GEORGETTA GITTENS Obituary

GITTENS--Georgetta. Georgetta Hannah Gittens has worked tirelessly to protect the rights of state employees, women and minorities for over 18 years. During her tenure as an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Specialist and Affirmative Action Officer at the Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York (SUNY), she was a staunch advocate for diversity in the workplace and equality of opportunity for all. Gittens' career includes co-chairing the SUNY Affirmative Action Council representing EEO Specialists on all 64 SUNY campuses. In addition to her professional life, Gittens has always been a passionate volunteer. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association of Hunter College and many of its committees. She is a former president of the Wistarians Chapter, chaired its 40th and 50th anniversary celebrations and chaired the Wistarians' Black Scholars Committee, an endowed lecture series aimed at developing a broadened perspective of the world of Black scholarship. A lifelong member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Gittens served on their executive board and co- chaired the education committee of the mid-Manhattan branch. She currently sits on the executive board of the Ansonia Independent Democrats, a political club of the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and is a delegate to the New York County Judicial Convention which selects supreme court judges. Former Manhattan Borough President, C. Virginia Fields, appointed Gittens to Manhattan Community Board #7 for eight consecutive years. She has served on four committees and represented Community Board #7 on the New York Civil Liberties Union Community Board Coalition Against Police Brutality. Gittens' lifelong advocacy to ensure equality for all has earned her recognition and awards from the SUNY Affirmative Action Council, the Ansonia Independent Democrats and the NAACP. In September 2011, Gittens became the Female District Leader for the 67th New York State Assembly District, Part A, lotated primarily on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This was an elected position. Since Gittens ran unopposed, she was elected without having to enter a September 2011 Primary contest.