N.Y. Public Service Law § 3

§ 3. Department of public service. There shall be in the state\ngovernment a department of public service. The chairman of the public\nservice commission shall be the chief executive officer of the\ndepartment. He or she shall appoint and shall have the power to remove,\nsubject to the provisions of the civil service law, all officers,\nclerks, inspectors, experts and employees of the department, and to\napprove all contracts for special service. The chairman shall designate\none of the commissioners in the department or an officer of the\ndepartment to act as deputy chairman during the absence or disability of\nthe chairman and during such times such deputy chairman shall possess\nall the powers of the chairman as chief executive officer of the\ndepartment.\n