The movers behind the shakers:Part 3 - Joshua Rivera

Originally, Rivera didn't intend to enter politics. He was a Classical English Literature major who planned to go on to law school. Then, he found out about the possibility of doing an internship with the State Assembly. "I thought a semester in government would be interesting," he said. "I'd get to learn how the process works, and it would be useful when I went to law school."

But he took such a natural liking to it that he put off law school, becoming, instead, Director of Operations to another elected official on Staten Island. Then, in 2000 Rivera decided to take a couple of years away from politics to figure out once and for all what he really wanted to do. He ultimately made the decision to come back in, but during that time, something else very important happened to him as well. On May 15, 2001, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Joshua Rivera has been very public about having this condition because he wants people to know that it's a challenge that can be surmounted. "I tell those who know nothing about MS in order to educate them," he explained. "For those who know somebody who has it, I want them to know it is not the end. People will tell me, 'A friend of mine was just diagnosed and they're having a really tough time with it.' I say, 'Here's my number. Have them call me.'"

He continued, "Do I have my moments? Absolutely. There are days when I don't come in to work because I just can't do it. But those days are very rare, and I'm lucky to have a boss who is extremely understanding. Leroy Comrie is a very caring man. On those very infrequent days when I need to stay home, he always has the time to call me up and ask, 'How are you; do you need anything?' You don't have to worry that he's going to be upset."

And when you see how much Joshua Rivera does on his job, it's obvious that MS hasn't slowed him down much.

Stated Comrie: "Josh is a great support to me. I depend on him to keep me abreast of everything that's going on in and around City Hall. He helps me develop legislation. I sit on very important committees, many of which are some of the busiest in the Council. Josh maintains my legislative agenda and monitors the progress of all the different legislative items for me. He's also very good at interacting with the people who contact my office, making requests to meet with me to discuss citywide programs or problems. And he's very active with my union outreach, working with them and letting them know my positions."

As to whether he'll ever seek office himself, Rivera says, "I've never had aspirations to run. I really enjoy being the guy behind the guy." He likes working alongside Comrie and also interacting on his behalf with people and organizations when the Councilmember is too busy.

Rivera also relishes the council meetings when, "You go and every major lobbyist in the city is there, along with all the council members and the press. Those are the days I love - that buzz going on. You walk into the area and start walking up the City Hall steps and this person is grabbing you, or you see someone out of the corner of your eye and remember, "Oh, I'm supposed to speak to him about something," or Comrie says, "When you get a chance to speak to that person over there, he can do this, that and the other thing. It's nice!"

He also has great satisfaction being able to assist people in the district with their problems. "It's great to know I can put a smile on someone's face or make them a little more comfortable in their situation," he explains.

Another thing Rivera, who is 30, finds very gratifying is speaking to young Latinos about how he got to where he is and how they can get to where they hope to go. He's been working with the Somos Conference, which has started an intern program for students at CUNY doing mock senate sessions. Rivera commented, "It is a great experience to be in front of a sea of young Hispanic men and women interested in government, trying to bring them knowledge they're not going to get in a book, information I gained from actually doing it."

One of the core supports in Joshua Rivera's life is his girlfriend, Andrea Cruz, who is a student and advisor at Kingsborough Community College. "She is 100% on my side," he stated. "She is very understanding about the time commitment this job demands, and has learned to live with the sudden changes in our plans in the limited time we may have together. She does on occasion get upset because I tend to overdo it, but that's just her concern and fear that I will wear myself down. She is wonderful."

Sounds like they’re both pretty wonderful and deserve each other, don't you think?