\u201cThat achievement is not merely symbolic,\u201d Mamdani said of Richards\u2019 historic appointment. \u201cIt is a testament to the thought and leadership he will bring to every member of Correction staff and incarcerated New Yorkers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richards served four and a half years in prison for robbery in the late 1980s. Since then, in his role at The Fortune Society<\/a>, he has worked to help prepare people for their release from prison and reentry into society.<\/p>\n \u201cMy experience and journey is a testament,\u201d Richards said, \u201cthat when we provide support, when we center our collective work to hope instead of fear, when we see the best in all of us instead of judging people in the worst thing we ever done, when we see our commonality (more) than our difference, we can achieve the unimaginable.\u201d<\/p>\n Of the mayor, he said, \u201cHis administration made clear that the future of Rikers (Island jail) is not endless confinement, scapegoating or demonizing. It is safety, transparency and rehabilitation \u2014 my vision aligns fully with that mission. Safer jails today \u2014 borough-based facilities that prioritize dignity, opportunity and humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement, Benny Boscio, the president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association union, said of Richard\u2019s appointment, \u201cDespite the many false narratives that have portrayed COBA as an \u2018obstacle to reform,\u2019 we have been ready, willing and able to meet and work with anyone, as long as they respect the rights of our Correction Officers and understand that their safety and security matter. \u2026 It is our hope that Mr. Richards understands that dynamic as he takes on this new role and demonstrates a commitment to putting safety and security before any political ideology.\u201d<\/p>\n Mamdani also named Dr. Alister Martin<\/a> as commissioner of the city\u2019s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Martin is an emergency physician and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, having previously served as an adviser in the Office of the Vice President under Kamala Harris and a White House Fellow in the White House Office of Public Engagement.<\/p>\n \u201cA city is only as vibrant as it is healthy, and in Dr. Martin, an emergency room physician with extensive experience on the front lines of public health, as well as at the highest levels of government, New Yorkers will be well looked after,\u201d Mamdani said.<\/p>\n Sandra Escamilla-Davies will serve as the new commissioner of the Department of Youth and Community Development after serving as the executive vice president of Children\u2019s Aid<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAs commissioner of DYCD, she will do more to build after-school programs and expanding the summer youth employment program,\u201d Mamdani said. \u201cShe will work every day to ensure that every child in this city can imagine a future of health, joy and a possibility in a place that they call home.\u201d<\/p>\n Yesenia Mata<\/a>, a former military police sergeant in the U.S. Army and executive director for La Colmena NYC<\/a>, will serve as the new commissioner of the Department of Veterans\u2019 Services.<\/p>\n \u201cYesenia will continue that work fighting for the 135,000 veterans who call this city home and ensuring they are able to access the housing, the health care, the supportive services that they sacrificed so much for,\u201d Mamdani said.<\/p>\n![\"Vilda](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1770208628_833_Mayor-Mamdani-and-new-commissioner-2-Mayors-Press-Office.jpg\")
Vilda Vera Mayuga was named the new head of the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, or OATH. (Mayor\u2019s Office of Photography)<\/p>\n