Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz announced today the nomination of Shirley Ann McRae of Fort Greene as the City Planning Commissioner representing Brooklyn.

“Shirley richly earned this nomination for her years of tireless dedication to Community Board 2, her involvement with grassroots issues, and her love of Brooklyn. The City Planning Commission will be fortunate to have such a strong advocate representing the best interests of Brooklynites and all New Yorkers on planning and land use matters as we turn our dreams for the future of Brooklyn into a reality,” said Borough President Markowitz.

“I am honored to be chosen to represent Brooklyn on the City Planning Commission,” said McRae. “I look forward to working with the Brooklyn community as we move forward in planning the Brooklyn of tomorrow and making it an even greater place to live and visit.”

BP Markowitz has formally submitted McRae’s name in a letter to the City Council, beginning the review and approval process.

For the last five years, McRae has served as Chair of Community Board 2, of which she has been an active member since 1996. During her tenure, she has sat on various board committees, was the Chair of the Open Space Subcommittee, and held the position of First Vice Chair for three years.

In addition, McRae has been a member of the executive board of directors of the Atlantic Center Homeowners’ Association since its inception, and served as the board’s president for the last seven years. She is a member of the Central Fulton Street Business Improvement District Steering Committee, the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, and the board of directors of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Coalition.

From 1979 to 2002, McRae worked for MTA New York City Transit as Senior Director of Employee Programs and Registrations within the Employee Development Unit of the Office of Human Resources. Prior to that, she was a Police Administrative Aide with the New York City Police Department.

McRae graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from Nyack College, and received Advanced Certificates in Labor Relations from Cornell University’s New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

She has two grown children: a daughter, Dr. Alexis N. McRae, and a son, Jason C. McRae.

The City Planning Commission is the body responsible for the review and approval of all land use matters in New York City, including zoning map and text amendments, the mapping of parks and streets, the designation of urban renewal areas, the disposition of property by the City and the selection of locations for City facilities. The Commission has thirteen members—seven who are appointed by the Mayor, one by each of the five Borough Presidents and one by the Public Advocate.