Joshua Solomon reports in the Times Union that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced more appointments Sept. 1: Kathryn Garcia as the director of state operations, and Neysa Alsina as the special advisor on pandemic relief. Garcia was the commissioner of the New York City Department of Sanitation, and just finished second in the Democratic primary election for New York City mayor. Alsina was chief counsel for New York City Comptroller Scott A. Stringer, and previously senior policy advisor to U.S. Rep. Nydia M. Valzquez and counsel to the New York City Bar Association. "Kathryn Garcia and Neysa Alsina are tremendously accomplished and dedicated public servants," Hochul said in a statement. "They know how to run effective and professional operations, and they will be instrumental in making our state government work better for New Yorkers and restoring trust in government." Also on Sept. 1, Hochul nominated Christopher Alexander to head the Office of Cannabis Management and Tremaine Wright to chair the State’s Cannabis Control Board. Both of those nominations need legislature approval, which is expected during the current special session in Albany. Cannabis has been legal in New York for five months, but former Gov. Andrew Cuomo did not nominate anyone to lead the regulatory bodies, so recreational sales are still at least a year away in the state. Read more about this story in the Times Union.