Jacky spent more than a decade working as a journalist, reporting on city policy, housing issues, and neighborhood change across immigrant and working class communities in Lower Manhattan. Through this work, he met residents from all walks of life and gained a firsthand understanding of the challenges facing local families and neighborhoods. His reporting on civil rights and social justice earned national recognition, including the 2011 Civil Rights and Social Justice Award from the Asian American Journalists Association. He has also received multiple IPPIES Awards from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism for excellence in community reporting.
After leaving the media field, Jacky transitioned into housing and community service. As Director of Operations at a nonprofit housing organization, he managed a federally funded Section 202 senior housing facility near the Manhattan Detention Complex and oversaw more than 30,000 square feet of commercial space. This role gave him direct experience with housing operations, regulatory compliance, and the financial pressures facing both tenants and property operators.
Jacky also served for several years on Manhattan Community Board 3, where he chaired the Land Use, Zoning, Public and Private Housing Committee. In that role, he worked on rezonings, affordable housing initiatives, and development proposals affecting neighborhoods across the Lower East Side, regularly engaging with tenants, residents, and community organizations throughout the land use review process.
Since becoming District Leader, Jacky has worked with local elected officials, tenant associations, and legal organizations to organize multiple trilingual immigration legal workshops for NYCHA and Section 8 residents in response to recent federal policy changes, ensuring immigrant families and working class residents have access to accurate information and legal resources.
An immigrant from Hong Kong, Jacky holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Science from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a Master’s degree in Real Estate from Baruch College at the City University of New York.
Through his work in media, housing management, community organizing, and local government, Jacky Wong brings a practical and community focused approach to public service. He is running for the New York State Assembly to address rising costs of living, expand access to healthcare, strengthen housing stability, and ensure that the voices of Lower Manhattan residents are represented in Albany.
