Cuomo Hires Two New Counsels, Announces Appointments for Both
Cuomo said the addition of both attorneys, and a few other appointments announced Tuesday, will prep his administration for the upcoming legislative session in January.
September 03, 2019 at 03:25 PM
4 minute read
Two attorneys have been appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo as his new counsel and special counsel, respectively, effectively splitting the position previously held by his former counsel, Alphonso David, into two jobs.
Kumiki Gibson, who served previously as counsel to Vice President Al Gore during his time in office, was named Cuomo's new counsel, while Elizabeth Garvey, who was an assistant counsel to the New York State Senate while Republicans held that chamber, was named the governor's new special counsel.
Cuomo said the addition of both attorneys, and a few other appointments announced Tuesday, will prep his administration for the upcoming legislative session in January.
"New York is poised to continue our upward momentum after concluding the most productive legislative session in modern political history," Cuomo said. "I am proud to welcome this group of talented individuals to our administration and look forward to the work we will get done together on behalf of the people of this state."
Gibson, according to Cuomo's office, will take on the traditional role of counsel to the governor. Garvey, meanwhile, will be responsible for Cuomo's budget and legislative priorities.
David, while serving as counsel to Cuomo, was known to have a hand in just about everything that came out of Cuomo's office. He departed the administration earlier this year to lead the Human Rights Campaign, an organization that advocates for issues relevant to the LGBTQ community. He was considered one of Cuomo's closest allies.
Both Gibson and Garvey have a history of working in state government, but have experience in the private sector as well.
Gibson started her career as an associate with law firm Arnold & Porter in Washington, D.C. After serving as counsel to Gore during most of his first term, and part of his second, she left government service to join Williams & Connolly as a partner in their Washington, D.C., office.
Garvey worked as an associate for Wilson Elser from late 2009 to early 2011, during which time she focused on government relations and litigation. She joined the firm after her first stint as assistant counsel to the Republican conference in the state Senate from 2004 to 2009, when the party briefly lost control of the chamber.
She came back to the Senate after Republicans took back the majority, serving as an assistant counsel from 2011 to 2013. She then became the top lawyer for the chamber and served in that role until 2017. Garvey was then selected as vice chancellor for legal affairs and general counsel at the State University of New York, where she's worked since.
Gibson has worn many different hats in her career as an attorney. Before joining Gore's team, and after her time at Arnold & Porter, she worked briefly as a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice in the Civil Rights Division.
After leaving Williams & Connolly in 2003, Gibson was hired as general counsel at Johns Hopkins University. She worked there for a year before taking a job as senior vice president and counselor at the National Urban League in Manhattan.
Since then, Gibson has taken on different legal roles, including general counsel to the New York State Higher Education Services Corp., the state's education financial aid agency. That was her most recent position, according to Cuomo's office.
Gibson is a graduate of Harvard University, while Garvey earned her Juris Doctor from Albany Law School—same as Cuomo.
Cuomo also announced a handful of other executive staff appointments Tuesday. Jim McDonough was appointed director of the division of veteran's services; Jesse Campoamor was selected as deputy secretary for intergovernmental affairs; Simonida Subotic will be the new deputy secretary for economic development; and Jeremy Shockett was chosen as deputy secretary for public safety.
Aside from Shockett, who most recently worked in the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, none of the other appointments are attorneys.
READ MORE:
Alphonso David, Cuomo's Counsel, to Depart Administration to Lead LGBTQ Advocacy Group
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