Julie Menin

Julie Menin
Menin in 2012
Commissioner of New York City Department of Consumer Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office May 2014
Appointed by	Bill de Blasio
Preceded by	Jonathan Mintz
Personal details
Born	(1967-11-06) November 6, 1967
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Bruce Menin
Residence	New York City, New York, USA
Alma mater	Columbia University Northwestern University School of Law
Profession	Former Small Business Owner, Regulatory Attorney, Non-Profit Executive Director
Website	juliemenin.com

Julie Menin is an American attorney, civil servant, non-profit executive, and small business owner. She was appointed Commissioner of the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) in 2014 by Mayor Bill de Blasio.^[1][2]

Early life and family

Menin began her career in 1992 as a regulatory attorney at Wiley, Rein & Fielding in Washington D.C., and worked as Senior Regulatory Attorney at Colgate-Palmolive in New York City beginning in 1995.^[3] As an attorney, she specialized in regulatory law. In 1999, she opened and operated Vine, a restaurant, market, and catering operation in lower Manhattan, which had more than 75 employees.^[4]

Menin earned her B.A. magna cum laude at Columbia University and her J.D. at Northwestern University School of Law. She resides in Manhattan with her husband and three children.^[5]

Political career

Nonprofit founder and president

Following 9/11, Menin founded and was the president of the nonprofit Wall Street Rising, a leading catalyst in the recovery of the downtown neighborhood.^[6] She helped small businesses access grants, insurance, and other monetary aid; grew the organization to 30,000 members; and created a variety of programs, including the Retail Attraction Program, which helped more than 600 small businesses stay in lower Manhattan.^[7]

Under her leadership, the organization launched the “Music Downtown” and “Art Downtown” series, which provided cultural and entertainment amenities to local residents in an effort to revitalize Lower Manhattan.^[8][9] Menin worked with artists including Mikhail Baryshnikov on these programs.^[10]

Chairperson for Community Board 1

Beginning in 2005, Menin served as Chairperson for Community Board 1, where she was unanimously elected for three consecutive terms totaling seven years, and was widely recognized for her role in revitalizing lower Manhattan following the upheaval of 9/11.^[11]

As chair of CB1, Menin worked on numerous land use and zoning issues, led a successful campaign to build New York City’s first "green" school and other initiatives to revitalize Lower Manhattan.^[12] Menin has been recognized for her “solution-based” approach to controversial issues in the wake of 9/11 and as chair of CB1.^[13]

She successfully pushed to move the trial of 9-11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed out of Lower Manhattan, while maintaining the importance of a federal trial.^[14][15] resulting in the Obama Administration backing out of New York City ^[16]

On May 25, 2010, Menin presided over the Community Board's historic 29-1 vote in favor of a proposed Islamic cultural center and mosque, preserving the fundamental principle of freedom of religion and used a solution driven approach to urge the interfaith center (where all different religions can worship) be part of the plans.^[17][18]

She advocated for the construction of a performing arts space as a part of the redevelopment of Ground Zero.^[19]

In 2011, Menin spearheaded efforts to balance the rights of Occupy Wall Street protesters with quality-of-life concerns of residents.^[20] This position was praised in a New York Times editorial as a "good approach."^[21][22]

Candidate for borough president

Menin ran in the Democratic primary for Manhattan Borough President in September 2013, but finished fourth behind New York City Council Members Gale Brewer, Jessica Lappin and Robert Jackson.^[23]

Commissioner of DCA

Under Menin’s leadership, the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs has launched initiatives to protect consumers from fraud, scams, and predatory conduct, and expanded the Agency’s role in areas such as financial empowerment and investigative legal enforcement.^[24][25][26] DCA has increased its consumer restitution by 72 percent over the prior year, returning money to consumers who have been victims of fraud, scams and predatory conduct.^[27]

By leveraging subpoena and enforcement authority, DCA has launched a number of investigations into deceptive practices by for-profit colleges, financial institutions, debt collectors, used car dealers, and employment agencies.^[28][29][30] In 2015, DCA entered into the largest settlement in its history, securing relief for more than 4,500 victims of illegal payday loans.^[31] Under its authority to enforce weights and measures regulations, DCA exposed systematic overcharging of prepackaged foods in the supermarket industry.^[32] The Commissioner also initiated a DCA-backed auto loan program, an innovative initiative that protects New Yorkers from predatory auto loans.^[33]

DCA has implemented the Living Wage Executive Order and also the Paid Sick Leave Law, which enables more than a million New York City workers to take time off for illness or to care for a family member.^[34] She has spearheaded the Agency’s implementation of a Small Business Relief Package and has substantively reduced fines that do not cause immediate consumer harm.^[35] Under Menin’s leadership, the Agency has increased the transparency and fairness of its operations and broadened its outreach to small businesses.^[36]

Menin expanded DCA’s Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE), a program dedicated to helping New Yorkers with low incomes achieve greater financial stability.^[37][38]

In 2015, DCA launched an expanded awareness campaign about the Earned Income Tax Credit, which resulted in a resounding 50 percent increase in New Yorkers (totaling 150,000 individuals) who used the City’s free tax preparation services.^[39][40] The campaign successfully returned more than $250 million in fees and refunds to New Yorkers with low incomes.

Menin conducted DCA’s first study of gender pricing disparities between goods sold in New York City, and published a report, “From Cradle to Cane: The Cost of Being a Female Consumer.”^[41][42] Through a comparison of nearly 800 products with clear male and female versions from more than 90 brands sold online and in stores at two dozen New York City stores, the study found that, on average, products for women cost seven percent more than similar products for men and women’s products were priced higher 42 percent of the time.^[43]

Activities and awards

Menin has served on the boards of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the NYC Redistricting Commission, the Municipal Art Society, Governor’s Island, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, and the World Trade Center Performing Arts Center, among others.^[44] She currently serves on the boards of Public Service at Harvard College, NYC & Company, and the Cities for Financial Empowerment Coalition.^[45]

She has been the recipient of various awards, including the National Association of Women Business Owners Community Service Award, the Women’s City Club of New York “City Spirit Award,” the New York League of Conservation Voters public service award, the New York State Senate’s Women of Distinction award, and Citizen Union’s Civic Leadership award.^[46]

References