Laurels from colleagues abounded at the July 22 full board meeting of Manhattan Community Board 4 (MCB4)—the last such occasion attended by outgoing MCB4 District Manager Jesse Bodine, whose tenure tending to board matters stretched for over a decade.

The July meeting was also an occasion for Agenda Item #34—a formal offer of the vacant DM position to Stacie Johnson. But what, exactly, does a DM do, and what skills, experience, and perspective will Johnson bring to the position? You’ll find the answers to these and other valid inquiries in the below Q&A…

Scott Stiffler, for Chelsea Community News (CCNews): What’s your work background, and what prior experience made you a strong—and ultimately winning—candidate?

Stacie Johnson, District Manager, MCB4 (Stacie): I have a lot of experience in housing. I just concluded a two-year fellowship working at New York’s state housing agency—Homes and Community Renewal, in the Office of Housing Preservation. Previously, I was a fellow at Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation, doing research on housing affordability after the East New York Rezoning and working in asset management for properties with low-income housing tax credits.

I also have experience with constituent services. I was a Community Liaison in the office of State Senator Brian Kavanagh [District 27] for two and a half years, working mostly with constituents in the West Village and Soho, but also in Brooklyn when the Senator’s district included the Brooklyn waterfront. I liaised with individual constituents, community boards, community groups and precinct community councils, and advocated on their behalf to city and state agencies.

CCNews: Why did you seek the position of District Manager, and what are some of the primary duties you hope to focus on?

Stacie: I know the role. It’s equivalent to being in the middle of everything at the local level—and I love hyperlocal politics and advocacy. My main focus will be to make sure the communities represented by MCB4 have a voice, and to make sure the board can use its voice as efficiently as possible. I also hope to keep the board organized and, gather the information they need to make solid decisions. Participatory democracy at this level is hard work, and I hope to make the experience easier for all of the volunteer board members.

CCNews: Unlike the volunteer nature of MCB4 members, this is a paid position—and an open-ended one, at that (note Jesse Bodine’s nearly two-decade tenure). How, if in any way, do you regard the position within the context of its “hired” and potentially long-term status?

Stacie: I’m thrilled to be able to do this type of work and get paid for it. For many years I was a studio artist while also working as a Personal Assistant on the UES. I had a rigorous studio practice but kept finding myself using studio time to work on local policy issues. Before I knew it, I was volunteering tons and getting sucked into NYC’s ecosystem of local politics and grassroots advocacy. That led me to make a mid-career switch. I went back to school to get a second Masters in Urban Policy, at Hunter College.

Getting this position really confirms that going back to school was the right decision. This position feels like the right fit because I love helping people and I’m dedicated to being a public servant. With my history of volunteering in similar capacities, I can easily relate to board members and I find it extremely satisfying to solve urban policy problems.

CCNews: In preparing for this Q&A, CCNews was surprised (pleasantly) to find you’re also a prolific and much-shown artist. How did you come to be a studio artist? In what, if any way, is there a connection between the colors, compositions, and motifs of your visual art and your work experience in the realm of public/urban policy?

Stacie: I took painting as an elective during my last year of undergrad. Eventually, I got an MFA in Studio Arts from the University of Illinois at Chicago. When I moved to NYC in 2009, it was to be with all of the art friends that I met in Chicago. Thirteen of us started a gallery together on the border of Brooklyn and Queens called Regina Rex. It was run as a curatorial collective, and it was a real lesson in “small-d” democracy. That experience also made me sensitive to the artist’s role in gentrification and inspired me to get involved in my community and in the tenant movement.

There’s no conscious connection between the formal elements of my paintings and urban policy, although I do find that the dizzying nature of the city is like the visual buzz that I look for in a painting. The real connection is that I have a strong passion for both painting and urban policy. I love watching things take shape. 

CCNews: How does the DM interact/collaborate with the Chair?

Stacie: I work for the entire board—but the Chair [Leslie Boghosian Murphy] is my direct report. I’m there to help the Chair be organized and on track to meet deadlines, and to keep her aware of everything that’s going on.

CCNews: How does the DM interact/collaborate with specific committees?

Stacie: I will be one of three staff at MCB4, and we will share the responsibility to attend all the committee meetings. Our goal is to assist the Co-Chairs of each committee and to manage logistics. I’ll take over the previous District Manager’s schedule to attend the Arts, Culture, Education & Schools (“ACES”) Committee meetings and the Chelsea Land Use (CLU) Committee meetings, along with Executive Committee and Full Board meetings. The other six committee meetings will be attended by Assistant DM Nelly Gonzalez and Community Associate Janine Pretente-Yusuf.

Committee meetings are where the in-depth discussions happen, and where city agencies and/or specific stakeholders come to the board with presentations. I hope to offer assistance in the form of research and data analysis. I also love the idea of curating learning opportunities for new board members and recruiting participation from experts and public members who can help the committee understand the issues on the agenda.

CCNews: What is the DM’s role at Full Board meetings?

Stacie: It will be similar to my role at a committee meeting (mostly logistics), except that I will deliver a monthly DM’s Report to let the board and the public know what I’ve been doing that month. The Full Board meeting is a lot bigger than the committee meetings, so part of the role is to make sure all 50 board members are in attendance and have access to information about the issues being voted on. The board Chair and the Co-Chairs of each committee lead the meeting. I’m there to assist them and connect the dots when necessary. My role is also to interact with the public and make sure they know how to sign up to speak. 

CCNews: What current MCB4 issues of concern are you particularly interested in addressing—and in what context does a DM do that?

Stacie: My work will stem from the board’s actions. It’s too soon for me to know which of those issues will be of the most interest to me, but I’m really interested in housing and education. I will handle constituent services, so I hope to ensure residents have the information they need about their housing. For renters, that means tenants rights, but I’m also interested in being an advocate for co-op and condo owners and for owners of larger properties. I can help connect them to city agencies when they have questions about sanitation, their water bill, their property tax bill, etc.

I’m also really interested in K-12 education and after-school programming. Given my background in the visual arts, I’d love to support artists and art organizations in the district. I’m also excited about all the yummy food in the district and eager to build relationships with the local BIDs. If you ask me this question again in a year, I can have a more specific response!

CCNews: Favorite Golden Girl, and why?

Stacie: Sophia, because she says it like it is.

CCNews: Thanks for your time and please use this space to talk about anything of note, not covered by the above questions.

Stacie: Thank you for doing this important work! It’s wonderful that you are providing a hyperlocal news source for residents in the neighborhood.

NOTE: Stacie Johnson’s first MCB4 Full Board Meeting takes place on Wednesday, September 2, 6:30pm online via Zoom & YouTube, and in-person at the Hotel Trades Council, 344 W. 44nd St. btw. 8th & 9th Aves. (click here to register).

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