By Tara Kyle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
CHELSEA — City Councilwoman Gale Brewer and Council Speaker Christine Quinn honored departing Community Board 4 chair John Weis with a proclamation Wednesday in recognition of his years of service.
"Our neighborhood has become so much better because of you," said Quinn, calling Weis, 50, a "terrific, terrific" chair over the past two years.
Quinn recalled first meeting Weis during her tenure as executive director of the New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP), an advocacy group seeking to prevent violence against the LGBT community.
As a volunteer at AVP, Weis made a habit of walking around the community and guiding crime victims afraid of taking that first step into the office, Quinn said.
"He's really good at making people feel positive about anything they're doing," Brewer said.
A Chelsea resident for 17 years, Weis will continue to serves as a member of CB4 at least through March 2012. His day job is as director of development and outreach for the Committee to Project Journalists.
CB4's new chair, Corey Johnson, is just 29, but is already a six-year veteran of CB4, with terms as vice chair and chair of the Quality of Life and Chelsea Preservations and Planning committee to his credit.
Johnson, who has lived in the neighborhood since 2002, serves as the deputy director of media programs for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
As a high school football captain in Massachusetts, Johnson gained national media attention for coming out as openly gay. He now also serves on the board of the Ali Forney Center, which offers housing for homeless LGBT youth, Save Chelsea and the Council of Chelsea Block Associations.
Addressing members and community residents during Wednesday's elections Johnson promised to carry on CB4's reputation as an "engaged, deliberative" board.
