34
CityAndStateNY.com
June 19, 2017
KYLE H. ISHMAEL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEW YORK STATE BLACK, PUERTO RICAN, HISPANIC & ASIAN LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS Birthday: 03/20/1985
EDUCATION
St. John's University
Twitter: @KyleIM
YLE H. ISHMAEL didn’t set out to become the executive director of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus. He first started practicing family law in the Bronx before joining the New York City Office of Child Support Enforcement, where he helped noncustodial parents find employment so they could pay child support. “It really married some very important issues to me, like economic security and access to justice,” he says. “I also just have a personal passion helping people find jobs.” Ishmael took a job with the caucus after realizing that it confronts many of the issues he feels passionately about. “The work of my life has always been fighting for underserved communities, marginalized communities. Again, being a lawyer I’m always looking at providing increased access to justice for people,” he says. “Even within our group of 56 members, there’s a lot of diversity and that’s one of the first things I learned coming on to the job.” As a man of color who is also bisexual, Ishmael cares about these issues personally. His current position was the first opportunity he had to line up his professional passions with his personal interests. “I see issues that impact my community, so it’s great to know that when I go to work every day (on issues) that are particular to the members I work with, but also to ... my community as well,” he says. “That definitely keeps me going and that’s exciting.”