New school named for community leader

The school being built at 6740 Third Ave. will be named in honor of civic and political leader Joanne Seminara, who died in December 2022 at age 66.

P.S. 413, the Joanne Seminara School of Law & Medicine, will open this fall.

“Ms. Seminara was the kind of dedicated leader whose contributions to her community and our schools have left a lasting impact,” a Dept. of Education spokesperson said. “It is an honor to help cement her legacy by naming the new P.S. 413 in her honor.”

Seminara, a lifelong Bay Ridge resident, served on Community Board 10 for 26 years and was its chairperson from 2010 to 2013.

She was also the Democratic leader of the 64th Assembly District; a three-time City Council candidate; a partner in the Grimaldi Yeung Law Group; and co-author, with Judith Grimaldi and Pierre Lehu, of “5@55 – 5 Essential Legal Documents You Need by Age 55.”

Her mother Anita Seminara was a math teacher at McKinley J.H.S. for many years.