Westchester County officials Wednesday dedicated a community park at Kensico Dam Plaza in memory of former U.S. Rep. Nita M. Lowey, who represented parts of Westchester and Rockland counties for 32 years.
A plaque commemorating the Nita M. Lowey Community Green was unveiled at the 5-acre park in Valhalla. Local and state officials, along with former President Bill Clinton, attended the ceremony to honor Lowey and her career in public service.
“She was always accurate. She cared about the facts, and she wanted to be known as somebody who was making not just the best, but the most honest case for her constituents,” Clinton said. Clinton now lives in Lowey’s former congressional district.
“I liked Nita Lowey because she did brilliant work, spent the
time to acquire knowledge and power, had a good time doing it. And then, whether she was lifting you up or running you over, she somehow made you feel that it was a good thing,” Clinton said.
Lowey represented Westchester, Rockland counties
Lowey, born in the Bronx in 1937, was elected to Congress in 1988 and began serving in January 1989. She represented parts of Westchester and Rockland counties, as well as portions of the Bronx and Queens, for 32 years before retiring in 2021.
During her congressional career, Lowey advocated for issues including women's health, children and families, education and environmental protections. She also served for 28 years on the House Appropriations Committee.
“ Nita Lowey dedicated her life to public service and to making life better for the people she represented. Her impact can be seen and felt throughout Westchester County, not only in the investments and initiatives she championed, but in the example she set as a leader of integrity, compassion and determination,” Westchester County official Ken Jenkins said.
“It is fitting that this beautiful public space at Kensico Dam Plaza now carries her name and will serve as a lasting reminder of an extraordinary public servant and an extraordinary Westchester resident,” Jenkins said.
Lowey made history in Congress
Lowey became the first woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee when she took the position in 2019. She served as chair through the end of the 116th Congress.
Lowey died March 15, 2025, at her home in Harrison at age 87 after battling metastatic breast cancer.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Nita Lowey honored with new 5-acre community park in Westchester
