Ruth Noemí Colón (born November 21, 1958) was the 66th Secretary of State of New York, serving in the Cabinets of Governors David Paterson and Andrew Cuomo. She was appointed by Governor Paterson to replace outgoing Secretary Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez who officially resigned on September 1, 2010. A resident of White Plains, Secretary Colón is a member of the Westchester Women's Bar Association and serves on the board of directors of the Puerto Rican Bar Association. On March 31, 2011, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the nomination of Cesar A. Perales for the Secretary of State position. Effectively since May 2, 2011, Perales replaced Colón as the state's new Secretary of State and was confirmed by the New York State Senate on June 7. Further reading Paterson, David “Black, Blind, & In Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity.” New York, New York, 2020 See also List of Puerto Ricans References American politicians of Puerto Rican descent Puerto Rican people in New York (state) politics People from Caguas, Puerto Rico David Paterson Hispanic and Latino American women in politics Living people New York (state) Democrats New York (state) lawyers Pace University School of Law alumni Secretaries of State of New York (state) University of Puerto Rico alumni Politicians from Westchester County, New York Women in New York (state) politics 1958 births