Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo today announced his appointment of Leecia Eve as deputy secretary for economic development.
“Economic development and creating jobs have been my No. 1 priority since I took office, and Leecia is the perfect candidate to continue putting New York back on the path to prosperity,” said Cuomo. “Her extensive credentials and years of public service make her especially suited for this position.
“Together with the ESD [Empire State Development] team, I am certain Leecia will play a major role in creating jobs and growing our state’s economy. This is a critical time for New York, and I look forward to working with Leecia.”
Eve said, “At a time when Governor Cuomo has made rebuilding our state economy one of his top priorities, I am honored to be appointed to the position of deputy secretary for economic development. We made incredible progress toward changing the economic trajectory of the state while I was at ESD, and I look forward to continuing our work together to invest in the state, create jobs and make New York the Empire State once again.”
Eve most recently served as senior vice president and general counsel to ESD, the primary economic development agency for the state of New York.
Prior to joining ESD, she was the vice president for policy of the No Limits Foundation, a not-for-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., that promotes economic issues at home and abroad and advocates transforming American foreign policy around the world, including advancing the rights of women.
Eve has spoken nationally about the need to address the youth unemployment crisis and to invest in the nation’s infrastructure to improve economic competitiveness and create jobs.
From 2007 to 2008, Eve was a senior policy advisor for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. She served as senate counsel and homeland security advisor to Clinton during her tenure as a New York senator, from 2001 to 2005.
Before joining Clinton’s office, Eve practiced law for five years at Hodgson Russ, Western New York’s largest law firm, where she later became the first African-American general equity partner in the firm’s history. In 1995, Eve served as counsel to Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., then the ranking member of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, advising him on immigration, intellectual property, securities and antitrust law.
From 1992 to 1995, Eve was an associate at Covington & Burling. Upon graduating from Harvard, Eve served as judicial clerk for New York State Court of Appeals Judge Fritz W. Alexander II, the first African-American appointed to a full term on the state’s highest court.
Eve graduated from Smith College in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in government and Afro-American studies. She earned both her J.D. and master’s degree in public administration in 1990 from Harvard University.
Eve is a lifelong member of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Buffalo, N.Y. She has served on the board of directors of the Greater Buffalo Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens Society. She is a former vice president of the Minority Bar Association of Western New York and a member of Buffalo Chapter of the Links Inc. and the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.