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Pat Simon Way

Patricia “Pat” Simon (d. 2024) was a trailblazer and visionary leader dedicated to the wellbeing of historically underserved communities in New York City. Simon received a Master’s degree from Harvard University’s Urban, Community, and Regional Planning program. The street co-named in her honor is located in the Rockaways, where she made a lasting impact on the community through her advocacy in the area. Pat Simon served as Executive Director of the Ocean Bay Community Development Corporation (OBCDC) beginning in 2004. Pat had previously served as the Director of the Abyssinian Development Corporation's Community Vision Project in Harlem, a groundbreaking initiative funded by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, and took this experience into her work with OBCDC.

At OBCDC, Simon secured federal funding, established the Older Adult Center in 2022, and joined the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program at Ocean Bay (Bayside) Apartments. She moved the organization to a direct service model to better serve the Rockaways community, particularly NYCHA residents and seniors. This model provided programming and support to address housing and food insecurity, health care, and senior care. Pat Simon was dedicated to empowerment and improvement of living conditions for all people she worked with and served.

Sources:

"Committee Report of the Infrastructure Division," The Council of the City of New York, December 19, 2024.

Kerry Murtha, "Wavemakers: Patricia "Pat" Simon: Requiem For a Far Rockaway Trailblazer," The Wave, January 3, 2025.

John Schilling, "Pat Simon Honored in Street Co-Naming Ceremony," The Wave, June 27, 2025.

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