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Lorelei Salas
Commissioner at NYC Consumer AffairsLorelei Salas was appointed commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) in May 2016. She is an accomplished labor law advocate who has been committed to fighting inequality throughout her career. As commissioner of DCA, Salas established the agency’s new, evolved mission—to protect and enhance the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities. The mission and Salas’ focused voice are leading DCA’s protection, education, and regulation of the marketplace for consumers, businesses, and workers alike. Under Salas’ leadership, DCA’s efforts are directed towards industries in which predatory practices are prevalent and the agency regularly utilizes data to inform its strategic enforcement of consumer and worker protection laws.
As the Director of Legal Services at Catholic Migration Services, Salas supervised the immigration, housing, and employment legal services programs designed to help immigrants and refugees increase their access to justice. She also previously worked at Make the Road New York, directing litigation in the areas of immigration, housing, and employment law.
In 2009, Salas was nominated by President Obama as the Wage and Hour Administrator at the United States Department of Labor. Prior to this, she worked at the New York State Attorney General’s Office in the Litigation and Labor Bureaus, investigating businesses for violations of state and federal labor laws and representing the Department of Health in litigation. Salas also held multiple senior management positions at the New York State Department of Labor, supervising worker protection divisions and leading strategic enforcement efforts.
Prior to becoming an attorney, Salas worked for several years as a social accountability consultant, assisting businesses in New York City with compliance issues primarily focused around labor law, safety and health, and tax laws.
She earned her J.D. from Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School and is admitted to practice law in New York State and in Federal Courts. Salas is also a proud CUNY graduate, obtaining her A.A. degree from La Guardia Community College and her B.A. from Hunter College.
Miriam Aldana-Galdamez
Community Affairs Associate at New York City Department of Consumer AffairsMiriam Aldana, Community Affairs Associate at the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, formerly known as the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), an agency whose mission is to protect and enhance the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities. In the last 7 years, Miriam has worked in state and city offices, as well as in non-profit organizations, focusing on helping to provide resources to members of the communities where she has worked, connecting them with city and state community services and resources
Thomas J. Grech
President & CEO of Queens Chamber of CommerceTom’s career has spanned the printing and publishing industries over the past 25 years with RR Donnelley & Sons Company, Merrill Corporation and SONY DADC. For the past five years, he has been involved in the energy industry. Most recently, Tom was Director of Sales for CCI Energy Solutions, Inc.
His other interests include investing in multi-family real estate, adviser to non-profit and for-profit boards.
Originally from Astoria, Tom lives in Malverne, NY with his wife and their daughter and son. He is a graduate of the University of Scranton, Scranton, PA with a BS in Accounting and received his MBA in International Business from Manhattan College, Riverdale, NY.
He has served as President & CEO of Queens Chamber of Commerce since July of 2015.
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