Lesley Hirsch is the founding director of the NYC Labor Market Information Service (NYCLMIS) situated within the Center for Urban Research at the CUNY Graduate Center. Since its initiation in 2008, the NYCLMIS has provided research, training and consulting services to the City's broader educational and workforce system community. Lesley has

• Authored or co-authored numerous reports on opportunities for employment in various New York City industries;
  
• Developed and conducted "Demystifying Data" workshops with Workforce Professionals Training Institute (WPTI);
  
• Provided analytical consultation to numerous City agencies, including Education, Citywide Administrative Services, and Small Business Services; and
  
• Served as a consultant to the Deputy Mayors' Workforce Collaborative.
  

In her capacity as NYCLMIS director, she serves on the New York City Department of Education's Career and Technical Education Advisory Council (associate member), F.E.G.S. Business Advisory Council and is a board member of the LMI Institute, a national organization dedicated to advancing access to and strategic use of high-quality labor market intelligence. Prior to joining NYCLMIS, Lesley held senior research and evaluation positions developing policy-relevant research for over fifteen years, working with stakeholders to improve urban policies, programs, and practices. Most recently, she was the research director at the Education Law Center, a public interest law and advocacy firm representing more than 300,000 children who live in New Jersey’s poorest cities. Lesley is a CUNY doctoral student in political science (all but dissertation) and has taught theories of the policy process and New York City politics at City College.