Senator Kevin Parker Names A Community Board Manager As His 2017 Statewide Woman of Distinction

BROOKLYN, NY (5/17/17) – For the past 19 years, State Senators in Albany have celebrated the contributions of women in their districts with the annual Women of Distinction Award. Senators use this opportunity to honor the exemplary contributions of a woman in their district who is doing extraordinary public service work and building community. This year, State Senator Kevin Parker named Sherif Fraser, District Manager of Community Board 17, as the Woman of Distinction in the 21^st Senate District.

“As a hardworking executive, businesswoman, community organizer, and advocate, Ms. Fraser has set the bar very high and so is more than deserving of being called a Woman of Distinction,” said Senator Parker. “I am happy to have this opportunity to recognize the work that she does in making the 21^st Senate District one of the best places to live, work, and raise a family. Moreover, as an immigrant woman, she is a living example of the attainability of the American Dream.”

A resident of the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, Ms. Fraser was born in Guyana and migrated to the United States in 1982. She began her career in community service five years later working at New York City Department of Environmental Protection – Communications Center.

“I'm humbled to be honored by Senator Kevin Parker at this year’s Women of Distinction award ceremony,” said Fraser. “For years I have dedicated my life and career to serving the residents of Community Board District 17 and beyond. I look forward to continuing my mission of service that impacts the lives of youth, seniors and the community at large. I am grateful for Senator Parker's continued support of initiatives that enhances the quality of life in our community.”

In addition to her numerous positions on advisory boards such as the Historic Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum, Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, and Kings County Hospital Center Consumer & Family Behavioral Health Advisory Committee, Ms. Fraser is the President of the Guyana Unity Movement Inc., a non-profit community-based organization she started in 2015.

About State Senator Kevin Parker

Senator Kevin S. Parker is intimately familiar with the needs of his ethnically diverse Brooklyn district comprised of sections of Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Ditmas Park, Kensington, Windsor Terrace, and Park Slope.  A lifelong Brooklyn resident, he is the Ranking Democratic Member on the Senate Committee on Energy and Telecommunications, as well as the Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

Senator Parker is the Whip of the Senate Democratic Conference; Member of the Senate Democratic Conference Policy Group; Member of the Senate Select Committee on Technology & Innovation; and Member of the Senate Democratic Minority and Women-Owned Business Task Force (MWBE).

For the 2017-2018 Legislative Session, Senator Parker serves on the Senate Standing Committees on Finance; Rules; Higher education; Labor; Insurance, and Banks.

To learn more about Senator Parker and his initiatives on behalf of working families across New York State, please visit www.nysenate.gov/senators/kevin-s-parker.