Cesar A. Perales

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Cesar Augusto Perales (born November 12, 1940) is an American attorney and longtime public servant who served as the 65th Secretary of State of New York from May 2, 2011, to February 3, 2016, under Governor Andrew Cuomo. He was appointed March 31, 2011, and unanimously confirmed by the New York State Senate on June 7, 2011. He took over from Ruth Noemí Colón and was succeeded by Rossana Rosado.

Perales was born in New York City to a Puerto Rican father and Dominican mother and grew up there. He earned a BA from City College of the City University of New York in 1962 and a JD from Fordham University in 1965.

Early career and public service: Perales began as a lawyer focusing on youth and Latino communities. He helped establish the first Brooklyn Legal Services Office in 1968, worked with Mobilization for Youth, and advocated for minority students and community programs, including representing the Young Lords during their 1970 church takeover to provide services.

National and New York government roles: He served as regional director of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) in New York and later as Assistant Secretary of HEW during President Carter’s administration. In New York, he was Commissioner of the State Department of Social Services under Governor Mario Cuomo and Deputy Mayor of New York City under Mayor David Dinkins.

PRLDEF and Latino justice work: Perales co-founded the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (PRLDEF) in 1972 with Jorge Batista and Victor Marrero and served as its first executive director. PRLDEF fought for bilingual education, fair public employment, and access to benefits for non-English speakers, helping shape national policy. In 1981 he returned to PRLDEF after government service, and in 1994 became senior vice president at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, where he developed a nationally recognized Community Health Care system. He returned to PRLDEF in 2003 and led immigrant-rights work, including high-profile cases against housing discrimination and restrictive immigration laws. In 2008, PRLDEF changed its name to LatinoJustice PRLDEF to reflect its evolving mission.