When I did part one of this series, I got many inquiries as to what were the credentials/qualifications of Ms. Yvonne J. Graham, which propelled her towards running for Brooklyn’s Borough Presidency. Fair enough. This is always one of the first questions fielded by any potential candidate for public office. So let me fill in some of the blanks.

I believe that Ms. Graham is a tremendous candidate for Brooklyn’s boro prez. She brings many fine attributes to the table. Who knows if she won’t become the first female mayor of New York City? Isn’t it time Brooklyn developed a mayor? Okay, so she is not battle-scarred (given Brooklyn’s many political wars of past decades); I think that’s an asset. This is a talented young woman folks. She has the ability to bring diverse people together, and has successfully worked with people of all races and ethnicities. How she handles the political stump is left to be seen; one thing for sure is that many feel she should go for it. Although she hasn’t formally declared for the race, all indications are that she is a candidate. Her support is growing. She has told me directly that she is going to enter the race, so I am not speculating here folks. I got it straight from the horse’s mouth so to speak. It is expected that Ms. Graham will be endorsed by her old boss and present boro prez Marty Markowitz. If Marty runs for mayor it will help Yvonne’s candidacy a great deal; that in itself will tremendously increase her chances of winning.

So who is she? And why is she doing this? Well, Yvonne J. Graham has been a pioneer in the area of public health for over twenty years. She was appointed to the post of Deputy Borough President when Marty Markowitz (current potential-mayoral candidate) assumed office in 2002. Last February, she was reassigned to the position of Assistant to the Borough President, so that she could pursue her viability as a candidate for elected office. Before coming into office, Ms. Graham was a founder and executive director of the Caribbean Women’s Health Association (CWHA), which provides comprehensive, culturally-sensitive health care, immigration, and social support services, to diverse communities in the East-Flatbush areas of Brooklyn.

As deputy borough president, Ms. Graham worked alongside the Borough President on all issues pertinent to the borough; and was primarily responsible for health care policy, community outreach and human services. Ms. Graham’s vision was critical to the 2005 founding of Brooklyn’s first Center on Health Disparities, which is working to reduce cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, infant mortality, asthma, and diabetes among minority communities. The center is an innovative partnership with the Borough President’s Office, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health.

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, support and networking.

Another recent accomplishment, in which Ms. Graham was instrumental, was the co-naming of Flatbush’s Nostrand Avenue, in honor of Haitian revolutionary hero Toussaint L’Ouverture. Ms. Graham has not only worked with the Haitian-American community of Brooklyn, but also with all ethnic and nationalistic groups that make up Brooklyn’s celebrated diversity. For years she has been active and known, in Afro-American and Caribbean–American political circles, and she has received many awards and commendations for her contributions to the Brooklyn community.

Born and raised in Jamaica, West Indies, Ms. Graham moved to New York in 1979. As a registered nurse, she worked 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, and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Hunter College. She also completed the Executive Program in Business Administration at Columbia University’s School of Business. She was recently awarded an Honorary Doctor of Law degree; this 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. She has written and published many professional articles and has recently co-authored a textbook that serves as a seminal guide to the operations and management of community-based health organizations and their role in improving health outcomes.

She has also been the recipient of numerous awards and honors for her achievement in community service, including the YWCA’s Women of Distinction Award; National Association of Black Social Workers’ Public Citizen of the Year Award; the Marcus Garvey Medal of Honor; the Ellen Lurie Community Service Award from the Community Service Society of New York; the Frederick Douglass Medal of Honor, which is awarded by the New York State Governor to distinguished African-Americans; the American Lung Association’s Distinguished Award for Leadership, Creativity, and Caring in Promotion of Community Health; and the Harriet Tubman Award from the Harriet Tubman Awards Jubilee, Inc.

Ms. Graham lives in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. I expect that she will be a strong candidate in the upcoming race. I know that some of my detractors on these blogs, will probably advance that the reason I am so enthused about her potential candidacy is because she is of Caribbean-American extract (like me); well that’s just a tiny part of it folks. I think Yvonne J. Graham will make a fine boro prez. She is qualified, capable and competent. I think she has the potential to go far. I also think it’s time for fresh and pretty faces. I am tired of all these old men (white, black and Hispanic) hogging the city’s political landscape; aren’t you? It is time for New York’s politics to be more inclusive; we need more women and more ethnic diversity in our elected-officials cadre. PERIOD.

Stay tuned-in folks.