Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Paterson Picks Unknown for High-Paying Workers' Comp Job
By
Sabrina Jaszi
Published Jan 16, 2010
Modified Jan 16, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Sabrina Jaszi
Published Jan 16, 2010
Modified Jan 16, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gov. Paterson continued his losing streak, appointing a 29-year-old with no managerial experience and no workers’ comp experience to oversee the $210 million budget of the Workers’ Compensation Board. Jeffrey R. Fenster, the agency’s new executive director, is a lawyer who chose the vocation in order to “help people” and worked briefly in litigation to pay off student loans. What qualifies him for the board’s highest-paying position remains unclear.
“When I had a chance to look at Mr. Fenster’s background, I noticed he has absolutely no administrative experience,” Michael Berns, a former commissioner on the Workers’ Compensation Board told the NY Times. “And he has no experience in workers’ comp or labor law. I’m totally at a loss as to what he brings to this job. It makes no sense whatsoever.” Fenster, who worked as a fifth-grade school aide for disabled children before entering law school, seems equally bewildered. Last summer he sent out resumes as part of his search for a job in the public sector. He doesn’t know how one of them found its way to the governor’s desk.
The decision is especially troubling since the board has a history of hiring administrators without relevant experience or training. “My feeling was I was an attempt at getting fresh blood in here,” said Mr. Fenster, whose law firm did handle some worker’s compensation cases. “The same sort of retread in the executive director’s position was not the way they wanted to go.” If that’s the case, maybe Paterson should have hired his recently-arrested 15-year-old son.
Tagged
Jeffrey R. Fenster
lawyer
paterson
workers compensation
workers compensation board
Sabrina Jaszi
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans. We could get used to this.
Seeing high hopes dashed had become so routine, it was part of our identity. This year feels different.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 17, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
Some regulars at the East Village park want to preserve its not-so-fancy offerings.
By
Willow Higgins
News
Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.
Some regulars at the East Village park want to preserve its not-so-fancy offerings.
By
Willow Higgins
Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn
By
Rosemary Misdary
Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say
By
Samantha Max
Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time
By
David Brand
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .