Mayor Mamdani Announces New Appointments Including Commissioners for Health and Correction

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Mamdani appoints Stanley Richards to lead Department of Correction, the first formerly incarcerated individual to lead the agency in city history Appointments also include Department of Youth and Community Development, Department of Veterans’ Services, and Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings See the full press release, including appointee biographies, here: https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/01/mayor-mamdani-announces-new-appointments--including-commissioner NEW YORK – Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced five new appointments to lead core agencies across city government and advance the administration’s vision for a safer and more affordable New York City. Mayor Mamdani appointed Dr. Alister Martin as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Stanley Richards as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction, the first formerly incarcerated individual to serve in this position. Additionally, Mayor Mamdani announced Yesenia Mata as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Veterans’ Services, making her the first Latina to serve in the role; Sandra Escamilla-Davies as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development; and Vilda Vera Mayuga as Commissioner of the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings. These appointments — which include leaders in public health, criminal justice, youth programming, and more — reinforce the Mamdani Administration’s steadfast commitment to recruiting and retaining world-class professionals to lead New York City government. Dr. Alister Martin will serve as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). As Commissioner of DOHMH, Dr. Martin will help oversee the city’s public health apparatus; monitor and manage disease outbreaks; and advance the Mamdani Administration’s vision for a city where every New Yorker can find affordable, accessible, world-class healthcare. Stanley Richards will serve as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction (DOC). Commissioner Richards is a formerly incarcerated man of color with decades of experience in the criminal justice field. Commissioner Richards will lead DOC at a pivotal moment, with a clear mandate and strong support to improve conditions in the city’s jail system. Working closely with the remediation manager, he will focus on improving safety, closing Rikers Island and ensuring DOC delivers on its core responsibility to care for people in custody and support the staff who serve them. Sandra Escamilla-Davies will serve as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD). As head of DYCD, Commissioner Escamilla-Davies will help bolster the city’s afterschool programming, Summer Youth Employment Program, runaway and homeless youth programming, and more. She will support the city’s community-based organizations and advance the Mamdani Administration’s vision for a city where young people, families, and communities can flourish. Yesenia Mata will serve as Commissioner of the Department of Veterans’ Services (DVS). At DVS, Commissioner Mata will help connect the city’s veterans to the housing, health care, entrepreneurship, and supportive services they deserve. She will ensure that New Yorkers who protected their city as a member of the Armed Forces can continue to live there as a veteran afterwards. Vilda Vera Mayuga will serve as Commissioner of the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). As Commissioner, she will oversee the city’s central, independent administrative law court and ensure that justice is administered fairly and transparently for all New Yorkers who come before OATH. The Bronx Museum of the Arts 1040 Grand Concourse Bronx January 31, 2026