Monticello, NY – Addressing a lingering vacancy, Sullivan County on March 1 welcomed Wurtsboro resident Adrienne Jensen as the executive director of its Human Rights Commission.
“Upon meeting Adrienne, I was immediately impressed, and I think the residents of Sullivan County will be too,” acknowledged Julie Diescher, Commissioner of the Division of Human Resources, which oversees Jensen’s position. “Her skill set includes the ability to communicate in a variety of languages, including sign language, Norwegian, French and Spanish. She is a sympathetic and open-hearted listener; and she is very much interested in working with the community to achieve fair and just outcomes in every situation.”
Having attended the University of California with a concentration in law, Jensen is scheduled to complete her degree in Public Advocacy and Communication in May 2021. Jensen’s professional experience includes conducting investigations and conflict resolution.
“I moved here about 2 ½ years ago from New Jersey by way of New York,” Jensen shared. “I like to mountain bike and rock climb, and this is an absolutely gorgeous area.”
Jensen soon became involved in the Bloomingburg Restoration Foundation, which runs a cultural and historical museum in the Village of Bloomingburg. She is currently Programs Director with the nonprofit.
“It is really important to me to involve myself in my neighborhood,” she explained. “I’ve lived in many different neighborhoods, and ultimately it is circumstances and the environment which separate us from each other. Yet when you take the time to engage on the most basic level – sharing food, helping one another in bad weather, celebrating a birth or mourning a death – you realize there is so very little that separates us.”
“It’s vital to me to help people bridge that gap, to see our similarities.”
Jensen began her tenure with the County at the beginning of this month and has already started reaching out, eager to let the community know the office is once again staffed, after a lengthy rewriting of the County’s Human Rights Law (extended even further by the impacts of COVID-19). She also intends to conduct outreach and develop programming to further connect and educate the community.
“I want to be available to hear the public, to provide a space where people feel comfortable to come and share their concerns, their criticisms, their ideas,” she said. “I’m also here to take human rights complaints. It’s vital people have a place to come and talk through an issue, whether or not they’re certain it’s a violation.”
Jensen maintains office hours on the second level of the Government Center, 100 North Street, Monticello, from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. She can also be reached at 845-807-0189 and Adrienne.jensen@sullivanny.us.
The Legislature soon plans to appoint a nine-member advisory board to work with Jensen. The members will be volunteer, with one chosen by each legislator.
“I want to find out how this office can be of service and how we can connect people in a more effective way,” affirmed Jensen. “There is a lot of listening that needs to happen first.”