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Kim has served as New York State’s first-ever Chief Disability Officer (CDO) since being appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul in February of 2022. Kim has been charged with advising the Governor and executive staff on policy and budgetary issues as they pertain to disability issues, serving as the state’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator and chairing New York’s Most Integrated Services Coordinating Council (MISCC), which is responsible for the state’s Olmstead compliance. Kim also acts as the New York State lead related to the execution of Executive Order 31—signed by Governor Hochul in July 2023—focused on New York being a model employer for people with disabilities.

As CDO, Kim and her team spend a significant amount of their time meeting with advocates, and people with disabilities and their families, focusing on priority topics such as homecare, employment, housing, accessibility and transportation and collaborating with state agencies to reduce the silos that exist within the many existing service delivery systems in New York State. Through this work, Kim has championed the addition of Accessibility to the extensive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) work being done within state agencies and offices—ensuring that the rights and experiences of people with disabilities are included in these efforts.

Kim lives with a C5-C6 cervical incomplete spinal cord injury resulting from an accident during her junior year in high school and has never let her disability have a negative impact her attitude or achievements.

Prior to joining the Executive Chamber, Kim served in various disability-focused roles with the New York Assembly spanning 27 years.

Kim holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Utica College of Syracuse University (now Utica University) and resides in Latham, NY with her husband, Michael, and their children, Michaela and Alex.

Leah Akins is DEC’s Statewide Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Coordinator. She focuses on improving access for people with disabilities to outdoor recreation activities such as hiking, camping, boating, paddling, birding, and nature observation. In this role, she is a diligent advocate for greater equity in access to the outdoors, diversifying visitors to State lands, and providing a more inclusive environment for all.

Infusing DEI into environmental conservation is her passion, as she sees this integrated approach as fundamental to improving the health of humans and ecosystems. Leah feeds this passion by creating opportunities for people who have limited access to the outdoors to get outside and by working directly with community groups to deepen their connection with nature.

Leah came to DEI and environmental conservation from a wide-ranging background in environmental science, policy, planning, and community engagement. Just like the marine animals she studied as a graduate student, she has been migrating upriver throughout her career, spanning research on sea turtles in Florida, shrimp fisheries in North Carolina, strategic planning, and policy for marine reserves in California, and coastal protection in New York State.

Leah has a Master of Science in ecology from the University of California, Davis, and a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She is a certified ADA Coordinator and Trainer in a broad range of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. Read her article on page 14 the June/July 2023 issue of DEC’s Conservationist magazine to learn more about accessible recreation on New York State lands.