Biography

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Denise Gilliam01

Amica Benjamin

Amica Benjamin has worked for the City of New York for more than 25 years. She began her career on Sept. 16. 1996, as an Office Machine Aide with the New York City Employees' Retirement System (NYCERS). She then was promoted to Assistant Retirement Benefits Examiner in 1997 and secured her position in that title by taking the civil service exam.

Several years later. Amica was promoted to Associate Retirement Benefits Examiner and worked in that title until she left in 2005 to pursue a career as a police officer with the NYPD. After fulfilling her teenage dream of becoming a police officer, she realized that while she enjoyed interacting with people, it wasn't a great fit for her.

In 2006, Amica returned to NYCERS and became active in her union, Local 1407 under DC 37. She worked as an acting Shop Steward, sat on the Executive Board, and was a very active member of the Quality of Life Committee (QW!). She always wanted to work in an administrative title and took the civil service exam for Principal Administrative Associate (PAA), a title her mother worked in for nearly all her years as a civil servant. Amica saw this title as a benefit to working in almost any city agency.

In 2015, Amica became a PAA Level 1 and worked in the title at NYCERS until she
decided to leave! (yet again) in 2016, continuing her career as a PAA with the Office of Payroll Administration (CPA). In 2017. she was nominated to be a Shop Steward for CWA Local 1180. In 2018. she took advantage of Local 1180's Education Fund benefits for members and pursued her Master's Degree in Labor Studies, graduating in June 2021.

She became a Member-at-Large in September 2022.