Joel Rivera
Encyclopedia
Joel Rivera is the Majority Leader
of the New York City Council
. Elected in a special election in 2001 at 22 years of age, Rivera was the youngest person ever elected to the New York City Council in its history.
. Rivera attended New York Military Academy
, a private boarding school.
of the city council the following year. As chair of the Health committee, he helped to ban trans fat and mandate calorie labeling in New York City fast food restaurants, and launched an Obesity Prevention Initiative, which funded the HealthCorps
program in local schools.
Majority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
of the New York City Council
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
. Elected in a special election in 2001 at 22 years of age, Rivera was the youngest person ever elected to the New York City Council in its history.
Early life and education
Joel Rivera was born to Ivine Galarza and Jose RiveraJose Rivera (politician)
Jose Rivera is a member of the New York State Assembly, representing the Fordham-Bedford, Kingsbridge Heights, Bedford Park, and Belmont sections of the Bronx. A prominent New York Democrat, Mr. Rivera was elected to the Assembly in 2000, and was the head of the Democratic Party in the Bronx until...
. Rivera attended New York Military Academy
New York Military Academy
New York Military Academy, or NYMA, is an American private boarding school located in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York. It was founded in 1889 by Charles Jefferson Wright, a Civil War veteran and former school teacher from New Hampshire who believed that a military structure provided the best...
, a private boarding school.
Career
Rivera succeeded his father, Assemblyman Jose Rivera, as the New York City Councilmember for District 15 in 2001. He became Majority LeaderMajority leader
In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...
of the city council the following year. As chair of the Health committee, he helped to ban trans fat and mandate calorie labeling in New York City fast food restaurants, and launched an Obesity Prevention Initiative, which funded the HealthCorps
HealthCorps
HealthCorps is an American non-profit organization that responds to the obesity crisis through school-based health education and peer-mentoring in addition to community outreach to underserved populations – mostly Hispanic and African-American....
program in local schools.