Jon Campbell

jcampbell1@gannett.com | @JonCampbellGAN

ALBANY - A handful of former Obama administration staffers and Hillary Clinton aides have found a post-election landing spot: Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration.

Cuomo's office on Tuesday announced 27 appointments to various jobs within his administration, ranging from close aides to the governor himself to positions in state agencies across New York.

At least five of those hires came directly from President Obama's administration, with another three working most recently for Clinton's unsuccessful presidential bid.

That includes Carolyn Pokorny, who will serve as Cuomo's chief special counsel for ethics, risk and compliance after working as former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch's deputy chief of staff and counselor.

Molly Dillon and Valery Galasso will serve as a senior policy advisers to Cuomo. Dillon was an urban affairs and justice adviser in Obama's White House, while Galasso worked in the chief counsel's office for the Clinton-Kaine campaign.

"These men and women are highly respected in their fields and embody the values of public service necessary to continue moving this state forward," Cuomo said in a statement. I look forward to working with them to create a stronger, fairer and more prosperous New York for all."

Cuomo, a Democrat, was an outspoken backer of Clinton's candidacy and has been frequently mentioned as a potential presidential candidate in 2020.

Many of those announced for jobs in Cuomo's administration Tuesday have been in their positions for several weeks, including John Ceretto, a former assemblyman who is now a project coordinator at the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation after losing his bid for re-election in November.

Among those who were hired from the private sector were Christopher O'Brien, who was senior vice president and COO for Xerox Legal and Compliance Solutions.

O'Brien will be Cuomo's director of special projects, according to the governor's office.