Denise Miranda has been confirmed as Commissioner of the Division by the New York State Senate following her nomination by Governor Kathy Hochul. Commissioner Miranda becomes the first Afro-Latina to serve in this role at the Division, and her confirmation follows her service as the Acting Commissioner since March 2024. Under the Commissioner’s leadership, the Division has launched efforts to overhaul the agency’s discrimination complaint intake and case management processes while also implementing organizational changes and operational improvements.
“It is the honor of my career to continue my service of protecting, defending, and expanding my fellow New Yorkers’ human rights throughout our great state,” New York State Division of Human Rights Commissioner Denise Miranda, Esq. said. “Thank you to Governor Hochul for entrusting me with the opportunity to lead the Division through a period of growth and transformation, and during a moment of great importance for our state and nation. For nearly 30 years, I have dedicated my professional life to advancing civil rights and protecting vulnerable communities throughout New York State, and I am deeply committed to ensuring our state remains true to a foundational truth: We all belong here.”
In March 2024, Governor Hochul appointed Commissioner Miranda to lead an effort to reorganize and revitalize the New York State Division of Human Rights. Commissioner Miranda immediately embarked on an ambitious plan centered on overhauling the discrimination complaint intake and case management processes, establishing essential new internal units to improve agency operations, and directing resources to staffing, technology, and outreach.
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