Carmelyn P. Malalis, who led New York City’s Commission on Human Rights through the stormy years of the Trump administration and 18 months of a pandemic, informed her staff Tuesday that she will step down from the role, effective Oct. 1.

Under her leadership, the commission grew from a stiff and relatively slow-moving agency with 55 employees to a nearly 150-person organization actively pursuing its own law enforcement, outreach and policy work.