Michelle Paige Paterson is the First Lady of New York.

Education:
BA, Syracuse University 
M.S. in Health Services Management,  Milano Graduate School

Personal:
Married to New York Governor David Paterson
Two children, Ashley and Alex

Background:
First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson was born on Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California, while her father served in the United States Air Force. At the age of two, First Lady Paterson and her family moved to New York.

After graduating from Syracuse University and earning a M.S. in Health Services Management at the Milano Graduate School in New York City, First Lady Paterson began a career that focused on people’s health by working with both hospitals and healthcare providers.

In 2002, First Lady Paterson accepted a position as the Director of Community and Government Affairs at North General Hospital in Harlem, actively working with City and State governments to address the hospital’s critical needs.

In 2005, First Lady Paterson became the Director of External Affairs and Corporate Contributions for HIP (Health Plan of New York) where she has worked with community organizations, agencies, and corporations on issues such as health care and education. At present, she is the Director of Integrative Wellness at HIP, where she focuses on evidence-based programs that promote healthy living with a focus on childhood obesity and stress-related ailments.

First Lady Paterson’s community service activities include assisting victims of domestic violence. She spent three years as an on-call volunteer at the St Luke’s – Roosevelt Hospital where she counseled injured domestic violence victims in the emergency room about the services provided by hospitals and the state government. First Lady Paterson is currently working with organizations and schools to help raise community awareness of childhood obesity and its consequences.