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GOVERNOR ELIOT SPITZER AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DAVID PATERSON ANNOUNCE ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS

Governor Eliot Spitzer and Lieutenant Governor David Paterson today announced nominations for several senior administration officials as well as various senior appointment nominations.

Andy Beers will serve as Executive Director of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Mr. Beers has been with the Nature Conservancy since 1989. While there, he served as Deputy State Director from 2000 to the present. He was also Acting State Director, Director of Conservation Programs and Director of Government Relations. Previously, Mr. Beers served as Assistant Commissioner for Government Relations and Community Affairs in the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.  Mr. Beers Received his B.A. from Colgate University and his M.S. from Cornell University.

Mindy Bockstein is being nominated to serve as Chair and Executive Director of the Consumer Protection Board. Ms. Bockstein has served as the Director of Policy Research in the Office of the New York State Attorney General since 1999. While there, she was the Crime Victims Advocate and worked in Program Development. Previously, Ms. Bockstein worked in the Office of Assemblyman Dan Feldman as Chief of Staff and Legislative Director from 1991 to 1998 and as Senior Legislative Director and Press Secretary from 1985 to 1990. Ms. Bockstein received her B.A. from the University of Miami and an M.A. in Urban Policy/Public Administration from Brooklyn College.

Karen M. Carpenter-Palumbo is being nominated to serve as Commissioner of the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. Ms. Carpenter-Palumbo has served as Vice President of the American Cancer Society since 2004. From 1997 to 2004, she assumed several positions in the Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan as Executive Vice President and Senior Vice President of Government Programs as well as Vice President of Government Relations. Ms. Carpenter-Palumbo has also worked in the New York State Office of Mental Health as the Director of Children and Families from 1994 to 1996. Previously, she served as Assistant Secretary to the Governor for Human Services from 1990 to 1994. Ms. Carpenter-Palumbo earned her B.S. from the Rochester Institute of Technology and her Masters of Social Work from Adelphi University.

Derek Douglas will serve as Director of New York State Governor Spitzer’s Washington D.C. office. He is currently the Associate Director for Economic Policy and the Director of the Economic Mobility Program at the Center for American Progress, where he has been since 2005. Previously, Mr. Douglas was Counsel at O’Melveny & Myers LLP from 2002 to 2005. From 1999 to 2002, he was an Assistant Counsel and Skadden Fellow at the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. Mr. Douglas received his B.A. from the University of Michigan and his J.D. from Yale Law School.

Olivia Golden will serve as Director of State Operations. Dr. Golden is a Senior Fellow and Center Director at the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. Dr. Golden’s career has combined senior positions in government, the advocacy world, and academia. From 2001 to 2004, she served as Director of the Child and Family Services Agency of the District of Columbia. From 1993 to 2001, she was appointed by President Clinton to positions within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, first as Commissioner for Children, Youth, and Families and then as Assistant Secretary for Children and Families. She has also served as Director of Programs and Policy at the Children's Defense Fund from 1991-1993, lecturer in public policy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University from 1987-1991, and Budget Director for the Executive Office of Human Services in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1983-1985. Dr. Golden received her B.A., Masters in Public Policy and PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University.

Michael F. Hogan is being nominated to serve as Commissionerof the Office of Mental Health. Mr. Hogan has served as the Director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health since 1991. While there, he was Chairman of Federal Government’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health from 2001 to 2002. Previously, Mr. Hogan served as Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health from 1987 to 1991. Prior to that, he was Deputy Commissioner for Administrative Services at the Connecticut Department of Mental Health from 1984 to 1987. From 1979 to 1984, Mr. Hogan served as the District Manager for Mental Health and Retardation Services and as Superintendent of Northampton State Hospital between 1982 and 1984. He is a graduate of Cornell University and received an M.S. from the State University College at Brockport, and a Ph.D. from Syracuse University.

Patrick M. Hooker is being nominated to serve as Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets. Mr. Hooker currently serves as the Director of the Public Policy at the New York Farm Bureau, a position which he has held since 1999. Previously, Mr. Hooker was the Deputy Director of Governmental Relations at the New York Farm Bureau from 1990 to 1999. From 1987 to 1990, he served as Director of the New York State Senate Agriculture Committee. He was also a Rural Affairs Advisor to the New York State Assembly in the Office of the Minority Leader from 1985 to 1987. Mr. Hooker received his B.S. from Cornell University and his A.A.S. from the State University of New York at Morrisville.

Robert M. Maccarone is being nominated to serve as the State Director of the Division of Probation and Correctional Alternatives. Mr. Maccarone is the current State Director of the New York State Division of Probation and Correctional Alternatives. Previously, he served as Executive Deputy Director of the New York State Division of Probation and Correctional Alternatives from 2002 to 2005. From 1998 to 2002, Mr. Maccarone was the Deputy Bureau Chief and Senior Assistant District Attorney in the Economic Crimes Bureau of the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office. He has also served as Deputy Commissioner in the Westchester County Department of Correction from 1995 to 1997 and as Director of Criminal Justice Services in the Westchester County Office of Criminal Justice Services from 1977 to 1997. Mr. Maccarone received both his B.A. and M.A from Fordham University and his J.D. from PACE University Law School.

Sean Patrick Maloney will serve as First Deputy Secretary to the Governor.  Mr. Maloney will focus on the Governor’s strategic and policy priorities.  Mr. Maloney previously served as a Senior Advisor to President Clinton from 1997 to 2000.  From 2000 to 2003, he was Chief Operating Officer at a derivatives risk management firm in New York City.  From 1992 to 1997 and from 2003 to 2006, Mr. Maloney was an attorney at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, specializing in complex legal investigations.  He was also a candidate for New York State Attorney General in 2006.  Mr. Maloney received his B.A and J.D. from The University of Virginia.

Steve A. Mitnick will serve as Assistant Secretary for Energy and Telecommunications. From 2005 to 2006, Mr. Mitnick was a Senior Advisor at McKinsy and Company as a member of the leadership of McKinsey’s North America Electric Power and Natural Gas Practice. From 2002 to 2004, he was Chief Executive Officer of Conjunction LLC. He also served as Chief Executive Officer of the Internet company ‘energyleader.com’ from 2000 to 2001. Previously, Mr. Mitnick worked at Hagler Bailly as both a Co-Leader of the energy consulting division as well as a Partner and Officer. Mr. Mitnick has an M.B.A. from the Wharten School at the University of Pennsylvania and two Bachelor of Science degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Denise E. O'Donnell is being nominated to serve as Commissioner of the Division of Criminal Justice Services. Ms. O’Donnell is currently a Partner at Hodgson Russ LLP. Ms. O'Donnell most recently ran for New York State Attorney General. She served as United States Attorney for the Western District of New York from 1997 to 2001. During that time, she was Vice-Chair of the New York State Attorney General's Advisory Committee in Washington D.C. from 2000 to 2001. She also served as First Assistant United States Attorney from 1993 to 1997. Ms. O'Donnell played a key role in the investigation of Timothy McVeigh for the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City and in the prosecution of James Kopp for the murder of Dr. Barnett Slepian, a provider of reproductive services. She received her B.S. from Canisius College and both her M.S.W. and J.D. from SUNY at Buffalo.