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Sharpton Spokeswoman Tapped as Aide to City's First Lady Chirlane McCray

By Colby Hamilton | January 20, 2014 5:29pm | Updated on January 20, 2014 7:50pm
 First Lady Chirlane McCray announcing the pick of her new chief of staff, Rachel Noerdlinger, with Mayor Bill de Blasio and Al Shaprton on January 20, 2014.
First Lady Chirlane McCray announcing the pick of her new chief of staff, Rachel Noerdlinger, with Mayor Bill de Blasio and Al Shaprton on January 20, 2014.
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DNAinfo/Colby Hamilton

HARLEM —  Longtime Al Sharpton spokeswoman Rachel Noerdlinger was officially tapped Monday as the chief of staff to Mayor Bill de Blasio's wife Chirlaine McCray.

According to the de Blasio's office, Noerdlinger will go on the payroll as a City Hall employee with the Mayor and will make $170,000 a year.

Her boss, McCray will remain unpaid, the Mayor's office said, but details on her staff, the location of her office, and the issues she'll focus on haven't been determined.

"We do not expect her to have a large staff footprint," said a member of de Blasio's team.

Mayor de Blasio, accompanied by McCray, made the announcement during a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day visit to Sharpton’s National Action Network headquarters in Harlem.

“Rachel is an extraordinary organizer. She has a great mind, a great vision, and she’s been a voice of conscience,” de Blasio said.

“She brings a wealth of experience, knowledge and know-how to the job,” McCray said, adding that Noerdlinger “served one of the most prominent African-Americans in the nation with tremendous effectiveness” during her time with Sharpton.

McCray isn't the first First Lady to have a chief of staff. Donna Hanover, who was married to Mayor Rudy Giuliani during most of his time in office, also had a chief of staff.

Noerdlinger, who leaves Sharpton after 15 years as the spokeswoman for the National Action Network, was hailed by her soon-to-be former boss, who said Noerdlinger was the pride of his organization.

“No one has worked harder than Rachel Noerdlinger. No one has sacrificed more than Rachel Noerdlinger. She has helped promote and build the image of this organization,” Sharpton said.

During her time with Sharpton, Noerdlinger was often on the front lines, dealing with with press on NYPD police misconduct investigations including the fatal police-involved shooting of Sean Bell in Queens and Sharpton's presidential run in 2004, among other high-profile responsibilities.

Noerdlinger said she “couldn’t wait” to join McCray in her as-of-yet unannounced role and duties as First Lady, calling her “a voice for the voiceless.”