Three new members of Governor Kathy Hochul's cabinet were confirmed this week by the New York State Senate. Terry O'Leary will serve as the Commissioner of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES), John Kagia is the new Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), and Kathy Moser has been okayed as Commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
- Terry O'Leary previously served as the Deputy Secretary for Public Safety for the New York State Executive Chamber, where he was responsible for overseeing the policy and operations of the state's public safety agencies, including DHSES, the New York State Police, the Division of Military and Naval Affairs, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and the Division of Criminal Justice Services.
- Prior to his role as Executive Director of OCM, John Kagia served as the Director of Policy at OCM, where he led the team responsible for policy development and implementation for the medical, adult use and cannabinoid hemp programs, and managed the development of research systems in New York.
- Prior to her confirmation, Kathy Moser served in the role in an acting capacity since being appointed by Hochul in October 2025. Before that, she had been Chief Conservation and Policy Officer at the Open Space Institute (OSI), an East Coast land trust based in New York. Moser directed OSI's Parks, Stewardship and Government Relations programs. Before taking on that role in June 2020, she served as OSI's Senior Vice President of Parks and Policy.
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