Our sources tell us that Jessica Cerone, long a pillar in RIOC’s Communications Team, quietly stopped coming to work in late April. Paired with also disappeared Erica Spencer-EL, who held multiple management positions, Cerone played a critical role in successes like FIGMENT and The Girl Puzzle Opening.
by David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News

The passive exit of Cerone adds to a long list of RIOC managers leaving under President/CEO Shelton Haynes’s watch.
The unsettling trend started almost immediately when well-respected Public Information Officer Terrence McCauley lasted only a month with Haynes. It continued with established managers like Spencer-EL disappearing without a word and with new executives like Debra Kustka leaving after less than three months.
Cerone had been with RIOC for nearly 7 years, and her most recent position was Manager, Community Affairs, according to LinkedIn.
Note: Although both Cerone and Spencer-EL have left RIOC, the secrecy-shrouded state agency still lists them a primary media contacts on its website.
Help The Daily continue as your source for accurate local information.
also from the roosevelt island daily news
- Steadiness and Support Connecting Roosevelt Island and Queens CommunitiesExplore how steadiness and support connect Roosevelt Island and Queens communities during recent local incidents, summer programs, and shared acts of care.
- How Roosevelt Island Stays Connected to City Life Through Everyday RoutinesSee how the Roosevelt Island connection to city life is shaped by daily routines, transit changes, safety updates, and neighborhood events across the city.
- What This Week’s Events Reveal About New York City LifeExplore what this week’s events reveal about New York City life, from public health updates to moments of neighborly support and resilience.
- Roosevelt Island Fourth of July: Local Reflections on the 250th Independence DayDiscover how Roosevelt Island celebrated the Fourth of July for the nation’s 250th Independence Day, with local stories, citywide traditions, and reflections on neighbors and community.
- Roosevelt Island July Heatwave, Energy Projects, and Community HighlightsRoosevelt Island July heatwave, community stories, energy projects, and citywide celebrations all shape life on the island during early summer.
Stack Work Advances While Answers Do Not
On June 17 and 18, HPD told the first meeting of the Roosevelt Island Steam Plant Demolition Community Advisory Group that smokestack demolition had no projected start date. Residents and the CAG would receive at least five business days’ advance notice once a date was set. Scaffolding around the stacks could not proceed until soil removal and backfill were complete and the area stabilized.











1 COMMENTS