Get To Know Your Keynotes For The 2020 Legislative Conference

Hon. Thomas DiNapoli,  NYS Comptroller
Monday, 1/27 - 1:00 to 2:00 PM, Luncheon Special Guest

The honorable Thomas DiNapoli has served as New York State's Comptroller since 2007. In this time he has proposed legislation to increase accountability and transparency of New York state and local government. 

DiNapoli's career in public service began in 1972, when he won his first election and served as a trustee on the Mineola Board of Education. With that election, he became the first 18-year-old in New York State to hold public office.

In his role of auditing government operations and operating the state's retirement system, DiNapoli has shown a commitment to protecting the people's money, keeping government accountable and working toward a better future for New Yorkers.

We are honored to welcome Comptroller DiNapoli as our luncheon speaker.


Joseph Pfeifer, FDNY Chief of Counterterrorism and Emergency Preparedness
Tuesday, 1/28 - 9:00 to 10:15 AM, Opening Plenary Speaker

Joseph Pfeifer was Chief of the Fire Departments of NY (FDNY) and has commanded some of the largest fires and emergencies in the department's history. He was the first FDNY Chief at the World Trade Center attack on the morning of September 11, 2001.

After 9/11, Chief Pfeifer developed FDNY's Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness, which worked to bridge the gaps between fire and law enforcement officials. He assessed the Department's response to the World Trade Center attacks, identified new budget and policy priorities, helped overhaul management practices, created partnerships to supplement the Department's existing competencies with new expertise, and shaped new technologies for emergency response.

Following his retirement in July of 2018, he has been teaching crisis-leadership and disaster-preparedness programs both nationally and internationally. He has lectured at Harvard University, Columbia University, the United States Military Academy, Tsinghua University in Beijing, China's National School of Administration and to classes from both the Army and Navy War Colleges.

Plenary Sponsor: NYSTEC
 
 
Hon. Letitia James, NYS Attorney General
Tuesday, 1/28 - Noon to 1:30 PM, Luncheon Special Guest

The honorable Letitia “Tish” James was sworn in as the 67th Attorney General for the State of New York in January 2019. She is the first woman of color to hold statewide office in New York and the first woman to be elected Attorney General. She has spent the last year building on the office's legacy of prioritizing the rights and interests of all New Yorkers.
 
As head of the Department of Law, the Attorney General is both the “People's Lawyer” and the State's chief legal officer. The Attorney General serves as the guardian of the legal rights of the citizens of New York, its organizations, and its natural resources. Additionally, the Attorney General advises state agencies and defends actions and proceedings on behalf of the State.
 
James began her career as a public defender at the Legal Aid Society. She has served as head of the Brooklyn Regional Office of the New York State Attorney General's Office, represented the 35th Council District in Brooklyn in the New York City Council, and was elected Public Advocate for the City of New York in 2013, and re-elected in 2017.
 
Read the NYS Attorney General's 2019 Year in Review

 
Janine Driver, CEO of the Body Language Institute
Tuesday, 1/28 – 3:45 to 5:00 PM, Afternoon Plenary Speaker

Janine Driver is the CEO of the Body Language Institute, a NY Times Best-Selling author, an international trainer, TEDx presenter, and an award-winning keynote speaker.  She will be presenting on “Secrets to Unlocking the New Leadership Code for Local Leaders,” brought to you by the NYSAC Women's Leadership Council. 

After spending over 16 years as a federal law enforcement officer within the Department of Justice, she now shares her cunning people-reading skills with thousands of law enforcement officers, lawyers, and judges, as well as the ATF, FBI, CIA, DIA, and International Association of Chiefs of Police.

She is a popular guest on the Dr. Oz Show, Anderson Cooper, NBC's TODAY, FOX News, CNN's Larry King Live, and more. She has also been quoted in publications such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, Cosmopolitan and Psychology Today.

Watch Janine Driver Present On How To Communicate Confidently

Afternoon Plenary Sponsor: Napoli Shkolnik PLLC


The Legislative Conference will be held at the Desmond Hotel in Albany from Monday 1/29 through Wednesday 1/31.