Amanda Salazar

Ten years ago, City & State published its inaugural 50 Over 50. The feature honored 50 exemplary individuals who were over the age of 50. As we wrote in introducing that first list, we recognized “the record of achievement of these outstanding figures, who have distinguished themselves in academia, advocacy, business, government, organized labor and other fields and professions.” This year, we’re looking back at these honorees from the past decade. For the 50 Over 50 Alumni, we reconnected with 50 past honorees to see what they’ve been doing since they first appeared on the list.

H. Carl McCall served as state comptroller from 1993 through 2002, making history as New York’s first Black comptroller. In 2002, McCall ran against Andrew Cuomo for governor, winning the Democratic primary to become the state’s first Black gubernatorial nominee of a major party, but ultimately losing the general election to Republican George Pataki. His career also included serving as a state senator, a board member of the New York Stock Exchange and chair of the SUNY board of trustees. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Marisa Lago said the diversity of New York and its connectedness to the rest of the nation – and to the rest of the world – is what makes it great. Lago is a veteran public servant, having worked as director of the New York City Department of City Planning during the de Blasio administration and then as the undersecretary of commerce for international trade under President Joe Biden. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Brian Lehrer, host of WNYC’s “The Brian Lehrer Show,” has dedicated his career to local news. His interview and call-in radio show has been running for 36 years, originally under the name, “On the Line.” Through the award-winning journalist’s career, Lehrer has spoken with members of Congress, authors, entrepreneurs, power brokers and voters. He appeared on City & State’s 50 Over 50 in 2019. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

A few years back, a 15-year-old girl in the community was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Both of her parents quit their jobs to take care of their daughter and to spend as much time with her as possible. To support the family, the Brooklyn Division of Kiwanis International, a global volunteer service organization with nine chapters in Brooklyn, held fundraisers to help them get through their troubled time.

Participatory budgeting was the hot topic at the April 22nd meeting of the Nieuw Amersfort Community Association (NACA), at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 3913 Avenue J, next to Amersfort Park. Nieuw Amersfort was the name of the Dutch colony that became Flatlands.

In 2021, Assembly Member Steven Otis became the first chair of the Committee on Science and Technology, which he had advocated for the creation of. Since then, the Westchester County legislator has worked on financing clean water infrastructure projects, expanding universal broadband access for New Yorkers without internet access and deploying electric vehicle charging infrastructure around the state.

The New York City Economic Development Corp. is focused on finding innovative ways to use technology, especially artificial intelligence, to drive sustainable, equitable economic growth for New York residents and businesses. The EDC has a number of programs that support the city’s continued transformation into a “smart city.” President and CEO Andrew Kimball has had experience doing this work from his time as CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard and then Industry City.

Paul Rothman is the director of smart cities and internet of things at the New York City Office of Technology and Innovation. In this role, Rothman draws from his experiences in the private sector and academia to oversee the Smart City Testbed Program, which facilitates technology-driven pilot projects that can help city agencies plan for future innovations.

As co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Smart Cities and a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rep. Yvette Clarke is invested in using technology and other innovative ways to advance the state’s ability to provide for its residents. Through her years of elected service, first as a New York City Council member and then in Congress, she has worked on finding ways to both leverage the use of technology and to protect constituents from it.

City & State’s latest Queens Power 100 – written and researched by City & State in partnership with journalist Sean Okula – features the current Queens leaders who keep the borough on the move.

The Salt Marsh Alliance, a nonprofit that hosts events and programming in the Marine Park Salt Marsh, hosted the Parks Department’s Director of Natural Areas Management Kip Stein, who spoke about restoration projects all over the salt marsh.

Following a rally at 2134 Coyle Street over a planned homeless shelter near the border of Sheepshead Bay and Marine Park, a large crowd gathered at the Carmine Carro Community Center, located at 3000 Fillmore Avenue, on Tuesday, March 18th.

The IHOP in Sheepshead Bay, located at 2951 Avenue U, is known for its comforting food and inviting atmosphere — but also for its community events. The restaurant hosted its most recent event, a fundraiser for P.S. 312 Bergen Beach, on Monday, March 10th. Between the hours of 3 and 10 p.m., 20% of all checks paid at the pancake joint were donated to the public school.

A giant light-up rainbow shines out of a pot of gold on a lush green lawn. A leprechaun dances a jig in the front bay window. Shamrocks adorn the façade of the house, mixing in with bright green lights. This is St. Patrick’s Day at Brooklyn’s Home for the Holidays, a private home in Georgetown adorned with decoration displays for every major holiday.