FDNY names Cecilia Loving new chief diversity officer; attorney will be third to hold court-created position

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Friday, April 1, 2016, 1:13 PM

Cecilia Loving will be the third person to hold the chief diversity officer position.

The FDNY has a new chief diversity officer — six months after its first appointee was unceremoniously yanked from the position.

Cecilia Loving, an attorney who currently oversees six legal units within the FDNY, has been tapped to take over the court-mandated position, the Daily News has learned.

Loving, a longtime city employee who previously worked with the Commission on Human Rights, is already transitioning into her new role, the city said.

“Ms. Loving brings more than 30 years of experience as an attorney and leader in diversity and inclusion initiatives to this role,” the city Law Department wrote in a March 31 letter to Brooklyn Judge Nicholas Garaufis informing him of the choice.

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The chief diversity position was created as part of a $100 million discrimination lawsuit brought by the Vulcan Society, an association of black FDNY firefighters.

As part of the settlement decided by Garaufis, the FDNY agreed to allow a federal monitor to oversee hiring and to create the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer position.

The FDNY swore-in Pamela Lassiter as the department’s first CDIO in January 2015 — but she was ousted within the year.

The FDNY declined to comment on why Lassiter was removed last October, citing a policy of not discussing personnel decisions.

But in a statement at the time, Nigro touted “significant progress” in building a more diverse workforce.

Loving will replace Pamela Lassiter, the department’s first chief diversity officer, who was ousted in 2015.

“Our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive department has never been stronger and will continue to be a key strategic initiative,” Nigro said at the time.

The FDNY’s first deputy commissioner, Bobby Turner, was named as the acting diversity officer.

He held the position for six months until Loving was named in March.

Loving has a background as an Equal Employment Opportunity counselor, according to the letter sent to Garafuis by the city’s corporation counsel.

“(She) has served as a leader in diversity and inclusion initiatives, including ... creating a calendar of conferences, job fairs, workshops, and panels, providing programs to train law students of color in bar exam-taking tutorials, and mentoring law students and lawyers,” the letter said.

The FDNY did not immediately comment on Loving’s appointment.

Vulcan Society President Regina Wilson said Loving was a relatively new member of the FDNY, having joined last year.

“I look forward to finding out what her abilities are and whether or not we’ll be able to help the department be more diverse and inclusive,” she said.

“The Vulcan Society is always willing to work with the department and we hope this will be a positive move for change,” Wilson added.