Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz has appointed Karen King, PhD., as the Commissioner of the Office of Public Advocacy for Erie County, overseeing the county Commission on the Status of Women (“ECCSW”), the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and the Office for the Disabled.

King currently serves as Executive Director of the ECCSW, connecting women with the resources they need to reach their full potential and recommending measures to coordinate, consolidate and expand the resources and services available to women in Erie County.

“Karen King has done a good job as the Executive Director at ECCSW, advocating for women countywide while working to expand opportunities, build relationships, and promote women’s issues whenever possible,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz. “She has brought new energy to that office and I am confident she will do the same as Commissioner of Public Advocacy. I urge the legislature to approve her appointment as soon as possible. ”

Priority areas of engagement for the ECCSW include education and public awareness on women’s issues, promotion of women’s health and well-being, and women’s leadership and empowerment initiatives. The Office of Public Advocacy provides professional and quality advocacy services to assure fair and equal treatment of all county residents without regard to race, sex, religion, age, disability, and national origin.

“I thank County Executive Poloncarz for this appointment and for his commitment to advocating for and representing all county residents,” Commissioner King said. “We are working together to better serve the people of Erie County and the Office of Public Advocacy is a great way to facilitate that work.”

For more information:

On the ECCSW, visit  http://www2.erie.gov/csw/ 

On the Office of Public Advocacy, visit http://www2.erie.gov/publicadvocacy/ 

# # #