Officers & Directors

Jennifer currently works for Ostroff Associates lobbying on behalf of school districts, colleges and universities, and women and minority owned businesses. She was previously the Deputy Director for Mayor Bill de Blasio’s State Legislative Affairs Office. Her portfolio included Education, Health, Mental Health, Social Services, Immigrant Affairs, Law Department, Technology, and Procurement.

Jennifer helped negotiate aspects of the Mayor’s legislative and budget positions with legislators and the Governor’s Office, in addition to monitoring and tracking legislation and writing briefings and testimony. She also served as a member of the board of directors for the New York State Conference of Mayors, the New York State Association of Counties representing New York City, and was a liaison between the mayor and the other Big Five City mayors in New York State.

During her tenure at the Mayor’s Office, she assisted in the passage of several major pieces of legislation including universal pre-k, mayoral control, dog licenses, immunizations, and streamlining the public assistance conciliation process for cash assistance recipients in NYC.

Previously, she worked for the New York City Department of Education (DOE) and the Syracuse City School District. As the Director of State Legislative Affairs for the DOE, she advocated in the New York State Legislature on behalf of the 1.1 million New York City school children. She assisted in drafting legislation and facilitated the passage of mandatory Pre-K in New York City, Electronic Access to Individualized Education Programs, and Opt-in Requirements for Parent Members. As Deputy Director for the Office of Talent Management in the Syracuse City School District, she managed over a dozen union contracts, implemented the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) plan, negotiated principal and teacher APPR plans, and headed the school district’s labor relations department.

Jennifer also has rulemaking experience from her position as an Assistant Counsel at the Governor’s Office of Regulatory Reform, where she assisted all executive branch agencies with the rulemaking process by helping to craft rules and implement legislative mandates. These agencies included the former Banking Department and the former Insurance Department (which are now consolidated into the Department of Financial Services) and the Departments of State and Labor. She analyzed rules for compliance with the State Administrative Procedure Act. She also worked with city agencies on rulemakings to ensure compliance with certain state laws passed.

Additionally, she brings labor relations, arbitration, and dispute resolution experience gained from her tenure working at the New York State Public Employees Federation, one of the largest white collar unions in the state, and from clerking for the Connecticut Superior Court.

Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She has a JD from Albany Law School and is admitted to practice in New York. She holds a Master’s Degree from the Cornell School of Industrial Labor Relations.

Senior Attorney, New York State Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG)

Queens native and the first lawyer in her family, Ricja Rice is currently senior attorney for Office of the Medicaid Inspector General. Previously she was the Legislative Director and Counsel for New York State Senator Kevin Parker of Brooklyn, NY. She has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Africana Studies with a minor is Sociology, from Union College in Schenectady, NY. She obtained her law degree from Albany Law School, Union University and she is also a 2004 Center for Women and Public Policy Fellow, of Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy.

Like many successful attorneys, Ms. Rice’s humble beginnings started at the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York where she represented clients in landlord/tenant, small claims, elder law and disability matters. Her love for helping those who need it most is evident in her representation of hundreds of indigent clients in the Capital District.
Ricja Rice has served as a co-chair of the Diversity and Gender Fairness Committee for the Capital District Women’s Bar Association for the past five years and currently sits as the CDWBA corresponding secretary. In her capacity as co-chair she had orchestrated and participated in the annual diversity program held at Albany Law School on increasing diversity on the bench and bar. Ricja is also the chair of the Judicial Task Force committee assigned to the task of encouraging diversity on the bench to delegates and party affiliates.
Practicing in the courts, meeting with many advocacy groups from around New York State, and participating in community service, Ricja tirelessly works on breaking barriers based on poverty, language, race, sex, gender and disability.

Jorge is an Assistant Attorney General with the New York State Office of the Attorney General, where he focuses on affirmative civil litigation on behalf of the State of New York, its agencies and authorities. Before joining the New York State Attorney General, Jorge was an associate at the Albany law firm of Deily & Glastetter, LLP, where he practiced litigation in the areas of creditors’ rights, bankruptcy, retail collections and provisional remedies. Jorge started his legal career at the New York City law firm of Mahoney & Keane, LLP, where he practiced in the areas of maritime law and insurance defense.

Jorge has a J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and a B.A. from Vanderbilt University. He is admitted to practice law in Federal and State courts in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Candace has a J.D. from Albany Law School and a B.A. from The Catholic University of America. She is admitted to practice law in State courts in New York.