Joan Christensen

Joan Christensen (born March 13, 1938) was a member of the New York State Assembly, for the 119th district first elected in 1990. She is a Democrat.

First election

Joan K. Christensen (D) was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 1990. Christensen represents the 119th Assembly District, comprising a portion of the City of Syracuse and the towns of DeWitt, Onondaga, and Salina. A long-time resident of Syracuse, Christensen has always been an active community leader. Prior to her tenure in the Assembly, Christensen was the first woman to serve on the Syracuse Board of Assessment Review. She then served three terms on the Syracuse Common Council.

Agenda

Christensen's legislative agenda reflects her efforts to improve New York's business climate, providing tax relief to both businesses and working families and ensuring quality education for the youth of our state. She is also a statewide leader in efforts to ensure that quality, affordable child care is accessible for all of New York's working families, sponsoring and advocating strongly for the enactment of the Quality Child Care and Protection Act of 2000.

In January, 2005 Christensen was appointed as chair of the Legislative Commission on Skills Development and Career Education. This Commission was created in 1986 to study issues relating to the development of employment skills in the state’s workforce. The Commission provides the Legislature with an opportunity to focus on training and education issues as they impact on economic and human development policy.

Christensen, who served as chair of the Assembly's Task Force on Women's Issues from 1995–2000, has long been concerned about all issues having an impact on New York State families, but in particular those issues directly affecting women and children. She also served two terms as the elected Chair of the Legislative Women's Caucus, which is a bipartisan organization made up of the women legislators from both the Assembly and New York Senate.

Christensen also chaired the Assembly's Administrative Regulation Review Commission (ARRC), a bipartisan legislative panel which oversees the regulatory activities of state agencies and develops and advocates for regulatory reform legislation. As Chair, Christensen focused her efforts on helping small business and local governments and ensuring that public input is sought and utilized in all aspects of the regulatory process. She is also dedicated and committed to bringing about positive reform within the legislative process.

Assemblies, organizations, recognitions and awards

In the Assembly, Christensen serves on the following standing committees: Housing, Insurance, Labor, Real Property Taxation and Small Business. She is an honorary member of the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force and serves on the Assembly Task Force on Workers' Compensation Reform. As such, Christensen continues to play a key role in the widely acclaimed workers' compensation reforms.

As well as those, Christensen belongs to a number of business and civic organizations including Women in Government; the National Order of Women Legislators; Delta Kappa Gamma; the Metropolitan Business and Professional Women's Club of Syracuse; the League of Women Voters; the National Council of Negro Women; the Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy; the Greater Jamesville Chamber of Commerce; the South Side Business Association and the VFW Post 1955 Ladies Auxiliary in LaFayette. In addition, she serves as an ex officio member of the Everson Museum of Art Board of Trustees and serves as an Honorary Member of Vietnam Veterans of America, Central New York Chapter 103 and the Korean War Veterans of America.

Christensen is the recipient of numerous awards including the Women Working Wonders from the YWCA of Binghamton/Broome County, Feminist Legislator of Honor from the Central New York Chapter of the National Organization of Women, the Children's Champion Award from the Coalition for Child Care of Nassau County and the 1998 Friend of Children Award from the Child Care Council of Onondaga County and the Syracuse Association for the Education of Young Children. She was honored once again in 2004 by the Child Care Council of Onondaga County for her continued efforts to promote and further quality child care services.

Recent local awards include a Certificate of Recognition from the Upstate Medical University and its United University Professions; the Vietnam Veterans of America, Central New York Chapter 103 Veterans' Advocacy Award; The Outstanding Service Award presented by the East Syracuse-Minoa High School Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA); the Syracuse Chapter of the Society for Clinical Social Work, the Central Chapter of the New York Association for Marriage and Family Therapists, the New York State Society for Clinical Social Work Certificate of Appreciation; the Child Care Council of Onondaga County's Child Care Champion 2000 Award; the Central New York Council on Adolescent Pregnancy Service Award, and the American Lung Association of Central New York Asthma Award, in recognition of her championship against this debilitating and deadly disease; the Jewish Family Service 2003 “Friend of Family Award; and the CSEA Local 834 Excellence in Elected Leadership Award.

Other notable awards include: Onondaga County’s Distinguished Honorary Veteran of the Year; the Central New York Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists Community Leader in Pharmaceutical Care award; the Nurse Practitioner Association, New York State Chapter’s Certificate of Appreciation; and the Town of DeWitt’s Certificate of Recognition for Volunteer Service on the 9/11 Committee.

Family and retirement

Christensen is the mother of four children. She resides on the eastside of Syracuse and remains active in the community. Standing Committee Assignments: Housing Insurance Labor Real Property Taxation Small Business.

On January 27, 2010, Joan Christensen announced she was retiring from the New York State Assembly after 20 years of service.

External links

• New York State Assembly Member Website