Former Corrections boss to lead Deptartment of Citywide Administrative Services
/
Former Department of Correction Commissioner Louis Molina was tapped by Mayor Eric Adams this week to lead the city’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services. The move marks Molina’s third job within the Adams administration. File photo by Violet MendelSund/Mayoral Photography Office
By Jacob Kaye
Former Department of Correction Commissioner Louis Molina has been tapped by Mayor Eric Adams to lead the city’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services.
Molina, who has most recently been serving as the city’s first-ever assistant deputy mayor for public safety, will now lead the city’s operational agency, which manages its hiring, training, buildings, contracts, municipal vehicles and more.
Molina, whose tenure with the DOC ended around the time a federal judge said she’d begin to consider a federal takeover of the city’s jail complex on Rikers Island, in his new role will be responsible for overseeing the city’s courthouses. He’ll also oversee the city’s attempt to transfer Rikers from a jail to a renewable energy hub, a transfer he brought to halt while serving as DOC commissioner from January 2022 through the fall of 2023.
Molina replaces Dawn Pinnock as DCAS commissioner. Pinnock served for nearly 30 years in city government, including the last 10 in leadership positions within DCAS.
Molina’s appointment to DCAS commissioner marks the third time he’s been given a job within the Adams administration.
“DCAS is the foundation of our city government — ultimately making it possible for city agencies to carry out our vision of protecting public safety, rebuilding our economy, and making this city more livable,” Adams in a statement. “Louis Molina is a proven and dynamic leader who has used his decades of experience, across multiple agencies, to make government run better and improve the way we serve New Yorkers.”
“I could not think of a more deserving or equipped leader to serve our administration in this critical role,” Adams added.
Before becoming DOC commissioner, Molina was the head of Las Vegas’ Department of Public Safety. Before that, he was the first deputy commissioner for the Westchester County Department of Correction.
He also previously worked as chief internal monitor and acting assistant commissioner of the Nunez compliance unit at DOC.
However, when leading DOC, his agency’s compliance with the Nunez consent judgment was largely criticized. Molina frequently rebuffed oversight efforts from Nunez federal monitor Steve J. Martin and failed to communicate a number of DOC actions and in custody deaths to the monitoring team in alleged violation of the court order.
In the final months of Molina’s term, federal Judge Laura Swain began to consider whether or not the city should be stripped of its control over Rikers as a result of its alleged inability to curb violent conditions there.
Nonetheless, Molina was promoted to the assistant deputy mayor position by Adams in December 2023.
In City Hall’s announcement regarding Molina’s appointment to DCAS commissioner on Monday, the mayor’s office said that as assistant deputy mayor, Molina “coordinated with all city agencies on public safety matters affecting New Yorkers, including chairing Retail Task Force meetings, evaluating technology for public safety agencies, hosting community public safety outreach briefings, and representing New York City at the European Parliament with the Strong Cities Network, a global network of more than 180 cities dedicated to addressing all forms of hate, extremism, and polarization that can lead to violence.”
It’s the first time Molina’s job duties as assistant deputy mayor had been publicly described. City Hall previously denied multiple requests from the Eagle for insight into Molina’s role within the administration, which lasted around five months.
“Public service has been my passion and my life’s work, first serving my country as a United States Marine, and then my city as a police officer, and in leadership roles that shaped public safety and vital services for New Yorkers,” Molina said in a statement. “DCAS makes city government work for our city, and I’m grateful to Mayor Adams for entrusting me with this crucial mission for his administration.”
“I’m eager to help New Yorkers follow their dreams like I once did and discover their own passion for city service, and I am eager to, once again, lead a dedicated group of public servants who work hard to deliver for our city every day,” he added.
