Mayor names Sharron Goodwin, Yume Kitase and Lisa Garcia to lead DOP, DCAS and DEP

Mayor announced three senior appointments to his administration and the appointees addressed priorities and reporters' questions.

Sharron Goodwin was named commissioner of the Department of Probation after a 37-year career in the agency. Goodwin, who said she began as an intern in 1986 and worked across boroughs, pledged to "lead with a servant leadership mindset" and framed probation as "about accountability and opportunity." She said she will "look into" reports of friends-and-family hiring practices in the department and evaluate what actions, if any, are needed.

Yume Kitase will lead the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), which the mayor described as responsible for recruiting and training city employees, the municipal fleet, and management of public buildings. Kitase said she will do a "deep review of everything" with a commitment to transparency. Lisa Garcia, appointed to head the Department of Environmental Protection, cited her previous role as EPA Region 2 administrator and said DEP must continue delivering reliable drinking water, manage stormwater resilience and pursue environmental justice.

Reporters raised several policy and oversight questions. One asked Kitase whether she would release the results of a leases review tied to a prior official; the mayor said he would give the commissioner a few days on the job before providing an answer. Reporters also sought specifics from Goodwin about nepotism allegations; Goodwin said she would investigate and assess the situation before acting. Garcia was asked about DEP's approach to water-board rents and affordability; she said she would review capital projects and aim to balance climate resilience, equity and efficiency.