Transition Committee

Shortly after the November 3rd General Election, New York City Comptroller John Liu announced his Transition Committee, comprised of leaders in business, financial management, government operations and civic affairs. The Transition Committee has been charged by Comptroller Liu to methodically and expediently constitute the Office of Comptroller effective January 2010 and to facilitate a seamless transition of service to New Yorkers.

H. CARL McCALL, former New York State Comptroller, will serve as Chairperson of Liu’s Transition Committee. As Chief Fiscal Officer of the State and Sole Trustee of the 880,000-member State and Local Retirement Systems, Mr. McCall was responsible for governmental and financial oversight of a pension fund at $112 billion. Mr. McCall has had a distinguished career in public service. He served three terms as a New York State Senator representing the Upper Manhattan district of New York City; as an Ambassador to the United Nations; as a Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; and as the Commissioner of the New York State Division of Human Rights.

Mr. McCall will be joined on Liu’s Transition Committee by some of the City’s most prominent leaders, including:

DR. DOLORES FERNÁNDEZ – Dr. Fernández is a University Professor in the doctoral Urban Education at the CUNY Graduate School and University Center. She recently retired as President of the Eugenio María de Hostos Community College of The City University of New York (CUNY). Dr. Fernández is a member of the American Council on Education’s Commission on Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Equality, and on the Board of Directors, National Community College Hispanic Council, and the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation.

HARVEY GOLDSCHMID – Mr. Goldschmid is the Dwight Professor of Law at Columbia University School of Law, specializing in Anti-trust Regulation and Corporate Litigation. Professor Goldschmid, a national leader on government transparency and corporate governance issues, served as a Commissioner of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from 2002-2005. He was also General Counsel to the SEC during SEC Chairman Arthur Levitt’s tenure.

CHUNG-WHA HONG – Ms. Hong has spent over 20 years in the non-profit sector promoting the full civic participation and rights of immigrants. She is a renowned organizer and advocate on various issues including housing and health care. Ms. Hong is currently the Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition, an umbrella advocacy organization made up of over 200 groups throughout the state that work with immigrant communities.

DENIS HUGHES – Mr. Hughes is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and President of the New York State AFL-CIO, which has 2.5 million members. Under his leadership, in 2007 the New York State AFL-CIO successfully passed historic legislation to reform the state's workers’ compensation system. Mr. Hughes has also negotiated historic legislation guaranteeing minimum wage for farm workers, as well as leading labor’s efforts to secure Pension COLA legislation that will help New York’s public sector workers secure their retirements.

HUGH MO – Mr. Mo is a prominent New York attorney handling complex commercial and corporate litigation. Mr. Mo served for four years as a Deputy Commissioner from 1984-1988 in the New York City Police Department, where he was the highest ranking Asian American in city government. From 1976-1984, he was an Assistant District Attorney with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

WILLIAM MULROW – Mr. Mulrow has extensive experience in financial markets including public finance, asset management and investment banking, as well as having served in a broad array of federal, state and local government positions. He is currently a Director of Citigroup Global Capital Markets in the firm’s Municipal Securities Division. In addition, he also serves as a Managing Director of Paladin Capital Group, a private equity firm based in Washington D.C. that makes investments in homeland security related companies.

WILLIAM E. RAPFOGEL – Mr. Rapfogel is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty – one of New York City’s largest and most efficient non-profits which provides over 100,000 needy New Yorkers with home care, housing, employment, crisis intervention and other social and community services. Mr. Rapfogel is also a former Assistant New York City Comptroller under Harrison J. Goldin, and served three years in the Administration of Mayor Edward I. Koch.

JOYCE ROCHE – Ms. Roche is President and Chief Executive Officer of Girls, Inc., a national non-profit research, education and advocacy organization. Ms. Roche has a distinguished business background and a strong commitment to public service. She is the former President and Chief Operating Officer of Carson, Inc. Ms. Roche has been a Director of AT&T since October 1998. She is a member of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and the Public Policy Committee. She is also a Director of Macy's, Inc. and Tupperware Brands Corporation.

KATHRYN WYLDE – Ms. Wylde is President & CEO of the Partnership for New York City, a nonprofit organization of the city’s business leaders who are focused on education, infrastructure and the economy. Prior to joining the Partnership in 1982, Ms. Wylde served for 14 years as founding President & CEO of the Housing Partnership Development Corporation, which was instrumental in creating affordable housing at the local, state and national levels. In 1996, Ms. Wylde became founding President and CEO of the New York City Investment Fund, the Partnership’s economic development arm.

To provide assistance and guidance to the Committee, VICTOR A. KOVNER will serve as pro-bono Advisor to the Transition Committee. Mr. Kovner is a prominent attorney representing national and regional broadcast and print media clients in all aspects of communications law, as well as intellectual property and commercial litigation. Mr. Kovner is the Chair of the Fund for Modern Courts and past Chair of the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct. He is also the former Corporation Counsel for the City of New York.

"I am proud and grateful that such an esteemed group of New York leaders will help me define the office that the voters of this City have entrusted me with," Liu said. "Together, we will chart a course to rebuild New York City's economy, strengthen the City’s fiscal position, enhance the professionalism and integrity of the Comptroller’s office, and open up City government to the people."

To ensure that all Transition decisions are made with a strong standard of ethics and integrity, each member of the Transition Committee has agreed to the following:

• member will not seek a position within the Comptroller’s office nor engage in business with the office for a period of two years;
• member will not accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, favor, service or other benefit intended to influence his or her transition duties or responsibilities; and
• member will not engage, directly or indirectly, in any business or financial transactions that conflict with the proper discharge or his or her transition duties.

Subcommittees comprised of New Yorkers with professional expertise will be formed to help organize the major functions of the Comptroller’s office.