State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson 36th District (Part of Bronx and Westchester Counties) Chair, Minority Policy Committee
How to Contact the State Senator LOB 613, Albany 12247 518-455-2061 E-mail: hassell-t@senate.state.ny.us
First elected to the New York State Senate in 2000, Ms. Ruth Hassell-Thompson brings years of public service and community involvement to her post as Senator of the 36th Senatorial District. She currently represents part of the Bronx and Westchester County.
In 1993, Ms. Hassell-Thompson was elected to the Mount Vernon City Council, serving as Council President and Acting Mayor. In addition, she was vice chairperson of the Urban Renewal Board; a voting member of the Board of Estimate; vice chairperson of the Real Estate Board and Chairperson of the Capital Projects Board. Among her other committee responsibilities was oversight of all council committees, which included legislation and public works; human resources; finance and planning; and public safety and codes.
Ms. Hassell-Thompson continues to balance her public responsibilities with other important community and business-related endeavors in the district. A retired nurse/counselor specializing in helping women with substance abuse issues, she is President/CEO of "The Gathering," a volunteer-staffed women's center in Mt. Vernon that provides counseling and support services to women.
In addition, Ms. Hassell-Thompson is a health director for the Mt. Vernon Neighborhood Health Center's Ryan White Title I Project. This initiative, which entails working with persons infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS, led to her being honored with the "Unsung Heroes" award, presented by the AIDS Related Community Services (ARCS) organization.
Ms. Hassell-Thompson also serves as a consultant to the National Office Managers and Comptrollers Association (NOMCA), an automobile dealership/industry organization responsible for promoting special projects for the firm.
Prior to holding elected office, she was President/CEO of Whart Development Company, Inc., a real estate development company, and consultant to small and developing businesses. Hoping to inspire more African-American business ventures in New York, Senator Hassell-Thompson's firm researched and published "The African-American in Westchester" for the African-American advisory board in 1990. She is also well known for her expertise on minority business needs in the Northeast, and launched numerous workshops and seminars on business development.
From January 1981 to June 1987, Ms. Hassell-Thompson was the Executive Director of the Westchester Minority Contractor's Association (WMCA). In this position, she became well-versed in economic development issues that impact women and people of color, and went on to become one of their most ardent advocates, successfully convincing members of both the public and private sector to increase participation with minority and women-owned businesses. Further, the Senator served on numerous boards and committees that focused on issues related to minority and women business ownership. Among her many achievements was her ability to spearhead bank loans for financing minority and women-owned business activities. She continues to serve as a member of this organization.
As a testament to Senator Hassell-Thompson's achievements in helping women and minorities excel in business ventures, she has received several awards. Chief among them are: the Minority and Women Business Development Award from the State of New York Department of Commerce; the Professional Women in Construction Award for dedicated services and action on behalf of equal opportunity for women and minorities; and Westchester Black Women's Health Project for Outstanding Contributions to Business.
Prior to leading the WMCA, Ms. Hassell-Thompson worked for the Westchester Community Opportunity Program (Westchester Co-Op) for 10 years in a number of management positions, ranging from director of an infant day care center to executive assistant to the executive director of the Co-Op. During her tenure there, the Senator was awarded the Joseph P. Gavrin Memorial Award for personal achievement and contributions to the community by the Co-Op.
Ms. Hassell-Thompson is married with two children and has one grandchild.
