Council Member Letitia "Tish" James was born in Brooklyn and has lived in Brooklyn all of her, minus her law school career where she lived in DC.  As Counsel and Chief of Staff to state assembly members, she saw, up close, that government could be made to work in the publics interest.  James is a chair of the Contracts Committee, the Infrastructure Task Force, and the Film Diversity Task Force.  As Chair of the Contracts Committee, James oversees issues relating to the City’s Procurement Policy Board, review of City procurement policies and procedures, and oversight over government contracts. James founded the Urban Network, a coalition of minority professional organizations that raises money and distributes college scholarships to inner city youth.  She attended New York City public schools and CUNY's Lehman College prior to Howard University Law School.  She is completing her Master's in Public Administration at Columbia University's Graduate School of International and Public Affairs. Letitia James is truly a face of Brooklyn.