Biography
Joan K. Christensen, Democrat, was first
elected to the New York State Assembly in 1990. Christensen represents
the 119th Assembly District, comprised of 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Christensen has also received several
other notable awards including 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.
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
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