Three weeks after losing his chairmanship of the Westchester County Board of Legislators, Yonkers resident Kenneth W. Jenkins will begin duties Jan. 27 as president and CEO of the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency.
Jenkins was appointed to the $60,000-a-year post by Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, who also serves as chairman of the city IDA”™s board of directors. A Democrat representing the 16th legislative district, Jenkins was unchallenged when winning reelection last November to a fourth two-year term as county legislator.
Jenkins said he will continue to serve as legislator while holding the IDA post. He said there is no conflict of interest as the local industrial development agency “is not a branch of government” but rather an independent public benefit corporation. For an elected official, “It”™s just like working at McDonald”™s or something like that,” he said.
The Yonkers IDA also has no connection to the Westchester County IDA, he noted.
Jenkins led the 17-member county board as chairman for four years, a period marked by deep division, legal clashes and dueling press releases between the county board”™s Democratic majority led by Jenkins and the Republican administration of County Executive Robert P. Astorino. On Jan. 6, a coalition of Republican and Democratic legislators elected Somers Democrat Michael Kaplowitz to replace Jenkins in the chairman”™s post. Jenkins cast one of two votes on the board opposing the coalition choice.
Spano in announcing the appointment said Jenkins “has the skill set and qualifications to build upon the great momentum the IDA has garnered in the last two years. A long-time Yonkers resident, his in-depth knowledge of the city combined with his realty expertise will assist Ken in continuing our progress to create jobs and take development efforts in Yonkers to the next level.”
Jenkins is a licensed associate broker at ERA Insite Realty Services, the White Plains-based real estate company that in the Great Recession acquired Jenkins”™ former business in Yonkers, Gem Realty Associates L.L.C. He previously had a 20-year career in telecommunications and computer technology at New York Telephone and later at Andersen Consulting and its successor company, Accenture.
As IDA chief, Jenkins said he will work closely with the Yonkers planning department and Wilson Kimball, the city”™s planning and development commissioner. “Yonkers has worked extremely hard to get to a good position from a development community perspective” and the IDA will help to move projects forward, he said.
“Under the mayor”™s leadership, there”™s a tremendous amount of momentum and energy in the city,” Jenkins said, “and I hope to add to Yonkers”™ success in attracting new development and creating new jobs.”
Jenkins said he wants to build on the city”™s stabilizing tax base by bringing in different businesses in addition to the city”™s retailers.
“I”™m really excited about it,”™ he said. “For me as a Yonkers guy it”™s a great opportunity.”
Jenkins replaces Melvina Carter, whom Spano appointed as president and CEO of the Yonkers IDA a few months after taking office in 2012. Carter had worked at the agency as an assistant to Ellen Lynch, the former Yonkers IDA chief appointed by Republican Mayor Philip Amicone.
Carter will move to the city finance department in a new position as assistant to the mayor for economic development.
“We thank Melvina for her service to the IDA and setting the stage for valuable and transformative economic development in Yonkers,” Spano said.
