Deputy Secretary to the Governor for
Public Safety
New York State
To Protect and to Serve …
Michael Balboni, Deputy Secretary to the Governor for Public
Safety, was recently honored by the Nassau County Bar Association
as the 65th recipient of the Association’s Distinguished Service
Medallion. This award is given annually to an individual,
either attorney or non-attorney, for service which has enhanced the
reputation and dignity of the legal profession. Past
recipients of this award have included: Herbert C. Hoover, Robert
Moses, Thomas E. Dewey, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Edward Koch, Thurgood
Marshall and fellow St. John’s Law graduates Hon. Mario M. Cuomo
’56, ’75 Hon. and Hon. Joseph W. Bellacosa ’61, ’87 Hon.
A 1984 graduate of St. John’s University School of Law, Mr.
Balboni is New York’s senior homeland security and law enforcement
official. State agencies that report to him include; the
Office of Homeland Security, Division of State Police, Division of
Military and Naval Affairs, Department of Correctional Services,
Division of Criminal Justice Services and the State Emergency
Management Office. Appointed by Governor Spitzer in 2007 and
retained by Governor Patterson in 2008, Mr. Balboni is committed to
ensuring the safety of the citizens of New York, as well as, the
United States of America.
Shortly after graduating from Law School, Mr. Balboni was first
elected to the New York State Assembly in 1989 and the New York
State Senate in 1997. While in the Senate, he chaired the
Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military
Affairs. During this period, he led an enactment of new
anti-terrorism laws and the adoption of new security measures and
procedures for regional airports.
While a member of the NYS Senate, Mr. Balboni was applauded by
first responder organizations, emergency management experts,
building officials and financial industry leaders for the
introduction and ultimately the passing of legislation that would
create a financial safety net to protect New Yorkers from the
consequences of a catastrophic storm, terrorist attack or other
disruptive event or crisis. In 2005, he was the author of the
Chemical Plant Security Act, the first of its kind in the
nation. Concerned about the regions infrastructure coming
under attack, he authored a 2002 law that helps protect the state’s
water supply from terror attacks. In 2001, he also authored the
state’s Anti-Terrorism Law of 2001 that mandates severe penalties
for those who commit terror acts, make terror threats, or render
assistance to terrorists.
St. John’s Law School provided Mr. Balboni with the critical
skills of needed to succeed in public office. He noted, “St.
John’s taught me to write, to express myself, and to manage my time
effectively. It also taught me the ‘meat and potatoes’ of the
practice. I draw on those skills every day. I learned that the law
is a living, breathing institution that needed to be worked in
order to bear fruit.”
A man on the move, Mr. Balboni splits his time between offices
in Albany and Manhattan, as well as, his home on Long Island.
Married and the father of four children he enjoys travel and
surfing. He has ridden the waves of New York State politics
and the waters off the coast of Israel and Costa Rica.