Akeem Jamal is Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation’s Assistant Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs. He attended the Lubin School of Business at Pace University and graduated Cum Laude with a Master of Business Administration. He also graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media Studies from Fordham University.
He got this position at Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation on 20th October 2022, after Shelton J. Haynes, the corporation’s CEO and president, said he demonstrated the talent and poise needed to improve Roosevelt Island’s public profile.
Haynes added that Akeem Jamal has the transformative ideas to transform the island into a destination that people from different places will want to visit.
Jamal has vast government experience thanks to his previous jobs. Before joining Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, he worked as the Deputy Communications Director at the City of Yonkers. The City of Yonkers is the third-largest city in New York State.
In his position in the city, Jamal led a vast team and acted as the city’s spokesperson and senior advisor to Mike Spano, the city’s mayor. He organized high-level events for the mayor’s office, created and oversaw new initiatives, and worked with county, state, and city officials.
During his time under Mayor Mike Spano’s administration, Jamal played significant roles in several initiatives. One of the most significant ones was the Census 2020. This campaign was dedicated to increasing participation in the exercise, highlighting the importance of counting everybody.
He was also part of the group that moved the City of Yonkers from the fourth-largest to the third-largest city in the State of New York. Jamal also played a crucial role in Ban The Barges. That was an advocacy campaign opposing a Maritime Association proposal to create barge anchorage sites from Yonkers to Kingston on the Hudson River.
He also helped boost the mayor’s campaign to rebuild Yonkers schools, increasing awareness of the campaign. That attracted the New York Legislature’s attention, resulting in them funding three new public schools.
Jamal has also been a strong Muslim community advocate, pushing for the observation of Muslim holidays in public schools around the city. Gretchen Robinson, the General Counsel and Vice President of RIOC, says that Akeem has demonstrated his eagerness, commitment, and the necessary expertise to get his job done at the corporation.
Akeem Jamal has expressed his gratitude and honor for working for the state of New York in a new capacity and under a different team.
