Most recently, Laura was the FDNY Commissioner, managing the agency’s 17,000+ employees and $2 billion annual budget. She was the first woman to lead the 99 percent male organization in its 159 year history, and the youngest Commissioner in a century. Prior to being Commissioner she served the FDNY for over a decade, including as first deputy commissioner, the department’s second highest-ranking post, where she was the second woman to ever serve in that role.Her tenure was marked by sweeping improvements to the FDNY’s technology infrastructure, significantly increased funding for members' mental and physical health, and tackling cultural change head on in the wake of a federal discrimination lawsuit that led to an overhaul in how the FDNY recruits and retains members of color. Commissioner Kavanagh’s work in the wake of the suit has made the FDNY’s workforce the most diverse it has been in the department's history, including tripling the number of women serving as firefighters.Prior to joining the FDNY, she was a senior CIty Hall official. Earlier in her career she worked as a public affairs consultant for non-profit community organizations, political campaigns, and labor unions. Commissioner Kavanagh holds a masters degree in public policy from Columbia University and bachelors degree in political science and international relations from Whittier College. She also studied at the Naval PostGraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.