Annabel Palma

Council Member Annabel Palma is dedicated to fighting for workers' rights and social justice and is committed to improving the community she's lived in her entire life. She was first elected to the New York City Council in the fall of 2003 to represent the people of the 18th Council District, which includes the neighborhoods of Soundview, Castle Hill and Parkchester.

In 1991, as a single mother struggling to provide the best for her son, she received her CNA certification from Bronx Community College. At St. Vincent De Paul Senior Residence, she became a practicing CNA and, because of her leadership skills, was elected as a union representative in 1994. She later earned a degree in Business Administration from Monroe College. In 1999, she was asked to join the staff at 1199SEIU as a full time organizer, where she trained thousands of union members on health and safety issues.

Since 2003, Annabel has succeeded in providing the people of her district with the voice they need to fight for quality education, safer schools, better jobs, affordable housing, a cleaner environment, and increased access to health care. Whether it's empowering tenants with the tools to organize tenant associations, or organizing coalitions of parent associations to speak out against systemic problems related to school safety, her vision and drive for uniting people to stand up for what they believe in has brought about significant improvement to the lives of people in her district. Annabel continues to focus her work in the City Council towards ensuring that our senior centers and after school programs continue to grow and providing resources to improve our libraries, community centers, and schools.

Palma serves as Chair of the Subcommittee on Drug Abuse and is proud member of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus. She currently resides in the Parkchester area with husband and her son, Jonathan, who is currently a student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice