Stefani L. Zinerman

Stefani L. Zinerman is a dedicated public servant and community advocate whose journey is deeply rooted in a commitment to social justice and community empowerment. Born and raised in Central Brooklyn, Stefani’s education and activism have prepared her well for a career in public service. Her professional career spans the corporate, non-profit, and government sectors.

Assembly Member Zinerman attended public school in District 15 in Brooklyn before attending John Dewey High School, Borough of Manhattan Community College, and then Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to study business management. Her professional career demonstrates a profound dedication to community service, effective leadership, and a steadfast commitment to social justice. She honed her management skills in the corporate world, but it was in the non-profit sector that Stefani's passion for advocacy flourished. She has held leadership roles in organizations focused on educational literacy, public health, and workforce development.

Stefani’s entry into politics began after leading efforts in BEd-Stuy to re-elect former president Barack Obama in 2012. Her experience organizing for the Brooklyn NAACP and hosting civic engagement sit-ins led her to enter into public service as Chief of Staff to New York City Council Member Robert Cornegy and her mentor, former New York State Senator Velmanette Montgomery. Here, she honed her management skills by supervising legislative and district offices, managing budgets and the legislative process, and building and maintaining strong relationships with constituents, community leaders, and organizations.

In 2020, Stefani was elected to the New York State Assembly, representing the 56th District in Brooklyn, which includes parts of the Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights communities. Despite facing a well-funded challenger, her election to the Assembly was a testament to her deep-rooted connection to her community and her relentless advocacy for social justice.

Assembly Member Zinerman chairs the New York State Assembly’s Subcommittee on Emerging Workforce. She is a member of the Assembly’s Standing Committees on Aging, Agriculture, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, Labor, People with Disabilities, and Tourism, Arts, Parks, and Sports Development. She also holds leadership roles in the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus and the Legislative Women's Caucus and serves as Vice President of the NYS Black Legislative Task Force.

Stefani is passionate about ensuring that the communities of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights are places where people of all ages can thrive. She has championed and launched many initiatives, including Age Friendly of Central Brooklyn, Inc. (AFCBI) and the Underground Reading Railroad (URR). AFCBI informs and promotes policies and programs that support the well-being, health, and safety of older adults, advocating for accessible housing, comprehensive healthcare services, and social inclusion. The URR was born out of backlash against Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and is rooted in the timeless tradition of communities rising to meet the challenge of eradicating illiteracy through a series of read-aloud events designed to normalize reading and strengthen the oral reading and test-taking skills of readers.

A believer in people-powered democracy, Assembly Member Zinerman established the District 56 Arts Council, the Disabilities Justice Committee, and the Small Business Council to ensure her community has a strong voice in her legislative work in Albany. She is an urban farmer and a staunch advocate and investor in agriculture in the classroom, funding 11 schools in the district, and supporting GreenThumb and Brooklyn Queens Land Trust community farms. She promotes the use of public spaces to build community. Her recently passed legislation to ensure the use of public water is free for those growing food for the public good is just one example of her commitment to food justice.

Assembly Member Zinerman is a third-generation resident of Bedford-Stuyvesant in Stuyvesant Heights. She lives with her mother, Portland, an active octogenarian, former early childhood educator, and shop steward with DC37. She loves to spend time with her daughter, Courtney, a corporate events planner and business owner, and her grand-pup, Sibby-the-Siren, Courtney’s English bulldog.