Melanie E. La Rocca is Chief Operating Officer of BFC Partners, a full-service developer with expertise in mixed-use and mixed-income developments. At BFC she is responsible for overseeing the firm's workflow, strategy and organization of all essential business processes. She also works closely with the executive team to set and meet business objectives.
She previously served the Chief Efficiency Officer of the City of New York, having been named to that role by Mayor Eric Adams in March of 2022. Previously she served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Buildings, where she regulated and promoted the safe and lawful use of nearly 1.1 million buildings and more than 45,000 active construction sites. As Commissioner, Melanie furthered the agency’s efforts to create a culture of safety on construction sites and enforce laws to protect all New York City residents, workers, and visitors. Under her leadership, the agency redoubled its modernization efforts, improving response times, bringing clarity and consistency to agency operations, and insisting on the highest standards of integrity, both in the construction industry and within the Department.
Before becoming DOB Commissioner, La Rocca was Vice President of Development and External Affairs at the School Construction Authority (SCA), where she oversaw the Authority’s Real Estate Group and worked with communities throughout the city to create new schools for the city’s children. As part of this work, Melanie played a key role in implementing Mayor de Blasio’s Universal Pre-K program. And prior to joining SCA, Commissioner La Rocca served as Chief of Staff to Christine C. Quinn, former Speaker of the New York City Council, and was a member of Queens Community Board 1.
She received her bachelor’s degree from Fordham University. La Rocca is a native New Yorker and a lifelong Queens resident.