{"id":196189,"date":"2026-04-14T00:03:31","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T00:03:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/196189\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T00:03:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T00:03:31","slug":"whos-who-in-zohran-mamdanis-administration-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/196189\/","title":{"rendered":"Who\u2019s who in Zohran Mamdani\u2019s administration?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n Dean Fuleihan<\/p>\n

First deputy mayor<\/p>\n

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Dean Fuleihan served as first deputy mayor under Bill de Blasio.
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If Mamdani is a relative newbie, faced at every turn with concern about his youth and lack of experience, his pick for first deputy mayor is the opposite. Dean Fuleihan, at 74 years old, has been around the block<\/a>, having served as first deputy mayor to Bill de Blasio, and before that, as his budget director. The pick is widely seen as both a smart strategic and tactical choice: Fuleihan\u2019s profile helps mollify those concerned about Mamdani\u2019s relative lack of experience, and his practical experience in Albany could help advance Mamdani\u2019s policy promises. Fuleihan\u2019s appointment was announced on Nov. 10, 2025.<\/p>\n

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\n Elle Bisgaard-Church<\/p>\n

Chief of staff<\/p>\n

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Elle Bisgaard-Church is Mamdani\u2019s most trusted adviser.
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Mamdani faces pressure to expand his tent, but he\u2019s certainly not going to kick out the people who were instrumental in building that tent. Choosing his former Assembly chief of staff turned mayoral campaign manager to continue on as chief of staff in his administration was an unsurprising, if still satisfying choice, for Mamdani\u2019s base. Bisgaard-Church does not come<\/a> from the political consultant class. She, like Mamdani, is a DSA member and (at the time of her hiring) 34 years old. The fact that her hiring and Fuleihan\u2019s were announced in a joint presser illustrated the kind of balance Mamdani will try to strike in building out his administration. Bisgaard-Church\u2019s appointment was announced on Nov. 10, 2025.<\/p>\n

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\n Julia Kerson<\/p>\n

Deputy mayor for operations<\/p>\n

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Julia Kerson
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If there\u2019s one person who truly \u201ckeeps the city running\u201d it\u2019s the deputy mayor for operations, who oversees agencies like Transportation, Sanitation and Emergency Management. On Dec. 31 2025, Mamdani announced his pick is Julia Kerson, who has served as deputy to the state director of operations in Gov. Kathy Hochul\u2019s office. But like so many others in Mamdani\u2019s orbit, she\u2019s a de Blasio administration veteran, where, among other roles, she was a senior adviser to Deputy Mayor of Operations Laura Anglin \u2013 working in the very office she\u2019ll now lead. A Brooklynite active with the Flatbush Jewish Center, according to Mamdani\u2019s transition team, Kerson also previously worked at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on major projects including the Second Avenue Subway extension.<\/p>\n

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\n Leila Bozorg<\/p>\n

Deputy mayor for housing and planning<\/p>\n

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Leila Bozorg
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Housing is central to Mamdani\u2019s promise to make New York City more affordable. To lead his housing efforts, he tapped Leila Bozorg, a well-known civil servant who most recently was Eric Adams\u2019 executive director of housing. In that role, she helped negotiate the City of Yes for Housing rezoning policy with the City Council, ultimately getting it passed. She\u2019s also worked closely with Adams\u2019 former Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer, who is a co-chair of Mamdani\u2019s transition committee. (Bozorg\u2019s role is not an exact replica of Torres-Springer\u2019s under the Adams administration, as Mamdani has updated the title to \u201cdeputy mayor for housing and planning,\u201d and will include some different agencies under its portfolio.) Bozorg previously served as city planning commissioner and a deputy commissioner in the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. She was a senior policy adviser at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Obama administration. Bozorg\u2019s appointment was announced on Dec. 19, 2025.<\/p>\n

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\n Julie Su<\/p>\n

Deputy mayor for economic justice<\/p>\n

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Julie Su
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Mamdani created a new deputy mayor role with a portfolio that includes the Taxi and Limousine Commission, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, the Commission on Human Rights, the Department of Small Business Services and several other agencies. Julie Su was formerly acting secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor under the Biden administration. She was never confirmed<\/a> by the Senate despite two nomination attempts, but received praise from Mamdani supporter and socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, who called her an \u201coutstanding leader of the Labor Department.\u201d Su is brand new to New York, and just moved to Brooklyn from California in March<\/a> to officially start her role as deputy mayor, after previously serving as a volunteer and a senior adviser. Su\u2019s appointment was announced on Dec. 19, 2025.<\/p>\n

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\n Renita Francois<\/p>\n

Deputy mayor for community safety<\/p>\n

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Renita Francois
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The appointment of Renita Francois to head up the new Mayor\u2019s Office for Community Safety was welcome news to many criminal justice reformers and advocates. It also corrected Mamdani\u2019s misstep in failing to appoint a Black deputy mayor at the start of this tenure. But big questions remain<\/a> about Francois\u2019 role and the extent of her authority in the new office. Her portfolio, which includes several social services offices and policy oversight of the B-HEARD civilian emergency response program, is much smaller than that of the other deputy mayors. But she\u2019s running one of Mamdani\u2019s most highly anticipated efforts: changing the way the city handles its most vulnerable. Francois previously served in the de Blasio administration as executive director of the Mayor\u2019s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety. Mamdani appointed Francois on March 19, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Sherif Soliman<\/p>\n

Office of Management and Budget director<\/p>\n

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Sherif Soliman
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The budget director\u2019s influence over how the city spends $115 billion makes them among the most powerful people in the administration. Sherif Soliman joins Mamdani\u2019s administration after stints in the administrations of the past three mayors, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and, most recently, CUNY. Under Adams, he led the Mayor\u2019s Office of Policy and Planning. Under de Blasio, he was commissioner of the Department of Finance. He has also previously served as executive director of the New York City Advisory Commission on Property Tax Reform, experience that may come in handy as Mamdani has vowed<\/a> to reform the city\u2019s notorious property tax system.\u00a0His appointment was announced on Dec. 18, 2025.<\/p>\n

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\n Helen Arteaga<\/p>\n

Deputy mayor for health and human services<\/p>\n

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Helen Arteaga
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A prosperous city, Mamdani said (paraphrasing W.E.B. DuBois), is defined by an absence of poverty and a prevalence of health. Leading the Mamdani\u2019s administration\u2019s efforts on the latter will be Helen Arteaga, who most recently served as CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals\/Elmhurst. She took on that job roughly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and called it the place where her advocacy was born. Previously, she was an executive at Urban Health Plan and co-founded Plaza del Sol Family Health Center. Arteaga was born in Ecuador and compared herself to Mamdani, calling herself \u201cjust another immigrant kid from Queens.\u201d She described the work that will soon be under her portfolio \u2013\u00a0typically covering the Department of Health, NYC Health + Hospitals and the Department of the Social Services, among other agencies \u2013 as the \u201csafety net\u201d for many New Yorkers. Mamdani announced her appointment on Dec. 30, 2025.<\/p>\n

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\n Ramzi Kassem<\/p>\n

Chief counsel<\/p>\n

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Ramzi Kassem
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Mamdani\u2019s right-hand adviser on legal issues will be Ramzi Kassem, a former senior adviser in the Biden White House on immigration, among other topics. More recently, he served on Mahmoud Khalil\u2019s legal team<\/a> and is the founding director of a legal clinic at CUNY that aims to protect Muslim and other communities unfairly targeted by the government. (That work led him down an unexpected path<\/a> of moonlighting as a consultant on the TV show \u201cHomeland.\u201d) Kassem said he has felt a call to service in New York City after growing up in \u201cwar-torn countries in the Middle East\u201d and under \u201cauthoritarian regimes.\u201d As chief counsel at City Hall, Kassem said that he will work with the mayor to \u201cdefend the rights of all New Yorkers, without exception.\u201d Mamdani announced Kassem\u2019s appointment on Dec. 30, 2025.<\/p>\n

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\n Steven Banks<\/p>\n

Corporation Counsel<\/p>\n

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Steven Banks
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Another Bill de Blasio alum is poised to join the Mamdani administration in a top-level post with the nomination of Steven Banks to corporation counsel. The former commissioner of the Department of Social Services and former attorney-in-chief at the Legal Aid Society will \u2013 City Council confirmation pending \u2013 lead the Law Department after working both in alignment and against it, including on protecting<\/a> the city\u2019s right to shelter mandate. As corporation counsel, Banks will be involved in any litigation with the Trump administration, though neither he nor Mamdani shed much light on their strategy. Banks will also be leading a department that Mamdani has said he wants to beef up with a few hundred more lawyers amid a staffing shortage. Mamdani announced Banks\u2019 nomination on Dec. 30, 2025, and he was confirmed by the City Council on Feb. 12.<\/p>\n

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\n Jahmila Edwards<\/p>\n

Director of intergovernmental affairs<\/p>\n

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Incoming Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Jahmila Edwards
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To achieve some of his top policy promises, Mamdani will need a hand from other levels of government. To lead that coordination between city, state and federal officials, Mamdani tapped longtime union operative Jahmila Edwards. Edwards was previously the associate director of District Council 37, the politically powerful union representing 150,000 public sector workers. She served in the role for 11 years, according to her LinkedIn profile. DC 37 formed a close relationship with Mamdani after ranking him on their endorsement slate in the Democratic primary when most major unions backed Andrew Cuomo. Edwards is also a former staffer of Bill de Blasio, working in his administration\u2019s Department of Education and as his deputy chief of staff while he was public advocate, and is currently a district leader for central Brooklyn\u2019s Assembly District 43.\u00a0Edwards\u2019 appointment was announced on Dec.17, 2025.<\/p>\n

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\n Anna Bahr<\/p>\n

Communications director<\/p>\n

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Anna Bahr
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Mamdani is turning to an alum of his political hero to lead his communications team. Sen. Bernie Sanders\u2019 communications director Anna Bahr will join the Mamdani administration to serve in the same role. It\u2019s Bahr\u2019s first gig in New York City government \u2013\u00a0a feature rather than a quirk, she\u2019s suggested \u2013\u00a0and she\u2019ll be leading a new communications team, including Joe Calvello (a Sanders, Brandon Johnson and John Fetterman alum) as press secretary, and campaign holdovers Julian Gerson as director of speechwriting, Dora Pekec as senior spokesperson and Lekha Sunder as deputy communications director.<\/p>\n

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\n Jessica Tisch<\/p>\n

New York City Police Department commissioner<\/p>\n

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NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch has many disagreements with Mamdani, but she\u2019s sticking around.
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The question every mayoral candidate faced during the 2025 election: Would you retain Jessica Tisch as police commissioner? Mamdani answered that twice: just before the last general election debate, with a stated desire to hire Tisch, and a few weeks after being elected, with an announcement that she accepted the offer. Tisch, a 17-year bureaucrat<\/a>, three-time city commissioner and scion of a billionaire family, diverges from Mamdani on some key policing issues. Both say they\u2019re committed to working together to make the city safer despite those differences. Tisch\u2019s appointment was announced on Nov. 19, 2025.<\/p>\n

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\n Lillian Bonsignore<\/p>\n

Fire Department commissioner<\/p>\n

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Lillian Bonsignore
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It may be called the fire department, but most of the calls are for emergency medical services, and Mamdani\u2019s pick<\/a> on Dec. 23, 2025 is an acknowledgment of that. Bonsignore retired from the FDNY in 2022 as chief of the EMS division after a decadeslong career as an emergency medical technician. She\u2019ll take over as just the second female and first out gay fire commissioner. Her appointment was welcomed by EMS workers who have been lobbying for pay parity with other first responders.<\/p>\n

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\n Kamar Samuels<\/p>\n

Schools chancellor<\/p>\n

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Kamar Samuels
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On Dec. 31, 2025, Mamdani announced Manhattan District 3 superintendent Kamar Samuels would take over as schools chancellor, starting Jan. 1. News of the appointment was first reported<\/a> by City & State. Samuels, who began his career as a Bronx elementary school teacher nearly 20 years ago, rose through the ranks of the DOE, becoming a principal, then leading two different Brooklyn school districts as superintendent and deputy superintendent before he took over on Manhattan\u2019s west side. Samuels is known for successfully overseeing school mergers, a tricky process involving passionate staff, students and parents. Mamdani also touted Samuels\u2019 success improving literacy scores.<\/p>\n

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\n Alister Martin<\/p>\n

Department of Health and Mental Hygiene commissioner<\/p>\n

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There\u2019s an ER renaissance<\/a> on our TV screens and in our health department. Jackson Heights (or New Jersey<\/a>?)-native Dr. Alister Martin becomes New York City\u2019s health commissioner after most recently working as an emergency room physician in Massachusetts. Martin went to Harvard Medical School and also got a public policy degree from the Kennedy School, according to his LinkedIn. Martin\u2019s resume also features public-facing health nonprofits, giving him not just medical but public health and civic engagement experience as he sets out to lead a department that\u2019s fighting flu outbreaks and discordant messaging from the federal government. Martin\u2019s appointment was announced on Jan. 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Mitchell Katz<\/p>\n

President and CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals<\/p>\n

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Mamdani announced on Dec. 29, 2025 that he would be renominating Dr. Mitchell Katz as president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals. Katz first took the post in 2017 and was reappointed in 2021. Things are not quite official yet: Just as it did in 2021, the public hospital system\u2019s board of directors will need to vote to approve<\/a> Katz following Mamdani\u2019s nomination, but it\u2019s very likely it will give Katz the green light. Notably, this is separate from the New York City Council process approving members of the city\u2019s Board of Health \u2013\u00a0the chamber had rejected<\/a> Eric Adams\u2019 nomination of Katz to that board in November, wanting to leave it up to the incoming administration.<\/p>\n

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\n Mike Flynn<\/p>\n

Department of Transportation commissioner<\/p>\n

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In his first act as mayor in the old City Hall subway station on Jan. 1, 2026, Mamdani appointed transportation planner Mike Flynn as his transportation commissioner. Overseeing the city\u2019s transportation networks will be a high-profile job under a mayor who has promised to make buses free. (Though of course the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is a state agency.) Flynn joins the administration from the private sector, where he worked as a consultant for TYLin City Solutions (formerly known as Sam Schwartz Engineering). Before that, Flynn worked for years in the DOT.<\/p>\n

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\n Gregory Anderson<\/p>\n

Department of Sanitation commissioner<\/p>\n

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Making sure the trash gets picked up and the snow gets plowed is in some ways the most visible and consequential job of the mayor, and Gregory Anderson will be responsible for that as sanitation commissioner. He joins the administration after two massive winter storms walloped New York City within weeks of one another. The interim commissioner, Javier Lojan, will return to the role of first deputy. Anderson was most recently deputy director of state operations under Gov. Kathy Hochul, where he worked closely with former Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia, The City reported.<\/a> Anderson\u2019s appointment was announced on March 18, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Ahmed Tigani<\/p>\n

Department of Buildings commissioner<\/p>\n

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Ahmed Tigani
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On Dec. 31, 2025, Mamdani announced Ahmed Tigani would serve as his buildings commissioner. Tigani served as acting commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development under Adams, during which he oversaw the launches of major mixed-income housing projects on city-owned land at 100 Gold Street in lower Manhattan and 395 Flatbush Avenue Extension in Brooklyn. He\u2019s also a de Blasio alum, having served in the former mayor\u2019s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs as a housing and economic development adviser. Tigani, a planner by training, has been in and around housing organizing for 15 years. He started his career at the Department of Cultural Affairs in 2007. As Department of Buildings commissioner, Tigani will be responsible for the agency that regulates the construction industry, permits projects and enforces city zoning law.<\/p>\n

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\n Dina Levy<\/p>\n

Department of Housing Preservation & Development commissioner<\/p>\n

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Tapped to lead the city\u2019s housing agency on Jan. 4, Dina Levy will be on the frontlines tackling the city\u2019s historic housing crisis. She joins the Mamdani administration from the state\u2019s housing agency where she most recently served as the high-ranking senior vice president of single family and community development at New York\u2019s Division of Homes and Community Renewal. As commissioner, Levy will be tasked with a raft of housing-related responsibilities: administering rental vouchers, preserving affordable units, running the affordable housing lotteries, penalizing bad actor landlords and financing new incoming-restricted housing developments.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n Yume Kitasei<\/p>\n

Department of Citywide Administrative Services commissioner<\/p>\n

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A veteran civil servant will lead New York City\u2019s office of civil servants. Yume Kitasei got her start in municipal work during an internship with the city comptroller\u2019s vouchering office and worked her way up to serving as chief of staff to former First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright under the last administration. Kitasei will oversee the more than 2,000-person agency responsible for outfitting the city \u2013\u00a0with employees, office space, vehicles and more. Kitasei may have a leg up in approaching those efforts with a creative twist: She\u2019s also the author of several speculative fiction novels. Kitasei\u2019s appointment was announced on Jan. 27, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Sam Levine<\/p>\n

Department of Consumer and Worker Protection commissioner<\/p>\n

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Sam Levine
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Mamdani is pulling from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission class of 2021 yet again to fill out his team. Sam Levine, who called himself a recent New Yorker, led the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the FTC under Biden. That experience will overlap with many of the facets that he and Mamdani have highlighted in describing the work ahead of him as DCWP commissioner, including going after delivery app companies exploiting workers, and protecting consumers and small businesses from scammers. Levine\u2019s appointment was announced Dec. 22, 2025.<\/p>\n

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\n Stanley Richards<\/p>\n

Department of Corrections commissioner<\/p>\n

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Stanley Richards
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\n Michael Appleton\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

Former Fortune Society executive Stanley Richards will make history as the first formerly incarcerated person to serve as commissioner of the city\u2019s Department of Corrections. Richards will also be navigating the position in a unique moment, as a judge has chosen<\/a> a \u201cremediation manager\u201d to spearhead reforms of the dilapidated and dangerous Rikers Island, who will also have authority over the department. Richards\u2019 appointment was announced on Jan. 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Tricia Shimamura<\/p>\n

Department of Parks & Recreation commissioner<\/p>\n

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Tricia Shimamura is announced as parks commissioner at High Bridge Park on a snowy Jan. 17, 2026.
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\n Kara McCurdy\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

Emphasizing the importance of parks as a free public good open to all, Mamdani announced on Jan. 17, 2026 that Tricia Shimamura would take over the parks department. As parks commissioner, Shimamura will be responsible for the maintenance of 30,000 acres of parkland across the city, including nearly 1,000 playgrounds and 65 public pools. Shimamura most recently served as the Manhattan borough parks commissioner. She was previously a lobbyist for Columbia University and a staffer to former Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and former Rep. Carolyn Maloney. She ran for City Council in 2021, losing the primary to now City Council Speaker Julie Menin.<\/p>\n

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\n Lisa Garcia<\/p>\n

Department of Environmental Protection commissioner<\/p>\n

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Lisa Garcia
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\n Michael Appleton\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

A state government, Biden administration and nonprofit alum will lead the Department of Environmental Protection in providing New Yorkers with clean drinking water. Lisa Garcia previously served as Environmental Protection Agency administrator for Region 2 under Biden, and held positions prior to that<\/a> at the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the legal nonprofit Earthjustice. Garcia has been an outspoken critic of Trump\u2019s cuts to the EPA since her departure from the agency. Garcia\u2019s appointment was announced on Jan. 27, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Richard Lee<\/p>\n

Department of Finance commissioner<\/p>\n

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Richard Lee speaks to City Council Member Crystal Hudson
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\n Gerardo Romo \/ NYC Council Media Unit.<\/p>\n

It was the professional news heard round the world. The City Council\u2019s finance director was being poached by the Mamdani administration to lead the Department of Finance. Richard Lee led the council\u2019s budget negotiations under former Speaker Adrienne Adams, and he previously worked for Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. Now, he\u2019ll oversee the city\u2019s revenue collection. News of the appointment was first reported by Politico on March 16, 2026. The Mamdani administration announced the appointment on March 20, 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n Yesenia Mata<\/p>\n

Department of Veterans\u2019 Services commissioner<\/p>\n

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Yesenia Mata
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\n Michael Appleton\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

The new commissioner of the Department of Veterans\u2019 Services, Yesenia Mata, serves as a military police sergeant in the Army, leads an immigration and labor rights organization, and is bringing some Staten Island diversity to the Mamdani administration. Mata, who will be the first Latina to serve in the position, represents the borough on the New York City Racial Justice Commission. As commissioner, she\u2019ll be leading one of the smaller agencies in the city, which chronically finds itself fighting for resources. Her appointment was announced on Jan. 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Lisa Scott-McKenzie<\/p>\n

Department for the Aging commissioner<\/p>\n

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Lisa Scott-McKenzie
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\n NYC Health + Hospitals<\/p>\n

Lisa Scott-McKenzie, a longtime employee of the city\u2019s public hospital system, was appointed commissioner of the Department for the Aging where she\u2019ll oversee the Mamdani administration\u2019s efforts to support the city\u2019s oldest residents. Scott-McKenzie has worked within the\u00a0 New York City Health + Hospitals system for four decades, starting as a stenographic secretarial associate in radiology in 1986, according to her biography shared by the Mamdani administration. Most recently, she served as chief operating officer at New York City Health + Hospitals\/Woodhull. Her appointment was announced on Feb. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Nadia Shihata<\/p>\n

Nominee for Department of Investigation commissioner<\/p>\n

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Nadia Shihata
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\n Ed Reed\/Mayoral Photography Office <\/p>\n

The relationship between a mayor and a Department of Investigation commissioner can be a tricky one. Mamdani nominated Nadia Shihata, a former federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, to lead that delicate work, which will involve investigating corruption and wrongdoing in city government. If the past couple administrations are any indication, those investigations could be problematic for, or even directly involve, the mayor. Shahita\u2019s high-profile prosecutorial work includes leading the case against singer R. Kelly. Mamdani announced Shahita\u2019s nomination on Feb. 12, 2026. She\u2019ll have to be approved by the New York City Council.<\/p>\n

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\n Diya Vij<\/p>\n

Department of Cultural Affairs commissioner<\/p>\n

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Diya Vij
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Diya Vij has worked at a bevy of arts and cultural organizations, including the Queens Museum, the High Line and Creative Time and most recently as vice president of Brooklyn\u2019s Powerhouse Arts. As the new commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs, she\u2019ll be the first person of South Asian heritage to hold the position. There, she\u2019ll be tasked with steering the city\u2019s arts funding and cultural programs. Vij\u2019s appointment was first announced on Feb. 28, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Kenny Minaya<\/p>\n

Department of Small Business Services commissioner<\/p>\n

Kenny Minaya, a lawyer and longtime city official, was tapped to lead the city’s Department of Small Business Services \u2013 a position expected to be central to Mamdani\u2019s goal to reduce fines and fees on small businesses. Minaya previously served as first deputy commissioner at the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection and spent the better part of a decade at the agency, but he started his career as a housing attorney defending immigrant tenants against predatory landlords. Minaya\u2019s appointment was first announced on March 2, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Sharun Goodwin<\/p>\n

Department of Probation commissioner<\/p>\n

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Sharun Goodwin
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\n Michael Appleton\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

Mamdani is bringing a career Department of Probation employee out of retirement to lead the agency. Sharun Goodwin first served as an intern at the department in 1986 and rose to deputy commissioner for adult operations by the time she retired in 2024. The Bronx native said that under her leadership the department will strike a balance of reducing recidivism and holding people accountable, saying that \u201cpublic safety and compassion are not opposing forces.\u201d Goodwin\u2019s appointment was announced on Jan. 27, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Sandra Escamilla-Davies<\/p>\n

Department of Youth and Community Development commissioner<\/p>\n

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Sandra Escamilla-Davies
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\n Michael Appleton\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

Sandra Escamilla-Davies has worked closely with city agencies in long held positions at the Youth Development Institute and Children\u2019s Aid, but the social worker will now lead the city agency in charge of afterschool programs, youth workforce development and more. Escamilla-Davies\u2019 appointment was announced on Jan. 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Christina Farrell<\/p>\n

New York City Emergency Management commissioner<\/p>\n

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Christina Farrell
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\n Ed Reed\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

Previously the first deputy commissioner of New York City Emergency Management, Christina Farrell has worked at the agency for 23 years to help lead New York through crises such as Hurricane Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic. She created the agency\u2019s first external affairs divisions and has overseen programs such as Community Emergency Response Teams and Ready New York, a public education initiative. Farrell\u2019s appointment was announced on Feb. 16, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Sideya Sherman<\/p>\n

City Planning Director and Chair of the City Planning Commission<\/p>\n

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Sideya Sherman
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\n Ed Reed\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

Previously the commissioner of the Office of Equity and Racial Justice under Mayor Eric Adams, Sideya Sherman is joining the Mamdani administration to lead the powerful Department of City Planning and the City Planning Commission. Both are important roles. Sherman, who has extensive experience working in public housing and racial justice, will take the helm at a time of great momentum for housing development in the city.\u00a0 Her appointment was announced on Feb. 24, 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n Rafael Espinal<\/p>\n

Mayor\u2019s Office of Media and Entertainment commissioner<\/p>\n

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Rafael Espinal
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\n Ed Reed\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

Lights, camera, Espinal. The former New York City Council member will head the Mayor\u2019s Office of Media and Entertainment, responsible for all manner of \u201cMade in NY\u201d productions, including the growing film and television industry. The office is also responsible for approving press credentials and manages creative workforce development programs. Following his six years in the council, Espinal served as executive director and president of the Freelancers Union, which advocates for fair work and payment to independent workers. Espinal\u2019s appointment was announced on Jan. 12.<\/p>\n

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\n Erin Dalton<\/p>\n

Department of Social Services commissioner<\/p>\n

Formerly the director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Dalton will now lead the city\u2019s primary safety-net agencies. In Pennsylvania, she oversaw homelessness services, child welfare, and behavioral health programs. Her New York move puts her in charge of the city\u2019s Human Resources Administration and Department of Homeless Services at a time when demand for housing assistance and cash aid remains high. She was appointed on Feb. 25, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Rebecca Jones Gaston<\/p>\n

Administration of Children\u2019s Services commissioner<\/p>\n

Mamdani has chosen Rebecca Jones Gaston as the next Administration of Children\u2019s Services commissioner. ACS addresses child abuse and neglect cases, and handles foster care and juvenile justice. Gaston has decades of experience working in child welfare systems and from 2022 to 2025, she served as commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. After serving as commissioner of ACYF, Gaston founded a consulting company in February 2025 to strengthen human services systems. Gaston says she was adopted from the foster care system, according to The City<\/a>. Her appointment followed a turbulent vetting process<\/a> during which two top contenders who were highly critical of the agency didn\u2019t work out. Mamdani announced Gaston as the new ACS commissioner on April 7, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Nisha Agarwal<\/p>\n

Mayor\u2019s Office for People With Disabilities commissioner<\/p>\n

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Nisha Agarwal
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\n Michael Appleton\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

Mamdani tapped Nisha Agarwal on Feb. 10, 2026 to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to resources, services and spaces in the city. A public interest attorney, Agarwal is no stranger to government. She led the Mayor\u2019s Office of Immigrant Affairs under the de Blasio administration and served as senior adviser to then-Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Phil Thompson, focusing on immigration, people with disabilities and justice-involved communities. She has most recently served as policy and communications director at the city\u2019s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.<\/p>\n

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\n Faiza Ali<\/p>\n

Mayor\u2019s Office of Immigrant Affairs commissioner<\/p>\n

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Faiza Ali
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\n Emil Cohen\/NYC Council Media Unit<\/p>\n

Faiza Ali has worked in the City Council for over a decade, most recently as former Speaker Adrienne Adams\u2019 first deputy chief of staff. A daughter of Pakistani immigrants, she has worked in director-level positions at community organizations such as the Arab American Association of New York and the Council on American-Islamic Relations. She served with Mamdani on the board of the Muslim Democratic Club of New York. She has helped lead efforts to include two Muslim holidays in the city school system and has also fought for immigration reform. Her appointment was announced on Feb. 17, 2026, and she will begin working to both protect immigrants across the five boroughs and increase city program accessibility to New Yorkers who don\u2019t speak English.<\/p>\n

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\n Ana Mar\u00eda Archila<\/p>\n

Mayor\u2019s Office for International Affairs commissioner<\/p>\n

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Ana Mar\u00eda Archila
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As the co-director of the New York Working Families Party, Ana Mar\u00eda Archila played a role in steering the party\u2019s support to Mamdani both in the primary and in the general election. As international affairs commissioner, she will act as the city\u2019s chief liaison to the United Nations and State Department. Previously, Archila ran for lieutenant governor. She has also co-founded and led grassroots progressive organizations, like Make the Road New York and the Center for Popular Democracy. Archila\u2019s appointment was announced on Feb. 17, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Renee Campion<\/p>\n

Office of Labor Relations commissioner<\/p>\n

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Renee Campion
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\n Ed Reed\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

Mayor Eric Adams called her a \u201cchampion.\u201d Mamdani appears to agree. Renee Campion will continue to serve as commissioner of the Office of Labor Relations, responsible for negotiating the city\u2019s labor contracts for 300,000-plus employees. That means unions, including ones that endorsed Mamdani like District Council 37, will have a familiar face in City Hall. Campion\u2019s reappointment was announced on Jan. 27, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Vilda Vera Mayuga<\/p>\n

Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings commissioner<\/p>\n

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Vilda Vera Mayuga
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\n Michael Appleton\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

One of a handful of official holdovers of the Adams administration, Vilda Vera Mayuga was announced as Mamdani\u2019s OATH commissioner, overseeing the department\u2019s wide range of administrative hearings on workforce disciplinary cases, certain landlord\/tenant disputes, conflict of interest violations and more. Mayuga most recently served as commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection under the Adams administration, where her work appears to have made an impact on Mamdani. Many of the new DCWP\u2019s commissioner first (and high-profile) actions, are carrying out work started under the last administration. Mayuga\u2019s appointment was announced on Jan. 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Midori Valdivia<\/p>\n

Taxi and Limousine Commission chair nominee<\/p>\n

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Midori Valdivia
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Everyone stop! On Jan. 13, the mayor nominated Midori Valdivia to serve as chair and commissioner of the Taxi and Limousine Commission, putting her at the helm of the nation\u2019s largest fleet of for-hire vehicles where she\u2019ll be tasked with regulating more than 115,000 yellow taxis, Ubers and Lyft cars. Valdivia is a veteran in the transit world. While she\u2019s currently a Metropolitan Transportation Authority board member, she\u2019s previously served as a deputy commissioner at the Taxi and Limousine Commission. And before that, Valdivia was senior adviser to the executive director at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Her appointment to the Mamdani administration is subject to City Council approval.<\/p>\n

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\n Tascha Van Auken<\/p>\n

Mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement commissioner<\/p>\n

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Tascha Van Auken
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Mamdani would not have become mayor without the mass mobilization of tens of thousands of volunteers who knocked an estimated 3 million doors for him. The woman who led that effort is Tascha Van Auken, a committed organizer who ran two democratic socialist campaigns before she joined Mamdani. On Jan. 2, Mamdani announced that she was coming with him to City Hall to lead the newly created Office of Mass Engagement<\/a>. Not so different from the type of work Van Auken did on the campaign trail, the office would work within City Hall and across city agencies to help drive community participation.<\/p>\n

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\n Stephanie Silkowski<\/p>\n

Mayor\u2019s Office of Appointments director<\/p>\n

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Stephanie Silkowski
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Stephanie Silkowski is the second person Mamdani has named to lead his office of appointments. The first, Cat Almonte Da Costa, stepped down almost immediately after she was announced as the incoming director in December, following past antisemitic tweets coming to light for which she apologized. Silkowski, who scrubbed her own<\/a> Twitter account, is a former director at The Bridge Project, which provides cash assistance to low-income mothers, and worked for Council Member Tiffany Cab\u00e1n and former Council Member Brad Lander. Silkowski\u2019s appointment was announced on Jan. 27, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Emmy Liss<\/p>\n

Mayor\u2019s Office of Child Care executive director<\/p>\n

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Emmy Liss
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Child care policy consultant Emmy Liss brings her experience<\/a> shaping the city\u2019s 3-K and pre-K programs<\/a> under former Mayor Bill de Blasio to the Mamdani administration \u2013 which will be crucial. Universal child care was among Mamdani\u2019s key platform points on the campaign trail, and is one Gov. Kathy Hochul is particularly keen on collaborating on. Liss, who had reportedly been<\/a> advising the Mamdani campaign on child care, will be focused on \u201cbuilding a high-quality, accessible early childhood education system for all New York families,\u201d according to a release from the transition team. It\u2019s not immediately clear who Liss will report to, but Amber Cartwright, executive director of the Adams administration\u2019s equivalent Office of Child Care and Early Childhood Education, reported<\/a> to Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Ana Almanzar.\u00a0Liss\u2019 appointment was announced on Dec. 31, 2025.<\/p>\n

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\n Cea Weaver<\/p>\n

Mayor\u2019s Office to Protect Tenants director<\/p>\n

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Cea Weaver
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On Jan. 1, 2026, Mamdani \u201crevitalized\u201d the Mayor\u2019s Office to Protect Tenants and installed longtime housing advocate Cea Weaver as its director. Weaver has been a close adviser to Mamdani on housing issues, and is as respected in the advocacy community as she is feared and disliked in the real estate world. She joins Mamdani\u2019s administration after leading the advocacy organizations Housing Justice for All and the New York State Tenant Bloc. She was a leader in passing New York\u2019s landmark 2019 tenant protection laws.<\/p>\n

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\n Maya Handa<\/p>\n

World Cup czar<\/p>\n

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Maya Handa
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\n Ruby Handa<\/p>\n

Eric Adams had his Rat Czar. And now Zohran Mamdani has his World Cup czar. Mamdani chose Maya Handa, his campaign manager during the general election and an alum of Zellnor Myrie\u2019s primary campaign, Run for Something and the Working Families Party, for the position that he has tasked with ensuring the entire city benefits from the economic activity around the 2026 World Cup in New York City. Handa is described as a lifelong soccer fan and player. Her appointment was announced on Jan. 27, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Delia Awusi<\/p>\n

Mom-and-pop czar<\/p>\n

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Delia Awusi
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\n Michael Appleton\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

Mamdani has appointed Delia Awusi as the mom-and-pop Czar, a new role added that delivers on his campaign promise of creating a small business advocate. Awusi will work with city agencies including the Department of Small Business Services to reduce red tape small business owners face with city processes like permits and give owners a voice inside City Hall. Awusi is coming into this role with over a decade of experience, and prior work at the Business Outreach Center Network, a small business development organization, where she served as their Women\u2019s Business Center director. Mamdani announced this appointment on April 7, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Louise Yeung<\/p>\n

Chief climate officer <\/p>\n

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Louise Yeung
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\n Annie McDonough<\/p>\n

After joining the Mamdani campaign to serve as policy director back in September<\/a>, Louise Yeung is set to be the Mamdani administration\u2019s chief climate officer. It\u2019s a title she will be well accustomed to \u2013 albeit on a slightly smaller scale, having been former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander\u2019s climate chief. Before that, she worked as director of resiliency at the city Department of Transportation during the de Blasio administration and was vice president of energy at the New York City Economic Development Corp. In her new role, Yeung will oversee the Mayor\u2019s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice. Though under Adams, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala was also the administration\u2019s chief climate officer, Yeung will not follow suit and hold both roles. According to transition team spokesperson Dora Pekec, the Mamdani administration will have a separate DEP commissioner.<\/p>\n

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\n Lisa Gelobter<\/p>\n

Chief Technology Officer<\/p>\n

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Lisa Gelobter
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\n Michael Appleton\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

Mamdani is bringing in the big guns \u2013\u00a0which in the world of technology, means a part-inventor of GIFs. Lisa Gelobter, the former chief digital service officer at the U.S. Department of Education under President Barack Obama, will lead the Office of Technology and Innovation and serve as chief technology officer. Former Mayor Eric Adams created the office with the intention of streamlining the city\u2019s disparate technology and IT-related efforts, but reviews of that work have been mixed. Where Gelobter will take it remains to be seen. Mamdani announced her appointment on Feb. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Jason Graham<\/p>\n

Chief medical examiner<\/p>\n

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Jason Graham
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\n Gina Santucci\/NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner<\/p>\n

Dr. Jason Graham is another one of those Adams administration members who are keeping their jobs in 2026. Graham has served as the city\u2019s chief medical examiner since 2022. His appointment was the culmination of many years in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Before serving in his current role in an acting capacity for five months, Graham was first deputy chief medical examiner for the better part of a decade. He has worked at the OCME since 2006. In recent years, he has developed a focus on the examination of overdose deaths.\u00a0Graham was appointed on Dec. 29, 2025.<\/p>\n

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\n Michael Garner<\/p>\n

Chief business diversity officer, Mayor\u2019s Office of Minority and Women-owned Businesses <\/p>\n

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Michael Garner
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\n Ed Reed\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

Eric Adams created many roles as New York City mayor. And while it\u2019s not clear if Mamdani intends to keep them all, he did reappoint Michael Garner, who in 2023 became the city\u2019s first citywide chief business diversity officer. Prior to that, Garner had been the chief diversity and inclusion officer for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for 14 years. He has also served<\/a> in numerous leadership and advisory roles for various business and diversity-related organizations. Mamdani announced he\u2019d keep Garner on Dec. 29, 2025.<\/p>\n

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\n Mir Bashar<\/p>\n

Chief administrative officer<\/p>\n

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Mir Bashar
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\n Benny Polatseck\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

Mir Bashar is practically a City Hall staple at this point, having served there in some financial capacity since Rudy Giuliani was mayor. He\u2019ll stay on board with the Mamdani administration, and was reappointed chief administrative officer on Dec. 29, 2025. Before his current role, Bashar was then-Mayor Bill de Blasio\u2019s senior budget director.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n Afua Atta-Mensah<\/p>\n

Chief equity officer and Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice commissioner<\/p>\n

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Afua Atta-Mensah
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\n Ed Reed\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

One of Mamdani\u2019s top campaign lieutenants will spearhead the new-ish Mayor\u2019s Office of Equity and Racial Justice, which was launched in 2023 following a voter referendum. Afua Atta-Mensah previously served as political director of Mamdani\u2019s campaign and then transition. Before that she served as executive director of the racial and economic justice nonprofit Community Voices Heard. Atta-Mensah has her work cut out for her, with Mamdani\u2019s commitment to release a preliminary racial equity plan within the first 100 days. The appointment was announced on Jan. 15, as Mamdani faced criticism about racial representation within his administration<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\n Christine Clarke<\/p>\n

Chair of the Commission on Human Rights <\/p>\n

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Christine Clarke
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\n Michael Appleton\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

Clarke will lead the agency investigating and enforcing human rights law in the city \u2014 though she emphasized in her Jan. 7 appointment announcement that she\u2019d prioritize proactive education and compliance. Clarke is coming from Legal Services NYC, where she was chief of litigation and advocacy and worked on discrimination lawsuits against the NYPD and NYCHA. She previously worked as a staff attorney at Planned Parenthood, challenging state laws restricting abortion.<\/p>\n

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\n Kim L. Yu<\/p>\n

Mayor\u2019s Office of Contract Services director<\/p>\n

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Kim L. Yu
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Kim L. Yu will officially remain in her position overseeing the city\u2019s vast contracting and procurement regime. The Mayor\u2019s Office of Contract Services has been on a years-long mission to make procurement more efficient, equitable and, it says, transparent. Yu was first deputy director in the office before being appointed to lead it in April 2025. Her reappointment was announced on Jan. 27, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\n Ali Najmi<\/p>\n

Chair of the Mayor\u2019s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary<\/p>\n

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Ali Najmi
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\n Ed Reed\/Mayoral Photography Office<\/p>\n

On Jan. 2, Mamdani announced that his election attorney Ali Najmi would lead the Mayor\u2019s Advisory Committee on the Judiciary, with a plan to engage a greater spectrum of the city\u2019s legal community while selecting judges. A fellow resident of Queens, Najmi is a longtime friend and to Mamdani, and a close adviser.<\/p>\n

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\n Phylisa Wisdom<\/p>\n

Mayor\u2019s Office to Combat Antisemitism director<\/p>\n

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Phylisa Wisdom
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\n Gili Getz<\/p>\n

Mamdani tapped Phylisa Wisdom, the executive director of the progressive Jewish advocacy group New York Jewish Agenda, to lead his Office to Combat Antisemitism. The office was only recently created by former Mayor Eric Adams. Despite Mamdani repealing two executive orders relating to defining antisemitism and boycotting Israel, Mamdani is keeping the office in place but replacing its founding director, Moshe Davis, with Wisdom, who is more closely aligned with criticism of Israel\u2019s actions in Gaza. The appointment was first reported<\/a> by Forward and confirmed in a press release from City Hall on Feb. 4, 2026.<\/p>\n

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Mayor\u2019s Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs director<\/p>\n

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Taylor Brown
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\n Kara McCurdy | Mayoral Photography Office.<\/p>\n

Mamdani tapped<\/a> Taylor Brown, an assistant state attorney general in the office\u2019s Civil Rights Bureau, to lead a new Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs at City Hall. Brown, who also previously served as a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union, will be the first out trans person to lead a city office, according to the mayor\u2019s office. The appointment comes amid threats to LGBTQIA+ rights and services around the country, including ones with trickle down effects<\/a> locally. Mamdani announced the appointment on March 13, 2026.<\/p>\n

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<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dean Fuleihan First deputy mayor Dean Fuleihan served as first deputy mayor under Bill de Blasio. \/ Lev…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":76711,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[9,24,55,54,2327,56,7159,1413,82],"class_list":{"0":"post-196189","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-city","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-new-york-city-headlines","11":"tag-new-york-city-news","12":"tag-news-politics","13":"tag-ny","14":"tag-personality","15":"tag-policy","16":"tag-zohran-mamdani"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=196189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/196189\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=196189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=196189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=196189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}