In a silent personnel move, RIOC president/CEO Shelton J. Haynes promoted executive assistant Aida Morales to an agency first ever chief of staff. As we reported earlier, he previously awarded her a free, privileged space in the New York State Shelton J. Haynes Parking Area.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
New Space for Aida Morales
Morales is a well-liked three-year employee at RIOC, but Haynes’s communications team failed to provide any announcement, a rationale for a new management position or an explanation of why Morales was best qualified. See her LinkedIn profile.
Although residents are accessed for the costs of most RIOC operations, the Haynes administration does not recognize any need for communicating with the community. In increasing secrecy, he enjoys the support of Governor Kathy Hochul, much as he did under Andrew Cuomo.
In his short tenure, Haynes set new standards at RIOC for secrecy, rewarding friends and gathering perks for himself. He has also taken exclusive office space for himself and a gained security detail no other RIOC leader ever saw necessary.
Along with the recent, also unexplained, promotion of Tajuna Sharpe, the Aida Morales promotion fits with the description offered by a RIOC staffer.
“It’s all part of Shelton’s bid to build a Wakanda for himself with a praetorian guard of females covering for him. That’s not speculation. Just look at who he’s surrounded himself with. It’s not exactly a diverse crowd.”
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A Different Kind of Bet
For years, Roosevelt Island did not behave like a system constrained by limits. Internally, the budget was often treated less as a boundary and more as a reservoir to be used.
To the author of this article: That Wakanda statement is racist. I now understand your energy.
Sorry. It isn’t. You can’t just point your finger at something you don’t like and call it racist. Wakanda is a perfectly legitimate concept that you are twisting for your own racial purposes. It has nothing to do with anyone’s “energy.” That’s just simpleminded bigotry.
FYI. We don’t allow race-baiting here. Do it again, and you will be permanently banned. Thanks.