New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams on Monday announced activist, strategist, organizer, chief executive officer and lawyer, Ifeoma Ike, as his nominee to the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB).
Ike, if confirmed, would be the first appointee by a public advocate following the 2019 Charter revision restructuring the body.
“New Yorkers made it clear in 2019 that independent oversight and accountability should be top priorities in government; and, as the ombudsman of the city, I’m honored to nominate Ifeoma Ike as the first ever COIB appointee by a Public Advocate,” said Jumaane D. Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants, in announcing the nomination.
“Her experiences both in government and in communities across our city, her passion and expertise in fighting for justice, make her well-suited for this role,” Williams added. “I know that she will bring a new voice and perspective to the Board in pursuit of radical transparency, holding city government accountable to the people it serves, and the legal and ethical obligations we all have as public servants.”
Ike said she was “humbled to be considered to serve on the Conflicts of Interest Board.
“This important board seeks to ensure integrity across our agencies and departments exists, and that the public has trust in the governance which they support with their tax dollars and livelihoods,” she added. “I look forward to the next steps of this process and to once again serving our great City.”
Williams said Ike is an equity strategist, lawyer and chief executive officer of Pink Cornrows, a social impact consultancy firm.
With a full career committed to service, her professional resume includes serving under the de Blasio administration as the Deputy Executive Director for NYC’s Young Men’s Initiative, as a senior policy advocate with the Innocence Project and counsel on the US House Judiciary Committee, as a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation counsel fellow and as a member of Obama for America’s voting rights counsel.
Ike has also been an adjunct professor at Lehman College in both the Political Science and Africana Studies Departments.
Williams said Ike has led efforts in civic engagement, international human rights and justice reform, as well as launched spaces to prioritize the needs of systematically marginalized people, including two congressional caucuses to center policies impacting the quality of life for Black lives.
Ike earned her B.A. and M.A. in applied communication theory and research from West Virginia University, J.D. from CUNY School of Law, and LL.M. with highest honors from The George Washington University School of Law.
The Conflicts of Interest Board is an independent city agency tasked with administering, enforcing and interpreting the city’s Conflicts of Interest Law and the city’s Annual Disclosure Law.
Under its previous construction, the Board consisted of five mayoral appointees.
But, after voters approved a charter revision in 2019, one appointment each was given to the public advocate and the comptroller for the upcoming term.
New appointees, once confirmed by the New York City Council, will begin their term on April 1, 2022.
