Robert Doar
Encyclopedia
Robert Doar is the Commissioner of the New York City
Human Resources Administration
(HRA). He was appointed to the position by Mayor Michael Bloomberg
on January 8, 2007. He has maintained the Administration’s focus on work, placing over 75,000 recipients of benefits into jobs each year and expanding access to work support programs like Food Stamps and the Earned Income Tax Credit
. Commissioner Doar has also worked to promote responsible fatherhood, both through increased collection of child support
payments, and by creating programs like NYC DADS, which encourage fathers to take an active role in their children’s emotional lives.
Within the Administration he has worked to promote staff advancement and leadership, reduce operating costs, and bring more of HRA’s services online. He is the 30th Commissioner of the Human Resources Administration.
Doar was born in Washington, DC, the son of former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
John Doar
, an instrumental figure in the American civil rights movement, and Anne Leffingwell Doar. He has one sister, Gael, and two brothers, Michael and Burke.
He attended St. Ann’s School, Phillips Academy (Andover)
and Princeton University
(A.B. 1983). After college he began working at the New York City Office of Business Development, helping small businesses relocate to lower rent areas of the city. He then moved to Washington, DC to become Deputy to the Editor-in-Chief of The Washington Monthly
, a public policy magazine, where he worked with a number of well known journalists including current Editor-in-Chief Paul Glastris
, Jason DeParle, Matthew Cooper
, and Nicholas Lemann
.
He returned to New York to become editor of the Harlem Valley Times in Dutchess County, and then worked as Assistant Vice President of the First National Bank of Hudson Valley.
In May, 1995 he became the Deputy Commissioner of the New York State
Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s Division of Child Support Enforcement. In 2003, Governor George Pataki
appointed him as Commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
He has received the American Society for Public Administration’s New Public Administrator Award (2000), the Commissioner's Distinguished Service Award from the Administration for Children & Families, Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement, Department of Health & Human Services (2002), and the National Child Support Enforcement Association’s State Leader of the Year Award (2006). In June, 2008 he received the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty
’s City Leadership Award.
He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife Sara Doar and their four children.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Human Resources Administration
New York City Human Resources Administration
The New York City Human Resources Administration/Department of Social Services is a Mayoral Agency of the New York City government in charge of the majority of the city’s social services programs. HRA helps New Yorkers in need through a variety of services that promote employment and personal...
(HRA). He was appointed to the position by Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
on January 8, 2007. He has maintained the Administration’s focus on work, placing over 75,000 recipients of benefits into jobs each year and expanding access to work support programs like Food Stamps and the Earned Income Tax Credit
Earned income tax credit
The United States federal earned income tax credit or earned income credit is a refundable tax credit primarily for individuals and families who have low to moderate earned income. Greater tax credit is given to those who also have qualifying children...
. Commissioner Doar has also worked to promote responsible fatherhood, both through increased collection of child support
Child support
In family law and public policy, child support is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child following the end of a marriage or other relationship...
payments, and by creating programs like NYC DADS, which encourage fathers to take an active role in their children’s emotional lives.
Within the Administration he has worked to promote staff advancement and leadership, reduce operating costs, and bring more of HRA’s services online. He is the 30th Commissioner of the Human Resources Administration.
Doar was born in Washington, DC, the son of former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
The U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division is the institution within the federal government responsible for enforcing federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, religion, and national origin. The Division was established on December 9, 1957, by...
John Doar
John Doar
John Michael Doar is an American lawyer and currently senior counsel with the law firm Doar Rieck Kaley & Mack in New York....
, an instrumental figure in the American civil rights movement, and Anne Leffingwell Doar. He has one sister, Gael, and two brothers, Michael and Burke.
He attended St. Ann’s School, Phillips Academy (Andover)
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
and Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
(A.B. 1983). After college he began working at the New York City Office of Business Development, helping small businesses relocate to lower rent areas of the city. He then moved to Washington, DC to become Deputy to the Editor-in-Chief of The Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly
The Washington Monthly is a bimonthly nonprofit magazine of United States politics and government that is based in Washington, D.C.The magazine's founder is Charles Peters, who started the magazine in 1969 and continues to write the "Tilting at Windmills" column in each issue. Paul Glastris, former...
, a public policy magazine, where he worked with a number of well known journalists including current Editor-in-Chief Paul Glastris
Paul Glastris
Paul Glastris is an American journalist and political columnist. Glastris is the current editor in chief of The Washington Monthly and was President Bill Clinton's chief speechwriter from September 1998 to the end of his presidency in early 2001. Before 1998, Glastris was a correspondent for U.S....
, Jason DeParle, Matthew Cooper
Matthew Cooper (American journalist)
Matthew Cooper is a former reporter for Time who, along with New York Times reporter Judith Miller was held in contempt of court and threatened with imprisonment for refusing to testify before the Grand Jury regarding the Valerie Plame CIA leak investigation. He currently works as the managing...
, and Nicholas Lemann
Nicholas Lemann
Nicholas Berthelot Lemann is dean and Henry R. Luce professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City.Lemann is from New Orleans and he graduated from Harvard University in 1976, but has never attended a school of journalism. He is a journalist, editor, and author...
.
He returned to New York to become editor of the Harlem Valley Times in Dutchess County, and then worked as Assistant Vice President of the First National Bank of Hudson Valley.
In May, 1995 he became the Deputy Commissioner of the New York State
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s Division of Child Support Enforcement. In 2003, Governor George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
appointed him as Commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
He has received the American Society for Public Administration’s New Public Administrator Award (2000), the Commissioner's Distinguished Service Award from the Administration for Children & Families, Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement, Department of Health & Human Services (2002), and the National Child Support Enforcement Association’s State Leader of the Year Award (2006). In June, 2008 he received the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty
Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty
The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty is a New York-based non-profit social services organization. It offers services to help needy New Yorkers.-History:...
’s City Leadership Award.
He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his wife Sara Doar and their four children.