Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday made two senior-level appointments to his incoming administration, more than a month after naming his first deputy mayor and chief of staff.

Labor veteran Jahmila Edwards will serve as the administration’s director of intergovernmental affairs, while Catherine Almonte Da Costa has been named director of appointments, Mamdani said at a press conference.

What You Need To Know

Labor veteran Jahmila Edwards will serve as the administration’s director of intergovernmental affairs, while Catherine Almonte Da Costa has been named director of appointments

Edwards has spent the past decade as associate director of District Council 37 — New York City’s largest public employee union — being an advocate for working New Yorkers

Da Costa launched her career in city government at the Office of Appointments, and is returning to lead the administration’s efforts to recruit top talent

Edwards, who has spent the past decade as associate director of District Council 37 — New York City’s largest public employee union — has long been an advocate for working New Yorkers, the mayor-elect said.

“New Yorkers have entrusted us with a responsibility. They voted for an administration that will work every day to make our city affordable, safe, to make the work of government efficient and excellent. We can deliver on this promise — we will — but only if we have the brightest minds of this city leading our efforts,” he said. “In Jahmila Edwards, to my left, that’s exactly what New Yorkers can expect.”

During her time at DC37, Edwards helped secure a $15 minimum wage and partnered with Albany to deliver nearly $300 million in funding for CUNY, Mamdani said in a release.

Prior to her role at the union, she held multiple roles in the city’s Department of Education, including executive director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and deputy chief of staff to the chancellor.

“There are few leaders with records of as much sustained ambition and proven achievement as Jahmila,” Mamdani said. “She possesses a deep knowledge of city government, having worked for borough presidents, public advocates and the Department of Education.”

Da Costa, meanwhile, launched her career in city government at the Office of Appointments, and is returning to lead the administration’s efforts to recruit top talent, according to the release.  

She previously held senior positions at Orchestra and Sotheby’s, the release said.

“Cat will oversee our talent recruitment efforts and help us build a team as hardworking as the city we are seeking to represent,” Mamdani said. “Raised in Queens, Cat has a deep connection to our city, and an extraordinary history of working across both the private sector and city government to build organizations that are streamlined, that are productive, and that are staffed by people who understand and care about the work they were hired to do.” 

In a statement, Edwards said she is looking forward to continuing her work advocating for labor and affordability with the Mamdani administration.

“From championing a minimum wage increase to delivering historic funding for CUNY, fighting for working people has been my life’s work — and as part of the Mayor-elect’s incoming administration, I look forward to continuing these efforts. New Yorkers across the five boroughs are calling out for the affordability agenda and it is our responsibility to deliver results,” she said.

“It is a privilege to serve the Mayor-elect’s Administration and be tasked with recruiting the talent that will be central to realizing the affordability agenda,” Da Costa said her own statement. “A Mayor’s strength lies in his team and we are committed to appointing a team defined by experience, competence, and dedication to the needs of working New Yorkers.”