Amy Chester
Revson Fellow 2005-2006
Chief of Staff
Office of Council Member David Yassky; New York City Council
Amy Chester has spent her career gaining experience in all aspects of public policy in her work with non-profits, electoral and issue-based campaigns, and government. This experience has been an invaluable aid in cultivating the understanding necessary to influence public policy for the better. Ms. Chester is currently Chief of Staff to Council Member David Yassky, Chair of Waterfronts Committee, where she worked to ensure affordable housing would be included in rezoning 180 blocks of the North Brooklyn waterfront by using Inclusionary Zoning. Previously, she worked as the Lead Organizer for Listening to the City, - an interactive, high-tech town meeting –and historic opportunity for residents in the New York region to engage in a democratic planning process for the World Trade Center site. Ms. Chester has also worked as a Special Assistant to Steve DiBrienza, where she formed local coalitions citywide to develop solutions to issues that affected New Yorkers. She later moved to his City-wide campaign for Public Advocate to be the Field Director, running his petition drive and working with thousands of volunteers on Election Day. She has worked on the field operations of many progressive candidates focusing in voter contact and with M&R Strategic Services as a consultant for public interest clients including the Coalition for the Homeless, the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, and the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance. Ms. Chester became interested in politics and organizing through a semester long legislative internship in Albany with NYPIRG in 1995. She later served as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of NYPIRG and as President of the Board of Directors of New York State Tenants and Neighbors Coalition. She was born, raised, and still lives in Brooklyn. She attended Purchase College (SUNY) and graduated with a BA in Political Science. Ms. Chester plans to spend her Revson year learning the intricacies of housing finance and development, as well as enrolling urban policy and economics classes.
(The Revson Fellow’s biography that appears above was last updated in 2005. Revson Fellows may update their biographies on this site by sending email to: revson@columbia.edu)
The Revson year was an opportunity to recharge mental and spiritual batteries, to deepen my own understanding of important issues at what turned out to be a crucial time in our history, and to do so in the company of committed co-conspirators in the quest for peace and justice. It brings the enormous resources of a great university to the Fellows and time to reflect on how we can best utilize that knowledge to make a better New York City and world.
