Newly-appointed commissioner is organizer Tascha Van Auken

GRAND ARMY PLAZA — BROOKLYN NATIVE TASCHA VAN AUKEN, who is Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s pick for commissioner of the newly-established Office of Mass Engagement, brings her experience as a past chief of staff to Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forest and a past campaign manager for State Senator Julia Salazar. Van Auken, who grew up in Park Slope also worked for former President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. Most recently during the Mamdani campaign, Van Auken led the highest voter turnout in a New York City mayoral race since 1969, with more than 2 million New Yorkers casting ballots.

Under the executive order, which is immediately effective, the Office of Mass Engagement will lead campaigns to organize New Yorkers to participate in city decision-making.

“For too long, city government has only listened to the wealthy and well-connected while working New Yorkers remain further and further disconnected from those elected to serve them. The Office of Mass Engagement will fundamentally change this, creating a deeper connection between City Hall and community organizations,” said Mamdani at a press conference on Friday.

✰✰✰