Rockland County Appoints New Human Rights Commissioner

NEW CITY, NY — A new human rights commissioner was appointed for Rockland County.

County Executive Ed Day said Tuesday that Spencer Chiimbwe of Stony Point will take over the position.

Chiimbwe was chosen following an extensive recruitment process through multiple avenues, including online job sites and the county’s website. There was also input from members of the Human Rights Commission, the county Legislature and other community members.

Most recently, he worked for the county as a grants specialist for the American Rescue Plan Act Department, assisting local organizations and negatively impacted communities as they navigated the sometimes-complicated grant application processes.

Chiimbwe said human rights transcend race, religion or any groups we subscribe to.

“I call upon the residents of Rockland, and all the stakeholders of human rights work in our county, to give me a chance to skillfully work with everybody in fulfilling my mandate as commissioner of human rights,” he said.

Other organizations in which Chiimbwe has worked include:

• The ACTION Support Center, securing grants from entities like the Ford Foundation.
• The New York State Senate conducting legislative research and drafting policy documents.
• Volunteering for Congresswoman Nita Lowey assisting with constituent services and connecting with community stakeholders.
• The United African Congress inspiring community engagement and participation around key issues like health care, domestic violence, education and empowerment.

Day said that, without question, Chiimbwe has extensive experience working across cultural lines and with extremely diverse communities.

“We are confident that his prior experience will give him a necessary advantage in his new role,” he said, “as our human rights commissioner needs to be omnipresent throughout Rockland.”

The position pays $105,000 annually and requires the confirmation of the Rockland County Legislature.