A senior staff attorney at BETA Abstract, Marc Rovner is a native of East Rockaway, New York. Aside from work as an attorney, Marc Rovner supports a number of community organizations. Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, he joined with hundreds of other New Yorkers to help in reconstruction efforts through a program called New York Rising.
A community reconstruction program designed to provide rebuilding and revitalization aid, New York Rising was developed to help 124 different communities recover from Hurricane Sandy. In conjunction with state officials, local planning committees comprised of residents, business owners, and civic leaders developed reconstruction plans for their communities.
The governor’s office of the State of New York allotted $700 million of federal funds to these projects. The program was unique in that it directly engaged local community residents in the planning and implementation of the redevelopment plans. The funds were distributed over an area covering 6,500 square miles and influenced 2.7 million New Yorkers.
In addition, the New York Rising program offered an opportunity for additional funds for communities through its New York Rising to the Top Competition. Communities that excelled in their use of technology, approach to resilient economic growth, and incorporation of green infrastructure to bolster resilience were awarded an additional $8 million to fund their projects.
