About Assemblymember David Weprin

            Assembly Member David Weprin was elected to the Assembly in a Special Election on Tuesday, February 9, 2010.  David represents the same district represented by his father, the late Assembly Speaker Saul Weprin, for 23 years and his brother Mark Weprin, for over 15 years.  He represents Auburndale, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bellerose, Douglaston, Floral Park, Fresh Meadows, Glen Oaks, Hollis, Hollis Hills, Holliswood, Jamaica Estates, Little Neck,  New Hyde Park, and Queens Village.  David serves on the Assembly Committees on Banks, Cities, Election Law, Government Employees, Insurance, and Judiciary, and the Puerto Rican/ Hispanic Task Force.

            Born in Queens on May 2, 1956 to Saul and Sylvia Weprin, David has lived in the Hollis-Jamaica area his entire life.   A graduate of Jamaica High School and SUNY at Albany, with a cum laude degree in Political Science, David earned a law degree from Hofstra University.

            In 1983, then Governor Mario Cuomo chose David to serve as the Deputy Superintendent of Banks and Secretary of the Banking Board for New York State. As part of his tenure through 1987, David was a watchdog of nearly $2 trillion, regulating more than 3,000 financial institutions and financial service firms in New York State, including international banking institutions, mortgage brokers, and mortgage bankers.  One of several accomplishments David  is proudest to have achieved on behalf of consumers as Deputy Superintendent was to reduce the number of days banking institutions may hold checks before clearing them, thereby reducing the interest they can earn on the backs of consumers and businesses. He delivered advice and counsel to the Banking Department on the formulation of banking standards. As part of the Board, he analyzed the condition of banks and exercised power to approve or disapprove the issuance of bank charters and licenses and the establishment of branch banks.

            In 2001, the people of the 23rd Council District in Queens elected David to the New York City Council. Within weeks of taking office David became Chairman of the Council’s Finance Committee.  Their choice to select a freshman Council Member to preside over the review and management of the City’s finances remains unprecedented and is a testament to his long-standing excellence in the field. 

            As Chair of the Council’s Finance Committee, David proved to be a tireless advocate for responsible public spending and partnered with the Mayor and citizen advocacy groups to strengthen fiscal responsibility throughout all five boroughs.  In 2008, Weprin was instrumental in locking away a total of $2.5 billion in surplus funds to ensure that future retirees continue to receive quality health care.  David led the charge with the Mayor to put more than one billion dollars back in the pockets of homeowners and co-op/condo owners in the form of annual $400 property tax rebates.  David also successfully opposed congestion pricing—he has called it an outer-borough tax.  David did not seek re-election to the Council in 2009; instead he ran for the City Comptroller position won by John Liu.

            In the private sector, David occupied a variety of leadership positions at with major financial services firm from 1987 until his election to the Council.  He was elected by his peers to serve as Chairman of the Securities Industry Association, for the New York District, for three years.

            David's organizational affiliations include or have included Northeast Queens Jewish Community Council, Queens Jewish Community Council, Transitional Services for NY, National Conference of Community & Justice, Respect for Law Alliance, National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education, Greater Jamaica Development Corp., Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, American Jewish Congress, Holliswood Civic Association, Economic Education Foundation of the Securities Industry Association and the Brandeis Association.

            Since 1994, he has served as a Democratic District Leader and Executive Member of the Saul Weprin Democratic Club, named after his late father, the NYS Assembly Speaker. 

            David lives with his wife Ronni in Holliswood. They are the proud parents of five children.