Phil Reed

Phil Reed (February 21, 1949 – November 6, 2008) was a New York City Council Member from 1998 to 2005, when term limits forced him out of office. He represented the 8th district, encompassing Manhattan neighborhoods of East Harlem and Manhattan Valley, and a portion of the South Bronx, as well as Randall's Island, Wards Island and Central Park. He was the first openly gay African-American New York City Council Member. In 2003, Reed completed Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government as a David Bohnett LGBTQ Victory Institute] Leadership Fellow.

Reed had earlier run and lost bids for the New York State Senate and the City Council. He won the 1997 general election with 75% of the vote, outpacing four challengers led by Republican George L. Espada who had 18% of the vote.

While in office, Reed gained attention for his work to prevent childhood asthma, a serious problem in his district. He also concentrated on measures to increase affordable housing and refurbish neighborhood parks. Reed vigorously opposed Mayor Rudy Giuliani's plan to relocate the Museum of the City of New York from its location in East Harlem to the Tweed Courthouse in downtown Manhattan. Mayor Michael Bloomberg ultimately scrapped this plan, moving the New York City Department of Education to the Tweed Courthouse instead.

Reed lived on the Upper West Side and died at age 59 on November 6, 2008, of complications of pneumonia that resulted from leukemia.