LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Fran York upon the occasion of her
retirement after 23 years of distinguished service to Good Shepherd
Services

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body seeks to acknowledge those individuals
whose professional lives and civic endeavors serve to enhance the stat-
ure of the State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Fran
York upon the occasion of her retirement after 23 years of distinguished
service to Good Shepherd Services, to be celebrated on Tuesday, June 21,
2011, at the Good Shepherd Services Building, New York, New York; and
WHEREAS, Fran York received her master's degree in Social Work from
the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, and has over 40 years experience
working with and for youth; and
WHEREAS, Prior to coming to New York, Fran York initiated an alterna-
tive high school program in Boston for high-risk youth, co-directed a
community-based school, developed and facilitated a neighborhood youth
advocacy group, and worked with a group of friends to initiate and
develop a community services center in Dorchester; and
WHEREAS, After moving to Brooklyn in 1981, and spending seven years in
Emergency Health Care, Fran York joined Good Shepherd Services in 1988,
to oversee a short-term grant to address teen pregnancy and parenting
issues in Red Hook; she remained in this role, and oversaw several Good
Shepherd Services community initiatives until 2000, when she began to
co-lead the Development Department of Good Shepherd Services; and
WHEREAS, In 2001, based on an expertise and increase in the number and
variety of government contracts which she had helped to attract to fund
the quality services of the agency, Fran York was asked to develop a new
Government Contracts and Program Development Department, which she has
successfully led for the past 10 years; and
WHEREAS, Throughout her career with Good Shepherd Services, she has
remained committed to community engagement and empowerment, and facili-
tated or supported several ongoing efforts to address issues of youth
development, education, employment, juvenile justice, and civic engage-
ment; and
WHEREAS, Moreover, this remarkable woman has been an active partic-
ipant of several advisory councils, including those of the Chelsea Foyer
Transitional Housing Program, the planning teams of South Brooklyn, West
Brooklyn, and Bronx Community High Schools, as well as chairing the
Youth Services Committee of Brooklyn Community Board 6 for several
years; and
WHEREAS, In her official acts, Fran York was governed by a keen sense
of duty and always showed a unique grasp of human problems; and
WHEREAS, During her tenure with Good Shepherd Services, Fran York
earned the admiration, esteem and affection of her colleagues; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Fran York upon the occasion of her retirement after 23 years of
distinguished service to Good Shepherd Services; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Fran York.