Ruth Hassell-Thompson
Encyclopedia
Ruth-Hassell Thompson of Mount Vernon, New York
is a State Senator
representing the 36th district of New York, which covers Morrisania
, West Farms
, Williamsbridge
, Co-op City
, Wakefield
, Baychester
, and Mount Vernon
.
City Council in 1993. She would later serve as Council President and Acting Mayor.
In 2000 she was elected to the State Senate. She is the Chairwoman of the Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee and is a former Ranking Minority Member on the Consumer Protection and Judiciary committees.
Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
is a State Senator
New York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
representing the 36th district of New York, which covers Morrisania
Morrisania, Bronx
Morrisania is the historical name for the South Bronx and derives from the powerful and aristocratic Morris family, who at one time owned all of the Manor of Morrisania. Today the name is most commonly associated with the village of Morrisania, which is only a small corner of the original...
, West Farms
West Farms, Bronx
West Farms is a residential neighborhood in a west central part of The Bronx, New York City, also known as the northeast corner of the South Bronx. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 6...
, Williamsbridge
Williamsbridge, Bronx
Williamsbridge is a working class neighborhood geographically located in the northeast Bronx borough of New York City in the United States. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 12. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: East 222nd Street to the north, Boston...
, Co-op City
Co-op City, Bronx
Co-op City , located in the Baychester section of the Borough of the Bronx in northeast New York City, is one of the largest cooperative housing developments in the world. Situated at the intersection of Interstate 95 and the Hutchinson River Parkway, the community is part of Bronx Community Board 10...
, Wakefield
Wakefield, Bronx
Wakefield is a working-class section of the northern borough of the Bronx in New York City, bounded by the New York city line with Westchester County or 243rd street to the north,and 222nd Street to the south, and the Bronx River, Bronx River Parkway and Metro-North Railroad tracks to the west...
, Baychester
Baychester, Bronx
Baychester is a working class neighborhood geographically located in the northeast Bronx borough of New York City in the United States. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 12. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: East 222nd Street to the north, the New...
, and Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
.
Political career and background
Ms. Hassell-Thompson worked as a pediatric nurse and substance abuse counselor for Mount Vernon Hospital from 1963 to 1998. From January 1980 to June 1987, she was Executive Director of the Westchester Minority Contractor's Association (WMCA). Prior to leading the WMCA, she worked for the Westchester Community Opportunity Program for 10 years in a number of management positions. She then served as President/CEO of Whart Development Company, Inc., a real estate development company and a consultant to small and developing businesses before being elected to Mount VernonMount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
City Council in 1993. She would later serve as Council President and Acting Mayor.
In 2000 she was elected to the State Senate. She is the Chairwoman of the Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections Committee and is a former Ranking Minority Member on the Consumer Protection and Judiciary committees.
Honors
Hassell-Thompson received the Sojourner Truth Racial Justice Award, the Harriet Tubman Humanitarian Achievement Award, the Minority and Women Business Development Award from the state of New York Department of Commerce, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Keeping the Dream Alive Award, and has been named to the African-American Civic and Legal Hall of Fame. She has received two honorary doctorates.Electoral history
- Hassell-Thomspon also ran on the Working Families PartyWorking Families PartyThe Working Families Party is a minor political party in the United States founded in New York in 1998. There are "sister" parties to the New York WFP in Connecticut, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Oregon, but there is as yet no national WFP...
of New York ticket.