Kathleen Corradi is the newly appointed Director of Rodent Mitigation for New York City. She was selected from a pool of 900 applicants, according to an announcement by Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday.
At the press briefing in Harlem, New York, Corradi said, “I knew when my wife’s grandma called from North Carolina to see if I would apply, it was meant to be,” Kathleen Corradi was previously involved in Rodent reduction initiatives at the Department of Education focusing on limiting rats’ access to food, water, and shelter. Kathleen intends to continue her efforts by emphasizing the importance of using rat-proof compost bins for disposing of food and leftover waste in her new role as Director of Rodent Mitigation for New York City.
She is also planning to implement more comprehensive measures to tackle the issue of rodent infestation in New York City.
“Rats are symptoms of systemic issues. You can’t deal with one part of the problem,” Corradi said. “This is going to take all of us.”
Corradi as a kid collected signatures of her neighbours to address the rat problem in her neighbourhood. It was also a testament to her determination and commitment to addressing the issue of rodent infestation in the city.
“We have found our rat czar,” Adams said.
The administration of Mayor Eric Adams posted a job listing for the Director of Rodent Mitigation position in New York City in late December offering a salary range of $120,000 to $170,000.
“I want to be clear: The rats are absolutely going to hate this announcement,” New York sanitation commissioner Jessica Tisch said while announcing the new policy. “But the rats don’t run the city. We do.” Applicants for the rat czar role must submit a cover letter, a resume, and three references. They also must have a New York residency within 90 days of their appointment, and be vaccinated against Covid-19 — a policy for all city employees hired since Aug. 2, 2021.
