BP MARKOWITZ APPOINTS SANDRA CHAPMAN AS NEW DEPUTY BOROUGH PRESIDENT; LONGTIME DEPUTY YVONNE GRAHAM TO SERVE IN THE CUOMO ADMINISTRATION

On Monday, October 31, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz announced that Deputy Borough President Yvonne Graham will step down effective November 30 to accept an associate commissioner position as director of the Office of Health Disparities Prevention with the New York State Department of Health and named Sandra Chapman, director of the Community Service Center at Borough Hall, as her successor.

“Brooklyn and this office have been fortunate and blessed to enjoy the service and hard work of Yvonne Graham for nearly a decade,” said BP Markowitz. “Yvonne is a proud daughter of Jamaica, and her knowledge and dedication have helped make the lives of Brooklynites better, especially in her area of expertise—health care. While she will surely be missed at Borough Hall, I am thrilled that Yvonne will play a larger role in health care policy and services for all of New York State. Yvonne’s story is yet another Brooklyn tale of ‘local girl, done good!’”

BP Markowitz added, “Yvonne’s departure leaves pretty big shoes to fill, but with Sandra Chapman, we’re going from a proud daughter of Jamaica to a proud daughter of Guyana. Sandra has headed up our Community Service Center since 1999 and will do the position of deputy borough president proud. Sandra has gotten to know our borough and its residents by solving the issues handled by the Service Center—everything from helping Brooklynites find affordable housing and navigate often complex city government agencies, to everyday, but no less important, concerns such as trash pickup and fixing potholes. Sandra knows what our constituents want and need, and that will serve her well as she embarks on this new and exciting chapter in her life of public service.”

“The past 10 years have been so very rewarding,” said Deputy BP Graham. “It was an honor to serve Brooklyn as a member of Marty’s administration. Marty has been an inspiration to me and I thank him for the opportunity. One of my greatest wishes was to be at Marty’s side until the final day of his borough presidency. However, health care in Brooklyn, New York City and the nation is at a critical juncture. Consequently, I have accepted an associate commissioner position with the New York State Department of Health, serving as director of the Office of Health Disparities Prevention. This opportunity gives me the chance to continue my professional growth begun in Brooklyn and to help move New York State’s health care system on a stronger and more sustainable path. I wish Marty and all my colleagues at Borough Hall the very best.”

“It has been an honor to serve as director of the Community Service Center in the Borough President’s Office and I am excited about my new role as deputy borough president,” said Chapman. “Working alongside Marty has been a learning experience; he has been committed to constituent services since his days as a state senator and never hesitates to pick up a phone to get an answer or solve a problem—qualities that have driven me to be the very best at providing Brooklynites with the services they need and deserve. That someone with my background, a Guyanese American immigrant with nearly three decades in the public sector, would be appointed deputy borough president is testament to Marty’s commitment to Brooklynites and enhancing Brooklyn’s international reputation as ‘proud home to everyone from everywhere.’ I look forward to continuing my work in the Community Service Center and my larger role as deputy borough president. One of my priorities will be transforming my lifelong passion for reading into expanding the availability and scope of literacy programs throughout Brooklyn.”

Prior to joining the Borough President’s Office in 1996, Chapman, a married Canarsie resident with two children, served with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the National Council of Negro Women Day Care Center and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. She received her BA from Hunter College and MPA with Distinction from Long Island University.