. (read more…)

Joshua Benson

Joshua Benson, the 33-year-old Acting Director of Bicycle & Pedestrian Programs for the New York City Department of Transportation, admits to being particularly fond of the basket sitting at the front of his simple single-speed bike, noting how it allows him to carry anything from groceries to his laptop and projector on the bike. Benson started riding a bike as a student at NYU and now commutes to Downtown Manhattan every weekday from his home in Prospect Heights.

“Biking to work really does help me do a better job. On a bike, I get to see the streets more often and get a feel for what works and doesn’t work out there,” he said. After receiving a master’s degree in urban planning from Columbia University, Benson began his career in City government at the Department of City Planning. After a year, Benson had the opportunity to move to DOT and implement the very same biking and greenway plans that he had already drafted on a purely conceptual level. (read more…)

Laurie Silberfeld

As Vice President and General Counsel at Hudson River Park Trust (the Trust), Laurie Silberfeld has played an important role in shaping Hudson River Park. Silberfeld talked with CityLand about her career and the progress of Manhattan’s waterfront park. role in shaping Hudson River Park. Silberfeld talked with CityLand about her career and the progress of Manhattan’s waterfront park.

Silberfeld, a former Regional Attorney with the State’s Department of Environmental Conservation, joined the Trust in 2000. She became familiar with the Trust while working on the park project’s permit approvals at DEC. When the Trust’s General Counsel position opened, Silberfeld viewed it as a unique opportunity to be part of building something with tangible results. (read more…)