Victor Calise currently serves as commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities, advocating for the disabled community in all city decision-making.
Calise chairs the Accessibility Committee of the City Building Code and leads efforts to integrate people with disabilities into the workforce through the NYC:ATWORK employment initiative. He also ensures that disability is at the forefront of the city’s emerging technologies, including communication modes, autonomous vehicles, and digital accessibility.
He is recognized as an expert on disability and frequently participates in national and international conferences. A dedicated public servant, Calise previously led efforts within the Department of Parks and Recreation to make the city’s park system — one of the most complex in the world — accessible in accordance with the Inclusive Design Guidelines.
Calise, an avid athlete, competed in the 1998 Paralympic Games as a member of the U.S. national sled hockey team. He is a native New Yorker and is married with two daughters.