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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2002
PR-073-02
www.nyc.gov


MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES FOUR APPOINTMENTS


OEM, Youth & Community Development, Immigrant Affairs and CCRB Heads Named


Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today appointed John T. Odermatt as Commissioner of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Jeanne B. Mullgrav as Commissioner of the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), Sayu V. Bhojwani as Commissioner of the Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), and Hector Gonzalez as Chairman of the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB).

OEM is the City's on-scene coordinator at all emergency incidents that require a multi-agency response. It develops emergency contingency plans for the City, and implements training programs and exercises to enhance their effectiveness. OEM became a permanent City agency this year.

"OEM has proved both vital and effective in planning and coordinating emergency responses and we are committed to helping it perform at the highest levels," Mayor Bloomberg said. "Having served New Yorkers during the City's darkest day, John Odermatt is the right person to guide this invaluable agency."

Odermatt has served as First Deputy Director of OEM since September 2000. A 20-year veteran of the New York Police Department, he worked his way up through the ranks to the position of Assistant Chief. Odermatt earned a B.S. at St. Joseph's College and an M.S. at New York University.

DYCD supports youth and community services through contracts with a broad network of community-based organizations throughout New York City. The Department supports a variety of youth activities, including structured recreation, athletics, tutoring and remedial education, leadership development, delinquency prevention, and runaway and homeless programs. To assist the communities in which youth and their families live, the Department administers the New York City Community Action Program by awarding federal Community Services Block Grant funds to help low-income people become more self-sufficient and provides services to immigrants, such as the Citizenship Initiative.

"From reforming our City's schools to enhancing our City's youth services, we are committed to helping ensure that young New Yorkers are provided the best opportunities to lead healthy, safe, and productive lives," Mayor Bloomberg said. "Jeanne Mullgrav's experience serving New York's youth and neighborhoods makes her the perfect choice to lead this important effort."

Mullgrav is currently Director for External Affairs at The After-School Corporation. She has also served as Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Relations in the New York State Office of the Attorney General and as Division Director of both Court Programs and Governmental Affairs of Victim Services. Mullgrav earned a B.A. at Swarthmore College and a J.D. at the New York University School of Law.

MOIA serves immigrant and limited English-speaking communities through community-based organizations, manages the Citywide volunteer language bank, and coordinates translations and interpreting services for City government.

"The diversity and vitality of our immigrants is what makes our City great," Mayor Bloomberg said. "Sayu Bhojwani's career in the non-profit sector makes her uniquely qualified to help improve the delivery of City services to our many diverse communities and help ensure that their voices are heard."

Bhojwani most recently was Executive Director of South Asian Youth Action, a multi-service youth agency founded by her for Bangladeshi, Indian, and Pakistani youths. She has also served as an instructor at New York University and the University of Belize, grant writer for Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc., program and editorial associate for Asia Society, and teacher in the Bronx. Bhojwani earned a BA at the University of Miami and an M.A. at Columbia University.

The CCRB is an independent agency with the power to receive, investigate, hear, make findings, and recommend action upon complaints by members of the public against the Police Department that allege misconduct involving the use of excessive or unnecessary force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, or use of offensive language.

"It is important to both the public and the Police Department that the CCRB handle citizen complaints fairly and in a timely manner," Mayor Bloomberg said. "Hector Gonzalez, a distinguished lawyer and former prosecutor, has performed superbly as a member of the CCRB, and his combination of experience and judgment will ensure that the CCRB investigates every complaint thoroughly."

Gonzalez, a partner at the law firm of Mayer, Brown, Rowe, and Maw, has served as a member of the CCRB since June 2000. Previously, he was a federal prosecutor at the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, where he was Chief of the Narcotics Unit, and a state prosecutor at the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. Gonzalez earned a BS at Manhattan College, a JD at the University of Pennsylvania, and an MA in Criminal Justice at John Jay College.

www.nyc.gov

Contact: Edward Skyler / Lark-Marie Anton
(212) 788-2958