From Yonkers Newswire Editor Brian Harrod: FOCUS ON: Westchester County Legislator José Alvarado.

 

From Yonkers Newswire Editor Brian Harrod.... FOCUS ON: Westchester County Legislator José Alvarado José Alvarado moved from his native Honduras to Yonkers in 1982, he arrived having had only minimal exposure to a formal education and the English language. In order to help in the support of his family, José held a series of minimum wage jobs while working to earn his high school equivalency diploma. While studying business at Mercy College, he volunteered as an English tutor in the school’s bilingual program. This experience launched what has been an unbroken commitment to serve his community and a life of public service. Alvarado’s volunteerism over the years spans a wide variety of community and civic groups including, CLUSTER; his parish, Iglesia San Andres; the NAACP; NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials) and LCLAA (Labor Council for Latin American Advancement); Executive Board Member of the Boy Scouts of America Westchester Putnam Council; the Southwest Yonkers Living Transformation International Committee of Seven; the Yonkers’ Third Precinct Community Council; and Nodine Hill Common Good INC. José has served on the Advisory Boards of the White Plains Hospital Diabetes Center; the Westchester Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; the Yonkers Mexican Chamber of Commerce, the Westchester Community College Yonkers Extension, and the South Broadway Business Improvement District. For all his efforts he has received a multitude of recognitions. Some of these include: The American Lung Association Excellence in Leadership Award, The Hispanic Resource Center Amigo Award, La Guia Hispana Service Award, Mercy College Public Service Award, The Dominican Cultural Association of Yonkers Award, Hispanic Democrats of Westchester Outstanding Legislative Leadership Award, National Association of Counties Leadership Award, and Child Care Council of Westchester Award. For his 10 years of public service as Legislator the first time around, he received the highest distinction award granted to individuals in Westchester County. He has served as Democratic Party District Leader and Ward Leader for many years and is a member of the Yonkers Democratic Executive Committee. Mr. Alvarado earned his Bachelor of Science in Account for Mercy College. He pursued his graduate work at Pace University where he earned a master's degree in Public Administration/Health Care. In 2010, he received a Leadership Certificate from NYU School of Management, New York. Jose has always kept himself very occupied and even before becoming a legislator he was serving Westchester County as: Case Manager for Personal Care Services; then as Senior Case Manager for Child Protective Services; as Management Fellow for the Commissioner of DSS, and as Special Advisor to the President and CEO of White Plains Hospital for 10 years and served as Community Outreach Consultant for different organizations. In 2012, before rejoining private industry, he served as Assistant to Yonkers' Mayor and Yonkers' City Clerk, he also has taught Political Science as adjunct professor at Mercy College. He has returned to government service and currently serves as Director of Recreation for Yonkers' Parks Department and continues to be very involved as a community activist on behalf of the neediest neighborhoods of the City of Yonkers. Mr. Alvarado was asked and accepted the opportunity to return to the Westchester Legislature in 2019. He ran a campaign on the theme of “getting things done for Southwest Yonkers,” he had a resounding victory that year and today he is doing exactly that: He made a pledge to bring a new water access park to the Ludlow Park Neighborhood and $10 million were added to the County 2021 Capital Budget to do just that, $5 million were added to complete the south-end River-Walk project, and over $7 million are currently being invested in Tibbett’s Park to return that wonderful county asset to its original beauty, all odor mitigation projects at the Yonkers Joint Sewage Treatment Plant have been reactivated and are on the way to be completed, needed social services are returning to southwest Yonkers at reasonable levels, and funding for the local Community Based Organizations serving the neediest individuals in Southwest Yonkers is returning. Alvarado’ support to youth programs is unwary; he and Mayor Spano are credited for having reactivated the Yonkers Youth Bureau in 2020. Legislator Alvarado has played a pivotal role during the Covid-19 pandemic making sure that local food pantries maintain an adequate supply of food by supporting funding for Feeding Westchester. He along with volunteers personally delivered groceries and meals to the neediest and heavily affected individuals in the area, secured funding for eviction prevention, and fought to finally getting a Mega Vaccination site in the area. He simply gets things done! José and his wife Karla are proud parents of Amy Isabel (18) now attending Oswego State University, Melina Raquel (15), and Ryan José (9), all three children excelled or are excelling in Yonkers Public Schools. https://www.facebook.com/groups/YonkersNewswire/permalink/2931192433804982/