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Julie Menin

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Julie Menin
File:Julie Menin, Portrait.jpg
Menin in 2012
Commissioner of New York City Department of Consumer Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office
May 2014
Appointed byBill de Blasio
Preceded byJonathan Mintz
Personal details
Born (1967-11-06) November 6, 1967 (age 56)
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseBruce Menin
Residence(s)New York City, New York, USA
Alma materColumbia University
Northwestern University School of Law
ProfessionFormer Small Business Owner, Regulatory Attorney, Non-Profit Executive Director
Websitejuliemenin.com

Julie Menin was appointed Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) in 2014 by Mayor Bill de Blasio after nearly 20 years as an advocate for consumers and small businesses.[1] Commissioner Menin has dedicated her career to protecting consumers and promoting entrepreneurship in New York City.[2] Under her stewardship, DCA has launched groundbreaking initiatives to protect consumers from fraud, scams, and predatory conduct, and expanded the Agency’s role in key areas such as financial empowerment and investigative legal enforcement.[3][4][5]

As Commissioner of the first municipal consumer protection agency in the United States with a staff of nearly 450 and a budget of more than $40 million,[6] Commissioner Menin administers a department that licenses 55 different industries and regulates more than 80,000 businesses.[7] DCA empowers consumers and businesses to ensure a fair and vibrant marketplace through its enforcement of the Consumer Protection Law and other related business laws in New York City.[8]

Early life and family

An accomplished lawyer and community leader, Commissioner Menin began her career in 1992 as a regulatory attorney at Wiley, Rein & Fielding in Washington D.C., and worked as Senior Regulatory Attorney at Colgate-Palmolive in New York City beginning in 1995.[9] As an attorney, she specialized in consumer protection issues, including matters before the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice and other aspects of regulatory law. In 1999, she opened and operated Vine, a restaurant, market, and catering operation in lower Manhattan, which had more than 75 employees.[10]

Julie Menin earned her B.A. Magna Cum Laude at Columbia University and her J.D. at Northwestern University School of Law. She resides in Manhattan with her husband and three children.[11]

Political career

Nonprofit founder and president

Following 9/11, Menin founded and was the president of the nonprofit Wall Street Rising, a leading catalyst in the recovery of the downtown neighborhood.[12] She helped small businesses access grants, insurance, and other monetary aid; grew the organization to 30,000 members; and created a variety of programs, including the Retail Attraction Program, which helped more than 600 small businesses stay in lower Manhattan.[13]

Chairperson for Community Board 1

Beginning in 2005, Menin served as Chairperson for Community Board 1, where she was unanimously elected for three consecutive terms totaling seven years, and was widely recognized for her role in revitalizing lower Manhattan following the upheaval of 9/11.[14] Commissioner Menin has served on the boards of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the NYC Redistricting Commission, the Municipal Art Society, Governor’s Island, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, and the World Trade Center Performing Arts Center, among others.[15] She currently serves on the boards of Public Service at Harvard College, NYC & Company, and the Cities for Financial Empowerment Coalition.[16]

She has been the recipient of various awards, including the National Association of Women Business Owners Community Service Award, the Women’s City Club of New York “City Spirit Award,” the New York League of Conservation Voters public service award, the New York State Senate’s Women of Distinction award, and Citizen Union’s Civic Leadership award.[17]

Host of cable news show

Commissioner Menin previously served as a host and co-producer of an NBC national cable news show, “Give & Take,” and was a frequent commentator on numerous national and local news networks.[18]

Candidate for Borough President

In 2013, she ran unsuccessfully for Manhattan Borough President.[19][20]

Commissioner of New York City Department of Consumer Affairs

Under Commissioner Menin’s leadership, DCA has increased its consumer restitution by 72 percent over the prior year, returning money to consumers who have been victims of fraud, scams and predatory conduct.[21] By leveraging subpoena and enforcement authority, DCA has launched a number of trailblazing investigations into deceptive practices by for-profit colleges, financial institutions, debt collectors, used car dealers, and employment agencies.[22][23][24] In 2015, DCA entered into the largest settlement in its history, securing relief for more than 4,500 victims of illegal payday loans.[25] Under its authority to enforce weights and measures regulations, DCA exposed systematic overcharging of prepackaged foods in the supermarket industry.[26] The Commissioner also initiated a DCA-backed auto loan program, an innovative initiative that protects New Yorkers from predatory auto loans.[27]

During Commissioner Menin's tenure, DCA has implemented the Living Wage Executive Order and also the Paid Sick Leave Law, which enables more than a million New York City workers to take time off for illness or to care for a family member.[28] She has spearheaded the Agency’s implementation of a Small Business Relief Package and has substantively reduced fines that do not cause immediate consumer harm.[29] Under Commissioner Menin’s leadership, the Agency has increased the transparency and fairness of its operations and broadened its outreach to small businesses.[30]

Commissioner Menin has expanded DCA’s Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE), a pioneering program dedicated to helping New Yorkers with low incomes achieve greater financial stability.[31][32] OFE administers nearly 30 Financial Empowerment Centers that provide free financial counseling and also offers safe banking products, such as NYC SafeStart and SaveUSA accounts, for the 825,000 New Yorkers who are unbanked.[33] In 2015, DCA launched an expanded awareness campaign about the Earned Income Tax Credit, which resulted in a resounding 50 percent increase in New Yorkers (totaling 150,000 individuals) who used the City’s free tax preparation services.[34][35] The campaign successfully returned more than $250 million in fees and refunds to New Yorkers with low incomes.

References

  1. ^ "Julie Menin is new city Consumer Affairs head". NY Daily News.
  2. ^ "Mayor Taps Attorney, Former Restaurant Owner to Head Department of Consumer Affairs". TWC News.
  3. ^ Silver-greenberg, Jessica (20 March 2015). "New York City Starts Car Loan Program to Curb Abusive Practices". The New York Times.
  4. ^ "Here are the top 10 scams in NYC and how to avoid them". New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV.
  5. ^ Abrams, Rachel. "New York City Agency Subpoenas 2 Santander Auto Lenders". DealBook.
  6. ^ "Report on the Fiscal 2016 Preliminary Budget and the Fiscal 2015 Preliminary Mayor's Management Report" (PDF). THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
  7. ^ "Report on the Fiscal 2016 Preliminary Budget and the Fiscal 2015 Preliminary Mayor's Management Report" (PDF). THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
  8. ^ "Report on the Fiscal 2016 Preliminary Budget and the Fiscal 2015 Preliminary Mayor's Management Report" (PDF). THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
  9. ^ "Mayor de Blasio Appoints Julie Menin as Commissioner of Department of Consumer Affairs". The official website of the City of New York. 24 April 2014.
  10. ^ "Mayor de Blasio Appoints Julie Menin as Commissioner of Department of Consumer Affairs". The official website of the City of New York. 24 April 2014.
  11. ^ "Mayor de Blasio Appoints Julie Menin as Commissioner of Department of Consumer Affairs". The official website of the City of New York. 24 April 2014.
  12. ^ "Mayor de Blasio Appoints Julie Menin as Commissioner of Department of Consumer Affairs". The official website of the City of New York. 24 April 2014.
  13. ^ "Mayor de Blasio Appoints Julie Menin as Commissioner of Department of Consumer Affairs". The official website of the City of New York. 24 April 2014.
  14. ^ "Mayor de Blasio Appoints Julie Menin as Commissioner of Department of Consumer Affairs". The official website of the City of New York. 24 April 2014.
  15. ^ "Mayor de Blasio Appoints Julie Menin as Commissioner of Department of Consumer Affairs". The official website of the City of New York. 24 April 2014.
  16. ^ "Mayor de Blasio Appoints Julie Menin as Commissioner of Department of Consumer Affairs". The official website of the City of New York. 24 April 2014.
  17. ^ "Mayor de Blasio Appoints Julie Menin as Commissioner of Department of Consumer Affairs". The official website of the City of New York. 24 April 2014.
  18. ^ "Mayor de Blasio Appoints Julie Menin as Commissioner of Department of Consumer Affairs". The official website of the City of New York. 24 April 2014.
  19. ^ "Mayor de Blasio Appoints Julie Menin as Commissioner of Department of Consumer Affairs". The official website of the City of New York. 24 April 2014.
  20. ^ Hawkins, Andrew J. "De Blasio finally names Consumer Affairs chief". Crain's New York Business.
  21. ^ "City Says Small Business Fines Have Been Cut in Half". DNAinfo New York.
  22. ^ Palmeri, Tara. "City cracking down on shady employment agencies". New York Post.
  23. ^ Abrams, Rachel. "New York City Agency Subpoenas 2 Santander Auto Lenders". DealBook.
  24. ^ Harris, Elizabeth A. (2 April 2015). "New York City Consumer Agency Investigating Four For-Profit Colleges". The New York Times.
  25. ^ "New York City Announces $1.3 million Settlement with Debt Collection Agency". insideARM.
  26. ^ "Whole Foods Overcharging Patrons in "Worst Case of Mislabeling": NYC". NBC New York.
  27. ^ Silver-greenberg, Jessica (20 March 2015). "New York City Starts Car Loan Program to Curb Abusive Practices". The New York Times.
  28. ^ Bragg, Chris. "Consumer Affairs chief oversees mayor's mandates". Crain's New York Business.
  29. ^ Saul, Michael Howard. "New York City Mitigates Rules, Fines For Businesses". Wall Street Journal.
  30. ^ "Dept of Consumer Affairs Overhauls Small Business Regulation, Ramps up Business Outreach". amsterdamnews.com.
  31. ^ "City's Expanded Tax Credit Campaign Pays off Big for New Yorkers". The official website of the City of New York. 15 April 2015.
  32. ^ Cardwell, Diane (19 December 2006). "Bloomberg Plans New Office to Help New York's Poor". The New York Times.
  33. ^ "Bank Tool Is Expanding Unbanked Households, Regulators Say". DealBook.
  34. ^ "City's Expanded Tax Credit Campaign Pays off Big for New Yorkers". The official website of the City of New York. 15 April 2015.
  35. ^ Khurshid, Samar. "Dialing for Dollars: City to Phonebank Tax Refund Awareness". Gotham Gazette: The Place for New York Policy and Politics.

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