Vincent Sapienza Explained

Vincent Sapienza
Office1:Chief Operating Officer of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection
1Blankname1:Mayor
1Namedata1:Eric Adams
Office2:Commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection
1Blankname2:Mayor
1Namedata2:Bill de Blasio
Eric Adams
Term Start2:October 3, 2017
Predecessor2:Emily Lloyd
Termend2:January 31, 2022
Succeeded2:Rohit T. Aggarwala
Education:Columbia University (BS)
Hofstra University (MBA)

Vincent Sapienza is an American civil servant who is serving as the Chief Operating Officer of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection. From 2017 to 2022, he was the agency's Commissioner.

Biography

Sapienza graduated from Columbia University with a B.S. and an MBA from Hofstra University. He joined the City's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) after graduation in 1983.[1]

Sapienza served as Deputy Commissioner of the DEP for its Bureau of Engineering Design and Construction, overseeing the construction of the New York City Water Tunnel No. 3 and the Croton Water Filtration Plant from 2014 to 2016, as well as Deputy Commissioner for the Bureau of Wastewater Treatment, which led to the creation of a citywide resiliency plan, from 2009 to 2014.[2]

In 2016, Sapienza was named Acting Commissioner by then Mayor Bill de Blasio.[3] [4] On October 3, 2017, he was named to the position in a permanent capacity.[5] He oversaw the $1 billion repair of the Delaware Aqueduct which involves the construction of a 2.5-mile bypass from the leaking portions inside the original tunnel.[6] [7] In 2020, he was named one of the "Energy & Environment Power 100" by City & State.[8] However, his role in handling the 2019 sewage leak in Queens and the 2021 Hurricane Ida crisis was also criticized by the New York City Council.[9] [10] [11]

In January 2022, Mayor Eric Adams named Sapienza chief operating officer of the DEP.[12] [13]

References

  1. Web site: Vincent Sapienza, Commissioner . deviated . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204102441/https://www1.nyc.gov/site/dep/about/commissioner.page . 2022-02-04 . 2022-02-04 . New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
  2. News: 2017-10-09 . Vincent Sapienza Named Commissioner of New York City's DEP . Underground Construction . live . 2022-02-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204102500/https://ucononline.com/news/2017/10/vincent-sapienza-named-commissioner-of-new-york-citys-dep . 2022-02-04.
  3. Web site: Daisy . 2016-07-21 . Mayor de Blasio Assigns DEP Acting Commissioner . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204102442/https://waterwatchnyc.com/2016/07/21/mayor-de-blasio-assigns-dep-acting-commissioner/ . 2022-02-04 . 2022-02-04 . Water Watch NYC . en.
  4. Web site: Lentz . Jon . September 25, 2017 . DEP acting Commissioner Vincent Sapienza on safeguarding NYC's most valuable resource . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204102442/https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2017/09/dep-acting-commissioner-vincent-sapienza-on-safeguarding-nycs-most-valuable-resource/181358/ . February 4, 2022 . February 4, 2022 . . en.
  5. October 3, 2017 . Mayor de Blasio Names Vincent Sapienza as Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection . February 4, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220205072629/https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/635-17/mayor-de-blasio-names-vincent-sapienza-commissioner-the-department-environmental-protection . live . February 5, 2022 . New York City Office of the Mayor.
  6. News: Hill . Michael . June 20, 2018 . Fixing a massive NYC plumbing leak, 55 stories underground . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204140118/https://www.theday.com/article/20180620/NWS12/180629921 . 2022-02-04 . 2022-02-04 . . Newburgh, N.Y. . en-US . Associated Press.
  7. News: Santistevan . Ryan . November 30, 2018 . Construction on $1 billion Hudson River tunnel project is halfway done: DEP . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204102443/https://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/story/news/local/2018/11/30/construction-1-billion-hudson-river-water-tunnel-halfway-done/2161737002/ . 2022-02-04 . 2022-02-04 . . en-US.
  8. News: December 21, 2020 . Energy & Environment Power 100 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204102441/https://www.cityandstateny.com/power-lists/2020/12/energy-environment-power-100/175341/ . 2022-02-04 . 2022-02-04 . . en.
  9. News: McKinley . Jesse . Jesse McKinley . Rubinstein . Dana . Mays . Jeffery C. . 2021-09-03 . The Storm Warnings Were Dire. Why Couldn't New York Be Protected? . en-US . . live . 2022-02-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204120153/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/03/nyregion/nyc-ida.html . 2022-02-04 . 0362-4331.
  10. News: Sommerfeldt . Chris . September 14, 2021 . NYC Council grills de Blasio officials over storm resiliency efforts after Hurricane Ida . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204102452/https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/new-york-elections-government/ny-nyc-de-basio-city-council-hurricane-ida-preps-20210914-tnvo3bekuzcqrfqkvr5v2r7miq-story.html . 2022-02-04 . 2022-02-04 . New York Daily News.
  11. News: Van Syckle . Katie . 2019-12-19 . Raw Sewage Flooded Their Homes. They Finally Know Why. . en-US . . live . 2022-02-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204102441/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/19/nyregion/queens-sewer-flooding.html . 2022-02-04 . 0362-4331.
  12. News: December 23, 2021 . Tracking the Transition: Mayor Eric Adams Appoints His Government . Gotham Gazette . live . 2022-02-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204102451/https://www.gothamgazette.com/city/10988-tracking-transition-mayor-eric-adams-appointments-nominations-nyc-government . 2022-02-04.
  13. January 31, 2022 . Mayor Adams Announces Appointments of Climate Leadership Team . 2022-02-04 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204175503/https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/053-22/mayor-adams-appointments-climate-leadership-team-streamlines-multiple-city . 2022-02-04.