Who is Lisa White? Eric Adams’ pal and ex-911 dispatcher is among highest-paid NYPD staff with $241k salary
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A former 911 dispatcher and a friend of New York City Mayor Eric Adams holds one of the highest-paying jobs in the city, it has been revealed. Lisa White, the mayor's longtime friend, was appointed commissioner for employee relations by the NYPD in May, which came with a $241,000 per year salary. Notably, White earned just $53,000 during her 24 years of service as a 911 operator before being appointed to the position. She also brings in a $30,000 per year pension, besides her six-figure salary.
Adams and White are known to be very close friends, so much so that the mayor even rented a room in her Crown Heights apartment from 2013 to 2017, The City reported. While City Hall confirmed that the two had been friends for "decades", it denied claims that he had any role to play in hiring White. In the past too, Adams raised eyebrows when he allegedly tried to hire his brother, Bernard Adams, to a $242,000 job within the NYPD. The appointment was ultimately shot down.
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Who is Lisa White?
White's career with the NYPD began back in 1995 when she served as a police communications technician, or a 911 telephone operator. She and Adams became friends sometime in the nineties as she joined the group 100 Blacks in Law. Adams confounded the group in an attempt to reform the way the NYPD dealt with the city's black community. Black remained active in the group and even appeared at protests in 1999.
White earned $1,000 in November of 2013 for her work as a consultant on Adams' borough president campaign. She volunteered as treasurer for Adams' non-profit, One Brooklyn Fund, from 2014 to 2021. After retiring from the NYPD in 2019, she became a spokesperson for Adams' mayoral campaign the following year.
NYPD fired its commissioner for employee relations, Robert Ganley, just days after Adams was sworn in as mayor in January 2022. In May, White was named to the position. According to the NYPD, "As Deputy Commissioner for Employee Relations Lisa D. White oversees the New York City Police Department’s efforts to improve the health, well-being, and morale of all members of service, support the families of fallen officers and members who are seriously injured and/or ill; and liaison to the Department’s 40 fraternal, religious, and ethnic organizations."
The department further says, "Deputy Commissioner White identifies and evaluates member of service issues of concern and conveys them to the Police Commissioner and members of the Department leadership team. She regularly reviews administrative processes and internal policies to determine and provide effective recommendations that build on community-police relations."
"Throughout her 30-year career with the Department, she served in positions within the Communications Division, including Interim Supervisor, giving her an understanding of the immeasurable impact the overall wellbeing of the workforce has on crime reduction and the community. In recognition of her professionalism, she was the recipient of various Department and Community Service Awards. Deputy Commissioner White has a deep respect for the men and women of the Department and their roles in addressing public safety. Most recently, Deputy Commissioner White joined the US Census Bureau as a Field Supervisor. There she managed teams, ensuring accurate collection of sensitive data essential for the planning, enforcement and policy decisions of government agencies, furthering community empowerment, economic and social wellbeing, educational advancement, and civic engagement," the NYPD adds.
White holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from the College of New Rochelle, a Master of Arts degree in Labor Studies from the CUNY School of Professional Studies, and numerous Frontline Manager Certifications, according to the NYPD.