Community Board 14 2026 Appointees Announced

Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. has announced his 2026 class of community board appointees — a diverse group of public servants who will sit on their respective boards for the next two years.

“Government should look, sound and feel like the very communities they serve. That’s why over the last six years, my office has worked tirelessly to correct historic disparities on our community boards and amplify voices that for too long have gone unheard,” Borough President Richards said. “With this year’s historically diverse class of community board appointees now assuming their roles, those voices are being heard louder and clearer than ever before. To our newest community board members, congratulations and I look forward to the partnerships we’ll build on behalf of our borough.”

Borough President Richards’ appointments for the 2026-2028 term to Community Board 14 (Rockaway Point, Breezy Point, Roxbury, Neponsit, Belle Harbor, Rockaway Park, Seaside, Broad Channel, Hammels, Sommerville, Edgemere, Arverne, Bayswater, Wavecrest, Far Rockaway, Rockaway Beach) are: Jeritza Acevedo, Natasha Carter, Arlene Cauley, Keisha Cunningham, Jack Epter, Menashe Friedman, Avionne Gumbs, Jasmine Hardy, Candido Hernandez-Limon, Betty Leon, Edward Lynch, Renee McWilliams, Aretha Miller, Sabrina Mohan, Helen Montero, Zinaida Moratti, Ebube Nwaeme, Josmary Ochoa-Cruz, Dolores Orr, Harold Paez, Vernell Robinson, David Shelborne, Christopher Tedesco and Marissa Ann Williams.

Of Borough President Richards’ 367 total appointees across Queens’ 14 community boards, 115 are new members who are not currently serving on a board already — just four short of the Richards Administration record of 119 new members, set last year.

However, the group of 115 new appointees is historic in its diversity of gender identity, age, race and housing status.

Just 43 percent of community board members identified as female prior to the Richards Administration. But of the 115 new members in 2026, a whopping 60 percent identify as female. When combining all six of Borough President Richards’ community board application cycles, more than half of all new appointees have identified as female.

People of color were once again strongly represented amongst the 115 new members. Residents who identify as Hispanic/Latinx — a demographic that has historically been severely underrepresented across the city’s community boards — made up 39.1 percent of that group, up from 29.4 percent in 2025.

Meanwhile, those who identify as African American made up 28.7 percent — an increase of 6 percent from last year — and those who identify as East Asian, Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander or South Asian made up 16.5 percent of new members.

In terms of age, of the 115 new members, more than 51 percent are under 40 years old and 20 percent are younger than 30. The youngest new appointee is just 17 years old, reflecting continued growth in interest among young people in community board membership. Prior to the Richards Administration, less than 25 percent of community board members were younger than 45 years old.

Additionally, residents who either rent their homes or live in a NYCHA development — another historically underrepresented group on our city’s community boards — make up a majority of new members at 52.2 percent.

There are 59 community boards citywide, and each hold monthly full membership meetings. The boards also hold hearings and issue recommendations about the City budget, municipal service delivery and numerous other matters that impact their communities.

All Queens community board members are appointed by the Queens Borough President, pursuant to the City Charter, with at least half of the appointments nominated by the City Council Members representing their respective community districts. Each board has up to 50 unsalaried members, with each member serving a two-year term. All community board members who wish to continue serving on a board are required to reapply at the conclusion of their two-year term and are subject to review and reconsideration.