Helen Marie Marshall was elected as Queens 18th Borough President last night in a victory that was expected and historic at the same time.
The daughter of a merchant seaman, Marshall is the first African-American, and only the second woman, to hold the boroughs top post. Early poll results showed Marshall having captured about 71 percent of the boroughs vote over Republican challenger Alfonse Stabile.
"Im living the American dream," an ecstatic Marshall told cheering supporters at a victory celebration at Brunos on the Boulevard, a catering hall in Jackson Heights.
Surrounded by her husband Donald, her daughter Agnes, outgoing Borough President Claire Shulman and other supporters, Marshall promised to "build a better and brighter future for the borough of Queens."
"We have schools to build, children to educate, streets to protect, businesses to expand, and affordable housing to build," she said.
Marshall also spoke about the importance of securing Queens airports.
More than 200 supporters, representing a diverse spectrum of ethnic backgrounds, danced and celebrated Marshalls victory, until well past midnight.
Happiest, perhaps, was Marshalls predecessor, the outgoing Borough President Shulman, who made history 15 years ago as Queens first female BP.
"Helen is going to make a great borough president," Shulman told the crowd. "We tried to do our best for everyone in the borough. I was concerned about who was going to take my place. I am pleased that Helen is the new Queen of Queens."
Earlier, Marshall praised Shulman for having "changed Queens" during her tenure.
"She brought culture to Queens and order to Queens and schools to Queens," said Marshall. "She brought strength and confidence. She laid the foundation. All I can do is build on that."
Marshall was raised in Harlem and lost her mother at the age of 3 and her father when she was 16. She was left to help care for her younger sister, Joan.
Marshall pursued her education at Morris High School in the Bronx and later, after her children were grown, at Queens College, where she earned a degree in teaching.
It was while her kids were at school that Marshall got involved in the PTA and became an education advocate.
In an exclusive interview with The Queens Courier last week, she pledged to appoint herself to the Queens seat on the Board of Education once Terri Thomsons term expires next July.
"It fits in with my plans for education," said Marshall, despite realizing that sitting members of the Board of Education are not allowed to raise political funds. She also plans to hire top aide to handle education policy. Among her goals is to establish an institute to increase parent involvement and to involve businesses in partnerships with local schools.
In addition to education, Marshall plans to appoint four other assistants to oversee housing, business development, inter-group relations and transportation, she said. She declined to discuss specific appointees.
Marshall wants to explore the possibility of establishing intergenerational housing that could accommodate both seniors and families and is concerned with the problem of co-op and condo financing in the borough.
In the area of business, she wants her aide to work with airport-related businesses as well as small businesses, manufacturers, developers and others.
The new borough boss wants to improve what she called "the inadequacy of Queens transportation," by developing, among other things, the Sunnyside rail yards for public transport to expand the Flushing municipal parking lot.
By establishing an aide in charge of inter-group relations and a General Assembly of members of different nationalities to air concerns, Marshall hopes to promote the exploration of "the richness of each others culture and to try and solve problems."
"This is such a diverse county," she said.
