Yvonne J. Graham has been a pioneer in the area of public health for over twenty years. Before being appointed as Brooklyn’s deputy borough president, Ms. Graham founded the Caribbean Women’s Health Association (CWHA), serving as executive director and spearheading programs that provide comprehensive, culturally-sensitive health care, immigration and social support services to diverse communities.

As Brooklyn’s deputy borough president, Ms. Graham works alongside the borough president in managing the affairs of the borough and she directly oversees health care policy and all health and human services for the borough president.

Ms. Graham is a longtime advocate for improving public health and works tirelessly to respond to Brooklyn’s unique epidemiology. Ms. Graham’s vision was critical to founding Brooklyn’s first Center on Health Disparities, which is working to reduce cardiovascular disease among minority communities. She spearheaded the borough president’s Cut the Salt campaign to help residents’ battle high blood pressure and she aggressively championed initiatives to reinvigorate Brooklyn’s financially-strapped medical institutions, including advocacy which ultimately saved Long Island College Hospital’s maternity and pediatric units. To address the serious shortage of nursing professionals, she played an instrumental role in establishing the Brooklyn Nursing Partnership, which not only promotes the nursing profession but encourages collaboration between hospitals and nursing schools to increase the numbers of young people entering the profession.

In an effort to increase the number of women in leadership positions in government, business and industry, Ms. Graham spearheaded the Women’s Leadership Initiative, a partnership between academic institutions, government agencies, community-based organizations and the private sector that brings women together for dialogue and networking.

Yvonne Graham was born in Jamaica, West Indies, and moved to New York to pursue higher education. As a registered nurse, Ms. Graham served in the emergency room of Brookdale Hospital. In addition to being an RN, she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Administration and Community Health from St. Joseph’s College as well as a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Hunter College. She also completed the Executive Program in Business Administration at Columbia University School of Business and an Honorary Doctor of Law degree was conferred on her by her alma mater, St. Joseph’s College.

Ms. Graham has served on the Mayor’s Committee on Immigration, the New York City HIV Planning Council, and the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women and has received numerous awards and honors for her work in the community. She lives in Clinton Hill.