40 PUBLISHER’S SECTION
July 18, 2022
Schick advocates for the union’s priorities in Albany and beyond. JOSH SCHICK CENTRAL REGION POLITICAL COORDINATOR
CSEA Having family members who were hardworking public servants and members of CSEA imbued Josh Schick with a strong respect for public service – and drives him today as a political action coordinator with the union. “That’s the most rewarding part of it all, bringing that all to the surface, having the public understand the hard work that’s done on their behalf and what their tax dollars actually go to,” he says. “It’s not just the politicians in Albany. It’s the hardworking public employees who clean the streets, repair the roads and bridges.” Schick advocates for the union’s priorities in Albany as well as in local governments across New York. One priority was pushing forward pen-
JOSH ROSENFELD ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Kivvit Josh Rosenfeld always knew that he wanted to work in a profession where he could make a real difference. His love for talking, and his passion for progressive causes made working in media relations a natural fit for him. “This arena, it gave me the opportunity to do what I love and then do what I do best,” he says, “talking about issues that I’m really passionate about, messaging those and ensuring that they’re reaching the proper audiences.” After attending graduate school and studying public affairs, Rosenfeld joined Kivvit in 2015 as a trainee. He then spent several years in the Cuomo administration as a spokesperRUSS ROWLAND; MARK KOTZIN
sion reform in the past budget cycle. In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, he called on the federal government to provide state and local government funding to make up for losses in tax revenue and to preserve public employees’ jobs. After the Biden administration included that aid in the American Rescue Plan, Schick worked on smaller-scale campaigns to ensure local governments in New York used those funds to bolster public services. Schick is proud of holding municipal leaders accountable. “It’s a rewarding experience when you can have CSEA members stand up and say, ‘Whoa, we’re going to put the brakes on this thing,’” he says. “We’re going to tell you what we think about this, and we’re going to tell the community what the impact or the loss of the service could be.” – K.D.
son, including as the governor’s deputy press secretary, before returning to the firm in 2019, this time as a principal. “It was cool to work in the governmental sector and then come back to a firm like Kivvit. … That knowledge base is invaluable,” he says. Rosenfeld has been especially proud of the work he’s done handling campaigns on behalf of clients focused on criminal justice reform and disability advocacy. For the latter, Rosenfeld was glad to have supported efforts to secure a cost-of-living adjustment for direct support professionals in the state budget, a major priority for disability advocates. “Every day there’s something different,” he says. “When you’re working with clients and you don’t have one general area of specialty, you have that ability every day to dig into a new issue and become an expert in that issue.” – K.D.
