It takes kindness, a love of human beings and good organizational skills to run a community board, and Karol Joswick had those skills down pat.
Joswick, the Assistant District Manager of Community Board 12, retired recently after 28 years and was given a fond send−off following the board’s last meeting before adjourning.
In attendance were many members of the board as well as Assemblymember Dov Hikind and City Councilmember Simcha Felder, who spoke lovingly of Joswick and issued proclamations in her name.
“Karol has been a teacher and a mentor to me,” said CB 12 District Manager Wolf Sender, who has been working with Joswick the past seven years. “When I came here she had a wealth of experience and she generously shared that with me. She has a great knowledge of community affairs and we couldn’t have done much without her.”
Joswick was born and raised in Sunset Park and after graduating from Bay Ridge High School, she spent the next three years as an executive secretary for the president of Boise Griffin Steamship Company.
Following this position, Joswick spent several years as a stay−at−home mom, and then went back to work in 1965 for the United States Department of the Navy serving as an administrative assistant to the naval commander in charge of purchasing all the goods sold in naval commissaries around the world.
Joswick then attended classes at Brooklyn College and received several certifications in business administration, and in October 1980, she began working part−time as an office associate at CB 12.
Also working there part−time was Priscilla Celano, who became district manger in 1983. Joswick was promoted to assistant district manager at the same time.
The two worked side by side for 22 years until Celano’s retirement from the board in 2002.
In her capacity as assistant district manager, Joswick was deeply involved in handling and resolving complaints and emergencies of every description.
She worked closely with the 66th Precinct, sanitation and other city agencies along with elected officials and other community board district mangers.
“My favorite thing was being able to help people and act as a liaison between residents and city government by cutting through a lot of the red tape,” she said.
While retiring, Joswick will continue to work as a consultant for the community board two days a week and spend the rest of the time in her Staten Island home with her family.
