Karen Koslowitz

Karen Koslowitz is a Democratic New York City Councilwoman representing the 29th District of Queens, which includes Forest Hills, Rego Park, Kew Gardens and parts of Maspeth, Richmond Hill and Elmhurst.

From 2002–2009, she served as Deputy Borough President in the administration of Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. As Deputy she presided over a county of 2.2 million people in the most diverse area of the United States. Among her main responsibilities were to oversee Constituent Services and the borough’s 14 Community Boards.

Koslowitz began her career in the private sector at Fischbach and Moore, Inc., electrical contractors. She entered the world of public service as a Legislative Aide for Congressman Gary Ackerman and subsequently for Council member Arthur Katzman. She then became the full-time Special Assistant and Queens Ombudsman to City Council President Andrew Stein.

Koslowitz was elected to the New York City Council, serving the 29th Councilmanic District in Queens. The district includes Forest Hills, Rego Park, Maspeth, Kew Gardens, and Richmond Hill. She held this position starting in 1991 when she succeeded Arthur Katzman in a special election. Council member Koslowitz sat on the Aging, Civil Service & Labor and General Welfare Committees of the City Council. She was Chair of the Committee on Consumer Affairs.

Koslowitz pursued the closure of an all-nude club in a residential area, and she introduced legislation to ensure that this type of club may not open in similar neighborhoods. She successfully opposed a sludge plant opening in Maspeth. She was actively involved with the local Chamber of Commerce and other civic associations to help maintain a graffiti-free, clean, and safe shopping environment for local residents.

Some of the major legislation that Karen sponsored as a Council member included: Senior citizen tax relief (by increasing the income eligibility standard),Full and free access to reproductive health care facilities for women, a one-year ban on adult entertainment establishments opening in New York City, streamlining the bureaucratic red tape involved in locating and retrieving a towed vehicle.

Karen was raised in the Bronx and is a graduate of the city’s public education system. She has two daughters who were raised in Queens and attended public school in District 29. Her daughter Heidi is a graduate of C.W. Post and currently works in the Queens Court system. Her daughter Marcia is a Stonybrook College graduate and is the mother of three children.