Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso is welcoming a new face to Borough Hall.
Reverend Kimberly Council, who ran against Reynoso in the 2021 primary for Brooklyn beep, will take up a new post as Deputy Borough President on April 17. Council, a former pastor, will serve as an “external surrogate” for Reynoso, representing the office around the borough; and will lead faith-based special projects for the office.
“Our borough and this city are facing serious challenges right now – issues like undignified and unaffordable housing, food insecurity, and the looming fear of violence and loss,” Reynoso said in a statement. “For many years, Kim has worked alongside our communities to address these inequities and invoke change that people can feel in their everyday lives. It’s this expertise and commitment to our people that made Kim a fierce competitor in her campaign for Borough President in 2021, and why I’m so grateful we are joining forces on behalf of the 2.6 million Brooklynites we are now privileged to call our constituents.”
The position has been vacant since last October, when Diana Richardson was reportedly fired from the role for abusive behavior toward staff.
“I’ve dedicated my career to the communities and people of Brooklyn, focusing on finding ways to better lives and strengthen opportunities for all,” Council said in a statement. “Being appointed Deputy Borough President gives me the opportunity to carry this work out at a larger, borough-wide level alongside a colleague I’ve long respected. Agreeing with Borough President Reynoso’s approach, policy priorities, and general strategy to reach the strongest, most sustainable future for all Brooklynites, I look forward to building that vision for the millions of people who call this beautiful borough home.”
Since 2021, Council has served as Assistant Pastor at Greater Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Crown Heights, and has worked as the senior reference librarian at the law firm Sullivan and Cromwell LLP since 1998. The new deputy has also been active in local community organizations, having worked as executive director at the Berean Community & Family Life Center on Bergen Street and president of the East Brooklyn Housing Development Corporation. Currently, Council is vice chair of the board of directors at the Local Development Corporation of East New York and an advisor at the Dreyfus Health Policy and Research Center.
Council’s experience appears to line up with Reynoso’s vision for the borough presidency: in her various roles, she has organized food pantries and developed affordable housing and violence-prevention programs, according to the BP’s office. Reynoso has pledged to use his position to make “real impact with measurable outcomes” in the borough, promising streamline construction of affordable housing and shore up Brooklyn’s healthcare services — especially for pregnant people and babies.
Reynoso’s choice of deputy mirrors that of his predecessor, Mayor Eric Adams, who named Chaplain Ingrid Lewis-Martin as Deputy Borough President in 2013, when he took over Brooklyn Borough Hall.
“Raised in Brooklyn, Kim captivates the spirit of what Brooklyn was and what it can become,” said Reverend Clinton Miller of Brown Memorial Baptist Church, in a statement. “Moreover, her passion for building community and volunteerism in the areas of education, housing, and food delivery makes her an excellent choice for this position. As an ordained minister, Rev. Council’s faith has informed her ecumenical approach to spirituality. In a borough where there is such diversity of faith traditions, her training will be an asset to her service.”
