Mayor Adams Reappoints Cecile Noel As Mayors Office To End Domestic And Gender-Based Violence Commissioner

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the reappointment of Cecile Noel as commissioner of the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV). In that role, she will continue the office’s work of coordinating a citywide response to domestic and gender-based violence, enhancing prevention efforts, and developing innovative and responsive programming to support survivors throughout New York City.

Domestic and gender-based violence includes intimate partner violence, family violence, sexual violence, stalking, human trafficking, female genital mutilation/cutting, and other forms of gender-based violence.

“Domestic and gender-based violence is another public health crisis that has been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic, and we must take a coordinated, holistic approach to addressing it,” said Mayor Adams. “Cecile Noel has spent her career advocating for survivors and victims, and I am proud to reappoint her as commissioner to deepen the efforts of ENDGBV.”

“It is difficult to articulate the impact domestic and gender-based violence has on children, adults, and families; my heart breaks for every New Yorker touched by these issues,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “Know that we are here to uplift and support you, and Commissioner Noel is committed to reaching every person and family in need. I commend her service, look forward to continuing to work together, and am grateful for the whole team at ENDGBV.”

“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to continue to lead the city’s response to domestic and gender-based violence,” said ENDGBV Commissioner Noel. “Alongside our critical partners and with my incredible team, ENDGBV will continue to enhance responses to meet the needs of survivors in every community and strengthen prevention efforts so that we can work toward a goal of ending gender-based violence in New York City. I look forward to working with Mayor Adams, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom, and my colleagues across all sectors to continue to innovate and coordinate our approaches while ensuring unwavering support for survivors.”

“Commissioner Noel has been a vital partner through my many years of city service, as she has worked tirelessly toward our shared goal of serving and uplifting some of New York’s most vulnerable communities,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Gary P. Jenkins. “This administration’s recognition of her invaluable role in addressing domestic and gender-based violence is a testament to her strong leadership and incredible dedication to serving New Yorkers in need. As she continues to lead this critical effort, I look forward to working together to combat one of the key drivers of homelessness, as we build a more inclusive, equitable, and safe city for all New Yorkers.”

“I am so pleased that Mayor Eric Adams has reappointed Cecile Noel to continue the city’s efforts to end domestic and gender-based violence as the commissioner of ENDGBV,” said Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) Commissioner Jess Dannhauser. “In my work with young people and families, I have often relied on Commissioner Noel’s vast expertise and abiding support. We at ACS look forward to continuing to build our partnership and collaboration, to keep children and families safe.”

“Cecile Noel has been a tremendous partner with my office, supporting our numerous domestic violence initiatives and coordinated training and consistently participating in our annual 5k Run/Walk/Roll for Domestic Violence Awareness,” said Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark. “Our collaboration has been instrumental in successfully providing services for survivors through the co-located Bronx Family Justice Center. She has shown innovative approaches to preventing and stemming this sensitive, traumatic crime that plagues the Bronx more than other boroughs.”

“The Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence plays an essential role in helping vulnerable victims escape abuse, neglect, and violence, and Commissioner Cecile Noel has been an outstanding partner with my office,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “A tireless advocate and skilled leader, Commissioner Noel has worked to ensure that our Family Justice Center provides a safe, one-stop resource for victims. She has also collaborated with us to develop inclusive programs to prevent violence and abuse, and to help survivors reclaim their lives. The people of our city will benefit greatly from her continued service leading this vital agency, and I commend Mayor Adams on his outstanding choice.”

“We applaud Mayor Adams’ decision to reappoint Commissioner Noel. My office has worked closely with her on several initiatives to ensure that all survivors of domestic and gender-based violence know that they are not alone,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “Together, we have ensured that survivors have access to safety planning, shelter assistance, and counseling. We are grateful for Commissioner Noel’s leadership and look forward to continuing to strengthen our partnership with the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence.”

“Cecile Noel is an incredibly compassionate and effective leader, and she and her entire team at ENDGBV have been incredible partners in our mission to end domestic violence,” said Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon. “I was extremely proud to work with her to finally bring a Family Justice Center to Staten Island and my domestic violence bureau. And I look forward to continuing our work together to deliver supportive services and justice for survivors of domestic violence on Staten Island.”

“The Family Justice Centers, run by ENDGBV, are increasingly helpful to New Yorkers who utilize the Family Court,” said Hon. Anne-Marie Jolly, administrative judge, New York City Family Court. “During the COVID pandemic, Commissioner Noel and her staff assisted many people in filing petitions remotely. We thank Commissioner Noel for working with the court to provide access to justice for those who can benefit from the Family Justice Centers, and we congratulate her on her reappointment.”

“I am delighted that Commissioner Cecile Noel has been reappointed to her position and will be able to continue her outstanding work, which is of critical importance to so many residents of our city,” said Hon. Deborah A. Kaplan, deputy chief administrative judge, New York City Courts. “Commissioner Noel’s commitment to addressing intimate partner, family, gender-based, and sexual violence, and providing services for survivors, is exceptional and to be lauded.”

“Commissioner Noel is a dedicated advocate and a great example of innovative leadership in the area of gender-based violence,” said Kelli Owens, executive director, New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (NYS OPDV). “She spent her career putting survivors at the center of the work, and NYS OPDV looks forward to the work we are going to do together and values our ongoing partnership to transform systems for survivors in New York City and across New York State.”

“With Commissioner Noel at its helm, ENDGBV has fostered and scaled safe spaces for survivors to access the care they need,” said Rawaa Nancy Albilal, president and CEO, of Arab-American Family Support Center. “As a long-standing partner of ENDGBV, the Arab-American Family Support Center is thrilled to continue collaborating with Commissioner Noel in this capacity. She is a true champion and ally as we address intimate partner violence, drive innovative solutions, and create meaningful change.”

“It is with great excitement and gratitude that I take in the reappointment of Commissioner Cecile Noel, whose leadership has supported substantial growth for ENDGBV and significantly deepened its connection with those of us who directly support survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence,” said Christopher E. Bromson, executive director, Crime Victims Treatment Center. “We are thrilled that her authenticity, commitment, and openness will continue to support the experiences of survivors in New York City. We very much look forward to the future.”

“On behalf of the Korean American Family Service Center (KAFSC), I would like to congratulate Commissioner Cecile Noel on her reappointment,” said Jeehae Fischer, executive director, KAFSC. “KAFSC values the work of Commissioner Cecile Noel, in preventing and ending domestic violence and gender-based violence in our community. We look forward to working closely with her and her team to build on our long-standing partnership with ENDGBV to ensure New York remains free of domestic violence and gender-based violence.”

“New Destiny applauds the reappointment of Cecile Noel as Commissioner of ENDGBV,” said Nicole Branca, executive director, New Destiny Housing. “Since 2015, when she was first appointed commissioner, New Destiny has partnered with Cecile and her extraordinary ENDGBV team to address the critical need for safe, affordable housing for the thousands of domestic violence survivors seeking assistance through the Family Justice Centers. Together, we have created groundbreaking programs that provide a path to permanent housing for domestic violence survivors and the training and resources that are needed to ensure housing stability for them and their families. We are thrilled that this partnership, and Cecile’s unparalleled leadership, will continue.”

“We are thrilled to see Cecile Noel’s reappointment as commissioner of ENDGBV,” said Beverly Tillary, executive director, New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP). “Commissioner Noel’s visionary leadership has enabled ENDGBV to advance the public discourse around understanding and preventing violence within our city. Her stewardship has led to groundbreaking programming, training, and technical assistance, which uplifts those often overlooked or erased in the movement to end gender-based violence. Her work has improved the lives of LGBTQ people, immigrants, communities of color, and young people. AVP looks forward to a continued robust partnership with Commissioner Noel and her team.”

“We are delighted that Commissioner Cecile Noel will continue her leadership of ENDGBV,” said Liz Roberts, CEO, Safe Horizon. “She brings to her work deep expertise and commitment and a true collaborative spirit. We look forward to our continued partnership with ENDGBV to serve survivors with vital resources for healing and rebuilding their lives.”

“The commissioner of ENDGBV should be someone with vision, integrity, warmth, compassion, perseverance, and a deep commitment to advancing the rights of survivors of gender violence,” said Hon. Judy Harris Kluger, executive director, Sanctuary for Families. “Commissioner Noel embodies all of those characteristics and more, and I could not be more pleased that she has been reappointed to the office. On behalf of everyone at Sanctuary, we congratulate Commissioner Noel and look forward to four more years of innovation and community partnership.”

“The reappointment of Cecile Noel as Commissioner of ENDGBV is good news for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, for service providers like URI, and for the citizens of New York City,” said Nathaniel M. Fields, CEO, Urban Resource Institute. “Commissioner Noel is a passionate and effective advocate, partner, and leader who will continue to drive positive change, and we commend City Hall on recognizing her valuable work to reduce violence.”

“Cecile Noel has brought a brilliant combination of experience and compassion to her role as commissioner at ENDGBV, and we are thrilled that Mayor Adams has doubled down on her leadership,” said Margarita Guzman, executive director, Violence Intervention Program. “As a culturally specific organization addressing domestic and sexual violence against Latina/o/x survivors, we are so pleased to have a staunch ally at City Hall and a leader who truly listens to the needs of our survivor communities.”

“We are happy with the reappointment of Cecile Noel to lead ENDGBV,” said Raquel Singh, executive director, Voices of Women. “Commissioner Noel’s leadership has ensured that survivors’ voices are lifted and included in policymaking. We look forward to working together with ENDGBV to help survivors of gender-based violence.”

“Commissioner Noel embodies all that you want from a leader: experience, honesty, diligence, humility, and smarts,” said Lisa Rachmuch, program administrator, New York City Elder Abuse Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. “She brings out the best in those around her. Congratulations on another term.”

Cecile Noel

Cecile Noel serves as commissioner of the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic Violence and Gender-Based Violence. She was first appointed in October 2015. Under Commissioner Noel’s leadership, ENDGBV has made, and continues to make, an incredible impact in coordinating a citywide response to domestic and gender-based violence survivors. The office collaborates with city agencies and community stakeholders to ensure access to inclusive services for survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. ENDGBV oversees intervention and prevention programming, and the New York City Family Justice Centers, which receive over 42,000 client visits annually.

In her prior position as the executive deputy commissioner for the Human Resources Administration (HRA) Emergency Intervention Services, Commissioner Noel managed programs with a total operating budget of $200 million and over 500 employees. Under her leadership, expansions were accomplished in both residential and non-residential services for domestic violence survivors across the network of 52 New York City-funded domestic violence shelters. She launched one of the first school-based domestic violence prevention programs in the country, the Teen Relationship Abuse Prevention Program, which now operates in one hundred New York City public schools.

In addition to HRA’s domestic violence programming, Commissioner Noel directed the Emergency Food Assistance Program, the Home Energy Assistance Program, and the Low-Income Utility Assistance Program. She also led the HRA Crisis and Disaster program and Adult Protective Services programs.

Commissioner Noel served as director of the Office of Prison Health and Special Patient Services for New York City Health and Hospital Corporation. She led the New York City municipal hospitals’ prison health program and supervised the system-wide domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, and elder abuse programs.

Commissioner Noel is a graduate of Vassar College and holds a master’s degree in Social Work Administration from Columbia University in Harlem, NY. She is also an adjunct professor in the School of Social Work at Hunter College.

Photo credit: Youtube.