'The Rats Are Going To Hate Her': Meet NYC's New Rat Czar Kathleen Corradi, a former elementary school teacher who works for the Department of Education, has landed the highly-talked-about position.
By Emily Rella
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The rats are really going to hate this announcement.
New York City mayor Eric Adams' arduous search for a Rat Czar to help him eradicate the pesty street creatures from the Big Apple has finally come to a close, as Kathleen Corradi has officially been appointed to the position.
Corradi is a former elementary school teacher who works for the U.S. Department of Education. She helped pioneer New York City's Zero Waste Schools initiative, which began in 2016 to help city schools find easier ways to recycle and dispose of computable trash, per the New York Times.
NYC has done a lot to fight public enemy number one: rats.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) April 12, 2023
But to fully rat out the rodents, we needed to get our city's first dedicated Rat Czar.
Meet Kathy Corradi. With her knowledge, drive, and experience, the rats are going to HATE her. pic.twitter.com/cJyJGTkFRa
Corradi previously worked with the Department of Education on rodent reduction initiatives in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.
Related: The Rats Still Run This City: NYC Is Still Looking for Its 'Rat Czar'
"During those years, I spent a lot of time looking for signs of rats and working to end the conditions that allow them to thrive. Due to those efforts, nearly 70% of schools with persistent rat issues reached their compliance goals," Corradi said at a press conference announcing her appointment. "No more dirty curbs, unmanaged spaces, or brazen burrowing. There's a new sheriff in town. And with your help, we'll send those rats packing."
Corradi also said she plans to take a "science and systems-based approach" to the role. Her salary will be $155,000.
According to LinkedIn, she also served as the Sustainability Manager for the Department of Education and currently works as the Director of Space Planning. She's been at the organization for seven years.
"Kathy has the knowledge, drive, experience, and energy to send rats packing and create a cleaner more welcoming city for all New Yorkers," Mayor Adams said at the conference. "The rats are going to hate Kathy, but we're excited to have her leading this important effort."
Adams originally put out the call for the position in December, calling for a "highly motivated and somewhat bloodthirsty" expert to help get rid of the rat problem in the city, someone with "drive, determination and killer instinct needed to fight the real enemy – New York City's relentless rat population."
The original position was listed with a salary range of $120,000-$170,000.
Adams kept Corradi's identity secret for weeks. On March 23, he announced that he had chosen someone for the position, a "Director of Rat Mitigation."
It remains to be seen whether the rats will still run the city as the summer months loom.
