CityAndStateNY.com
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Where did you go to college? Doctoral program in Political Science at Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, University at Albany Master of Public Administration (MPA), Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, University at Albany Bachelor of Arts (BA) in International Relations, Syracuse University, Maxwell School and College of Arts & Sciences What politician, living or dead, do you most admire? Robert F. Kennedy
Joseph Popcun POLICY ADVISER, PUBLIC SAFETY, OFFICE OF GOV. ANDREW CUOMO
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Birthday: 12/8/1987 Twitter: @jpopcun
OSEPH POPCUN’S JOB is to keep New Yorkers safe, but he carries out that mission while keeping in mind the governor’s emphasis on progressive change. One example is the administration’s focus on re-entry for those exiting the corrections system. Popcun touted the governor’s Council on Community Re-Entry, which has made recommendations on issues like access to housing and health care. “A lot of that is channeling the best and the brightest ideas and people from the advocate field and having them propose ideas that will make life better for people who are returning from incarcerated status,” he said. “Really removing barriers has been fulfilling and at times challenging in understanding how bureaucracies function and especially how they interact with the public, and a vulnerable population at that.” Popcun’s job, at the intersection of policy and operations, entails interacting with senior administration staff, law enforcement and criminal justice and homeland security agencies. In the aftermath of the upstate prison break last year, Popcun helped deal with changing some of the oversight protocols and procedures for the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. A Syracuse native, Popcun spent time in Washington, D.C., as a Department of Homeland Security research analyst. He returned to New York to get a master’s degree at the University at Albany, and an internship with the governor’s office led to a permanent job. “It turned into a fellowship, and I’ve been there over three years now, in three main roles, the most recent on being policy adviser for public safety,” he said.