Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Brenda Perez (212) 788-3256
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today appointed Lilliam Barrios-Paoli as Commissioner for the City's Human Resources Administration (HRA). Commissioner Barrios-Paoli, who currently serves as Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner, will succeed Marva Hammons who has been appointed by Governor John Engler as the new Director of the Michigan's Family Independence Agency. Commissioner Barrios-Paoli will assume her post at HRA on February 18.
"Lilliam Barrios-Paoli has a long and outstanding record in public service. Her proven capabilities as a leader, a manager and an administrator and her commitment to city government will be tremendous assets to the Human Resources Administration," said Mayor Giuliani. "Over the past three years, we have reduced the welfare rolls in New York City by 220,000 and we have established the nation's foremost workfare program. I look forward to working with Lilliam to continue the transition from welfare to work, which has already given new hope to so many New Yorkers."
"I want to congratulate Commissioner Hammons on her new appointment in Michigan and thank her for the significant contributions she made to restructuring HRA and reforming the welfare system," Mayor Giuliani added.
In her new position, Commissioner Barrios-Paoli will be in charge of the nation's largest public welfare system with an annual budget of nearly $6 billion.
"Overseeing the operations of the Human Resources Administration is one the greatest challenges I have ever encountered in my career in public service," said Commissioner Barrios-Paoli. "I look forward to the challenges ahead and working with Mayor Giuliani to further transform the welfare system."
Prior to her HPD appointment on April, 1996 Commissioner Barrios-Paoli served as Commissioner for the Department of Personnel from 1994 to 1996. She also served as Commissioner for the Department of Employment from 1987 to 1989, Vice-President for Human Resources at the Health and Hospitals Corporation from 1986 to 1987, and she held various management positions within the Human Resources Administration from 1980 to 1986.
Commissioner Barrios-Paoli also worked in the nonprofit sector between 1990 and 1994. She served as Vice President for Education for the New York City Partnership and later as Director of the Literacy Volunteers of New York City.
Commissioner Barrios-Paoli, who lives in Manhattan, was born and raised in Mexico. She received her B.A. from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and her M.A. and Ph.D from the New School for Social Research in New York.