Welcome to my webpage.  I hope you find the material we have included informative and helpful.
 
As your Council Member, I work to provide you and all of the people in my district with the best city services possible, a safe, clean and healthy environment and the opportunity to maximize your quality of  life.
 
As you browse through my webpage, you will see some of the projects I am working on and the legislation I am supporting in the Council.  Particularly important to me, are my efforts to improve health care, education, transportation services and support for senior citizens. In these difficult times, I am also particularly eager to preserve jobs and provide new employment opportunities.
 
In the district, I am proud of the projects I have sponsored including our new library, school renovations and equipment, road and bridge repairs, park rehabilitation and improvements to transportation facilities.  Every senior center and youth program has been assisted through my efforts. 
 
My district office is available to help you with problems you may have  with government or in dealing with businesses and service providers.  We have helped thousands of constituents.  Please feel free to contact me and my office by visiting or by phone.
 
Despite the current downturn in the economy and the need to limit expenditures, I want to continue to see improvements in our district and the city.  I welcome your comments and suggestions.

I am honored to serve as your Council Member and to represent you at City Hall and in the community.
 
Very truly yours,

Oliver Koppell

Entered City Council: 1/1/2002
Current Term Expires: 12/31/2009

Represents: Kingsbridge, Riverdale, Woodlawn, Norwood, parts of Bedford Park, Wakefield and Bronx Park East.

Committees: Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services(Chair); Consumer Affairs; Education; Environmental Protection; Finance; Technology in Government; Transportation; Community Development

Represents Community Boards: No. 7, No. 8, No. 12, and parts of No. 11 and No. 6

Council Member Oliver Koppell was born in New York City. His parents, who were refugees from Nazi Germany, moved to the Bronx when Oliver was two and he has lived there continuously,  presently owning a home in the borough.

He is married to Lorraine Coyle Koppell, a lawyer and real estate broker, and has three children, all of whom were raised in the Bronx and attended Bronx public schools, and five grandchildren.

EDUCATION
Oliver attended Bronx elementary schools, the Bronx High School of Science, Harvard College and Harvard Law School, from which he graduated Cum Laude.  After law school, Oliver received a post-graduate fellowship  to study in India  from the Maxwell School of Public Administration at Syracuse University.

GOVERNMENTAL/COMMUNITY SERVICE
New York State Assembly Member
Oliver was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1970 on a reform ticket, where he served for 23 years, representing the Northwest Bronx. While serving in the NYS Assembly, he wrote and sponsored 280 laws, including the Utility Consumers Bill of Rights, the Returnable Bottle Law and the Automobile Lemon Law. He was Chair of the Environmental Protection, Corporations and Judiciary Committees of the Assembly.

During his tenure as Assemblyman, Oliver initiated several important programs that continue to serve the community. Among these, are the Kingsbridge/Riverdale/ Van Cortlandt Development Corporation, the Association of Riverdale Cooperatives and the Citizens' Court Monitoring Project.

New York State Attorney General
In 1994, Oliver was selected to become New York State Attorney General when Robert Abrams resigned. As Attorney General, Oliver actively prosecuted consumer fraud, discrimination on the basis of race, family status and disability, environmental pollution  and business crime. He acted as special prosecutor in a number of criminal proceedings and personally argued on behalf of the State of New York before the Supreme Court of the United States.

President, Community School Board District 10
Oliver was elected President of the Community School Board in District 10. As head of the School Board, he fought for more resources, repairs and new equipment.  He strongly advocated for the creation of the Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy (MS/HS 141) and for the construction of a new middle school/high school in Kingsbridge, MS/HS 368, (the IN-Tech Academy). During Oliver's tenure as President of the School Board, the  Chancellor singled out District 10 as one of the three most improved districts in the city.

New York City Council Member - District 11
Oliver was elected to the City Council in 2001. He is currently Chair of the Committee on Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services, and a member of the Finance, Education, Transportation, Consumer Affairs, Environmental Protection, Technology in Government and Community Development Committees.  As Chair of the Mental Health Committee, he was instrumental in obtaining increased funding in the city budget for two major mental health initiatives, "Geriatric Mental Health Services" and "Children Under Five Mental Health Initiative."

As a Council Member, Oliver authored two important environmental and public safety laws: the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Bill, which mandates the recycling of rechargeable batteries in order to keep them out of the landfills, where they cause serious pollution and contamination and; the Fire Safety Bill, which protects New Yorkers from being trapped by fire in public places by requiring that fire exits be conspicuously marked in the places of assembly and that an announcement be made 10 minutes prior to any performance, notifying the audience of the location of these exits.

Oliver has also brought millions of dollars into his Council district for major capital projects and to support senior centers, youth programs, schools and cultural activities.

He is a member of the Fund for Modern Courts and serves as volunteer Arbitrator of the Civil Court of the City of New York.