FLIPPABLE: Andrew Gounardes for NY-SD22
I'm immensely proud to call Southern Brooklyn my home. Born and raised in Bay Ridge, I graduated from Fort Hamilton High School before going on to earn degrees from Hunter College and the George Washington University Law School. It was here in South Brooklyn where I started my work in public service. As an aide to former City Councilmember Vincent Gentile, I helped our neighbors solve everyday quality of life problems, learning about community and how different issues can affect us as a whole. Currently, I serve as Counsel to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and as a trustee of the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, one of the largest municipal pension funds in the country. Before serving at Borough Hall, I worked for Citizens Committee for New York City, a non-profit that provides neighborhood improvement grants to community groups across the five boroughs. I also served on Community Board 10, and I'm a longtime member of the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Bay Ridge.
In working to care for my community, I learned that it has also meant taking responsibility during tough times. After Superstorm Sandy, I co-founded Bay Ridge Cares, an organization that prepared 25,000 hot meals for victims after the storm. Today, I’m proud to see that it still supports community members facing extraordinary need by providing them with emergency assistance. As a member of the Riders Alliance, I organized and formed the Concerned R Train Riders to fight for better service and demand handicapped accessible subway stations in South Brooklyn. I also helped write and pass legislation to combat dangerous home conversions, and I continue to work towards helping those who are displaced from unsafe living conditions. Additionally, my work with Bay Ridge Advocates for Keeping Everyone Safe (B.R.A.K.E.S.) successfully pressured Albany lawmakers to allow speed cameras in school zones. And because I believe in the importance of art and culture in our neighborhoods, I served as pro bono legal counsel for the Bay Ridge Storefront Art Walk (S.A.W.), and also as past president of the Bay Ridge Historical Society.
As an attorney and community advocate, I've learned through experience that no one can accomplish anything good by themselves. It takes a community willing to unite, organize, and stand together to make our neighborhoods thriving places to live for everyone. With your help, your vote, and your support, we can make Southern Brooklyn count!
http://www.andrewgounardes.com