Melissa DeRosa

Melissa DeRosa
Melissa DeRosa
DeRosa in 2022
Secretary to the Governor of New York
In office
April 17, 2017 – August 24, 2021
GovernorAndrew Cuomo
Preceded byWilliam Mulrow
Succeeded byKaren Persichilli Keogh
Personal details
Born (1982-09-29) September 29, 1982
Rochester, New York, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
Spouse
Matthew Wing
​
​
(m. 2016; div. 2021)​
EducationCornell University (BA, MPA)

Melissa DeRosa (born September 29, 1982) is an American former government official from the state of New York[1], a Democratic strategist[2] and a published author.[3] She served as secretary to the former governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, from 2017 until 2021. DeRosa was described by the New York Times as the "most powerful appointed official" in the state as well as being the first woman appointed to the role.

Early life and education

DeRosa was born on September 29, 1982, in Rochester, N.Y. and raised in Albany and Saratoga Springs, New York and has two siblings.[4][5][1][6] She is the daughter of Melody DeRosa, a retired education technology consultant for Texas Instruments, and Giorgio DeRosa, a senior partner at the Albany lobbying firm Bolton-St. Johns.[7][8] DeRosa's brother and sister also work at Bolton-St. Johns.[9]

At 16, DeRosa was an intern for the political director of the New York State AFL-CIO.[7][10]

DeRosa attended the private school, Albany Academy for Girls, graduating in 2000.[11][12] She graduated in 2004 from the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. While an undergraduate student at Cornell, she worked in the Senate office of Hillary Clinton in Washington, D.C. during a summer.[13]

DeRosa worked for a year as a publicist for Theory, a fashion house in New York.[1] She then worked as a lobbyist for Bolton-St. Johns.[1] She later worked in the press office of Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez.[14][15] In 2009, she completed an MPA from the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs.[13]

Career

DeRosa worked as Director of Communications and Legislation for the Albany-based lobbying firm Cordo & Company.[10][16] From 2009 to 2011, DeRosa was the New York State Director of Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee founded after the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama.[17] In 2011, DeRosa became deputy chief of staff and later acting chief of staff for New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.[7][18]

In March 2013, she became Director of Communications for Governor Andrew Cuomo.[19][10][20] DeRosa later became strategic adviser.[7] In 2015, DeRosa was appointed Chief of Staff.[7] In 2020, DeRosa was appointed to serve on the transition committee to President-Elect Joe Biden, serving as senior advisor to Steve Ricchetti, the White House's incoming counselor and helping to assist the incoming administration's COVID response.[21]

Secretary to Governor Cuomo

In 2017, DeRosa was promoted to Secretary to the Governor of New York, and became Cuomo's top aide and one of his closest advisers.[19][22][23][7][24] The role was described by The New York Times as the most powerful appointed official in the state, and she was the first woman appointed to the role.[1][23]

DeRosa was involved in steering bills through the legislature, including minimum wage, paid family leave and expanded insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization.[25][1][20] She chaired the New York State Council on Women and Girls and headed the COVID-19 maternity task force.[1] City & State New York described her as the Cuomo administration's "go-to person" on a 2020 budget proposal to legalize paid gestational surrogacy, which DeRosa described as a priority of the Council.[26] In 2017, DeRosa spoke publicly about her experience with sexual harassment and encouraged women to "speak up and speak out."[27] DeRosa also chaired the New York State Domestic Violence COVID Task Force.[28]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she had a major role in the coordination and management of the New York response.[25] DeRosa chaired the state's COVID-19 Maternity Task Force.[1] In 2020, Harper's Bazaar featured DeRosa on the cover of its "Voices of Hope" 2020 summer issue, after Christy Turlington selected her as one of five women "who give her hope".[29]

In March 2020, when COVID-19 testing was limited in New York, The New York Times reported that Cuomo's family and other influential people received priority access to coronavirus testing and expedited results. The article said Giorgio DeRosa, Melissa DeRosa's father, was among those treated as a "special".[30] State officials attributed the priority testing decision to the fact that DeRosa had been staying with her father at the time, and that she had close and regular contact with Cuomo and others involved in the pandemic response.[30]

In March 2021, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times reported that Cuomo aides, including DeRosa, Linda Lacewell and Jim Malatras, were involved in changing a July 2020 state Health Department report on COVID-19 deaths among nursing-home residents. The Cuomo administration said the out-of-facility data had been omitted because the Department of Health could not confirm that it had been adequately verified, and that the report's conclusions were not changed.[31][32]

The attorney general's report and subsequent reporting described DeRosa as participating in the Executive Chamber's response to Lindsey Boylan's allegations, including discussions about gathering information on staff support for Boylan and circulating information about Boylan and her supporters.[33][34][35] The report also discussed DeRosa's involvement in the administration's response to reporting about a New York State Police officer who had accused Cuomo of sexual harassment.[19] A related civil lawsuit against DeRosa alleging retaliation was dismissed in 2023.[36]

DeRosa announced her resignation as Secretary to the Governor on August 8, 2021,[37] five days after the New York attorney general released a report concluding that Cuomo had sexually harassed multiple women.[38] The report described DeRosa as involved in the Executive Chamber's response to Lindsey Boylan's allegations, including matters relating to the release of confidential files about Boylan.[38] Cuomo announced his resignation on August 10, 2021, effective 14 days later.[39]

Private-sector, media, and advisory work

Bustle reported that DeRosa consulted on communications and policy for the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration.[40] According to her website, she is the founder of a strategic advisory firm focused on public affairs, communications, and crisis strategy.[41] In 2025, DeRosa served as an adviser to Cuomo's New York City mayoral campaign.[42] She also serves on Cornell University's Communication Advisory Board.[43]

Cornell CALS describes DeRosa as a Democratic strategist and Daily Beast contributor.[44] Cornell's Communication Advisory Board profile describes her as a frequent television commentator appearing on outlets including Fox News, CNBC, and NewsNation.[43]

Publications

In October 2023, DeRosa published the memoir What's Left Unsaid: My Life at the Center of Power, Politics & Crisis.[45][46] Kirkus Reviews described the book as "an angry, raw, and briskly told memoir", while Lloyd Green of The Guardian wrote that the book was "deliberate and focused".[47][48]

The New York Law Journal review of the book said, "This insider’s view of the political storm that led to Cuomo’s forced resignation raises serious questions about the roles played by power politics, a compliant media, and an attorney general who wished to be governor, in orchestrating the forced resignation of a duly elected governor."[49] Vanity Fair's review called DeRosa's memoir "a scorching book loaded with insider detail".[50]

Other reviews were more critical. Publishers Weekly wrote that DeRosa "defends the former governor at every turn", including in relation to the nursing-home and sexual-harassment controversies.[51] In New York magazine, Rebecca Traister described the book as an effort to rehabilitate DeRosa's image and portray Cuomo favorably.[52]

Personal life

In 2016, DeRosa married Matthew Wing, an Uber senior communications officer, formerly a Cuomo press secretary in 2013 and 2014, and then communications director for the governor's re-election campaign.[53] They met in 2013 when both worked for Cuomo.[1]

DeRosa and Wing divorced after separating in 2021.[54] Her former mother-in-law is Audrey Strauss, the former Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.[55][56]

Bibliography

  • What's Left Unsaid: My Life at the Center of Power, Politics & Crisis (2023)[48]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 La Ferla, Ruth (May 14, 2020). "Who Can Say 'No' to Cuomo? His Top Aide, Melissa DeRosa". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Melissa DeRosa | CALS". cals.cornell.edu. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  3. ↑ DeRosa, Melissa (March 21, 2025). "Melissa DeRosa". Hachette Book Group. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Melissa DeRosa". Goodness Hero. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  5. ↑ Salerno, Heather (March 2018). "Corridors of Power". Cornell Alumni Magazine. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  6. ↑ Chodak, Adam (November 30, 2023). "New book by Cuomo key aide tells her story". RochesterFirst. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Foderaro, Lisa W. (April 17, 2017). "Cuomo Promotes Chief of Staff, Melissa DeRosa, to Be His Secretary". The New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  8. ↑ "The 2024 Top 50 State Lobbyists". City & State New York. November 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Cuomo gave immunity to nursing home executives after big campaign donations". The Guardian. May 26, 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 Kaplan, Thomas (March 15, 2013). "Cuomo Drafts Communications Director From Attorney General's Staff". The New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Melissa DeRosa's rise to top aide and how her appointment made history". August 9, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Photos: Albany Academy for Girls commencement". Times Union. June 18, 2018.
  13. 1 2 Oza, Anil (April 30, 2020). "From Ithaca to Albany: How Cornell's Melissa DeRosa is Leading New York's COVID Response". The Cornell Daily Sun. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  14. ↑ Paybarah, Azi (July 22, 2009). "DeRosa to Organize for America". Observer. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  15. ↑ Campbell, Jon (June 3, 2019). "Cuomo's right hand: Melissa DeRosa unapologetically fierce". Poughkeepsie Journal. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  16. ↑ "DeRosa to Organize for America". The New York Observer. July 22, 2009.
  17. ↑ "DeRosa to Organize for America". The New York Observer. July 22, 2009.
  18. ↑ Hamilton, Matthew (April 17, 2017). "Melissa DeRosa takes over for Bill Mulrow as Cuomo's secretary". Times Union. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  19. 1 2 3 Dawsey, Josh (August 3, 2021). "Cuomo report spotlights role of top aide Melissa DeRosa in trying to contain sexual harassment crisis". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  20. 1 2 Banjo, Shelly; Goldman, Henry (March 25, 2021). "Cuomo's Top Aide Defends Her Boss and Herself: 'I'm a Human Being'". Bloomberg. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Cuomo top aide, Melissa DeRosa assisting Biden transition team on COVID response". New York Daily News. January 15, 2021.
  22. ↑ Vilensky, Mike (April 20, 2017). "New York's First Female Secretary to the Governor Faces Ethical Minefield; Melissa DeRosa will have to be vigilant, as her husband and father's jobs could present challenges". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  23. 1 2 Lovett, Kenneth (April 17, 2017). "Melissa DeRosa named New York's first female secretary to the governor". The New York Daily News. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  24. ↑ Ferré-Sadurní, Luis; Glueck, Katie (August 23, 2021). "Cuomo Blames 'Political Pressure and Media Frenzy' in Farewell Speech". The New York Times.
  25. 1 2 Minutaglio, Rose (April 13, 2020). "How Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa Is Leading Cuomo's Coronavirus Response". ELLE. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  26. ↑ Williams, Zach (March 4, 2020). "Democrats' generational divide on gestational surrogacy". City & State New York. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  27. ↑ Vielkind, Jimmy (October 18, 2017). "DeRosa recalls sexual harassment, urges women to speak up". Politico. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Behind the New York Domestic Violence Task Force Launched in Response to COVID-19". Vogue. June 18, 2020.
  29. ↑ "Introducing BAZAAR's Summer Issue, Dedicated to Voices of Hope". Harper's Bazaar. June 24, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  30. 1 2 Goodman, J. David (May 19, 2021). "U.S. Inquiry Into Cuomo Widens to Examine Virus Tests for 'Specials'". The New York Times.
  31. ↑ "Cuomo Advisers Altered Report on Covid-19 Nursing-Home Deaths". The Wall Street Journal. March 4, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  32. ↑ Goodman, J. David; Hakim, Danny (March 4, 2021). "Cuomo Aides Rewrote Nursing Home Report to Hide Higher Death Toll". The New York Times. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  33. ↑ Report of Investigation Into Allegations of Sexual Harassment by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (PDF) (Report). Office of the New York State Attorney General. August 3, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  34. ↑ Ferré-Sadurní, Luis; Bromwich, Jonah E. (August 5, 2021). "How Cuomo and His Team Retaliated Against His Accusers". The New York Times. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  35. ↑ Dawsey, Josh (August 4, 2021). "Cuomo report spotlights role of top aide Melissa DeRosa in trying to contain sexual harassment crisis". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  36. ↑ Ryan, Stephanie (September 29, 2023). "Lawsuit against two former Cuomo aides, accusing them of retaliation, dismissed". WRGB. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  37. ↑ Ferré-Sadurní, Luis (August 8, 2021). "Cuomo's Top Aide, Melissa DeRosa, Resigns as He Fights to Survive". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  38. 1 2 Report of Investigation into Allegations of Sexual Harassment by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (PDF) (Report). Office of the New York State Attorney General. August 3, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  39. ↑ "NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigns after sexual harassment allegations". ABC News. August 10, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2026.
  40. ↑ Vilensky, Mike (January 17, 2024). "Her Boss Got #MeToo'd. She's Still Standing By Him". Bustle. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Melissa DeRosa". Melissa DeRosa. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Adviser Melissa DeRosa discusses Cuomo's campaign". NY1. November 10, 2025. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  43. 1 2 "Advisory Board". Cornell CALS. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  44. ↑ "Melissa DeRosa". Cornell CALS. Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  45. ↑ Coltin, Jeff (October 24, 2023). "'This is not a burn book': Cuomo aide's new book takes on foes". Politico. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  46. ↑ Smith, Chris (October 18, 2023). "Melissa DeRosa Isn't Done Defending Andrew Cuomo". Vanity Fair. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  47. ↑ "WHAT'S LEFT UNSAID". Kirkus Reviews. November 1, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  48. 1 2 Green, Lloyd (November 4, 2023). "What's Left Unsaid review: Andrew Cuomo and the case for his defense". The Guardian. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  49. ↑ "'What's Left Unsaid: My Life at the Center of Power, Politics & Crisis': Former Andrew Cuomo Aide's Tell-All Book Reviewed". Law.com. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  50. ↑ Smith, Chris (October 18, 2023). "Melissa DeRosa Isn't Done Defending Andrew Cuomo". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
  51. ↑ "What's Left Unsaid: My Life at the Center of Power, Politics & Crisis by Melissa DeRosa". Publishers Weekly. October 24, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  52. ↑ Traister, Rebecca (October 24, 2023). "With an eviscerating new book, Andrew Cuomo's former lieutenant is settling scores and prepping a comeback". New York magazine. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  53. ↑ "Melissa DeRosa, Matthew Wing". The New York Times. August 28, 2016. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  54. ↑ Vilensky, Mike (January 17, 2024). "Her Boss Got #MeToo'd. She's Still Standing By Him". Bustle. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  55. ↑ "Melissa DeRosa, Matthew Wing". The New York Times. August 28, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
  56. ↑ Banjo, Shelly; Goldman, Henry (March 25, 2021). "Cuomo's Top Aide Defends Her Boss and Herself: 'I'm a Human Being'". Bloomberg. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
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