True Icon of New York City, My Friend Ed Koch

Ed Koch had a lifelong dedication to public service that made New York City proud.

Having worked with him at City Hall, I was able to learn a lot from him as he taught me to never be afraid to speak up for the values you believe in.

The Big Apple was the family that Ed Koch cared for both as a public servant and a community leader. He was an icon of our great city. He was a fighter that never gave up. His wit and compassion of the famous line ''How am I doing'' reminds us as officials what we need to continually ask the people that elected us to serve in government.

New York will remember a great leader that always served as the peoples Mayor even decades after he left office. He taught us independence in choosing people by their abilities not their political party. Every time New Yorkers cross the Queens Borough Bridge to Manhattan they should think about a man who put people first and made us feel good in living in the greatest city in the world. It was Ed Koch that never let us forget the place we work, love, and live.