Making a Difference

Meet Lynn Spivey, Administrative Staff Analyst in the Heating Management Services Department

Lynn Spivey is often mentioned and quoted in articles, not just as a long-time NYCHA employee but also for her involvement in various employee initiatives: she is an Administrative Staff Analyst in the Heating Management Services Department (HMSD) and the President of  NYCHA’s branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

“When I started working at NYCHA, I found out about the NAACP branch,” said Ms. Spivey. “I joined the association as the secretary of the branch. I developed relationships in different organizations, then I ran for president and became the president of the NAACP NYCHA branch in 2010.”

Joining NYCHA in 1996 as a Housing Assistant, Ms. Spivey came to the Authority at a time when it was transitioning from physical to computerized rent collection. A SUNY graduate with a specialization in accounting, Ms. Spivey helped with the process and has since worked in various NYCHA departments and programs over the last 26 years, serving as an Administrative Staff Analyst in HMSD for the past decade.

“As a graduate of the Master of Public Administration program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, a rewarding part of my current job is being part of the interviewing process and seeing people getting employment opportunities,” Ms. Spivey noted.  

Throughout her NYCHA career, Ms. Spivey has served in a range of capacities. She especially enjoyed working with residents and developing relationships in the community while overseeing summer and community programs – this allowed her to help address community issues through her budgeting skills, education, and love for people.    

“I’m active both in the agency and in my community,” Ms. Spivey explained. “I grew up in NYCHA’s Monterey Houses in the Bronx. My mother worked all day, and I spent a lot of time at the community center benefiting from the programs that the Authority provided. I ran track and played volleyball and took part in competitions. We traveled across the country participating at track and field events – and that was all through our community center. I wanted to give back because I had the chance to be exposed to opportunities. It’s very important for the kids to experience exposure. If you want them to do well, you should put them in a positive environment and give them that exposure and they will do wonders.”

Outside of her day job, Ms. Spivey advocates for social and criminal justice, healthcare, education, climate solutions, economic development, racial equity, and youth: “Our voice matters, and together we can make a difference. I believe in the ‘each one teach one’ principle. As a former resident of NYCHA and current employee, it really made an impact on my life. I’d say to every employee: we are in this together, we all have the capacity to give back to others.”