Politics on the Hudson

   Gov.-elect Eliot Spitzer and Lieutenant gov.-elect David Paterson today announced a dozen high-level appointments to their administration. Three were heavily involved in the campaign, five currently work for Spitzer, a Democrat who is the outgoing state attorney general. One appointee has been a state Health Department official under the administration of outgoing Gov. George Pataki, a Republican.

   The appointees are:

   1-Dennis Whalen, deputy secretary for health. He has been executive deputy commissioner for the state Health Department since November 1996.

   2-Priscilla Almodovar for president and CEO of the state Housing Finance Agency. She was deputy director for Spitzer-Paterson 2006.

   3-Terryl Brown Clemons as first assistant counsel. He is currently assistant deputy attorney general of the agency’s Division of Public Advocacy.

   4-Eric Dinallo for insurance superintendent. He is general counsel of Willis Group Holdings Ltd., a global insurance broker, and a member of Willis’ Partners Group.

   5-Pat Foye, downstate chairman of the New York State Urban Development Corp. He is president and CEO of United Way of Long Island. Spitzer has announced he intends to appoint an upstate chair for the corporation in Buffalo.

   6-Avi Schick, downstate chief operating officer and president of the Empire State Development Corp. He is currently a deputy attorney general.

   7-Marty Mack, deputy secretary for intergovernmental affairs. He has been deputy attorney general for eight years.

   8-Peter Pope, policy director. He is deputy attorney general in charge of the office’s Criminal Division.

   9-Elliot “Lee” Sander, executive director and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He is corporate senior vice president at DMJM Harris, a transportation engineering firm.

   10-Michael Schell, senior adviser for intergovernmental affairs. He was upstate campaign director in Spitzer’s last two campaigns.

   11-Anthony Ernest Shorris, executive director of the Port Authority. He was senior policy adviser to Spitzer-Paterson 2006.

   12-Patricia Smith, commissioner of the Department of Labor. She is assistant attorney general in charge of the agency’s Labor Bureau.

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