Members of the MEA DOB Chapter met on June 4. They elected Graham I. Rabinowitsch as Chapter Director, Matthew Sienkiewicz as Assistant Chapter Director, and Dorecia Phillip as Recording Secretary to the MEA Executive Board to represent Department of Buildings.
The Department of Buildings plays a critical role in shaping New York City’s future, overseeing the construction and safety of nearly 1.1 million buildings while balancing the complex demands of development and public safety. DOB managers are at the forefront of this vital work, ensuring that our city’s built environment meets the highest standards of safety and efficiency. As these dedicated professionals navigate the challenges of regulating one of the world’s most dynamic construction markets, their leadership and expertise are essential to serving all New Yorkers effectively across the five boroughs.
Graham I. Rabinowitsch
Director, Workforce Planning and Compliance
Total years in city service: 10
Graham I. Rabinowitsch is the Director, Workforce Planning and Compliance at the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB). During his tenure at DOB, he has managed workforce planning, youth engagement, labor relations, and civil service and regulatory compliance. He led the strategic redevelopment and expansion of youth engagement at DOB, including programs for internships, trainees, and other non-traditional staffing types; and programs educating students about construction safety, sustainability, and City government. He also developed proposals for new and revised competitive titles to provide entry level job opportunities, create clear career paths for employees, modernize the language used in the title specifications, and expand qualifications. In collaboration with Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) colleagues, he developed new titles for the City’s energy-focused workforce. He developed multiple proposals for exempt and non-competitive titles that were approved by the New York State Civil Service Commission. He is regularly involved in classifying positions, organizational design, analyzing civil service lists, advising the recruitment team and hiring managers on classification and candidate qualifications, reviewing personnel actions, and managing agency support in civil service exam development.
Matthew Sienkiewicz
Director, Licensee Disciplinary Unit
Total years in city service: 10
Matthew Sienkiewicz has spent the entirety of his career at the Department of Buildings, serving nearly 10 years in the Licensee Disciplinary Unit. He has risen to be the Director of the unit, having entered as an Attorney Intern. Matthew obtained his JD from Columbia Law School after earning a BA in history from the University of Michigan. Between U of M and CLS, Matthew spent a year in national service as a member of AmeriCorps Cape Cod.
Dorecia A. Phillip, Esq.
Assistant Commissioner, Regulatory Affairs and Policy Development
Total years in city service: 22
Growing up in the Caribbean when asked what I wanted to be, I would always say an attorney. My reason for wanting to be an attorney was that I wanted to advocate for those who could not advocate for themselves. Give a voice to the voiceless. My career as an attorney has afforded me the opportunity to work in various roles within City government. I have proudly served the City for almost 22 years and have been fortunate to work for two agencies focused on public safety – the NYC Fire Department (FDNY) and the New York City Department of Buildings (“DOB”). I joined FDNY as an Agency Attorney Intern unsure of what the future held. I worked diligently and I proved myself to be a conscientious and capable attorney. During my time with FDNY I was promoted including to the positions of Special Assistant Counsel, and Deputy Director for Labor Relations. In those roles, I handled a variety of matters, including class action litigation, collective bargaining issues, grievances, external EEO complaints and a host of policy issues. I also provided guidance to agency staff regarding hiring and promotional practices, and performance evaluation procedures to ensure consistent, fair, and equitable treatment of applicants and employees. Working in those roles, particularly Labor Relations, while the law was always as the forefront, sometimes the law or contract wasn’t the issue. At the core, people just want to be heard, valued, and respected. That has always stuck with me. At the core, the issue was I gained insight into people and recognized that people just want to be heard, valued, and respected. That has always stuck with me. I joined DOB as an Executive Director for Regulatory Matters and I currently serve as the Assistant Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs and Policy Development. I am responsible for managing the legal component of the agency’s code revision and code development efforts. I also provide legal guidance to agency staff regarding a myriad of legal and policy issues that impact not only employees but those who live, work and visit New York City. In this role, I lead a team of attorneys in drafting and reviewing the Construction Codes which are the foundation of all aspects of the agency’s work. I look forward to working with MEA leadership and serving as the Recording Secretary for DOB’s MEA chapter and advocating for our membership.
If you are interested in running for one of the leadership positions – Chapter Director, Assistant Chapter Director, and Recording Secretary – be sure to contact the office. This is a great opportunity to get involved in the fight to protect your rights! Spread the word about membership to any of your colleagues who are not members, for we are stronger in numbers.
