Mark D. Levine BA, MPP

New York City Councilman Mark Levine represents the 7th District in Northern Manhattan. He is a progressive policy leader on housing, education, economic justice, transportation, environmentalism and more. Levine has been a strong advocate for addressing inequality in New York City. He chairs the City Council’s Committee on Parks and Recreation, where he is pushing for greater equity for parks in New York’s low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. He is also a leading voice on affordable housing issues, including the fight to get legal representation for all tenants in Housing Court. As chairman of the City Council’s Jewish Caucus, he is focused on combating Jewish poverty in New York City and fostering intergroup relations. Levine is also a member of the Finance, Education, Housing and Buildings, Government Operations and Rules committees. He serves on the City Council’s Policy Working Group and is a member of the Progressive Caucus.

He is vice chairman of the Progressive Caucus Alliance, which supports progressive candidates running for local office in New York City. In the 7th Council District, Levine has fought for safer streets, faster bus service, better schools, cleaner parks, more affordable housing and development that fits the scale and context of the neighborhood. Levine began his career as a bilingual math and science teacher at Junior High School 149 in the South Bronx. He went on to found Neighborhood Trust Federal Credit Union, which helps low-income families in Upper Manhattan gain access to financial services, including more than $15 million in microloans. In the years before he entered the City Council, Levine served as executive director of Teach For America New York and as executive director of the Center for After-School Excellence at TASC. He has been recognized nationally for his work as a social entrepreneur. Levine also has long taken a leading role in his community. He was elected as a Democratic district leader in 2007. He also founded the Barack Obama Democratic Club of Upper Manhattan, a diverse grass-roots organization focused on progressive activism and political reform.