People & Stories Oral History Project: Cecilia Bikkal

Cecilia Bikkal has called lots of places “home” around the world, but has been in White Plains since the 1980s. In this oral history, recorded in her office overlooking the corner of Hamilton and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Bikkal shares her personal story and her perspective on White Plains. Bikkal came to White Plains on the day the Galleria opened, and went to work for the County Clerk in the 1980s. She became a lawyer after intending to be an architect. Through her place on the Zoning Board of Appeals and work as a lawyer specializing in immigration, Bikkal developed an informed and valuable perspective on how White Plains works, as well as ways the city could improve. She would like to see the residential and commercial aspects of downtown White Plains better integrated, but believes the city is welcoming to new residents and supportive of diversity.

Picture from www.sblawyers.com

Categories: Local History and Oral History.