Community Board 8’s district manager resigns

Community Board (CB) 8’s District Manager Nicole Stent is stepping down from her position.

Her decision came amid recent resignations from two regular board members.

“Working for Community Board 8 has been a wonderful experience that has afforded me valuable opportunities to learn and grow, and I am very grateful to have been part of this organization,” Ms. Stent said in a Jan. 8 CB 8 statement announcing her resignation. She declined to comment for this article.

Ms. Stent’s next job will be deputy director of Empire State Development’s Division of Minority and Women’s Business Development.

She became district manager in September 2007. District managers work closely with the board’s chair and other members to organize and execute the body’s wide-ranging activities. 

Prior to becoming district manager, Ms. Stent was a board member for six years, according to CB 8’s statement. It added she has lived in Riverdale for more than 50 years. 

Members credited her with improving CB 8’s outreach and signing up hundreds of people for the body’s newsletter, which has been discontinued.

“That’s what would distinguish her, the fact she’s been a member of the board for a while and a longstanding member of the community,” CB 8 Chairman Dan Padernacht said in a phone interview. “It seems like it’s a really good opportunity and I’m happy for her and I wish her well in the next job.”

Mr. Padernacht said he is assembling a slate of five people to find and recommend a successor to Ms. Stent, who the full board will then vote on.

“We want somebody who is obviously familiar with our community, that’s approachable, that’s hardworking, intelligent and interacts well with other members of the community,” he said.

Resignations by Ms. Stent and board member Xaxia Sanchez, who made her decision earlier this month, come as the board heatedly debates its own diversity. Ms. Stent is African American and Ms. Sanchez is Latina. 

Asked whether he thought race had anything to do with their resignations, Mr. Padernacht said no.

When asked whether diversity will be a consideration in the search for a new district manager, he said, “Diversity is one factor, but it’s not the only factor.”

Ms. Sanchez did not answer phone messages requesting comment for this article.

New jobs

Mr. Padernacht said she had told him she was stepping down because a new job made her unable to commit time to her CB 8 duties.

“I have known Xaxia a number of years since she’s been on the board,” he recalled. “She’s a good person. She and I used to talk a lot about the Kingsbridge area, since we’re both from there, and different ways we could improve the community and help the residents of the area.”

In September, another board member, Brendan Contant, resigned, too.

Mr. Contant, who was president of the Fieldston Property Owners Association until recently, said in an e-mail that a new job was the reason for his move. Mr. Padernacht said Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. will appoint replacements for Mr. Contant and Ms. Sanchez.

Mr. Contant was chairman of the board’s Budget Committee. Mr. Padernacht said CB 8 elected Mercedes Zegarra-Soja as his replacement.

While new jobs were cited as the reasons for Ms. Stent and the two board members’ resignations, some other members wondered if ongoing fighting at CB 8 was also a factor. 

The board has seen heated disagreements over diversity and other issues since the June vote for a new chair, which saw Maria Khury claim she lost to Mr. Padernacht due to racism among some members of the board.

“People feel alienated by the conflicts,” said a board member who did not want a name printed. “Some people really thrive in conflict and other people don’t see that as civic service… People feel dispirited and alienated.”

Regarding conflict, Mr. Padernacht said he has tried to let members know they can reach out to him with concerns at any time.

“I have to be mindful of all of the members,” he said. “Part of my job is to create an environment where all members feel included and feel like they can speak about issues that are important to them.”

Ms. Stent’s resignation is effective starting Friday, Jan. 16, according to the CB 8 statement.