Michelle R. Paige Paterson (born April 1, 1961 in Fairfield, California) was the First Lady of New York state. Then-wife of New York Governor David Paterson, she became the First Lady of New York on March 17, 2008, when her husband was sworn in as governor, following the resignation of Eliot Spitzer. Paige Paterson was the first African American First Lady in New York's history.