Rose Pierre-Louis, Esq. is the Executive Director of the NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research. She leads a multidisciplinary team of scholars, clinicians, and policy experts dedicated to dismantling the root causes of poverty and translating research into actionable evidence-based interventions.
A recognized public sector leader, Rose has spent her career driving social and economic change for vulnerable populations. She previously served as McSilver’s Chief Operating Officer and hosted the second season of its acclaimed podcast, Black Boys and Men: Changing The Narrative.
Rose’s distinguished career in public service includes serving as Senior Adviser to the NYC Commission on Gender Equity and Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence. From 2006 to 2013, she was the Manhattan Deputy Borough President, where she led initiatives in transportation, sustainability, and criminal justice reform. Her background also includes leadership roles at Sanctuary for Families and Harlem Legal Services, as well as six years as an adjunct professor at Fordham University School of Law.
A prominent advocate for the Haitian community, Rose was appointed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the U.S. delegation following the 2010 Haiti earthquake. She is the Co-Founder and Chairperson of the Haitian Roundtable and she is an Executive Board Member of the Committee for Ranked Choice Voting NYC. In April 2022, Rose was appointed Co-Chair of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) blue ribbon “Fareness” panel to address solutions to reduce fare evasion.
Rose’s contributions have been recognized with the Common Cause NY Democracy Defender Award and the Metropolitan Black Bar Association’s Public Servant of the Year. She has been recognized frequently on City & State’s Power 100 lists. Rose holds a B.A. in Political Science from Tufts University and a J.D. from Case Western University School of Law.