Alec Brook-Krasny

Alec Brook-Krasny immigrated to the United States from the former Soviet Union in 1989. By 1996 he was a successful New York City business owner, transforming a dusty old warehouse into "Fun-O-Rama," a 14,000-square-foot cultural, educational and entertainment community center in Brooklyn. In 1997, Brook-Krasny was honored as "Entertainment Entrepreneur of the Year" by the nationwide magazine Leisure and Entertainment Management. The same year he received a New York City Council proclamation for business achievements and community dedication. In 2000, Brook-Krasny became the first Russian-speaking American to run for political office. He ran for the New York State Assembly and set a city record for the most write-in votes. In 2001, Brook-Krasny ran for the New York City Council and received The New York Times’ endorsement. In October 2001, Brook-Krasny became the founding Executive Director of The Council of Jewish Émigré Community Organizations (COJECO), a central coordinating body for 42 community-based, Russian-speaking émigré organizations in New York. During Brook-Krasny’s tenure, COJECO provided a range of services to member organizations and hundreds of Jewish émigrés. Some of the services included 9/11 case finding, grant writing assistance, management and reporting, advocacy on behalf of the community, coordination of program activities for member organizations, and assistance in community/city government relations. In 2005, COJECO was listed in Slingshot 05 as one of the 50 most innovative Jewish organizations in North America. Brook-Krasny holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and engineering from Moscow Technological Institute. He also graduated from the Institute for Not-for-Profit Management at Columbia University Graduate School of Business.