Secretary of State Cesar A. Perales
Cesar A. Perales was appointed by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on March 31, 2011 and unanimously confirmed by the New York State Senate on June 7, 2011 as Secretary of the New York Department of State. The Department is the oldest agency in state government with the exception of the Offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor.
Secretary Perales has spent more than four decades as a dedicated public servant, including serving as Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the administration of President Jimmy Carter, as Commissioner of the New York State Department of Social Services under Governor Mario M. Cuomo, and as Deputy Mayor of New York City under Mayor David Dinkins. Mr. Perales is a co-founder of LatinoJustice PRLDEF and established the first Brooklyn Legal Services Office.
Secretary Perales grew up in New York City and is a resident of Brooklyn. He earned his B.A. from City College of New York and a J.D. from Fordham Law School. He has been widely recognized throughout his distinguished career for his dedication to social justice and civil rights. Among other distinctions, he is the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from Lehman College, the Thurgood Marshall Award from Seton Hall University Law School, the Dean's Medal from the Fordham University School of Law, and the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hispanic National Bar Association.
In leading the New York Department of State, Secretary Perales oversees a multitude of services at one of the state's most diverse agencies including the licensing of 29 professional occupations, the registration of trademarks, filings of certificates of incorporation, and the keeping of the state's most vital records. He also oversees the Department's coordination with more than 1,500 municipalities throughout the state on matters including economic development, local and regional planning, community revitalization and efforts to combat poverty. Secretary Perales is the first Secretary of State to guide the new Division of Consumer Protection, the state's top consumer watchdog and think tank.
