Gretchen Robinson is an experienced and well-versed lawyer working as the Vice President and General Council at Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation. She has achieved over a decade of oral and trial advocacy experience and is also admitted to practice in NY.
She spent her childhood in Washington, DC, and attended the American University Washington College of Law, graduating with a Juris Doctor Degree. She also acquired a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Anthropology and French from the University of Virginia.
She began her law career in the office of Queen’s District Attorney. While there, she became the Assistant DA, prosecuting felonies. She later joined the Appeal Bureau, drafting motions, briefs, and other legal documents.
Gretchen Robinson later transitioned and joined the Civilian Complainant Review Board. In 2015, she started working for the State of New York, getting a position as the Compliance and Internal Controls Officer at RIOC.
New York State created Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation to help improve and maintain the island’s buildings, monuments, and roads. These efforts are mainly to restore the island’s beauty and attract more people from the island and outside to its urban core. They also implement projects that help improve people’s lives.
Since she started working at RIOC, Gretchen Robinson has been involved with numerous successful projects. She says that the key to the projects’ success is brainstorming, collaboration, and teamwork.
As a team leader, she encourages her team members to submit their ideas and never be afraid to admit they are stuck or don’t know the answer. She says open communication goes a long way in creating unity and trust, encouraging more creativity.
She adds that having a to-do list has helped her know what she can do and what to delegate to her team. That helps her focus on things and makes it easier to meet deadlines.
In 2020, Gretchen Robinson and her team opened a learning lab at Sportspark on Roosevelt Island. The learning lab offered free enrichment activities and academic support, helping to improve the residents’ quality of life.
In 2021, they created a monument to celebrate Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman’s 100th anniversary. In 2022, they played a massive role in creating Roosevelt Island Public Purpose Fund, awarding grants worth $150,000 t 13 non-profit organizations.