Staten Island leaders appointed to Mamdani’s 400-person transition team

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Two Staten Islanders are among 400 people appointed to Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s transition team.

Yesenia Mata, executive director of La Colmena in Port Richmond, and Jessica Baker Vodoor, president and CEO of Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden in Livingston have been appointed to the Mamdani transition team, which is comprised of 17 committees. Baker Vodoor has been selected for the Committee on Arts & Culture, while Mata will serve on the Committee on Immigrant Justice.

“A love for hard work, a deep belief in the promise of New York City, and a commitment to the affordability agenda that New Yorkers are demanding unite the more than 400 experts we have appointed to our transition committees today. By helping us recruit top talent and develop smart policy, these committees will be instrumental to ensuring we hit the ground running on January 1st — and that our results align with the promises we’ve made,” said Mamdani.

It was unclear at the time of publishing whether additional borough residents would be appointed to the transition team.

Assemblymember Charles D. Fall, Staten Island Democratic Party chair, recently penned a letter to SILive.com about ways Mamdani can deliver for the borough, where he only received 23% percent of the vote in the 2025 election.

“I’ve worked with the last three mayors, and one thing has remained true, New Yorkers are best served when the city and state are aligned in purpose,” said Fall, a Democrat representing the North Shore, Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn.

“The individuals appointed to these committees bring valuable expertise that will help guide the administration’s policy direction. My priority is to build a focused and effective partnership with the mayor-elect because that’s how we deliver clear, measurable results on the issues that matter most to our communities,” he added.

Out of 800 people appointed to the Mayor Eric Adams’ transition team four years ago were 12 Staten Islanders, including former Borough President James Oddo and former State Senator Diana Savino, both of whom continued to work for the Adams Administration.

Committee functions

Each committee will be overseen by one of the transition co-chairs: Lina Khan, Grace Bonilla, Maria Torres-Springer, and Melanie Hartzog. “With over 50 years of combined experience in city government, social services, and the legal field, these co-chairs will guarantee that committees are delivering results aligned with the values of the administration,” said Mamdani’s office in a written statement.

He said the committees will focus on the most pressing issues facing New York City under the current affordability crisis — housing, childcare, and transportation — as well as the essential functions of government. Of the 17 committees, two are entirely new committees that did not exist under previous mayoral transitions: the Worker Justice and Community Organizing committees.

“Excellence is the guiding light driving this transition, and today’s committee appointees are no exception. Together, these leaders will help prepare Mayor-elect Mamdani’s administration to take on the city’s toughest challenges—from housing access to emergency preparedness to the day-to-day operations of city government that must be exceptional,” said Transition Executive Director Elana Leopold.

A full list of appointees provided by Mamdani’s office are below:

Committee on Arts & Culture

Hiba Abid, New York Public LibraryDr. Elizabeth Alexander, Mellon Foundation Suroosh Alvi, Vice Jessica Baker Vodoor, Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical GardenAlexis Bittar, Jewelry DesignerRocky Bucano, Hip Hop MuseumGonzalo Casals, Culture & Arts Policy InstituteCarolyn Concepcion, ARTNOIRColm Dillane, KidSuperKimberly Drew, Pace Gallery Atiba Edwards, Brooklyn Children’s MuseumKamilah Forbes, Apollo Theatre Lisa Gold, Asian American Arts AllianceJenna Hamed, Curator and Book makerKemi Ilesanmi, KG1Wes Jackson, BRICRuba Katrib, MoMA PS1Coco Killingsworth, Cultural Institutions GroupMino Lora, The Peoples TheatrePatricia McGregor, NY Theatre WorkshopLydia Pilcher, Cine MosaicVictoria Rogers, Leadership StrategistHal Rosenbluth, Kaufman Astoria StudiosLegacy Russell, The KitchenKenny Savoca, IATSE 161Hannah Traore, Hannah Traore GalleryDiya Vij, Powerhouse ArtsDennis Walcott, Queens Library

Committee on Community Organizing

Sherif Ahmed, Muslim American Society NYIbrahim Ahmed, Yankasa Organization Abdul Aziz, Bhuiyan Hillside Islamic CenterGianpaolo Baiocchi Lumuumba Bandele, Malcolm X Grassroots MovementMarco Carrion, Consortium for Worker EducationCatie Fireman, Astoria Food PantryJoanne Grell, Community Action for Safe Apartments Jasmine Gripper, Working Families PartySumathy Kumar, Tenant BlocJuanita Lewis, Community Voices HeardAji Fanta Marenah, Muslim Democratic Club of New YorkSantosh Nandabalan, New York Communities for ChangeAnthonine Pierre, Brooklyn Movement CenterAsher Ross, Democratic Socialists of AmericaWanda Salaman, Mothers on the MoveWaleed Shahid, Strategist and OrganizerJagpreet Singh, DRUM BeatsCelina Su, City University of New YorkKatie Unger, ConsultantJulie Xu, CAAAV

Committee on Community Safety

K Bain, Community Capacity Development Jonah Boyarin, Educator & ConsultantJasmine Budnella, VOCAL NYErica Ford, LIFE CampKassandra Frederique, Drug Policy AllianceRev. Charles Galbreath, Clarendon Road ChurchDaniela Gilbert, Vera InstituteElizabeth Glazer, Vital CityShamshul Haq, Bangladeshi American Police AssociationTom Harris, Times Square AllianceRodney K. Harrison Susan Herman Rama Issa-Ibrahim, Center for Anti-Violence EducationJoo-Hyun Kang, Organizer and StrategistKevin Livingston, 100 SuitsJose Lopez, Make the RoadTamika Mallory Max Markham, NYU Policing ProjectHassan Naveed, Naveed Consulting, LLCJustine Oldermann, New York UniversityDana Rachlin, We Build the BlockMariela Ruiz Angel, Center for Innovations in Community Safety at Georgetown LawMaurice Vann, City University of New York (CUNY)Alex Vitale, AuthorJo-ann Yoo Ken Zimmerman, Fountain House

Committee on the Criminal Legal System

Dan Ades, Center for Justice InnovationRachael Bedard, Physician and WriterAna Bermudez Sarita Dafarty, Freedom AgendaMeg Egan, Women’s Prison AssociationAlice Fontier, Legal Aid SocietyBenjamin Heller, Vera Institute of Justice Michael Jacobson, City University of New York (CUNY)Zachary Katznelson, A More Just NYCMichael Klinger, Brooklyn DefendersScott Levy, FWD.usMysoone Linen Deb Lolai Janos Marton, Dream.orgLisa Ohta, UAW Local 2325Meghna Philip, Legal Aid SocietyAngelo Pinto Meg Reiss Vincent Schiraldi Jordan Stockdale 

Committee on Economic Development & Workforce Development:

Margaret Anadu, Vistria GroupDeyanira Del Río, New EconomyMark Egerman Gustavo Gordillo, Democratic Socialists of AmericaJack Gross, Phenomenal WorldDarrick Hamilton, The New SchoolReed Jordan Stephanie Luce, City University of New York (CUNY)Rich Maroko, Hotel and Gaming Trades CouncilGregory Morris, New York City Employment and Training CoalitionRegina Myer, Downtown Brooklyn PartnershipLarisa Ortiz, Streetsense James Patchett, GilbaneEmma Pfohman, The Association for a Better New YorkBlondel Pinnock, Bed Stuy RestorationJeff Lee, Romero InvenergyYasser Salem, OneNYCAnisha Steephen, Economic Security ProjectJulie Stein, Union Square PartnershipKathy Wylde, Partnership for NY

Committee on Emergency Response

Andy Ansbro, Uniformed Firefighters Association Anne Bink Jill Eisenhard, Eisenhard ConsultingPeter Gudaitis, New York Disaster and Interfaith ServicesAyo Harrington, NYC Volunteer Orgs Active in DisasterJonathan Logan, Vulcan SocietyKelly McKinney, NYU Langone Health Daniel Nigro Michael Partis, Red Hook InitiativeJoe Potasnik, NY Board of RabbisChris Smith, MinisterJilly Stephens, City HarvestDoreen Thomann-Howe, American Red Cross of Greater NYVincent Variale, Uniformed EMS Officers Union Local 3621Jeannette Torres, NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

Committee on Government Operations

Hector Batista, City University of New York (CUNY)Francesco Brindisi, Office of NYC ComptrollerDominic Campbell, Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown UniversityCynthia Conti-Cook, Collaborative Research Center for ResilienceNathan Gusdorf, Fiscal Policy InstituteCharlette Hamamgian, Office of NYC ComptrollerShafeka Hashash, Economic Security ProjectDanielle Kavanagh-Smith Carol Kellermann Bob Linn Zara Nasir, The People’s PlanAlbert Pulido, New York State Executive ChamberHelen Rosenthal, Former NYC Council MemberMarc Shaw Marla Simpson, Independent Budget OfficeAjeet Singh, Illinois Dept of Health Data Modernization StrategyFaiza Ali, NYC CouncilLaura Kavanagh Aliya Latif, Office of NYC Comptroller

Committee on Health

Tahir Amin, Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK)Natasha Anushri Anandaraja, Public Health Practioner Yvonne Armstrong, 1199 SEIUOxiris Barbot, United Hospital FundMary Basset, Harvard University Chan School of Public Health Elisabeth Benjamin, Community Service SocietyBarbara Caress, Baruch CollegeEbone Carrington, Manatt HealthDemetre Daskalakis Traci Donnelly, The Child Center of NYTorian Easterling, Brooklyn Community CollaborativesJen Gaboury, City University of New York (CUNY)Nancy Hagans, New York State Nurses Association Musaub Khan , Physician Michael Kinnucan, Fiscal Policy InstituteEric Linzer, NY Health Plan AssociationPatrick
McGovern, Callen LordeDavid Perlstein, St. Barnabas HospitalKen Raske, State and Government Affairs Greater New York Hospital Association Ashna Shome, CIR/SEIUDr. Carla Smith, NYC LGBT Community CenterWendy Stark, Planned ParenthoodRabbi Abby Stein Bruce Vladeck, AcademicMarlene Zurack 

Committee on Housing

Nicholas Bloom, City University of New York (CUNY)Dr. Dedrick Blue, Church of Seventh Day AdventistsRafael Cestero, Community Preservation CorporationBea De la Torre, Trinity FoundationCharlie Dulik, Housing Conservation CoordinatorsEmily Eisner, Fiscal Policy InstituteCarolee Fink, COO M SquaredMoses Gates, Regional Plan AssociationLisa Gomez Annemarie Gray, Open New YorkDavid Greenberg, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Adriene Holder, Legal Aid SocietyOlivia Leirer, New York Communities for ChangeAllison Nickerson, LiveOn NY Manny Pastreich, 32BJ SEIUCarlina Rivera, New York State Association for Affordable HousingBrian Scott, PastorAlina Shen, CAAAVIziah Thompson, Community Service SocietyJed Walentas, REBNYMatt Wambua, Merchants CapitalCea Weaver, Tenant BlocBarika Williams, Association for Neighborhood & Housing DevelopmentPaul Williams, Center for Public Enterprise

Committee on Immigrant Justice

Jesus Aguais, Aid for AidsFahd Ahmed, DRUM BeatsFarihah Akhtar, CAAAVImam Shamsi Ali, Jamaica Muslim CenterDr Debbie Almontaser, EmgageMohamed Q. Amin, Caribbean Equality ProjectNatalia Aristizabal, Make the RoadMurad Awawdeh, New York Immigration CoalitionAdama Bah, AfricanaMelissa Chua, NYLAGRosa Cohen-Cruz, Bronx DefendersStephanie Delia, Little Haiti, BK Inc.Yasmine Farhang, Immigrant Defense ProjectEmira Habiby, Center for the Integration and Advancement of New Americans, Inc. Marwa Janini, Arab American Association of NYAmaha Kassa, African Communities TogetherJason Klein, Congregation Beit Simchat TorahPeter Markowitz CardozoYesenia Mata, La ColmenaJocelyn McCalla, Haitian-American Foundation for DemocracyChristine Mendoza, Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant RightsRuth Messinger Frankie Miranda, Hispanic FederationBitta Mostofi Annetta Seecharran, Chhaya CDCRachel Timoner, Congregation Beth Elohim

Committee on Legal Affairs

Tahanie Aboushi, Aboushi Law FirmBaher Azmy, Center for Constitutional RightsRichard Briffault, Columbia Law Twyla Carter, The Legal Aid SocietySusan Chapman, Business LeaderCatherine Christian, Liston Abramson LLPJerry Goldfeder, Cozen O’Connor LLPLiJia Gong, Local Progress Impact LabRamzi Kassem Sania Khan, IN__SERVICESeher Khawaja, Legal MomentumDonna Lieberman, NYCLUKapil Longani, State University of New York (SUNY) Mandeep Minhas, Scott & Scott LLP Afaf Nasher, Council on American-Islamic Relations, New YorkShaifuli Puri Julissa Reynoso, Winston StrawnDerek Sells, Cochran FirmZephyr Teachout, Law Professor

Committee on Small Businesses & MWBEs

Mo Attia, Street Vendor ProjectArman  Chowdhury, MUNAJonnel Doris, Start NYSomia Elrowmeim, Women’s Empowerment Coalition of NYCJeffrey LeFrancois, Meatpacking District Management AssociationGrace Mausser, Democratic Socialists of AmericaYoussef Mubaraz, Yemeni American Merchants Association (YAMA)Jamie Y. Nagi, Business OwnerImran Pasha Kavita Pawria-Sanchez Mary Pryor, Cannaclusive Shah Rehman, BHALO/ MusvoteAndrew Rigie, New York City Hospitality AllianceTuulikki Robertson, Black InstituteFernando Radhames Rodriguez, United Bodegas of AmericaUrgen Sherpa, Chhaya CDCLisa Sorin, Five Borough AllianceMelba Wilson, Melba’s

Committee on Social Services

Lilliam Barrios-Paoli Joel Berg, Hunger Free AmericaCatherine Chen, Asian American FederationDania Darwish, Asiyah Women CenterNat Fields, URIOrlando Findlayter Beth Finkel, AARP NYLisa Fitzpatrick Sienna Fontaine, Make the RoadSaratu Ghartey, Sponsors for Educational OpportunityDave Giffen, Coalition for the homelessStephen Green, Greater Allen AME Cathedral of New YorkErum Hanif, APNA Community CenterJudy Herbstman, Settlement Housing FundWayne Ho, Chinese-American Planning CouncilMichelle Jackson, Human Services Council David Jones, Community Service SocietyJennifer Jones-Austin, FPWALorena Kourousias, MixtecaVanessa Leung, Coalition for Asian American Children and FamiliesEllen Lippmann, RabbiMaria Lizardo, Northern Manhattan Improvement CorpDr. Sharon McLennon Weir, Center for the Independence of the Disabled (CIDNY)Masha Pearl, Blue Card FundChristine Quinn, WINJocelyn Rainey, Brooklyn FoundationBobbie Sackman Ann Maria Scalia, JCCACatherine Trapani, Volunteers of America – Greater New York

Committee on Technology

Sarah Aoun Ruha Benjamin, Ida B Wells Just Data Lab at PrincetonMyaisha Hayes, MediaJusticeNoel Hidalgo, BetaNYCSam Jacobs, Food Fight LabKatherine Jin, Democratic Socialists of AmericaAmba Kak, AI Now Institute Huge Ma, TurbovaxMatt Mitchell ReNika Moore, ACLUAlondra Nelson, Institute for Advanced StudyMartha Norrick, Backbone Strategies Julie Samuels, Tech NYCGarfield Swaby, New York Public LibraryJulie Swoope Democratic Socialists of AmericaHaley Van Dyck Elyse Voegeli, 18FMaia Woluchem, Data & Society

Committee on Transportation, Climate, & Infrastructure

Eddie Bautista, NYC Environmental Justice AllianceAmy Chester, Rebuild by DesignTabitha Decker, Spring Street Climate Fund Minelly DeCoo Michael Flynn, TYLinBen Furnas, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives Noah Ginsburg, New York Solar Energy Industries AssociationEric Goldwyn, NYU Marron InstituteRhiana Gunn-Wright , Green New DealChris Halfnight, Urban Green CouncilMonika Hansen Meera Joshi, Greenwood CemeteryBenjamin Kabak, 2nd Ave SubwayMarc Kagan, Public School Teacher at Bronx ScienceSara Lind, Open PlansNivardo Lopez, Gateway Development CommissionClare Miflin, ThinkWovenMorgan Monaco, Prospect Park AllianceLauren Phillips, NRDCBetsy Plum, Riders AllianceNancy Romer, PSC-CUNYEsther Rosario, Climate Jobs NYJohn Samuelsen, TWUDaphany Rose Sanchez, Kinetic Communities ConsultingSiddhartha Sanchez, Bronx River AllianceDennis Schock, Teamsters Local 831 – Uniformed Sanitationmen’s AssociationPeggy  Shepard, WE ACTLise Strickler, Three Cairns GroupTyler Taba, Waterfront AllianceTiffany Ann Taylor, Regional Plan AssociationMidori Valdivia Laurie Wheelock, PULPJustin Wood, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest 

Committee on Worker Justice

Amit Singh Bagga, Public Progress SolutionsMohammed Karim Chowdhury, ASAALHidalyn Colon Hernandez, NICEBhairavi Desai, New York Taxi Workers AllianceRebecca Dixon, National Employment Law ProjectRafael Espinal, Freelancers UnionKazi Fouzia, DRUM BeatsTerri Gerstein, NYU Wagner Labor Initiative Brendan Griffith, NYC Central Labor CouncilLigia Guallpa, Los Deliveristas Unidos and Worker Justice ProjectChaumtoli Huq, CUNY School of Law Elizabeth Jordan, Make the RoadHyungwoo David Kim, Strategic Organizing CenterBuilding and Construction Trades Council of Greater New YorkSam LevineRebecca Lynch, Office of NYC ComptrollerBrandon Mancilla, UAW 9ATheo Moore, ALIGNJames Parrott, EconomistAi-jen Poo, National Domestic Workers AllianceLorelai Salas Edwin Tablada Candis Tall, 32BJ SEIUDennis Trainor, CWA District 1

Committee on Youth & Education

Tazin Azad Rebecca Bailin, New Yorkers United for Child CareNyah Berg, AppleseedEvelyn Castro, Medgar Evers CollegeJason Cone, Robin Hood FoundationJames Davis, PSC-CUNYMarielys Divanne, Futuro Solutions Mark Dunetz, New Visions for Public SchoolsKesi Foster, Partners for Dignity & RightsAmy Freitag, NY Community TrustTara Gardner, Daycare Council of NYDebra Ellen Glickstein, KidsRiseKarin Goldmark, GreenLink EducationMatt Gonzales, New Yorkers for Racially Just Public Schools (RJPS)Sharon Greenberger, YMCA Greater NYBrian Jones, Center for Education & Schools and New York Public Library John King, State University of New York (SUNY)Sebastian Leon Martinez YDSARandi Levine, Advocates for ChildrenChristine Marinoni, Public School AdvocateFelix Matos Rodriguez, City University of New York (CUNY)Rashad Moore, Crown Heights Baptist ChurchMichael Mulgrew, United Federation of Teachers (UFT)Lori Podvesker, INCLUDEnycHasoni Pratts, National Urban LeagueGrace Rauh, Citizens UnionArva Rice, NY Urban LeagueRaysa Rodriquez, Citizen’s Committee for ChildrenZakiyah Shaakir-Ansari, Alliance for Quality Education Edie Sharp Felicia Singh, Coalition for Asian American Children and FamiliesSusan Stamler, United Neighborhood HousesHannah Towfeik, Muslim American Society (MAS)Mary Vaccarro, United Federation of Teachers (UFT)Joshua Wallack Eric Waterman, East Flatbush Village Inc.Terrence Winston, Coalition for Community Schools Excellence