JACKSON HEIGHTS — Two local representatives in the city council have been selected to leadership positions by new Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.
Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras has been tapped as the chair of the council's finance committee — the first woman and first person of color to hold the position, she noted.
And Councilman Danny Dromm, who spent over two decades as a New York City public school teacher before becoming a politician, was selected for the education committee.
Both were vocal supporters of Mark-Viverito during her push for the speaker seat, and both vowed to support their local communities in their leadership roles.
“Education has always been my passion and it’s what got me involved in politics in the first place," said Dromm, who worked at a day care center in Harlem before spending 25 years teaching at P.S. 199 in Sunnyside.
"The communities I serve — Jackson Heights, Elmhurst and parts of East Elmhurst — have consistently expressed that quality public education is a top concern."
He said he hoped to tackle school overcrowding as chair — a big issue in the district.
Ferreras said her appointment was especially significant considering women hold "less than 20 percent of the top leadership positions in the national finance industry."
She said she hoped to be an inspiration to young girls who "never before thought they can grow up and shatter glass ceilings."
"I was one of those young girls, and I couldn't be more thankful to be in the position I am today," she said in a statement.