Bill de Blasio 109th Mayor of New York City

From the new Mayor’s official web site:

Bill de Blasio is the 109th Mayor of New York City. From his early days as a young City Hall staffer, to serving on his local school board, to his most recent position as Public Advocate for the City of New York, Bill de Blasio has spent his life fighting to ensure that every New Yorker – in every neighborhood throughout our five boroughs – gets a fair shot.

Bill de Blasio

Bill de Blasio

Together with his wife Chirlane, Bill is the proud parent of Chiara, a college sophomore, and Dante, a high school junior. Having raised their children in Brooklyn and sent them to New York City public schools, Bill and Chirlane understand firsthand the fundamental role parents and teachers share in educating the next generation – and of the importance of providing equal educational opportunities in all neighborhoods.

After graduating from NYU, Bill studied at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. He began his career in public service as a junior staffer for New York City’s first African-American mayor, David N. Dinkins, and later became an assistant for community affairs at City Hall.

In 1997, Bill moved to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, working as Regional Director under then-Housing Secretary Andrew Cuomo, as New York and New Jersey’s highest-ranking official in the department. At HUD, he crisscrossed the Tri-State region, gaining a critical understanding of the diverse communities that make up the New York metropolitan area. As regional director, Bill fought for increased federal funding for affordable homes and expanded housing services for senior citizens.

In 1999, Bill joined District 15’s School Board in Brooklyn, where he championed early childhood education and parental involvement and expanded pre-K programs, helping his district become the first to cap first grade class sizes.

In 2000, Hillary Clinton asked Bill to manage her historic campaign for the U.S. Senate. Working at the head of a vast grassroots operation, he helped re-introduce Mrs. Clinton to New Yorkers and deliver her message about prioritizing children and families, securing her a decisive victory in a highly competitive campaign.

Two years later, Bill started his service on the New York City Council, representing the diverse Brooklyn neighborhoods of Park Slope, Sunset Park, Boro Park, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Windsor Terrace, Red Hook, and Kensington.

In his eight years on the City Council, Bill focused his efforts on improving public education, engaging parents, expanding affordable housing, and protecting New York’s middle-class and working poor. He wrote landmark tenants’ rights legislation to protect affordable housing and end landlord discrimination for everyday New Yorkers. Bill also was a vocal advocate for services designed to support fragile families and vulnerable children. After the tragic death of seven-year-old Nixzmary Brown in 2006, he investigated the case as Chair of the Council’s General Welfare Committee, holding four hearings examining the City’s role in fighting child abuse.

In 2010, Bill was sworn in as New York City Public Advocate, the second-highest citywide elected office. As Public Advocate, Bill launched the “NYC Worst Landlords Watchlist” to publicly identify landlords who took advantage of everyday New Yorkers, pressing them to improve building maintenance and upkeep. Bill made his voice heard across our city as a forceful advocate for stronger representation and services for the millions of workers who are the foundation of New York City’s economy.

As mayor, Bill is committed to making sure every child gets a great education, protecting our streets and our communities, and building a city where New Yorkers from all five boroughs can start businesses, raise their families, and afford to live in their own neighborhoods. brings a deep background in working with New York’s nonprofit community.

Sworn-in de Blasio pledges to take on ‘tale of two cities’ in NYC


Piero della Francesca’s Devotional Paintings Featured in New Exhibition Opening at the Metropolitan Museum on January 14

Through a special collaboration with the Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice, and the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Urbino, The Metropolitan Museum of Art will host a focused presentation on the devotional paintings of Piero della Francesca, addressing Piero’s work for private devotion for the first time. The four works on view have never before been brought together; the exhibition, therefore, promises to make an important contribution to the study of this major figure of the Renaissance. Piero della Francesca: Personal Encounters, on view at the Metropolitan Museum beginning January 14, will consist of the following paintings: Saint Jerome and a Donor from the Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice; Madonna and Child with Two Angels (the Senigallia Madonna) from the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Urbino; Saint Jerome in a Landscape from the Gemaldegalerie, Berlin; and Madonna and Child from a

Piero della Francesca – The Senigallia Madonna and Child with Two Angels

private collection in New York.

The exhibition is made possible by the Foundation for Italian Art & Culture (FIAC). It was organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in collaboration with FIAC, in celebration of the opening of the New European Paintings Galleries, 1250-1800.

The loan of the Madonna di Senigallia is by arrangement with the Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali e del Turismo and the Italian Carabinieri Command (CCTPC), working together with la Soprintendenza per i Beni Storici Artistici ed Etnoantropologici delle Marche – Urbino, as part of 2013 – Italian Year of Culture in the United States.

Dates:  January 14 – March 30, 2014

 

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