Problem solver and Community Advocate

Problem solver and Community Advocate

Guyanese-born, former Deputy Brooklyn Borough President Sandra Chapman has nearly three decades of experience as a manager, problem solver and advocate in the public sector with special emphasis on streamlining services between a busy city agency and its residents.

As chief program officer for new Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Chapman is responsible for planning and directing programs and initiatives that serve Brooklyn’s diverse communities and enhance the quality of life for all residents.

Along with fostering relationships between the Borough President’s Office and appropriate agencies and organizations, Chapman keeps the borough president apprised of developing or ongoing incidents throughout Brooklyn and works with him to resolve issues that affect our communities.

As the chief advocate in constituent services, Chapman is uniquely qualified to assess our residents’ needs and to help them navigate the often complex workings of various city agencies, from housing issues to transportation concerns and everything in between.

Prior to her appointment as Deputy Brooklyn Borough President, under former President Marty Markowitz, Chapman served as director of the Community Service Center.

Long dedicated to serving others, Chapman built a team committed to helping residents struggling to access city services. She continues to supervise the Center.

Her far-reaching experience with the Office of the Borough President also included four years as a senior planner, during which time her understanding of land use, real estate and the disposition of city properties was an indispensable asset to both the office and residents at large.

“City-owned Properties: A Post Conveyance Assessment,” the report Chapman researched and wrote, detailed vacant properties sold through the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Residential Auction Program.

She led a successful effort to save 112 community gardens from being auctioned off and destroyed. She also serves as the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer of the agency.

Chapman served in HPD for more than a decade, directing the sales of city-owned properties and overseeing programs and management reports.

Chapman migrated with her family to the United States from Guyana in 1977 after graduating from St. Josephs High School.

She received a master’s degree with distinction in Public Administration from Long Island University.

The recipient of various community and public service awards, Chapman lives in Brooklyn’s Canarsie neighborhood and is married with two children.