Donovan Richards Jr., a lifelong resident of Southeast Queens, was elected Borough President of Queens in November 2020.

As a child, he attended Jamaica High School and Redemption Christian Academy before studying at Nyack College. He later received a degree in Aviation Management from Vaughn College in East Elmhurst.

Following the killing of a close friend during his teenage years, he got involved in his community, holding numerous staff positions in the City Council. In 2013, he was elected to serve as the City Council Member for the 31st District, representing Southeast Queens and the eastern Rockaway Peninsula.

During his tenure as a City Council Member, he chaired multiple influential committees on public safety, environmental protection and zoning, resulting in historic citywide investments in affordable housing, police oversight, clean energy and infrastructure upgrades.

As Queens Borough President, he has been a tireless advocate for The World’s Borough, allocating more than $400 million in capital funding across Queens’ schools, cultural institutions, hospitals, libraries, parks and more. 

To better support the more than 1 million immigrants who call The World’s Borough home, he established the Immigrant Welcome Center at Queens Borough Hall in 2021, which has served thousands of individuals in need of immigration-related services.

In the wake of Hurricane Ida, the Borough President formed Operation Urban Sustainability, a working group of climate advocates and other leaders to inform his office’s response to climate change while continuing pushing to make Queens a more resilient borough.

To help rebuild the Queens economy following the COVID-19 pandemic, Borough President Richards created the Queens Small Business Grant program, secured a commitment from JetBlue to keep its headquarters in Queens, announced plans to establish a Global Tech & Innovation Center in Long Island City and continues to oversee the $20 billion redevelopment of Kennedy Airport, among countless other initiatives. 

The Borough President has also empowered numerous historically disadvantaged communities through efforts such as the Youth and Young Adult Council, Downtown Jamaica Improvement Council, the Queens Tech + Innovation Challenge and Borough Hall on Your Block.

Borough President Richards lives in Rosedale with his wife, Tameeka, and their son, Donovan III.