STAR OF BROOKLYN: Scott Klein

Personal: A resident of Bay Ridge for the past seven years, Scott Klein — a Bayside, Queens native — began his involvement with the community in 2007 when he joined Community Board 10.

A Brooklyn resident since 1983, having lived in both Park Slope and Prospect Heights, Klein considers Brooklyn his ‘adoptive home’ and harbors very strong feelings about the borough.

Brooklyn is so diverse and has a great sense of history,” he avers.

Community involvement — Klein contends that people live in the neighborhoods of Brooklyn because they have ‘character.’

Having always been involved in Democratic politics, Klein got involved with the community board when he moved to Bay Ridge, calling it a natural progression leading to his eventual application being sent to City Councilmember Vincent Gentile.

“The great thing about Community Board 10 is there are really so many people who give up their time for free who really care about the neighborhoods we represent,” said Klein.

Inspiration: The two chairs that I have worked with, Dean Rasinya and Joanne Seminara have both been very dynamic, caring members of the community,” said Klein, “and I have really learned a lot from each of them.

Klein was also inspired by the passage of legislation legalizing same sex marriage in New York State last year, noting, I feel very proud to live in a state that where anyone who wants to be in acommittedrelationship can make that commitment.

Career and Education: Klein attended Hamilton College, focusing on American Studies, then went on to get his Masters from The New School studying Urban Policy.

Klein is a real estate broker in Brooklyn, covering neighborhoods such as Park Slope, Fort Greene and Windsor Terrace. I’m proud to live in Bay Ridge,” he remarked, “but have lived in other nice neighborhoods and I use that expertise to help people in a variety of neighborhoods in Brooklyn.

Other involvement: Klein is also the president of the co-op board in the building in which he lives, focusing not only on making his co-op a better place to reside but specifically working on issues related to parks such as Owls Head.

Klein says he likes to know neighbors can use the park and not be disturbed, and vice versa.