Mayor de Blasio names two Dominicans to City Agencies

New York City -- Mayor Bill de Blasio named four key appointments to his administration this week, and two of those new appointees, Dr. Feniosky Peña-Mora and Lisette Camilo, are of Dominican decent.

Jacques Jiha ● Dr. Peña-Mora ● Mayor de Blasio ● Lisette Camilo | www1.nyc.gov

De Blasio Picks Immigrants to Lead Two City Agencies


Dr. Feniosky Peña-Mora, an accomplished engineer with more than two decades of cutting-edge research and industry work experience, was born in the Dominican Republic and immigrated to New York City in 1988.

He earned his Master of Science (S.M.) and Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) degrees in Civil Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1991 and 1994, respectively.

The Mayor appointed Dr. Feniosky Peña-Mora as Commissioner of the Department of Design and Construction.

Dr. Peña-Mora will be charged with building public works big and small, ranging from making streets safer as part of the Vision Zero initiative, to renovating and constructing municipal facilities.


Lisette Camilo, the new director of the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, is the daughter of Dominican immigrants.

...an experienced New York City government attorney who brings deep legal skills and procurement expertise, has demonstrated a commitment to using the city’s purchasing power to create local jobs and deliver opportunity for Minority and Women-Owned Enterprises in every borough. As director at the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, she will be tasked with protecting taxpayers and simultaneously increasing the local impact of city procurement.

Mayor de Blasio also appointed Jacques Jiha, a Brooklyn native that emigrated from Haiti over 34 years, as the new Commissioner of the Department of Finance.