Who Really Runs RIOC?
The Broken System of Hiring, Promotions, and Accountability
Due to the cloudy structure of the power pyramid that governs Roosevelt Island, it would be difficult to find a single resident who could tell you who makes the rules, oversees the infrastructure, allocates the budget, and is responsible to the citizens. It would be difficult to find a single tax paying dweller who could tell you the name of the top person, the size of the budget, the way funds are allocated, and the accomplishments that have addressed crucial problems and made life safer and more pleasurable. If you wanted to know what major projects were in the works to maximize visitor revenue, renew underused areas and address structural problems, there would be no such document generated. If you wanted to see how the budget was allocated, how salaries were determined or how job performance was reviewed, no information or accountability would be produced.
Here are the facts we do know. The Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) is the most recognizable entity and most residents assume this corporation has all the responsibility and power for governing the island. This is not true.
At the core of RIOC’s dysfunction is the reality that it does not operate as an independent entity—it is ultimately controlled by New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), with RuthAnne Visnauskas at the helm. HCR holds the power to approve key appointments, shape policy decisions, and dictate the direction of the agency. While the Board is supposed to provide oversight, its authority is largely ceremonial because HCR dictates what can and cannot move forward. Visnauskas, as Commissioner of HCR, has the ability to intervene, enforce governance reforms, and hold leadership accountable—but instead, she has chosen to protect the status quo. Every effort to introduce real oversight, from hiring reforms to financial transparency, has been stalled or outright blocked under her watch. Rather than addressing RIOC’s growing list of failures, she has enabled them by ensuring the same cycle of mismanagement continues unchecked.
This article was originally scheduled for later, but with the March 6th Board agenda revealing a push to appoint Cunneen permanently, we had to move fast. The timing is no coincidence, and neither is the resistance to oversight.
The Structural Problem: A Board That’s Just for Show
On paper, the RIOC Board of Directors should serve as the last line of defense against corruption and mismanagement. In reality, it has been systematically sidelined, reduced to a ceremonial body with no real authority over executive hiring, promotions, or salaries.
Executive salary increases? Decided without their approval.
Key leadership positions? Filled without a transparent hiring process.
Board oversight? An illusion.
The latest example of this dysfunction is the push to appoint Mary Cunneen as permanent COO. Mary Cunneen is already making the salary of a permanent COO reportedly making over $200,000.00 a year without board confirmation. When Board members Professor Tang, Dr. Melamed, and Ben Fhala raised concerns about her promotion, Howard Polivy swiftly moved the discussion to executive session, shutting down debate. Now, with the March 6th Board agenda confirming the effort to install Cunneen permanently, one thing is clear:
RuthAnne Visnauskas, as Board Chair, has ensured that oversight remains an illusion. While Polivy, Cunneen, Dhruvika Patel Amin and Lada Stasko may be key players, it is Visnauskas who actively engages with the forces behind the scenes, keeping control concentrated in the hands of a select few.
But the overreach doesn’t stop there. Board members are increasingly entangled in RIOC’s daily operations, raising serious concerns about governance boundaries. Howard Polivy, in particular, has far exceeded his role, acting not as a liaison, but as an internal decision-maker, inserting himself into matters that should be handled by RIOC’s executive leadership.
Adding to the dysfunction, several Board members, including Polivy, have long overstayed their terms, effectively maintaining positions of influence years past their original tenure. If the Board doesn’t control executive hiring and promotions, who does?
The Pattern: Executive Promotions, Unchecked Salaries, and No Justification
RIOC has a well-documented history of backroom promotions and unearned salary hikes, and this isn’t speculation—it’s a pattern.
Whistleblowers have reported that executive salaries keep going up without public explanation, yet the administration refuses to address these concerns.
Former CEO Shelton Haynes was making more money than the New York State Governor while running a small, mismanaged agency.
Key leadership positions are handed out to insiders, bypassing competitive hiring processes, while essential roles—like structural engineers—remain vacant. Meanwhile, Eleanor’s Pier remains closed and falling apart, a glaring example of the consequences of RIOC’s failure to fill critical positions.
RIOC is operating more like an exclusive club than a state agency, where the same inner circle rewards itself without scrutiny. The Board isn’t failing to act—they’re being deliberately cut out of the process.
HCR’s Role: A Silent Enabler
At the core of RIOC’s dysfunction is the reality that it does not operate as an independent entity—it is ultimately controlled by New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), with RuthAnne Visnauskas at the helm. HCR holds the power to approve key appointments, shape policy decisions, and dictate the direction of the agency. While the Board is supposed to provide oversight, its authority is largely ceremonial because HCR dictates what can and cannot move forward. RuthAnne Visnauskas, as Commissioner of HCR, has the ability to intervene, enforce governance reforms, and hold leadership accountable—but instead, she has chosen to protect the status quo. Every effort to introduce real oversight, from hiring reforms to financial transparency, has been stalled or outright blocked under her watch. Rather than addressing RIOC’s growing list of failures, she has enabled them by ensuring the same cycle of mismanagement continues unchecked.
RIOC claims it is looking for a new CEO, but why the rush to secure Cunneen as COO before a new leader is even in place? If this were about good governance, the Board would let the new CEO select their own team. Instead, they’re cementing Cunneen in power before an outsider can come in and shake things up. It’s a classic maneuver—stack the deck before real change can happen.
This isn’t about stability. It’s about entrenching a power structure before a new CEO gets a say.
The CEO Search: A Convenient Distraction
RIOC is currently in the process of hiring a new CEO, yet the same insiders attempting to push through Cunneen’s permanent promotion seem uninterested in waiting for a new leader to take charge. Why?
Because cementing Cunneen in the COO role before a CEO is in place ensures that she remains entrenched in the leadership structure, regardless of who is appointed. This approach preempts the CEO’s ability to select their own leadership team, further weakening the authority of the incoming executive and maintaining the existing power structure.
This contradiction—delaying governance reforms while rushing to secure internal promotions—exposes the real problem at RIOC: governance decisions are made to protect insiders, not the integrity of the agency.
The Real Issue: A Culture of Cronyism
What’s happening at RIOC isn’t just a problem of slow bureaucracy—it’s intentional dysfunction designed to benefit a few at the expense of the public.
The following must happen immediately:
Board Approval for All Executive Hires: No more insider promotions without public accountability.
Full Disclosure of Salary Increases: The public has a right to know why salaries keep inflating.
Immediate Implementation of Bylaws Reform: Professor Tang’s governance updates must go through before more power grabs happen.
Adding to the pattern of secrecy, RIOC has stopped uploading committee meeting recordings to YouTube for the last two months. Sources have confirmed to us that this is an intentional move to further limit public access to discussions and decisions.
RIOC leadership isn’t just ignoring oversight—they’re actively blocking it.
Conclusion: Enough is Enough
As long as hiring and promotions decisions continue to be made behind closed doors, RIOC will remain a self-serving agency rather than a public institution accountable to Roosevelt Island residents. The Board must demand real oversight, and the community must hold RIOC leadership accountable for its decisions.
The dysfunction at RIOC isn’t happening in a vacuum—it’s actively enabled by New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) and its Commissioner, RuthAnne Visnauskas. While the public sees RIOC’s leadership failing in real-time, the true problem is that HCR has allowed—and even encouraged—this lack of oversight. Visnauskas has repeatedly blocked governance reforms that would give the Board real authority, ensuring that RIOC remains a puppet of state-controlled interests rather than a body accountable to Roosevelt Island residents. The failure isn’t just local; it’s systemic.
Among those contacted was RIOC Board Member Lydia Tang. We asked:
"Given the ongoing challenges you have faced in strengthening RIOC’s governance—particularly HCR’s continued obstruction of meaningful bylaw reforms, Howard Polivy’s behind-the-scenes involvement, and the concerns raised by you and some of your fellow Board members regarding the permanent COO appointment—I want to ask you a straightforward question.
Do you believe it is appropriate for the official appointment of Mary Cunneen as COO to have been added to the Board meeting agenda, given that she has already held the position for years while earning a salary of over $200,000?"
Her full response:
“No.”
If any other leader stands up, we will be the first to inform.
We have reached out to elected officials with a stake in Roosevelt Island, including New York State Senator Liz Krueger, Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright, and City Council Member Julie Menin, as well as HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas, RIOC’s interim leadership team (Howard Polivy, Dhruvika Patel Amin, Mary Cunneen, Lada Stasko), and the RIOC Board of Directors. Since January 14th, RIOC has had nothing to say. We’re still listening.
The opening paragraph certainly describes me. Now, finding out how the governing body really works, is not good news. Thanks for the insights. Being informed is a good first step.