New Chair of the Assembly Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development Committee

Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell has represented the 69th Assembly District including Manhattan Valley, Morningside Heights and the Upper West Side since 2002.

Assemblyman O’Donnell was born in Queens and raised in Commack, Long Island. He was the first openly gay man elected to the New York State Assembly, and has been the prime sponsor of several trailblazing bills, most notably the Marriage Equality Act and the Dignity for All Students Act. He earned a B.A. in public affairs from George Washington University and a law degree from CUNY Law School. He worked for several years as a public defender at the Legal Aid Society, and then opened his own public interest law firm where he helped clients with tenant representation, as well as civil rights litigation ranging from employee discrimination to First Amendment rights.

He strives for diversity, affordable housing, living wage jobs, maintaining green spaces and protecting the quality of communities. For the past four years he served as the Chair of the Corrections Committee. He spoke during the morning program on Park Advocacy Day to express support and share some amusing anecdotes about his experiences in state parks. We look forward to working with Assemblyman O’Donnell to protect and promote New York State’s parks and outdoor recreation assets.