Council Member Linda Lee Holds Inauguration
Lee was sworn into office on her family’s Bible by Rozic and Meng, surrounded by her family
She is the first Korean-American woman elected to the New York City Council
Streamline report, April 03, 2022.
Oakland Gardens, NY- Council Member Linda Lee (D- Oakland Gardens) held her official swearing-in ceremony today at 3 pm at Queensborough Community College’s Student Union. Lee, who won the District 23 primary in June over a crowded field of seven candidates, went on to win the general election in November and became the first Korean-American woman elected to the New York City Council alongside Council Member Julie Won, and the first woman of color to ever hold office in District 23. She succeeds former Council Member Barry Grodenchik who held the seat from 2015 to 2021.
“There are far too many people in our society, especially our seniors, who don’t have [many] opportunities,” said Lee as part of her remarks. “I felt it is so important to provide for those who deserve to be cared for and to stand up for those who don’t have a voice. The more I worked at [Korean Community Services], the more I saw it wasn’t just seniors who deserved better– kids, parents, workers, business owners– they’re all struggling in their own ways. I decided to run for office because I believed we should be doing more to help make ordinary people’s lives just a little bit better each day and provide that voice for the voiceless.”
The ceremony was MC’ed by Anthony Lemma Jr., with remarks provided by QCC President Dr. Christine Mangino, Senator Charles Schumer, Attorney General Tish James, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Assembly Member Nily Rozic, and Congresswoman Grace Meng. Lee was sworn into office on her family’s Bible by Rozic and Meng, surrounded by her family.
Benjamin N. Cardozo’s Navy JROTC served as Color Guard for the event. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Lee’s 7-year-old son Drew Kang, with the national anthems of the United States and Korea being sung by Jina Aguilar. Reverends John Bae and Martin Chang, Rabbi Daniel Pollack, and Imam Zubayer Ahmad performed invocations. YeDam Missions Drum Team, Queens College Fanaa Dance Team, and Korean Community Services’ Senior Dance Team performed for the audience.
Lee serves as the Chair of the New York City Council Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities, and Addictions, co-Chair of the New York City Council Queens Delegation, co-Vice Chair of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus, and serves on the committees on Aging, Contracts, Education, General Welfare, Parks and Recreation, Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Subcommittee on Senior Centers and Food Insecurity. She is also a member of the Women’s Caucus.
Prior to taking office, Lee was the President/CEO of Korean Community Services, New York’s first community-based social service organization dedicated to serving the Korean-American community. KCS provides workforce development, senior care, healthcare, mental health, immigration, and other social services to thousands of clients daily, and since the pandemic began, KCS has been on the frontlines helping community members receive unemployment benefits, PPP loans, COVID tests, and vaccinations. Under Lee’s leadership, the White House named KCS a Champion of Change in 2014 for its work around the Affordable Care Act. Lee also spearheaded the creation of the only State-licensed Article 31 Mental Health Clinic serving the Korean-American community operating in New York. Lee received her Master in Social Work from Columbia University’s School of Social Work, and her Bachelor of Arts from Barnard College
