Latimer Announces First Administration Staff Nominations
John Jordan | December 20, 2017
WHITE PLAINS—Westchester County Executive-Elect George Latimer announced his first key administration appointments and all are very well known and respected in political, business and media circles in the county.
Latimer announced on Dec. 19 that he had nominated retiring County Legislator Ken Jenkins to be his Deputy County Executive, former New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Joan McDonald to be the administration’s Director of Operations, John M. Nonna, Esq., as County Attorney and former radio news broadcast reporter Catherine Cioffi, J.D. to be Director of Communications.
Latimer, who takes office on Jan. 1, 2018, said of his nomination of Jenkins as Deputy County Executive, “I consider Ken Jenkins to be an outstanding elected official and community leader. He has shown, time and again, that moving Westchester forward is at the heart of his actions and efforts. He will bring practical experience to the team as we tackle the issues facing Westchester, together.”
Jenkins, who has 25 years of public service experience, is retiring this year as a member of the Board of Legislators, having served as Board Chair from 2010-2014. Jenkins was first elected to the Board in 2007 and also served as president of the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency. He ran for the Democratic nomination for Westchester County Executive against Latimer in the November 2017 election.
McDonald served as NYSDOT Commissioner under Gov. Andrew Cuomo for four-and-a-half years and oversaw a department with 8,300 employees and a budget of $4 billion. Prior to her role in New York State, she was Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and held senior positions in New York City and at Metro North railroad. She currently serves as the Principal of JMM Strategic Solutions, an infrastructure and economic development consulting firm.
“Joan McDonald is a tremendous leader and administrator, who has a track record of success everywhere she has served. I am honored and excited that she is willing to join our administration and help move Westchester forward,” Latimer said.
Nonna, a former County Legislator and Mayor of Pleasantville, s currently a partner with the Squire, Patton Boggs Law firm, with a practice that focuses on commercial and insurance litigation. Nonna is a past board member and board chair of the Westchester Community College Board of Trustees and is a former co-chair of the Board of Directors of the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Cioffi is a graduate of Fordham University and Pace Law School and has an extensive background in radio news including WCBS NewsRadio 880, and is currently Director of Public Relations and Marketing for Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry.
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