By Ronda Kaysen
It was a changing of the guard for Community Board 1 Tuesday night, as the board filled five posts on election night.
Four of the winners had never held an elected position before. The fifth, chairperson Julie Menin, ran unopposed. “They’re all new and I think that’s really, really terrific. We’re hearing from new board members,” said Menin.
Catherine McVay Hughes, chairperson of the World Trade Center Committee, won the vice chairperson seat handily beating Anthony Notaro. Hughes, a Financial District resident, is trained as a civil engineer and worked for the New York Public Interest Research Group, doing advocacy work about lead poisoning in children.
Hughes was out of the country at press time and could not be reached for comment.
Menin has no intentions of removing her from her post on the World Trade Center Committee. “Catherine is so uniquely qualified, she is a true expert in environmental affairs,” said Menin. “I can’t think of any other board member who has her background.”
There will be some changes to the committee chairs, which are appointed by the board chairperson, although Menin would not elaborate on who might lose their post. “It’s important to allow new people to have a role,” she said.
Janiece Brown Spitzmueller, an attorney for the Housing Preservation Department and an Independence Plaza North resident, was elected to the secretary post. “It feels like another accomplishment. It feels like I have prepared myself for even more work,” said Spitzmueller, who said she suspected she might win. “I had heard I had a good chance of winning, but I didn’t take anything for granted.”
Spitzmueller volunteers at housing court and in small claims arbitration. Last month, she was elected to the board of directors of the New York County Lawyers Association in Lower Manhattan. She is also a member of the New York Bar Association House of Delegates.
Marc Ameruso, a North Tribeca resident, won the assistant secretary post in a run-off vote. Ameruso, who works in film production and is a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician, ran for chairperson in three previous elections. “The entire election was a clean sweep for democracy and inclusion,” he said. “The people that were elected are like-minded as I am and my past campaigns were for inclusion.” Ameruso comes from a political family. His late father, Anthony Ameruso, was transportation commissioner for Mayor Ed Koch.
Joel Kopel, manager of William Barthman Jewelers on Broadway, won the treasurer’s seat. He could not be reached for comment by press time.
Ronda@DowntownExpress.com
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