Meet Sayar Lonial, Your New Chair Of Community Board 6

Our Community Board 6 has recently undergone a change in leadership, as Sayar Lonial assumed the role of the Chair of the Community Board during their meeting last month. Outgoing Chair Gary Reilly — who was elected in December 2015 to serve his second term in the position — stepped down because he will be moving out of the district, as announced at the March 9 General Committee meeting.

Lonial will be serving out the remainder of Reilly’s term until December 31 of this year. “I am really lucky to have an executive board comprised of two former chairs, and others who have shown the leadership and community commitment to serve the neighborhoods we represent,” Lonial tells us.

Lonial assumes the role of Chair with a tremendous amount of civic and community leadership. He currently serves as the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering.

In their recent announcement, CB6 write that “under his [Lonial’s] stewardship, Brooklyn CB6 will take on many issues that affect the community and will be a proactive voice for helping create a more livable, sustainable environment for residents and businesses alike. Balancing its growing transportation, education and open-space needs with the needs of its historic districts he intends for the district to serve as an example to all of Brooklyn and beyond.”

We had a chance to speak with our new CB6 Chair to learn more about his background, career, and what he views as the role of the Community Board in community decisions. In addition, we hear how Lonial’s got game in the world of soccer.

PSS: Thanks for speaking with us. How long have you lived in the neighborhood?

Sayar Lonial: I moved to Brooklyn 17 years ago, and have lived in CB6 for 16 of those years. Specifically I have lived in Park Slope and Carroll Gardens.

Would you tell us a bit about your career?

I moved here to go to grad school at Pratt. I have been really lucky to work on some of the city’s most exciting public planning projects, including Brooklyn Bridge Park and Lower Manhattan as the Director of Planning at the LMDC [Lower Manhattan Development Corporation]. I believe that members of community’s should have a voice in what goes on in their neighborhoods and that is part of why I was pleased to be appointed to serve on the Board by CM [Brad] Lander a few years ago. I am pleased to say that I have worked at all levels of government, federal, state and city and am now happily at New York University at the recently renamed NYU Tandon School of Engineering, which allows me to live and work in the great borough of Brooklyn.

What was your involvement been with the board previous to Chair? Has there been a position you’ve particularly enjoyed?

I have served as Co-Chair of the Transportation Committee and leading up to becoming Chair was serving as 1st Vice Chair. I sit on the Landmarks / Land Use as well as the Environmental Protection / Permits and Licenses Committees. I really enjoy both committees and enjoy the interactions with both board members and public members. I also enjoy the issues that make us as a board rethink the norm, for instance the support of solar panels in a landmarked district. We are having to tackle issues that renew and need new answers, but I am confident that we are up to the task.

CB6 is involved in a myriad of community issues. What are some of the more pressing ones that the board will be addressing over the next year?

I’d like to think that each of the issues is pressing, as they all affect some resident or business. I think we need to be judicious on the issues, but remember that we are advisory, which means we should turn our lens to any issue we want to, while understanding that our decisions are non-binding. That does not make them less important, in fact it is a good gauge of the community’s temperature on issues.

What would you advise a neighbor who wants to get involved in the community but has only attended general committee meetings? Who can they speak with about this?

They should contact the Board office and attend some of the committee meetings and voice their opinions on the issues that are on the agendas. Those opinions go a long way towards the resolutions we put forward.

With all that you do, we know you’re also an avid soccer player. Any big competitions on the horizon?

My team, which has been around for over a decade, is seeking a championship at Brooklyn Bridge Park. We are going to give it our all. It is so exciting to play at Brooklyn Bridge Park, a project I worked on years ago, and a public amenity that benefits all New Yorkers.

Visit the Community Board 6 website to learn more about getting involved.