Leader Behind Jamaica's Renaissance to Receive York's Presidential Medal

At its 55th Commencement Exercises on May 28, York College will proudly honor F. Carlisle Towery, retired president of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation (GJDC).

Dr. Claudia V. Schrader, president of York College, will present the President’s Medal to F. Carlisle Towery in recognition of his decades-long dedication to revitalizing Southeast Queens and York College along with it.

“As we approach our 60^th year, it is appropriate to honor Carlisle, who has been a seed and a catalyst for York and the Jamaica, Queens community,” said President Schrader. “We are excited to recognize him in this way.”

Among his many achievements, Towery joined forces with the college and the external community to build a campus for York College in downtown Jamaica. Though no longer a regular presence in Jamaica, Towery and his family remain actively involved with the college and continue to champion its success. His wife, a former member of the York College Foundation Board, highlights some of his accomplishments that have made a lasting impact on the area, saying in part:

F. Carlisle Towery’s legacy as a transformative civic leader began in 1966 with the New York Regional Plan Association (RPA), where he authored advocacy and feasibility studies promoting Jamaica as the ideal location for the York College campus. These studies contributed to the RPA’s influential Second Regional Plan and laid the foundation for decades of urban renewal.

Soon after, Towery became the founding president and CEO of the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation, a nonprofit established by local business and civic leaders. Over his 45-year tenure, Towery led GJDC in pioneering projects that reshaped downtown Jamaica and catalyzed its economic and cultural resurgence. Under his leadership, GJDC played a central role in:

• Securing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regional offices and laboratories on the York College campus, while preserving the historic St. Michael’s Cemetery and chapel.
• Leading the successful campaign to remove the elevated Jamaica Avenue train and replace it with modern underground transit.
• Facilitating the construction of the regional headquarters for the U.S. Social Security Administration.
• Championing the development of the AirTrain terminal, linking downtown Jamaica to JFK Airport.
• Establishing and operating affordable municipal parking facilities.
• Launching New York City’s first farmers’ market.
• Supporting the preservation of historic housing and the development of new residential options downtown.
• Advocating for the restoration of the historic King Manor, once home to Founding Father Rufus King.

Towery’s efforts to secure and develop the 50-acre York College campus were a linchpin in broader revitalization initiatives that brought educational access, cultural enrichment, and economic opportunity to the heart of Queens. His vision, leadership, and unrelenting advocacy helped transform Jamaica into a vibrant and diverse hub of progress.

As York College celebrates this milestone Commencement, it also celebrates the legacy of a man whose work continues to inspire generations. F. Carlisle Towery’s name is etched into the very fabric of Jamaica’s revitalization—his contributions a lasting testament to the power of vision, collaboration, and service.