Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced the appointment of Wendy E. Saunders as Acting Director of the Mayor’s Office of State Legislative Affairs. Saunders will serve through the remainder of this year’s state legislative session. As Acting Director, Saunders will be responsible for leading the Administration’s state legislative agenda, relations with the Office of the Governor and State legislators, preparing the Administration’s response to proposed State legislation impacting New York City and negotiations on those bills. Saunders joined the Bloomberg Administration in April of 2011 and currently serves as Assistant Vice President of Intergovernmental Affairs for the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, where she is responsible for all of the agency’s activities in Albany. Saunders has years of experience working with State government, and has served in the executive and legislative branches. Prior to joining the Administration Saunders served as the State’s Deputy Secretary for Health, Medicaid and Oversight and served as the Executive Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health.

“Wendy brings valuable legislative experience to the office and has proven herself to be an invaluable asset to our legislative team,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “New Yorkers will be well served by having an advocate with her skill and dedication working for our City in Albany. We have had an overwhelmingly successful year in Albany, and I am confident that Wendy is the right person to continue to build on those successes.”

“Working with the Mayor’s team in Albany and representing the Health and Hospitals Corporation has been a great privilege and I’m humbled that the Mayor is giving me responsibility for the City’s full state legislative agenda,” said Saunders. “I assume this position with great deal of respect for all of our partners in government, and will work day and night to assure the best possible results for New York City.”

Earlier in her career, Saunders served on the Program and Counsel staff of the New York State Assembly and as Director of Government Relations for the New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. Saunders holds a Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York at Binghamton and resides in Albany with her husband and daughter.