Remembering Joyce Pilsner

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Joyce Pilsner was a giant. 

What she lacked in physical stature she made up in energy, intellect and compassion that gave her influence far beyond her role as executive director of the Riverdale Mental Health Association (RMHA.)

In recent years, Ms. Pilsner, who died on April 15 at the age of 91, was not so much in the public eye, having relinquished her post at RMHA and her long-held seat on Community Board (CB) 8. But no one who worked with her could forget her kindly, yet steely demeanor as she tackled issues facing Riverdale and Kingsbridge.

She was instrumental in the creation of the now-defunct Riverdale Community Council, an organization of all the major organizations in the area that helped to coordinate their efforts in fundraising and community service and recognized the contributions of local “Man and Woman of the Year” volunteers.

“She was my mentor when I first came to Riverdale,” recalls Carla Precht, former executive director of Riverdale Neighborhood House. “We agency heads would all say ‘Let’s run it by Joyce’ whenever something controversial would come up.

Ms. Pilsner was the doyenne of community organizations in Riverdale. She gave treasured advice on everything from grant writing to community outreach. Many current heads of organizations like the Riverdale Y and Riverdale Senior Services benefitted from her wisdom.

During her time at the mental health agency, she expanded its vision and set benchmarks for other organizations throughout the city. Thanks to her, RMHA met its funding needs — a perennial challenge for non-profits — and entered new, sometimes contentious, areas such as preventive care. 

Some in the community adopted a “not in my backyard” stance when she proposed a group home for residents dealing with mental problems, but the home’s track record has proved the doubters wrong. 

It is fitting that RMHA named its “parachute” site providing temporary housing to people in need after its longtime executive director.

Ms. Pilsner also played a vital role at CB 8. One of her most far-reaching accomplishments was helping to shepherd the community’s rezoning effort — known as the 197a plan — through the maze of city agencies. The plan strove to guarantee that areas as diverse as Kingsbridge Heights and the Estate Area would be spared the depredations of overdevelopment. 

Above all, Ms. Pilsner was a special, big-hearted person. If you called her from out of the blue, you could be sure that she would take the time to listen to you. If you had a special project in mind, she would helpfully weigh in. And if you lived in this community — or beyond — she’d be your advocate.

Read our obituary of Ms. Pilsner here.

Joyce Pilsner, RMHA, CB 8, Riverdale Neighborhood House, Riverdale Senior Services

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