Kumiki Gibson
Encyclopedia
Kumiki Gibson is a lawyer
of Japanese
and African American
descent, originally from Buffalo, New York
. She was previously the Chief Counsel to 45th Vice President of the United States Al Gore
and formerly the Vice President and General Counsel of Johns Hopkins University
.
Prior to serving as a State executive, Gibson served as Senior Vice President of Administration and Governance, Chief Governance Officer, and Counselor to the President of the National Urban League
, where she oversaw the development of a new strategy to advance the mission of this well-established civil rights organization. She was also a litigation partner at Williams & Connolly
, the prestigious Washington, D.C. law firm, whose partners include Brendan Sullivan, David Kendall, and Greg Craig
. During the Clinton Administration, she served as legal counsel to Vice President Al Gore
from 1994 to 1997, replacing Gore's long-time aide, Todd J. Campbell
. She started her trial career at the United States Department of Justice, where she prosecuted Federal civil rights cases, including racial and ethnic hate crimes.
Gibson has served in a variety of positions in the private, not-for-profit, and public sectors, most recently as the Commissioner
of the New York State Division of Human Rights
, the State agency charged with enforcing the State's Human Rights Law
. She was appointed to that post in January 2007 by then newly-elected Governor Eliot Spitzer
and confirmed unanimously by the New York State Senate several months later. During her tenure as Commissioner, Gibson revamped the State agency, reducing backlogs and making it more effective in fighting systematic forms of discrimination. After Spitzer resigned from office in March 2008, Gibson tendered her resignation and left her post in April 2008. Several newspapers reported that she was sued by certain former employees, after they left the agency, based on their non-gay sexual orientation and race, but public records show that there were only three suits and all of those were dismissed.
Gibson is active, civically and professionally, currently serving on the Board of Directors of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, having been one of the founding Board members of the National Trust Community Investment Corporation, having been a board member of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, and having served on the Washington, D.C. Convention Center Authority Board, the District of Columbia Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure, and the Administrative Council of the United States.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
of Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
and African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
descent, originally from Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. She was previously the Chief Counsel to 45th Vice President of the United States Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
and formerly the Vice President and General Counsel of Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
.
Prior to serving as a State executive, Gibson served as Senior Vice President of Administration and Governance, Chief Governance Officer, and Counselor to the President of the National Urban League
National Urban League
The National Urban League , formerly known as the National League on Urban Conditions Among Negroes, is a nonpartisan civil rights organization based in New York City that advocates on behalf of African Americans and against racial discrimination in the United States. It is the oldest and largest...
, where she oversaw the development of a new strategy to advance the mission of this well-established civil rights organization. She was also a litigation partner at Williams & Connolly
Williams & Connolly
Williams & Connolly LLP is a prominent litigation firm based in Washington, D.C. The firm was founded by trial lawyer Edward Bennett Williams, who left the partnership of D.C. firm Hogan & Hartson to launch his own litigation boutique....
, the prestigious Washington, D.C. law firm, whose partners include Brendan Sullivan, David Kendall, and Greg Craig
Greg Craig
Gregory Bestor "Greg" Craig is a Washington-based lawyer and former White House Counsel under President Barack Obama. He has represented numerous high-profile clients, including John W. Hinckley, Jr., who was acquitted of the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan by reason of insanity, and, in...
. During the Clinton Administration, she served as legal counsel to Vice President Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
from 1994 to 1997, replacing Gore's long-time aide, Todd J. Campbell
Todd J. Campbell
Todd J. Campbell is a United States federal judge, currently the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.- Early life and education :...
. She started her trial career at the United States Department of Justice, where she prosecuted Federal civil rights cases, including racial and ethnic hate crimes.
Gibson has served in a variety of positions in the private, not-for-profit, and public sectors, most recently as the Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
of the New York State Division of Human Rights
New York State Division of Human Rights
The New York State Division of Human Rights is a New York State agency created to enforce the state's Human Rights Law. The law prohibits discrimination in the provision of housing, employment, credit, and access to certain public places based on specified protected characteristics, which include...
, the State agency charged with enforcing the State's Human Rights Law
New York Human Rights Law
New York State's Human Rights Law prohibits discrimination on the basis of "age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex or marital status" in employment, housing, education, credit, and access to public accommodations The law was originally passed in 1945 as...
. She was appointed to that post in January 2007 by then newly-elected Governor Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Spitzer
Eliot Laurence Spitzer is an American lawyer, former Democratic Party politician, and political commentator. He was the co-host of In the Arena, a talk-show and punditry forum broadcast on CNN until CNN cancelled his show in July of 2011...
and confirmed unanimously by the New York State Senate several months later. During her tenure as Commissioner, Gibson revamped the State agency, reducing backlogs and making it more effective in fighting systematic forms of discrimination. After Spitzer resigned from office in March 2008, Gibson tendered her resignation and left her post in April 2008. Several newspapers reported that she was sued by certain former employees, after they left the agency, based on their non-gay sexual orientation and race, but public records show that there were only three suits and all of those were dismissed.
Gibson is active, civically and professionally, currently serving on the Board of Directors of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, having been one of the founding Board members of the National Trust Community Investment Corporation, having been a board member of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, and having served on the Washington, D.C. Convention Center Authority Board, the District of Columbia Commission on Judicial Disabilities and Tenure, and the Administrative Council of the United States.