Randy Daniels spent much of his adult life traveling the world as a correspondent for CBS News. He calls New York a "global state" because its citizens hail from every corner of the world. Randy believes in the strength and fortitude of the human spirit, and the prospect that government can be both efficient and compassionate.

He grew up in Chicago in a housing project with his nine brothers and sisters, and later in his family's first home in suburban Markham, Illinois. He attended both Catholic and public schools, and earned a degree in government and journalism from Southern Illinois University.

Randy began his successful journalism career in Chicago, as a reporter for WVON radio. He moved quickly up the ladder at CBS News, becoming their Africa Bureau Chief in 1977. He became a familiar face on the evening news, with many viewers remembering his coverage of eight wars and the Iranian Revolution. In 1982, he was appointed Managing Director of Jacaranda Nigeria Limited, which directed programming and trained talent for Nigerian television. Randy has also served as an adjunct Journalism professor at both the City College of New York and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.

Randy Daniels has held important positions in a number of different government entities. He served as the Director of Communications for the New York City Council President's Office from 1986-88, and was appointed Press Secretary to the Prime Minister of the Bahamas in 1988.

In New York State government, Randy Daniels first held the position of Senior Vice President and Deputy Commissioner of Economic Revitalization at the Empire State Development Corporation in 1995. This appointment offered him the unique opportunity to direct the renewal of underserved communities throughout New York State, including Harlem, the Bronx, Yonkers, downtown New Rochelle, and neighborhoods in struggling cities across upstate New York.

In 1997, Governor Pataki nominated Randy for a seat on the State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees. The Governor later named him Vice Chairman of the SUNY Board, where he continues to serve as Chairman of the Investment Committee, Co-Chair of the Committees on General Education and Charter Schools, and as a member of the Executive and Finance Committees.

Randy Daniels began his tenure as New York's Secretary of State on April 12, 2001. The Department of State is New York's oldest and most diverse agency. Its services range from training firefighters to preserving our coastlines.

Randy Daniels lives in the Bronx and is the father of two grown daughters.