Mayor Adams Appoints Jean-Claude Lebec as Director Of Mayor's Office Of Risk Management and Compliance, Citywide Lead Compliance Officer

May 16, 2024 NYC Office of the Mayor 

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that he has appointed long-time New York City civil servant Jean-Claude LeBec as director of the Mayor’s Office of Risk Management and Compliance (MORMC). The office — created by Mayor Adams at the beginning of his administration — serves to identify systemic and agency-specific risks with the full support of City Hall before they balloon into more costly audits, investigations, and litigation. LeBec will also serve as the citywide lead compliance officer, where he will coordinate a data-driven plan across the New York City Housing Authority, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development to fulfill Mayor Adams’ vision of eliminating childhood lead exposure. LeBec replaces Marjorie Landa, who has retired after 38 years of city service.

“Since day one of our administration, we have been laser-focused on rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in our agencies to ensure our city is delivering for all,” said Mayor Adams. “Marjorie Landa has been a key player in this work, leading our newly-created Office of Risk Management and Compliance, safeguarding taxpayer money, and building an efficient and effective city government. In Jean-Claude LeBec, New Yorkers can be confident that we have a strong general in our war on waste and a data-driven expert to continue our mission to eliminate childhood lead exposure.”

“Marjorie Landa did a phenomenal job in standing up the Mayor’s Office of Risk Management and Compliance to root out fraud, waste, and abuse and to identify risks and the best practices needed to solve them,” said City Hall Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg. “Jean-Claude is the perfect person to lead this work forward, with the same tenacity and urgency, to ensure that New Yorkers are getting the best out of their city government.” 

“Advancing Mayor Adams’s commitments to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in city operations and leading our mission to eradicate childhood lead exposure are responsibilities that I take seriously, and this appointment is the greatest honor of my career,” said MORMC Director LeBec. “When Mayor Adams tapped Marjorie Landa to establish this office at the beginning of his administration, I immediately wanted to jump in to bring their joint vision to life. With the mayor’s support, Marjorie led the office with the dedication, excellence, and zeal that I aspire to continue. Like her and every member of this team, I am committed to showing up every day with a relentless drive to do the best job we can for our city’s taxpayers.”

Last April, the city released “Taking the Lead on Lead” — a report highlighting the city’s efforts in the fight against lead exposure. The report provides updates from every city agency with lead-related compliance requirements to proactively monitor and mitigate lead exposure. It serves as a measure of progress since “LeadFreeNYC” — the city’s roadmap to eliminating childhood lead exposure — was released in 2019. Of the 46 commitments made in LeadFreeNYC, 42 are completed or ongoing, and the remaining four are currently in progress.

About Jean-Claude LeBec

Jean-Claude LeBec is a lifelong New Yorker with a deep-rooted passion for public service. LeBec’s extensive experience in city government includes critical roles in budget oversight, strategic planning, and operational efficiency. After a four-year stint at the Institute for International Education, he began his 13-year city government career at the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget, working with both criminal justice and social service agencies. He then served as the chief operating officer at the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and later as a senior deputy commissioner at the New York City Department of Correction, where his leadership was marked by initiatives that bolstered the department’s infrastructure and improved data-driven decision making.

LeBec joined MORMC at the beginning of Mayor Adams’ administration, focusing on cost-saving strategies and enhancing operational efficiencies. Most recently, he played a key role in supporting the city’s migrant response by optimizing fiscal efficiency and managing data and technology needs across sheltering agencies. His efforts have consistently focused on improving transparency, accountability, and operational effectiveness within city operations.

LeBec earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Master of Science in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from The New School.