Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958
or Dwight Williams (212) 788-2972
At a City Hall ceremony, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani administered the oath of office to Jose Maldonado as Commissioner of the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA). Mr. Maldonado was appointed Commissioner by Mayor Giuliani on May 11 of this year, replacing Fred Cerullo, who became Commissioner of the Department of Finance in December of 1995.
"Commissioner Maldonado comes to this important job with an outstanding background in the public service and with a native New Yorker's love and understanding of our city," said Mayor Giuliani. "As our new Consumer Affairs Commissioner, I know Jose will be a formidable advocate for consumers in New York City. He will help to guarantee that our citizens get real value for their tax dollars, and are protected from unscrupulous business practices."
As DCA Commissioner, Mr. Maldonado will lead New York City's efforts to enforce the consumer protection laws, the City and State weights and measures statutes and the licensing of a wide variety of businesses as part of its responsibility to protect consumers. The department also does research, educates the public about consumer issues, resolves consumer complaints and conducts seminars and other activities to inform businesses of their obligations to New York consumers. Commissioner Maldonado will also be a member of the Mayoral Trade Waste Commission, a cornerstone of the administration's efforts to rid the carting industry of organized crime. Legislation creating this committee will be signed into law by Mayor Giuliani later today.
"I look forward to new challenges at the Department of Consumer Affairs," said Commissioner Maldonado. "Consumers and business people in New York City deserve vigorous enforcement of the consumer protection statutes. As a member of the newly formed Trade Waste Commission, I will work to ensure that corruption in the commercial carting is eradicated. It is essential that we create a business climate that is open and free of any illegal coercion."
A native New Yorker, Commissioner Maldonado received his Juris Doctor degree from the New York University School of Law after graduating from Colombia College in New York City and from the St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire. A member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the Puerto Rican Bar Association, Mr. Maldonado has been an Adjunct Professor at the Fordham University of Law. He currently serves as a board member for the New York University Law Alumni Association and the East Harlem School at Exodus House.
Prior to his appointment at DCA, Mr. Maldonado served as Commissioner of the Department of Juvenile Justice managing an organization of over 600 employees and a budget of $80 million which provided detention for the 7,000 youths arrested or detained every year. Last year, Mayor Giuliani appointed Mr. Maldonado to the Mayor's Commission on School Safety, which was charged with investigating security issues in the public schools.
From 1992 to 1994, Commissioner Maldonado was Chief Assistant District Attorney in the New York City Office of Special Narcotics where he oversaw a staff of 90 attorneys and a budget of $12 million. He supervised all investigations and prosecutions and had a leading role in policy formulation.
Commissioner Maldonado also served as Assistant Commissioner for Criminal Justice Matters at the New York City Police Department from 1991 to 1992. In that role he provided legal counsel in a wide range of criminal justice matters, served as liaison with other criminal justice agencies, and assisted in developing programs to improve the efficiency of the criminal justice system.
Commissioner Maldonado held several posts at the New York County District Attorney's office including that of Assistant District Attorney and Chief of the Environmental Crimes Unit responsible for investigating and prosecuting criminal violations of environmental conservation laws.
Commissioner Maldonado was joined at today's ceremony by his wife, Sharon Myrie, his grandmother, Felicita Sanchez, his great aunt, Georgina Rivers, and his brother, Jose Marrero.