Robert John Duffy (born August 21, 1954) is a former American law enforcement officer and politician who served as
Lieutenant Governor of New York
The lieutenant governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the Government of the State of New York. It is the second highest-ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket wit ...
from 2011 to 2014. A member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, he previously served as the 65th Mayor of
Rochester, New York
Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...
from 2006 to 2010.
Earlier in his career, Duffy worked as a police officer in Rochester, rising to the positions of Deputy Chief (1992–1998) and Chief (1998–2005). He was elected mayor of the city in November 2005, took office on January 1, 2006 and was reelected in 2009 (unopposed) for a term scheduled to end in 2013.
In May 2010, New York Attorney General
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cuo ...
selected Duffy as his running mate in the race for Governor. Cuomo and Duffy were elected in November 2010 for a four-year term beginning January 1, 2011. Duffy chose not to run for reelection in 2014, and instead became the President and CEO of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce.
In April 2020, in the midst of the
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
pandemic, Governor Cuomo appointed Duffy as Special Advisor to coordinate public health and reopening strategy in the Finger Lakes Region.
Early life and education
Duffy was born to Catherine Cuddihy and Cornelius Duffy and raised in Rochester. He attended Holy Rosary Catholic grammar school, and graduated from the
Aquinas Institute
The Aquinas Institute of Rochester is a co-educational Catholic school in Rochester, New York established in 1902. Although The Aquinas Institute was founded as an all-male high school, it opened to female students in 1982. It is located within ...
in 1972. He went on to earn an associate degree in Recreational Leadership from
Monroe Community College
Monroe Community College is a public community college in Monroe County, New York. It is part of the State University of New York. The college has two campuses; the main campus in the town of Brighton, and the Downtown Campus in the City of Ro ...
in 1975, and another associate degree in
Criminal Justice
Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the Rehabilitation (penology), rehabilitation of o ...
from the same school in 1988. He also earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a private university, private research university in the town of Henrietta, New York, Henrietta in the Rochester, New York, metropolitan area. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degree ...
in 1993 and a Master of Public Administration from the
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs (Maxwell School) is the professional public policy school of Syracuse University, a private research university in Syracuse, New York. The school is organized in 11 academic departments and 13 ...
at
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
in 1998.
Law enforcement career
Duffy joined the
Rochester Police Department
The Rochester Police Department, also known as the RPD, is the principal law enforcement agency of the City of Rochester, New York, reporting to the city mayor. It currently has approximately 852 officers and support staff, a budget of approxima ...
in 1976 and rose to sergeant in 1985 and lieutenant in 1989, serving in several patrol units, the Tactical Unit, the Field Inspection Section, and the Criminal Investigation Section. He was promoted to captain in January 1992 and deputy chief of operations five months later. He was sworn in as the chief of police in 1998 after his predecessor,
Robert Warshaw
Robert S. Warshaw is an American law enforcement official and former Associate Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, commonly referred to as the "deputy drug czar." Warshaw, appointed to the position in 1998, served ...
, was appointed Associate Director of the
Office of National Drug Control Policy
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is a component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States.
The Director of the ONDCP, colloquially known as the Drug Czar, heads the office. "Drug Czar" was a term first used ...
.
Mayor of Rochester
Campaign
After
William A. Johnson, Jr. announced his retirement, Duffy debated whether to become a candidate for the mayor's office which would have (and did) pit him against the Democratic favorite and city councilman, Wade S. Norwood. Johnson threatened to fire Duffy if he ran for office. Assemblyman
Joseph Morelle
Joseph D. Morelle ( ; born April 29, 1957) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 25th congressional district since 2018. A Democrat, he was formerly a member of the New York State Assembly representing t ...
called on Duffy to definitively announce or forgo his candidacy or risk running afoul of the state election law prohibiting police officers from soliciting funds for political purposes.
Duffy retired as Chief to run in the Democratic Primary for Mayor in 2005.
Administration
During the opening months of his administration, Mayor Duffy closed down the
fast ferry service across
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...
between
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
and Rochester.
In December 2009 Duffy proposed to abolish the Rochester Board of Education and placing governance of the city's public school system directly under the mayor and city council, a system similar to the school governance structure in New York City, Chicago, and Cleveland. Opinion polls taken during 2010 indicated that a majority was in favor of the idea. The plan is still on the table and awaiting approval by the State Legislature a year after it was originally proposed.
Lieutenant Governor of New York
In May 2010, Duffy was picked by Cuomo to be the lieutenant gubernatorial nominee. They won on November 2, 2010 with 62% of the vote. Cuomo subsequently named Duffy director of his transition team.
During Governor Cuomo's administration, Duffy was tapped for several key roles including as Chair of the Regional Economic Development Councils aimed at rebuilding New York's economy and positioning New York State to be a global economic leader.
As part of this effort, Duffy was also appointed to lead the Chairman's Committee which included leaders in business, academia, labor, agriculture, nonprofits, and community-based organizations. The Committee was charged with identifying and eliminating barriers to economic growth common across regions,
facilitating coordination among regions and between the State and the Regional Councils, providing guidance on projects that impact multiple regions or the entire state, and aggregating feedback from each of the Regional Councils.
Additionally, Duffy served as chair of the Spending and Government Efficiency Commission in which he oversaw the effort to make New York's government more modern, accountable, and efficient. He also led the Mandate Relief Council under Cuomo, chairing a series of statewide mandate relief hearings which sought input from local government officials and constituents on the statutory and regulatory burdens faced by local government and school districts.
On May 8, 2014, Duffy announced he would not seek re-election as Lieutenant Governor, citing health and family reasons.
At the end of his term, he was hired as the President and CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance (now the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce).
Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce
Duffy currently serves as President and CEO of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, the regional chamber of commerce for the nine-county Finger Lakes Region of New York.
He continues to be active around New York State serving in many capacities including as a Trustee for the
State University of New York
The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by c ...
and chair of the Board's Community Colleges Committee; Co-Chair of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council; trustee for the
Center for Governmental Research
The Center for Governmental Research, Inc. (CGR) is a non-profit corporation delivering data support, management consulting and implementation assistance to governments, educational institutions, foundations and non-profit organizations. Headquart ...
(CGR); and on the Board of Directors for the Business Council of New York State.
Duffy is also a member of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Metro Cities Council which is a group for CEOs at Chambers representing the largest metropolitan areas in the country. In September 2019 Duffy was invited to join the
United States Chamber of Commerce
The United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) is the largest lobbying group in the United States, representing over three million businesses and organizations. The group was founded in April 1912 out of local chambers of commerce at the urging ...
Committee of 100 (CCC100). CCC100 leaders advise the U.S. Chamber’s board of directors, enhance lobbying and coalition work, recommend programming, and strengthen outreach to the business and chamber communities.
Personal life
He married his wife, Barbara, in 1986, and raised two daughters, Erin and Shannon. One of Duffy's hobbies is running – he has run in the
New York City Marathon
The New York City Marathon (currently branded TCS New York City Marathon after its headline sponsor) is an annual marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 53,627 finishe ...
.
Awards and Recognition
In May 2012, the
Ellis Island Honors Society The Ellis Island Honors Society (EIHS) is a United States 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to honor and preserve cultural diversity and to foster tolerance, respect and understanding among ethnic groups. The EIHS was founded in 1984 as the N ...
(previously the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations) awarded Duffy the
Ellis Island Medal of Honor
The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is an American award founded by the Ellis Island Honors Society (EIHS) (formerly known as the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO)), which is presented annually to American citizens, both native-born ...
. The medal honors notable American citizens who demonstrate a life committed to community service.
In 2015,
Clarkson University
Clarkson University is a private research university with its main campus in Potsdam, New York, and additional graduate program and research facilities in the New York Capital Region and Beacon, New York. It was founded in 1896 and has an enr ...
honored Duffy with The Bertrand H. Snell Award, their highest community service honor. The Bertrand H. Snell Award was created by the Clarkson board of trustees in 1981 to recognize individuals of outstanding merit and to honor Congressman
Bertrand Snell
Bertrand Hollis Snell (December 9, 1870 – February 2, 1958) was an American politician who represented upstate New York in the United States House of Representatives. He was a pro-business, low-tax, isolationist conservative Republican who ...
's significant contributions to the University, the North Country, and the nation.
Duffy is the recipient of several Honorary Doctorate Degrees including a doctor of laws from
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees.
The University of Roc ...
, a doctor of laws from
St. John Fisher College
St. John Fisher University is a private liberal arts college in Pittsford, New York. It is named after John Fisher, an English Catholic cardinal and saint. It was named St. John Fisher College until July 1, 2022.
History
St. John Fisher Univers ...
, and a doctorate of humane letters from
Keuka College
Keuka College is a private college in Keuka Park, New York. Founded in 1890, the college emphasizes experiential learning as well as career and pre-professional education. It is classified among "Master's Colleges and Universities (small)" and ...
References
External links
Robert J. Duffy Administration 2006-2010 City of Rochester website
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duffy, Robert J.
1954 births
Living people
Mayors of Rochester, New York
New York (state) Democrats
Rochester Institute of Technology alumni
Monroe Community College alumni
Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs alumni
Lieutenant Governors of New York (state)
American municipal police chiefs
2012 United States presidential electors
21st-century American politicians
Trustees of the State University of New York