{"id":371796,"date":"2026-10-13T09:26:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T09:26:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/371796\/"},"modified":"2026-10-13T09:26:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T09:26:23","slug":"the-2026-nyc-40-under-40","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/371796\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2026 NYC 40 Under 40"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n Vincent Bell<\/p>\n

Director of IT Services, The Black Car Fund<\/p>\n

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Vincent Bell
\n \/
\n Damora Regala, D. Creative Lab<\/p>\n

Long before Vincent Bell used technology to connect gig workers with benefits, he was a Brooklyn youth thinking about the digital divide.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

As a middle schooler, Bell learned basic HTML, fixed computers and taught older people how to use them \u2013\u00a0and was even featured in a PBS documentary about access to technology. Today, he\u2019s the director of information technology services at The Black Car Fund, where he oversees technology that keeps the workers\u2019 compensation organization running and helps drivers access services, whether it\u2019s through its call center or processing of insurance claims. His work also includes protecting systems and driver information from cybersecurity threats. He has turned his early interest in access toward helping drivers who often lack benefits.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cTraditionally, when you work a job, you get benefits. Gig workers don\u2019t get those benefits,\u201d Bell says. \u201cBeing able to work for a company that provides benefits to drivers that can help them with their daily lives is something that I look forward to.\u201d<\/p>\n


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Among Bell\u2019s proudest accomplishments is developing a telematics program to address a challenge the organization faced: Staff may not know when a covered driver has been injured until the driver reaches out. Accident data can identify crashes sooner, allowing The Black Car Fund to contact drivers proactively and connect them with workers\u2019 compensation services.<\/p>\n


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While Bell explores evolving technology in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and apps to make services more accessible, the possibilities are endless.<\/p>\n


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\u201cTechnology has the ability to provide ways to change people\u2019s lives,\u201d Bell says.<\/p>\n


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\u2013 Angela Bunay<\/p>\n

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\n Dante Botti<\/p>\n

Project Manager, Sweet Group<\/p>\n

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Dante Botti
\n \/
\n Michelle Neal<\/p>\n

Dante Botti\u2019s construction career began by gathering up scraps of linoleum from a Massachusetts high school gym floor.<\/p>\n


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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Botti, then a college student, joined Sweet Group as a laborer to help build a temporary hospital. The team had a week to install flooring, hang curtains and prepare beds.<\/p>\n


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\u201cIf this is my small way to contribute and get this hospital moving, then who knows, we could save a couple of lives,\u201d Botti recalls.<\/p>\n


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The job became a career. Botti moved up from laborer to plan clerk, estimator and assistant project manager before becoming a project manager, taking on increasingly complex work along the way.<\/p>\n


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His portfolio now spans commercial, residential and public sector construction, including New York City Housing Authority renovations, an $8 million office and production facility build-out for Viventium at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, renovations at the Wyndham Condominiums and work on Lafayette 148\u2019s corporate headquarters and manufacturing spaces.<\/p>\n


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At the Wyndham, staffing challenges sometimes had Botti estimating, supervising the site, coordinating meetings and doing labor himself. Seeing residents use the finished space made the late nights and lost sleep worth it.<\/p>\n


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Botti spends some weekends in another arena: the professional wrestling ring, as Dante Drago, sometimes with two weekend shows following five days of construction work.<\/p>\n


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Now expanding further into public works, Botti wants to build teams capable of taking on projects across New York City.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI\u2019m very fortunate to be working in a field that I love in a city that I call home,\u201d Botti says.<\/p>\n


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\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n Geoff Burgan<\/p>\n

Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the New York State Attorney General<\/p>\n

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Geoff Burgan
\n \/
\n Geoff Burgan<\/p>\n

Growing up, Geoff Burgan imagined two possible futures: becoming a football writer for The Washington Post or becoming an attorney. In some ways, he ended up splitting the difference.<\/p>\n


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After more than a decade working on campaigns, in Congress and in the federal government, Burgan now is a trusted aide to state Attorney General Letitia James, helping oversee communications, policy and legislation. His job, he says, sometimes means playing \u201ca little bit of free safety\u201d \u2013 keeping an eye across the field and knowing when to jump in.\u00a0<\/p>\n


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Burgan arrived in New York after leading communications for the Biden administration\u2019s CHIPS program, an effort to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing that invested billions of dollars across the country.<\/p>\n


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Earlier campaign work taught him to \u201cdig deep, get creative, get tough, not be afraid to fight,\u201d he says, while keeping the larger objective in mind.<\/p>\n


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That mentality carried into this year\u2019s fight over surveillance pricing, the practice of using consumers\u2019 personal data to charge different prices for the same goods or services. Burgan helped build support for state legislation restricting the practice. Despite an intense lobbying fight, the measure passed both houses of the state Legislature in June.<\/p>\n


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For Burgan, the fight illustrates what drew him to state government after years in Washington, D.C., where congressional gridlock can make progress difficult.<\/p>\n


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Working for James, he says, \u201cYou can go out and take on the biggest fights, the biggest challenges, the thorniest, stickiest issues, and you can win.\u201d<\/p>\n


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\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n Tyler Callum<\/p>\n

Junior Executive, Geto & de Milly<\/p>\n

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Tyler Callum
\n \/
\n Christopher Johnson<\/p>\n

Tyler Callum first confronted the problem of lead pipes at an elementary school in Baltimore. As an intern in 2014, Callum learned the Eutaw-Marshburn Elementary School had lead pipes and could not replace them.<\/p>\n


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Years later, he helped pass a law in New Jersey aiming to replace lead pipes. As deputy chief of staff and communications director to New Jersey Assembly Member Gary Schaer in 2021, Callum helped advance the statewide lead remediation law.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

In 2024, he joined the New York public affairs firm Geto & de Milly, where he addresses a different set of community needs. He is part of the outreach team for 100 Gold St., a project poised to deliver thousands of mixed-income apartments, and supports affordable housing clients, including Grand Street Guild.<\/p>\n


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\u201cIf the community is engaged, they\u2019re going to participate in the life of a project, contribute their ideas and influence the outcome for the better,\u201d Callum says.<\/p>\n


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Callum is also helping Reliance Industries Limited identify and secure a home for MI New York, the region\u2019s professional cricket team.<\/p>\n


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Sports carry personal meaning for Callum, a lifelong Philadelphia Phillies fan who shares that allegiance with his father and grandfather.<\/p>\n


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\u201cSports, at its best, gives people real joy and a sense of community,\u201d Callum says. \u201cMy family is a sports family, and that fandom, love and excitement obviously creates bonds between generations and ties communities together.\u201d<\/p>\n


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Whether through housing or sports, Callum sees engaging communities early on as essential to making projects work for the people around them.<\/p>\n


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\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n Maddie DeCerbo<\/p>\n

Senior Director of Land Use and Planning, Real Estate Board of New York<\/p>\n

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Maddie DeCerbo
\n \/
\n Real Estate Board of New York<\/p>\n

Maddie DeCerbo never expected to build a career around zoning.<\/p>\n


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After studying public policy, DeCerbo spent almost a year in Australia and traveled through Europe. She noticed how cities differed, from public transportation and bike infrastructure to the use of outdoor space. Back in Philadelphia, her frustrations with local transit piqued her curiosity about how cities are planned.<\/p>\n


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Her introduction to zoning came as an analyst at a startup, where she read hundreds of zoning ordinances and recommended designations for uses that were not typically defined.<\/p>\n


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\u201cThis experience sparked my interest in zoning because it affects every aspect of planning \u2013 land use dictates the built environment,\u201d DeCerbo says.<\/p>\n


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That led her to pursue graduate study in urban planning and eventually land at the Real Estate Board of New York, where she is now senior director of land use and planning, focusing largely on city land use reform.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

She plunged into the minutia of New York City\u2019s City of Yes zoning reforms, reading thousands of pages of zoning text, meeting regularly with the Department of City Planning and learning from land use professionals familiar with earlier versions of rules that were being rewritten.<\/p>\n


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\u201cOne or two words can really change how something\u2019s interpreted,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


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DeCerbo has since expanded her work into building codes. She also joined the New York City Council\u2019s Advisory Group on Housing Affordability this summer.<\/p>\n


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\u201cIt\u2019s not always easy work,\u201d DeCerbo says. \u201cBut really understanding the details behind what\u2019s happening is impactful.\u201d<\/p>\n


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\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n Christopher Dioguardi<\/p>\n

Senior Counsel, Walden Haran Williams<\/p>\n

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Christopher Dioguardi
\n \/
\n John Madere<\/p>\n

While some college students spend spring break partying, Christopher Dioguardi spent one interning for a state Supreme Court justice.<\/p>\n


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He liked how the law made him think. The former college soccer player also found somewhere to channel his competitive streak.<\/p>\n


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Dioguardi, who went on to complete his law degree at Georgetown Law, took a case early in his career in which he helped reverse a client\u2019s wrongful conviction and avoid a 12-year prison sentence. Senior attorneys trusted him with responsibilities ranging from defending a technology CEO\u2019s deposition to leading portions of a major bank monitorship. He now extends that same trust to junior attorneys.<\/p>\n


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\u201cThat\u2019s helping solve problems, getting people out of a jam, being the one that someone can turn to,\u201d Dioguardi says of what draws him to the work.<\/p>\n


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At Walden Haran Williams, Dioguardi now represents companies, executives and boards in consequential disputes, including Maimonides Medical Center in litigation surrounding its proposed affiliation with NYC Health + Hospitals. He also co-authored the 2027 edition of ALM\u2019s New York Employment Law.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

As chair of his firm\u2019s artificial intelligence committee, Dioguardi leads its efforts to responsibly adopt AI and improve its legal work. Dioguardi sees AI changing how lawyers work, but not what clients ultimately need. His goal is to become someone clients trust before a crisis reaches a courtroom.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI want to build a practice where clients are calling me,\u201d Dioguardi says, \u201cnot just when they have a problem that they need to solve, but when they have important decisions to make.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n


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\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n Emily Dube<\/p>\n

Senior Principal Consultant, NYSTEC<\/p>\n

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Emily Dube
\n \/
\n Akanksha Dhote<\/p>\n

Emily Dube supports critical technology many New Yorkers rely on, from electronic health records in state psychiatric facilities to modernization projects in government.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI found myself naturally in that position, almost like a translator between the technical side and the people who ultimately need to use the technology,\u201d Dube says.<\/p>\n


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Dube came to technology through healthcare. She coordinated clinical research at NYU Langone Health while earning a master\u2019s degree in biomedical informatics and then joined the New York State Technology Enterprise Corp. in 2021. At NYSTEC, she has analyzed data and quality initiatives for the state Office of Mental Health.<\/p>\n


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As her responsibilities grew, so did the challenges she was responsible for solving. Dube now helps lead multidisciplinary teams across several of the state Office of Mental Health\u2019s major modernization efforts, including electronic health records, application modernization and the health information exchange.<\/p>\n


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On the electronic health record project, her teams tackle data quality, project management, organizational change and implementation readiness. The goal is practical: help clinicians find the information they need and document care without having to navigate outdated technology.<\/p>\n


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In New York City, Dube has been supporting projects with the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Housing Development Corp. while building relationships across city government.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI\u2019ve always had a natural curiosity about how things work and, more importantly, why they work the way they do,\u201d Dube says.<\/p>\n


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Her career has increasingly put her in a position to answer another question: how to make those systems work for the people relying on them.<\/p>\n


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\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n Luis Flores<\/p>\n

Senior Program Manager, HNTB<\/p>\n

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Luis Flores
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\n HNTB<\/p>\n

Luis Flores was a preteen when he watched construction on the AirTrain begin near his South Jamaica, Queens, neighborhood. Now, as John F. Kennedy International Airport is in the midst of a redevelopment, Flores is helping to make sure businesses and residents from the surrounding communities aren\u2019t simply standing by while another major infrastructure project rises around them.<\/p>\n


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\u201cThis major redevelopment is once in probably 40 to 60 years,\u201d Flores says. \u201cYou\u2019re not going to see this again for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n


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As a senior program manager at HNTB, which oversees the JFK Airport project, Flores manages stakeholder communications, community outreach, and diversity and inclusion efforts. His team has built an outreach model that goes beyond simply sharing opportunities. Through the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey\u2019s JFK Airport Institute of Concessions, local and diverse businesses receive training and opportunities to connect with the industry as they prepare to compete for airport vendor slots.<\/p>\n


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Flores never planned to be involved with infrastructure. He considered finance or law, but a mailroom job at the New York City District Council of Carpenters Benefit Funds put him on the path toward construction and public contracting. In other jobs, he learned about government procurement for minority- and women-owned businesses.<\/p>\n


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\u201cThe people who live in that community are the ones that are most impacted,\u201d Flores says. \u201cThey should be able to also get benefits from the dollars that are being invested.\u201d<\/p>\n


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For Flores, success means that businesses grow, residents find careers and \u201cwe left something behind that lasts beyond the project itself.\u201d<\/p>\n


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\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n Patrick Gilligan<\/p>\n

Founder and CEO, Somethings<\/p>\n

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Patrick Gilligan
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\n CJ Lane<\/p>\n

Patrick Gilligan dropped out of a Stanford University graduate program where he was studying artificial intelligence to build a mental health company. He had found that struggling teenagers wanted something AI couldn\u2019t provide: someone who understood them.<\/p>\n


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After overcoming an eating disorder as a teenager, Gilligan was deeply interested in youth mental health. In 2022, the scale of the crisis convinced him to build a new kind of mental health experience for young people.<\/p>\n


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So he launched Somethings, which pairs young people with certified peer specialist mentors with relevant lived experience. The New York City-based company has reached thousands of young people and caught on quickly. In North Carolina, for example, it served more than 11,000 young people across 97 of 100 counties within a year.<\/p>\n


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Gilligan remembers one teenager who was hospitalized for suicide attempts and worked with a mentor for six months. The teenager said if her mother, psychiatrist, therapist and mentor all gave her advice, she would listen to her mentor.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI trust that she actually understands what I\u2019m going through,\u201d Gilligan recalls her saying.<\/p>\n


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That experience reinforced Gilligan\u2019s belief that \u201ckids want more human interaction, not less.\u201d<\/p>\n


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The responsibility that comes with tackling the youth mental health crisis is not lost on Gilligan. \u201cThe weight of the work does impact me,\u201d he says. \u201cHowever, the weight of not being there impacts me more because most of the kids who use our service, it\u2019s their first touchpoint into any mental health care or mental wellness support at all.\u201d<\/p>\n


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\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n Ty Hankerson<\/p>\n

New York City Council Member<\/p>\n

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Ty Hankerson
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\n NYC Council<\/p>\n

One of Ty Hankerson\u2019s future constituents had a nickname for him back when he was district chief of staff for then-New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams: \u201cCouncil Member Junior.\u201d<\/p>\n


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While he was always aware of who the boss was, Hankerson says Adams gave him wide latitude to carry out his responsibilities.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI consider myself creative, and one of the things that she said to me when she first hired me \u2013 it stuck with me all the way into the chief of staff role \u2013 was, \u2018Ty, the district is your canvas, go paint.\u2019 And ever since then, I\u2019ve been painting,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


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Hankerson was elected to Adams\u2019 old City Council seat in Southeast Queens last year after working his way up in Adams\u2019 office, where he started as scheduler. He jokes that the scheduling job was the hardest one since Adams was a \u201cstickler for her schedule,\u201d and he had to balance many demands in a finite amount of time.<\/p>\n


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\u201cI actually think chief of staff was easier than being her scheduler,\u201d Hankerson says with a laugh.<\/p>\n


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Chairing the Parks and Recreation Committee is a full circle moment for Hankerson, who started his career with the Southern Queens Park Association as a camp counselor. He lists getting $29.1 million in baseline funding for parks department workers as one of his top accomplishments since taking office in January.<\/p>\n


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\u201cThat was a huge, huge win for us,\u201d he says. \u201cSo these first eight months have been amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n


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\u2013 John Celock<\/p>\n

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\n Drisana Hughes<\/p>\n

Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the State Attorney General<\/p>\n

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Drisana Hughes
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\n Jean Schwarzwalder<\/p>\n

When Drisana Hughes brought her grandparents into the White House, the moment was heavy with her family history.<\/p>\n


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Hughes traces her lineage back to Wormley Hughes, who was enslaved by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. Centuries later, Drisana Hughes served in the White House as a Biden administration policy staffer on economic mobility as well as racial justice and equity.<\/p>\n


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\u201cThat was a very full circle moment for my family and for me,\u201d Hughes recalls of the visit.<\/p>\n


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Now in the state Attorney General\u2019s Office, Hughes helps coordinate policy and public-facing initiatives. She is particularly proud of her role in election protection efforts by leading internal teams partnering with election administrators and advocates, supporting voting rights attorneys and helping develop public guidance.<\/p>\n


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She also built her career in electoral politics. She served as deputy campaign manager for Alvin Bragg\u2019s 2021 Manhattan district attorney campaign before managing India Walton\u2019s 2021 campaign for Buffalo mayor.<\/p>\n


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Hughes later served as Brooklyn borough commissioner for the city Department of Environmental Protection, engaging with communities facing long-standing environmental problems. In East New York, Brooklyn, she answered residents\u2019 questions and was transparent about what the agency could address and when. Some residents still have her number, and she picks up when they call.<\/p>\n


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\u201cThat\u2019s just human to human, the way you should deal with people,\u201d Hughes says. \u201cYou have to really care outside of the job, and people have to feel that.\u201d<\/p>\n


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Hughes wants to keep \u201cunsticking sticky things\u201d in government and solving problems for those who come next.<\/p>\n


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\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n Francesca Iodice<\/p>\n

Chief of Staff, Urban Strategies<\/p>\n

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Francesca Iodice
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\n Lori Bezerra<\/p>\n

Francesca Iodice learned as a bartender that solving someone\u2019s problem starts with understanding what they actually need.<\/p>\n


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She traces her professional approach to a decade in food service and bartending, where \u201cpeople show up as they are.\u201d Working among people of different backgrounds, ages and circumstances taught her how public policy ultimately \u201clands on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n


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That experience shaped how she thinks about leadership \u2013 and taught her to invest in the people around her rather than trying to accomplish everything herself. \u201cIf you think you can achieve your goals on your own, you probably need bigger goals,\u201d Iodice says.<\/p>\n


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Now at the government affairs firm Urban Strategies, Iodice manages staff and client portfolios while developing strategy and supporting advocacy across projects spanning workforce development and addiction services.<\/p>\n


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For the community development corporation Impacct Brooklyn, Iodice is helping design a workforce program for justice-involved, neurodivergent and other underserved New Yorkers in East Brooklyn. Her work has ranged from assembling program partners and shaping the curriculum to developing individualized supports around barriers to maintaining employment.<\/p>\n


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\u201cIf you just say, \u2018Hey, show up to the classroom, do the training, go get a job,\u2019 it\u2019s just not reality,\u201d Iodice says.<\/p>\n


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That approach also shapes her work with longtime client Phoenix House. Iodice supports strategy, government engagement and advocacy around the rehabilitation nonprofit\u2019s programs, including an expansion of its outreach work funded through opioid settlement dollars. The funding will support additional peer advocates and a mobile unit bringing services directly into communities.<\/p>\n


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\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n Jamie Kazi<\/p>\n

State and Federal Political Coordinator, 32BJ SEIU<\/p>\n

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Jamie Kazi
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\n New York Immigration Coalition<\/p>\n

Growing up in Queens, Jamie Kazi saw how immigrant communities could turn organizing into political leverage.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThe way your community would be noticed is by organizing and building collective power,\u201d Kazi says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

That lesson now informs his work as 32BJ SEIU\u2019s state and federal political coordinator, where he oversees endorsements and political strategy for the labor union representing thousands of cleaners, property maintenance workers, security officers and staffers at schools, airports and food service companies.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

This year, Kazi helped lead the union\u2019s political strategy for Jessica Gonz\u00e1lez-Rojas\u2019 successful state Senate primary campaign against incumbent Jessica Ramos, teaming up with other labor unions as part of the coalition backing the winner.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Before joining 32BJ SEIU, Kazi worked in the New York City Council during Adrienne Adams\u2019 first term and for Assembly Members David Weprin and Catalina Cruz. As Cruz\u2019s senior adviser and legislative and budget director, Kazi helped advance the Clean Slate Act and Wage Theft Accountability Act, building coalitions among criminal justice advocates, unions and private sector interests.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

He has also held elected office himself as a Democratic state committee member representing Queens\u2019 Assembly District 24.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

At 32BJ SEIU, Kazi is now on the other side, helping turn the collective power of union members into political clout and legislative victories.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cCommunity is everything. That\u2019s your family. Community is where we turn our shared experiences and values into a strong collective voice and make meaningful change,\u201d Kazi says. \u201cThrough legislation, we can turn that collective voice into lasting, systemic change that improves lives.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Thao Le<\/p>\n

Director, KPMG<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Thao Le
\n \/
\n Thao Le<\/p>\n

Thao Le has a hard time accepting an answer without asking one more question.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always questioning the status quo,\u201d says Le, a director in KPMG\u2019s Government Advisory practice. \u201cWhen given an answer, my first instinct is, \u2018OK, but why is that?\u2019 \u2013 because getting to the root cause is how we create real change.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Recently, that has meant questioning the processes a large public authority had relied on for more than 20 years.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Le led a cross-functional team of more than 70 people through a 16-month modernization of a legacy system. The project replaced manual data entry and paper-driven approvals with digital workflows, increased transparency, reduced payment processing time and data-driven reporting metrics.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

It is the kind of behind-the-scenes work Le has carried out for more than a decade. She started out in New York City government, where she gained firsthand experience navigating the workflows, regulations and operational constraints of agencies. She also assisted with Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts while at the New York City Housing Authority.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Le later joined KPMG, where she now helps state and local agencies navigate large-scale business, financial and technological transformations.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

That experience on both sides shapes how Le approaches her work. She thinks about what government employees are trying to accomplish and what constituents ultimately experience when those systems work \u2013 or don\u2019t.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cMy focus has always been on how we strengthen our public agencies,\u201d Le says. \u201cAt the end of the day, we are all constituents who feel the direct, real-world impact of how well these systems work.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Patrick Martinez<\/p>\n

Democratic Assembly Nominee<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Patrick Martinez
\n \/
\n Katrina Hajagos<\/p>\n

Patrick Martinez was once a typical 20-something in New York City working in the digital space. But unlike many peers, he had a \u201ccivic itch\u201d to scratch.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cAs I got older and I had capacity in my personal life with work, I wasn\u2019t in the office till 8, 9 (p.m.) as I was in my 20s, I had some free time, and I figured to apply it in the community,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Martinez joined his local community board, where he focused on land use issues. This year, he decided to step it up a notch, entering the Democratic primary for an open Assembly seat in Queens.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Martinez, the nephew of former Rep. Joe Crowley, narrowly came out ahead in the pivotal June primary, besting his nearest rival by just seven votes. He says he\u2019s driven to address climate and resilience issues, education policy, the Safe Streets program, mass transit and housing affordability. He wants to utilize his professional background in technology to focus on surveillance pricing, the impact of artificial intelligence and data protection.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

To Martinez, education is not just a policy issue but a lived experience. After graduating from Middlebury College he moved to South Korea to teach English. In fact, before the Assembly seat opened up, he considered returning to the classroom.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cAsk any educator, it\u2019s great to see the light bulb click over a child\u2019s head or over a pupil\u2019s head,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s just a really fulfilling job. I love teaching.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 J.C.<\/p>\n

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\"Congratulations<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Agatha Mavropoulos<\/p>\n

Legislative Director and Counsel, New York State Trial Lawyers Association<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Agatha Mavropoulos
\n \/
\n Kasia Reis Photography<\/p>\n

Agatha Mavropoulos started organizing voters before she was old enough to cast a ballot.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

In third grade, she remembers calling classmates to urge their parents to vote for Al Gore and asking the kids to put their parents on the phone. \u201cI was very politically engaged from a young age,\u201d she recalls.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Years later, Mavropoulos completed law school and then spent more than six years on staff at the New York City Council, where she rose to senior legislative counsel before taking a policy role at the U.S. Department of Justice. Now legislative director and counsel for the influential New York State Trial Lawyers Association, she advocates for New Yorkers and for expanding access to the justice system.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

At the City Council, Mavropoulos learned that telling policymakers why a proposal won\u2019t work is only half the job. \u201cYou better have an alternative,\u201d she says. \u201cThey\u2019re looking for solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

At NYSTLA, one current fight involves efforts to limit ride-hailing companies\u2019 liability for drivers\u2019 actions. Mavropoulos sees the issue as bigger than any individual case. Holding companies accountable, she argues, can also prod them to take steps to prevent future harm.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Standing up for the little guy is personal. Growing up, Mavropoulos watched her immigrant parents work long hours running a restaurant in New Jersey while still struggling financially, making her question the idea that hard work alone guarantees opportunity.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

What\u2019s different now, she says, is this: \u201cI\u2019m in a position where I can actually do something about it.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Tyler McCormick<\/p>\n

Chief of Staff and Strategy, BronxWorks<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Tyler McCormick
\n \/
\n BronxWorks<\/p>\n

When Tyler McCormick was working for the Association to Benefit Children earlier in her career, she developed a connection with a teen who recently emigrated from Senegal.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

At the time, the association only had programs for young children, so the teen didn\u2019t have a group he belonged to. Seeing a need in the community, McCormick was inspired to establish teen programs for him and future generations of teenagers.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

It\u2019s meeting needs in this way that motivates McCormick to work with and for young people.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cCreating spaces for young people to feel cared for and like they matter, that to me is the point,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Currently, McCormick is the chief of staff and strategy at BronxWorks, a social services and housing nonprofit that served nearly 66,000 residents last year. She oversees the organization\u2019s strategic planning, organizational effectiveness and collaboration with various partners. While she\u2019s no longer working directly with young people, she knows at the heart of nonprofit administration is the goal of better serving the entire community.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

McCormick joined BronxWorks in December 2025, coming from affordable housing nonprofit Phipps Neighborhoods. Previously, she worked at the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, CAMBA and the Youth Development Institute.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s always what inspires me: What are we building for young people and for families? How are we creating spaces where folks feel a sense of belonging and feel like they have access to new opportunities, access to economic mobility? That\u2019s always what drives me,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 Amanda Salazar<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n William Miller<\/p>\n

Senior Vice President, Mercury<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

William Miller
\n \/
\n City Headshot<\/p>\n

William Miller went to Prague looking for adventure, and came back on a path toward political communications.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

After graduating from Wesleyan University with an English degree, Miller moved to the Czech capital, where he taught English and later worked in marketing and copywriting. He stayed for three years before returning to his native Miami, where the aspiring writer was considering journalism. But the 2016 presidential election changed his trajectory.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Miller landed an entry-level press job on Hillary Clinton\u2019s Florida campaign and found it an unlikely fit. Political communications combined his interest in storytelling with the competitiveness and sense of purpose he had found missing in corporate marketing. After working on Philip Levine\u2019s 2018 gubernatorial campaign in Florida, Miller joined Mercury, eventually moving to the public affairs firm\u2019s New York office.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Now a senior vice president, Miller works across industries and political campaigns, with much of his work involving opposition research. He likens oppo to investigative journalism: researching issues and candidates\u2019 records, finding the narrative in the facts and communicating it effectively.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

His work keeps him learning. \u201cYou\u2019re always a student of the world,\u201d Miller says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

He\u2019s particularly proud of helping the family of Ruben Ray Martinez, who was killed by a federal immigration agent last year. Miller has elevated the family\u2019s story as they pursue justice and accountability. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the more meaningful things I\u2019ve worked on,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Even with experience, Miller says communications remains unpredictable. \u201cAnyone who says it\u2019s an exact science,\u201d he says, \u201cis just selling fool\u2019s gold.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Chantella Mitchell<\/p>\n

Program Director, New York Community Trust<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Chantella Mitchell
\n \/
\n New York Community Trust<\/p>\n

Long before Chantella Mitchell began tackling New York City\u2019s affordable housing crisis, she sat across from the people living with its consequences.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

As a Columbia University social work student serving in a family shelter, Mitchell met New Yorkers who had grown up in the city but were being priced out of their neighborhoods.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThat was the first kind of spark of, \u2018Hey, this could actually be a systems thing, or this could be a policy thing,\u2019\u201d Mitchell says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Since then, Mitchell has approached the problem both from city government and philanthropic perspectives. She ran the Office of Development at the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and is now at the New York Community Trust, where she supports nonprofits focused on affordable housing, tenant organizing and workforce development.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cGratitude is the word I think of most often,\u201d Mitchell says of her work at the community foundation.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

In February, Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed Mitchell chair of the New York City Rent Guidelines Board, which went on to approve a rent freeze that Mamdani had campaigned on. Mitchell reviewed research on the city\u2019s housing market and heard testimony from hundreds of New York City renters and owners. Mitchell says those perspectives gave greater context and meaning to the data, drawing on the listening skills she developed through social work.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Working on problems that may take generations to address has taught Mitchell to take the long view. \u201cWhat I am working toward today, it might come in 100 years,\u201d Mitchell says, \u201cbut it\u2019s coming.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Katie Nilsen<\/p>\n

Vice President of Development and Strategy, E-J Electric Installation Co.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Katie Nilsen
\n \/
\n Cre8tive Photo Group<\/p>\n

When Katie Nilsen first encountered the electrical construction industry as a sixth grader, she barely saw any women, and didn\u2019t view construction as a possible career path.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Years later, Nilsen is a key official at E-J Electric Installation Co. and board president of Professional Women in Construction New York.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a direct path into construction. After studying communications and media in college, Nilsen worked at Bloomingdale\u2019s, where she was tasked with turning around underperforming areas of the store. She approached each segment like a small business, focusing on \u201cpeople, process and presentation\u201d to make them profitable.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

After someone suggested those skills could translate to electrical construction, Nilsen took an entry-level interview at E-J.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is crazy, but I\u2019ll go,\u201d she recalls. She got the job and stayed on.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Over the next decade, Nilsen watched E-J grow tenfold, from a regional contractor into a national operation. She helped advance major projects, including the Queens-Midtown Tunnel rehabilitation and electrical upgrades at the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Before she became president of its board, Professional Women in Construction New York gave Nilsen her first committee leadership opportunity. She later helped create its mentorship program and now is focused on bringing emerging and experienced professionals together.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Her next big goal is to continue climbing the corporate ladder at the company where she\u2019s already worked for a decade. \u201cI definitely have my eye on running the organization one day, which is definitely a stretch goal,\u201d Nilsen says. \u201cBut let\u2019s get it.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Carlos Ortiz<\/p>\n

Chief of Staff and Deputy Commissioner of External Affairs, New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Carlos Ortiz
\n \/
\n Emil Cohen, NYC Council Media Unit<\/p>\n

Carlos Ortiz got into politics thanks to a Craigslist ad.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Ortiz was working what he calls \u201cdead-end office jobs\u201d when he ran across a posting for a Spanish-speaking community liaison in the office of then-Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh. \u201cI said, \u2018I can do that,\u2019\u201d Ortiz recalls. The job, he says, changed his life. Helping constituents navigate government services demonstrated to Ortiz what public service looks like on a practical level.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

In 2015, he entered the University of Chicago\u2019s international relations master\u2019s program and considered a career in academia, but he found himself missing government work. At the time, he told The Chicago Maroon about the satisfaction of helping someone get even $20 more in food stamps, an increase that could make a meaningful difference in their weekly budget.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

That focus on concrete impact makes Ortiz a good fit at the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Since joining DCWP as director of community affairs in 2016, Ortiz has worked on efforts spanning minimum pay and deactivation protections for delivery workers, compensation and benefit standards for security guards, hotel worker protections, expanded street vendor licensing and reforms to reduce licensing burdens on small businesses.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Even when a particular fight doesn\u2019t go his way, Ortiz says, the work can mean \u201cactual money that goes back to people and new laws that are working for people.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

For Ortiz, it comes down to \u201cregular people, regular workers and thinking how do we make their lives better concretely.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Ashley Petersen<\/p>\n

Assistant Director of Nursing, Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Ashley Petersen
\n \/
\n Tyler Petersen<\/p>\n

When Ashley Petersen was a senior in high school, she developed transverse myelitis, a rare neurological disorder. While in the hospital, she was misdiagnosed as having leukemia and encountered some nurses who seemed to be \u201cthere for a paycheck.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

This experience drove Petersen to go into the medical field, so she could make a difference and positively impact people. She joined the Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation as a registered nurse in August of last year as her first job out of college.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI knew in that instant I wanted to go into healthcare, I want to be that change,\u201d she says. \u201cI want to come alongside families and bring comfort and just be that difference and be that light.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

After coming to the Parker Institute, Petersen was quickly promoted to head nurse and then to assistant director of nursing, the title she currently holds.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they first offered me this position, I kind of thought they were crazy,\u201d she says. \u201cBut I guess it means I\u2019m doing something right.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Being promoted to a leadership position at such an early age, Petersen admitted to wrestling with feelings of not being ready, but eventually realized she can grow into her role with support from colleagues.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI realized I can trust what I learned and continue building on it and continue to rise to the challenge,\u201d she says. \u201cI often fought with the misconception that you have to wait until you feel 100% prepared to take the next step.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Darolyn Pierce<\/p>\n

Vice President of Data Analytics and Insights, Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Darolyn Pierce
\n \/
\n Xavier Edwards<\/p>\n

Darolyn Pierce always knew she wanted to work in sports. Figuring out exactly what she wanted to do took some experimenting.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

At Baylor University, Pierce gave sales, sponsorship and analytics a try through the school\u2019s sports business program. Sales and sponsorships quickly lost her. Analytics clicked.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Now vice president of data analytics and insights at Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, Pierce leads a 12-person team supporting the Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, Barclays Center and other businesses across the organization.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

When Pierce arrived, the business intelligence team primarily served revenue-generating departments. She set out to make it an enterprisewide operation and provide value to teams across the organization.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI built a team that people trust, that\u2019s effective and can bring data-driven insights to the organization that people use to drive actions, to drive the bottom line, to move revenue,\u201d Pierce says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Now, she is pushing that model further. Her team is developing self-service analytics and experimenting with generative and agentic artificial intelligence, with Pierce describing the goal as turning the capacity of 12 people into 24 or even 36.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Her management style also draws from sports. A former athlete and Baylor women\u2019s basketball student manager, Pierce says being coached and watching high-level coaches shaped how she thinks about motivating people and getting the best out of a team.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

What keeps her interested is the constant change.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like being put in a box,\u201d Pierce says. \u201cAny time I feel like I\u2019m in a box, I get antsy.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Evelyn Pope<\/p>\n

Director of Nonprofits and Community Engagement, CMW Strategies<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Evelyn Pope
\n \/
\n Evelyn Pope<\/p>\n

Evelyn Pope\u2019s job begins with what a nonprofit wants to change and a deceptively complicated question: How do you get government to act on it?<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

As director of nonprofits and community engagement at CMW Strategies, Pope helps turn priorities into policy and funding strategies for arts, education, healthcare, social services, parks, victim services and criminal justice organizations.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI really like being on the generalist side of things,\u201d Pope says. \u201cI enjoy working on different issues and having no two days be the same.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Arts education is one key focus for Pope. Through the New York City Arts in Education Roundtable\u2019s \u201cIt Starts with the Arts\u201d campaign, Pope has pushed for greater transparency around city arts education spending, increased funding and improvements to Department of Education contracting.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The daughter of two educators, including a father who was her high school chemistry teacher, Pope built an early career in politics, interning with Planned Parenthood and the United Nations Population Fund and then working on New York campaigns and George Gasc\u00f3n\u2019s campaign for Los Angeles County district attorney.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Pope asserts that success in New York politics depends on building genuine relationships, rather than getting to know people only when you need something.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

At a school performance put on by an arts education organization she supports, Pope saw the other end of that work. Students sang Olivia Rodrigo songs and played ukuleles.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is something that I helped bring to life,\u201d Pope remembers thinking. \u201cThis is incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Hamilton Raymond<\/p>\n

Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success, Metropolitan College of New York<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Hamilton Raymond
\n \/
\n Metropolitan College of New York<\/p>\n

Hamilton Raymond\u2019s duty is to help people understand how higher education can be a path forward, especially for young people living in underserved communities like the one the Brooklyn native grew up in.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI was supposed to be a statistic where I come from, but I realized the one passion I had was for learning,\u201d he says. \u201cI took that and ran with that and in doing so, a lot of opportunities have opened up for me.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Raymond is now vice president for enrollment management and student success at the Metropolitan College of New York, where he is charged with recruiting and retaining students. He oversees admissions, registrar, bursar, financial aid and student success.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Importantly, Raymond is striving to boost the enrollment and retention of young Black men, something he delved into in his book, \u201cInvisible Men: Disappearance of Black Men in College.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

He also established empowerment recruitment initiatives at MCNY and elsewhere, using a holistic approach to recruiting young men of color to higher education.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Looking forward, Raymond is hoping to become college president in the future and is interested in running for political office later in his career.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019ll be able to make some significant changes in the higher education institution to help service those that are underserved, and really show a path that this is attainable for all, and not just a selective few or those that are the top performers,\u201d he says. \u201cThere is a classroom for everyone who desires to go to it.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Amanda Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Policy Coordinator, National Association of Social Workers \u2013 New York Chapter<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Amanda Rodriguez
\n \/
\n Sofia Ogneva, Inductgroup Agency<\/p>\n

Amanda Rodriguez was organizing protests before she could vote. Her high school superlative tagged her as \u201cmost likely to organize a protest.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

After the deadly Parkland high school shooting in 2018, Rodriguez helped organize a gun safety walkout at her rural New York school. The entire K-12 student body participated, followed by a gathering with voter registration, music and conversations.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI always think it\u2019s really important to be able to just engage everyone on the issue,\u201d Rodriguez says, \u201cbut also create a space where people can feel heard.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Now at the National Association of Social Workers\u2019 New York chapter, Rodriguez advocates for 62,000 social workers statewide. She drafts legislation, lobbies lawmakers and organizes members around priorities before the state Legislature and New York City Council.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

One NASW-NY objective is strengthening loan forgiveness as the profession faces a workforce shortage. Rodriguez has advocated for expanding eligibility and directing assistance toward geographic areas with provider shortages. Growing up in a rural community, she saw what limited access can mean when residents have to travel more than an hour for care.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Rodriguez also created a weekly Policy Corner newsletter to keep social workers connected to advocacy opportunities and helped launch the \u201cPower of Social Work Podcast.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

At one Capitol Action Day, a student told Rodriguez she hadn\u2019t realized how much power her voice had, or how her experiences could shape policy.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you actually see the work being done,\u201d Rodriguez says, \u201cadvocacy becomes an itch that you can\u2019t stop scratching.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Jake Rosenblum<\/p>\n

Director of Development, Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Jake Rosenblum
\n \/
\n Shirley Maslow<\/p>\n

When Jake Rosenblum joined the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island, he was tasked with an unusual assignment: build out the development operation for the more than 50-year-old social services organization while keeping its programs running.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re building the plane while we\u2019re up in the air,\u201d is how Rosenblum describes his job.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

As the organization\u2019s inaugural director of development, Rosenblum is expanding the fundraising infrastructure that supports a team serving all five boroughs. Its programs include Club 2600, a monthly gathering for 125 to 160 Holocaust survivors to dine, dance and connect.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Rosenblum came to fundraising after working on the programmatic side of nonprofits, beginning as a youth adviser at Queens Community House. Having handled both programmatic and administrative work, he approaches development with clients and colleagues in mind.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

He also emphasizes collaborative leadership. During his first week running a preschool program, he grabbed a mop after a child had an accident. A staff member remarked on seeing the center director cleaning up.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a big believer in not asking anybody on your staff to do something you wouldn\u2019t do yourself,\u201d Rosenblum says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

That approach carries into his current work. Rosenblum helped develop a Brooklyn Cyclones partnership that brought 15 Holocaust survivors onto the field to throw first pitches during Jewish Heritage Night. As one survivor departed, she thanked him and told him how much fun she had.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cSomething as simple as that is what makes it worth it when you put your head on the pillow at night,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Raffi Salbashian<\/p>\n

Senior Counsel and Director of Labor Relations, Day Care Council of New York<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Raffi Salbashian
\n \/
\n Cameron Moir<\/p>\n

Raffi Salbashian\u2019s grandparents\u00a0escaped the Armenian genocide when they were young, part of a generation where a typical childhood filled with exploration and imagination was shattered.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

This family history drove Salbashian to enter public service, with a focus on supporting families and children.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cMy goal is to safeguard that for future generations, to allow kids growing up in the city with working parents to be well taken care of and looked after, and have everything they need to thrive,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Salbashian achieves that in his work with the Day Care Council of New York, which represents 120 early childhood education operators across New York City. His team helps provide legal, labor and employment services for member organizations, such as collective bargaining and compliance.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Earlier in his career, he worked at the Brooklyn District Attorney\u2019s Office, where he prosecuted violent crimes as an assistant district attorney.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The cases that stood out to him the most were crimes against children. Salbashian was inspired to find work where he could proactively help children, not just punish offenders after the damage was done.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt made me step back and want to impact kids in a way that was more preventative, that was more helpful and meaningful,\u201d he says. \u201cImpacting these people\u2019s lives as early as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

While he doesn\u2019t work directly with children, Salbashian supports the staff that care for kids daily.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI think that quality of education and programming is key to keep kids happy, keep kids engaged, keep kids growing and learning,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.S.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Thea Setterbo<\/p>\n

Director of Communications, District Council 37<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Thea Setterbo
\n \/
\n Molly Harvey<\/p>\n

For Thea Setterbo, effective communication starts with a simple principle: People should be able to understand the institutions that represent them.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

That idea has followed Setterbo from Texas journalism and local government to District Council 37, New York City\u2019s largest public sector employee union, where she serves as director of communications. At DC 37, Setterbo has restructured the communications department, where she oversees everything from digital strategy to PEPtalk, the quarterly magazine delivered to more than 150,000 union households.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Her approach was shaped by earlier work in government communications in Austin and San Antonio, where her experiences with public participation, language access and crisis communications demonstrated the importance of meeting people where they are. Her goal of ensuring \u201cgovernment is accessible and transparent\u201d is something she has carried into the labor movement.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Since joining DC 37 in 2022, she has driven member engagement around the union\u2019s priorities. An online Day of Action campaign contributed to 97.7% member approval of its 2021-2026 citywide labor contract, while the union has recently seen record participation in its annual Albany Lobby Day. Setterbo also oversaw a mobile-first redesign of DC 37\u2019s website.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

A graduate of the Harvard Trade Union Program, Setterbo sees communications as more than broadcasting a message. It means finding the idea that will resonate and, drawing on her journalism background, \u201cdistilling the big idea into 300 words or less.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

That extends across political divides. \u201cI love that opportunity to find the bridge that connects us to each other,\u201d Setterbo says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Kelly Sexton<\/p>\n

Political Director, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 30<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Kelly Sexton
\n \/
\n Diane Bondareff Photography<\/p>\n

Kelly Sexton got the call on a Wednesday: Legislation affecting International Union of Operating Engineers Local 30 apprentices was headed to the New York City Council, and she had only days to line up support.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Sexton, political director for the IUOE Local 30, had spent months working with the New York City Department of Buildings over counting apprentices\u2019 training and work experience toward high-pressure boiler operating engineer licenses.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

She secured 41 council sponsors, from both sides of the aisle. The law passed in 2025, allowing apprentices to count work and training concurrently and shortening their path to earning a license.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Sexton grew up in the labor movement. Her father and grandfather were both operating engineers. Now she\u2019s shaping the future of the industry as New York transitions to renewable energy. Through Local 30\u2019s involvement with Climate Jobs New York, a coalition of unions focused on the clean energy economy, Sexton traveled to the United Kingdom to visit a nuclear power plant under construction.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to make sure that there\u2019s a just transition of our workforce,\u201d Sexton says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Despite the international travel, Sexton\u2019s focus remains close to home. As a member of Queens Community Board 8, she serves on its health and buildings committees. She joined in part to ensure labor has a voice in neighborhood issues. And in August, she filed to run for City Council in 2029.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI think the most important thing is that we\u2019re creating more (good-paying) union jobs that could help people stay in New York City and afford to live here and raise their children,\u201d Sexton says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Julian Fox Spector<\/p>\n

Senior Adviser for Intergovernmental Affairs, Office of the New York City First Deputy Mayor<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Julian Fox Spector
\n \/
\n Mythili Mandadi<\/p>\n

Julian Fox Spector once figured making a difference would take him far from home. Studying international relations, the born-and-bred New Yorker imagined becoming a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service. Instead, an internship in local politics showed him what he could accomplish locally.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI had all these ideas about impacting change far away from home,\u201d Spector says. \u201cI soon realized that real change happens on the local level, and you have so much more ability to actually impact people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Spector spent nearly eight years in the Brooklyn District Attorney\u2019s Office, rising to director of strategic operations. He helped build stakeholder awareness around the office\u2019s Justice 2020 criminal justice reform plan and wrongful conviction reviews.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Coming from several generations of public school teachers on his mother\u2019s side, public service was familiar territory. Success was measured less by money than by fulfilling responsibilities to the community.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Now, as the first deputy mayor\u2019s senior adviser for intergovernmental affairs, Spector coordinates across city government on initiatives like closing Rikers Island, expanding childcare, making buses fast and free, and supporting the new Mayor\u2019s Office of Community Safety.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Becoming a father has made one of those issues personal. With a daughter nearing age 2, Spector sees childcare as critical to helping families remain here. \u201cOnce you start having kids and you want to build out your own family, this is a tough place, and everything that we can do to make it a little bit easier, I think, is incredibly worthwhile,\u201d Spector says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Hannah Steinweg<\/p>\n

Public Policy Campaigns Manager, Waymo<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Hannah Steinweg
\n \/
\n Bryson Malone<\/p>\n

Hannah Steinweg never imagined herself testifying in committee hearings or running policy campaigns in state capitals. All she knew was that she wanted to tackle complex problems.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Her pathway into policy work began as a refugee resettlement caseworker in Memphis, Tennessee, where she saw how government decisions could alter people\u2019s lives. The experience left her asking who made those decisions and how she could influence them.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Steinweg later became chief of staff to then-Colorado state Sen. Pete Lee, watching him forge diverse coalitions. She went on to lead the advocacy organization Environment Colorado before spending 4 1\/2 years at electric-vehicle maker Rivian, where she focused on state policy.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI love listening to how different people see the world, from state legislators making decisions to those who just arrived from another country seeking asylum,\u201d Steinweg says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Now Waymo\u2019s public policy campaigns manager in New York, Steinweg is forming alliances around autonomous vehicle policy ahead of a 2027 legislative push in Albany. She is also president of A Better Road Forward, a new, Waymo-backed autonomous vehicle policy coalition.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Her vision is grounded in how different forms of transportation fit into New Yorkers\u2019 lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt looks like stepping off a red-eye flight at JFK late at night, calling an autonomous vehicle for a quiet, safe ride home, then taking the subway to work the next morning,\u201d Steinweg says. \u201cBy embracing autonomous vehicles alongside New York\u2019s historic transit backbone, we\u2019re not replacing the way we move, we\u2019re unlocking a safer, more complete transportation ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Ardian Tagani<\/p>\n

Senior Government Relations Specialist, Pitta Bishop & Del Giorno<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Ardian Tagani
\n \/
\n Ardian Tagani<\/p>\n

Ardian Tagani grew up seeing New York through the glass of the No. 7 train windows.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Growing up in Queens, Tagani rode the subway line with his father to Bronx Science and eventually to Hunter College, watching neighborhoods like Willets Point transform. Today, as an associate at Pitta LLP and senior government relations specialist at Pitta Bishop & Del Giorno, he influences policies shaping his city.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Tagani is especially drawn to measures whose effects take years to appear. Pension and workplace-protection legislation, he says, can strengthen a worker\u2019s safety net decades after a bill passes.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you can make it so that a sanitation worker\u2019s job is safer and better,\u201d Tagani says, \u201cyou make it so that there are more workers that dedicate themselves to that job and care for the whole city.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

His route to this work was not direct. Tagani entered college to study medicine but a constitutional law course turned him to government and law. The statistical analysis skills he developed doing medical research still surface in his work, from examining voter records to evaluating whether nonprofit programs are reaching communities effectively.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI use the statistical knowledge so frequently,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of funny to me to think of myself as an attorney who works with numbers more than anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

And he has a simple measure of success. \u201cIf I could know at the end of my career that the people I worked with and worked for have a better life because of me,\u201d he says, \u201cthat\u2019s a mission accomplished.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Steven Tiller<\/p>\n

Vice President of Labor Relations and Show Operations, Javits Center<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Steven Tiller
\n \/
\n Jacob K. Javits Center Marketing<\/p>\n

Thousands of people pour into the Javits Center to enjoy some of New York City\u2019s biggest events. Steven Tiller toils behind the scenes to make the magic happen.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Freight has to arrive. Carpenters must build the show floor. Electricians deliver power. Production crews prepare lighting and audiovisual elements. As a vice president overseeing show operations, Tiller helps coordinate the people responsible for bringing it all together.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a process that has fascinated him since his days as a game operations intern with the Charlotte Checkers hockey club. \u201cI saw people there making the show come to life, and that\u2019s what really made me fall in love with the behind-the-scenes aspect,\u201d Tiller says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Now leading teams himself, Tiller calls himself a \u201cplayer\u2019s coach.\u201d A former front-line worker, he remembers managers who became so focused on the bottom line that \u201cthey forgot that these are humans.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

That experience shapes his approach to organized labor. When he arrived at Javits, Tiller told union representatives, \u201cYou are my business partner. We\u2019re in this thing together.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

For Tiller, taking care of the people behind the productions means recognizing what they carry with them beyond work.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s life outside of these four walls that\u2019s happening that\u2019s going to impact how they show up,\u201d Tiller says. \u201cFor the eight hours that they\u2019re with you, how do you make them come into work and feel like, man, I have a sense of peace, but a sense of pride in what I do?\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Claire Valdez<\/p>\n

Democratic Congressional Nominee<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Claire Valdez
\n \/
\n Kara McCurdy<\/p>\n

The incoming class of lawmakers likely to join Claire Valdez in Congress in January includes the daughter of a U.S. senator and a Rhodes Scholar who grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Valdez is proud to bring a vastly different perspective to Washington, D.C. \u2013\u00a0that of a union organizer, artist and former fast-food worker.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

A member of the Democratic Socialists of America and one-term Assembly member who won her congressional primary with the support of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Valdez did not get involved in politics until she joined her union, United Auto Workers Region 9A, while working at Columbia University. Prior to that, she never had the bandwidth.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI have worked multiple jobs before, I worked seven days a week, and you don\u2019t have time to think about a horizon beyond the next paycheck or the next day off when you\u2019re in those conditions,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Valdez says much of her agenda, including universal healthcare, rent stabilization and abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is part of an overarching goal to build up working-class power.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Working in fast food meant working on her feet for hours, low wages and having \u201csome shitty boss.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s a really important experience to bring to a body that is primarily made up of incredibly wealthy people who have never had to bag groceries or work a drive-through window,\u201d she says. \u201cI think that\u2019s a really important and often discounted perspective, but it\u2019s one that reflects millions of Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 J.C.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n David Waterman<\/p>\n

Executive Director, New York State Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

David Waterman
\n \/
\n Michael Fredette<\/p>\n

While some New Yorkers are \u201cCalifornia dreamin\u2019 on such a winter\u2019s day,\u201d David Waterman was the Californian in a \u201cNew York state of mind.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

After a couple out-of-state campaigns and stints in Washington, D.C., the Los Angeles native made his way to the Empire State to join the state Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee.\u00a0<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents grew up in Long Island, and I had always actually hoped for a chance to actually move back out here,\u201d he says. \u201cI basically grew up visiting family and friends out in New York and was even actually raised like a Mets, Knicks and Jets fan, even though I grew up in Los Angeles.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Waterman developed a love for politics and medicine in his youth. He entered American University as a political science and pre-med major, and being in Washington made politics win out.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Waterman is proud of what he has accomplished at DACC, working closely with Assembly members and candidates, with a focus on listening directly to voters. He also looks back fondly to his job prior to DACC as executive director of FIRST Global, where he launched a robotics competition for students from over 150 countries.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

With a strong commitment to advancing the Assembly Democrats\u2019 agenda, Waterman expects to be with DACC for the long haul.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see myself going anywhere anytime soon,\u201d he says. \u201cI love doing the work that I do with the people that we do it with, and I hope to continue to be here for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0J.C.<\/p>\n

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\n \"Permalink\"
\n <\/a>
\n Carl Wilson<\/p>\n

New York City Council Member<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Carl Wilson
\n \/
\n Emil Cohen, NYC Council Media Unit<\/p>\n

Carl Wilson didn\u2019t come to New York City to launch a political career. Rather he came to town, like so many others, to be an actor.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Most of his acting gigs ultimately were outside the city, mainly in regional productions, but many of the skills he developed come in handy in city politics.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately, acting is the study of human behavior, which I find to be remarkably helpful in a business that has so many different perspectives and personalities and many stakeholders.\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a great tool to help you navigate all of that.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Wilson got into politics following the 2016 presidential election, helping to found a political club, the Hell\u2019s Kitchen Democrats, and then joining the staff of then-New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and becoming chief of staff to Johnson\u2019s council seat successor, Erik Bottcher. As a legislative staffer, he worked on the urban forest master plan and gun safety legislation.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Following Bottcher\u2019s election to the state Senate, Wilson won a special election this year to fill the vacancy. Entering the City Council at the height of budget season, he focused on fighting for increased funding to combat homelessness and the Fair Fares program.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Having won a special election just months into a regular four-year term, he could end up serving through 2037 before being term-limited out of office.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a very unique opportunity, but it also is a unique responsibility,\u201d Wilson says. \u201cYou have to deliver, and I think that\u2019s what people are expecting.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013\u00a0J.C.<\/p>\n

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\n Faizan Younus<\/p>\n

Managing Principal, NCheng LLP<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Faizan Younus
\n \/
\n NCheng LLP<\/p>\n

Faizan Younus is one of those rare people who looks forward to the start of the workweek.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI really like my Monday because I like what I do. I like who I do it with. I like who I do it for,\u201d Younus says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

At NCheng LLP, that means helping nonprofits navigate finances, compliance and operational challenges that can affect their ability to provide services. As managing principal, Younus leads some 200 professionals serving over 400 nonprofit organizations.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

While finishing his accounting degree at Hunter College, Younus applied for an internship at NCheng LLP and instead was offered a full-time job. For about a year, he worked and attended school full time.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

After several years away, Younus returned in 2019 as a manager to work on technology and process improvements. Six years later, he was leading the firm.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Younus immigrated from Pakistan when he was young and grew up in the Bronx, watching his parents, established professionals back home, rebuild their lives. He sees echoes of that experience in the essential services his firm\u2019s clients provide.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThe level of real impact that we are able to have on the day to day, that impact goes beyond just the debits and credits,\u201d Younus says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

As artificial intelligence changes accounting, Younus wants NCheng LLP to become \u201csolution architects,\u201d helping nonprofits improve operations while developing the firm\u2019s next generation of partners. He also wants to tackle recurring process problems that distract nonprofits from delivering services.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cThe focus is always the mission,\u201d Younus says.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n Mon Yuck Yu<\/p>\n

Associate Vice President, United Way of New York City<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Mon Yuck Yu
\n \/
\n United Way of New York City<\/p>\n

After losing her father to cancer when she was young, Mon Yuck Yu turned her family\u2019s difficulty navigating his illness into a drive to help immigrant families access care. At 19, she co-founded what became RaisingHealth.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

The nonprofit grew from health screenings and care coordination to serving over 10,000 people annually. Yu remembers one person who went 10 years in the U.S. without a health screening, unsure of her eligibility for care. A screening revealed high blood pressure and they connected her to medication and food assistance. Yu described the work as \u201ca service that I wish my family was able to access in the most challenging times.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Later, as policy director for the Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Yu focused on maternal and mental health, education and public safety. Her maternal health portfolio included expanding care and resources for Black and brown communities to reduce maternal mortality.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Now an associate vice president at United Way of New York City, Yu leads a team of about 13 and oversees strategy, operations, policy and advocacy. Her health equity portfolio spans preventive care, doula training, mental health peer specialist workforce programming and Medicaid innovation, as well as responses to federal changes reducing access to SNAP and Medicaid.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cHealth is connected to every aspect of a person\u2019s life,\u201d Yu says, \u201cfrom whether or not they have nutritious food on the table, to whether they have stable housing and whether they can access care in another language or setting where they feel comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.B.<\/p>\n

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\n Samirah Zeerah<\/p>\n

Deputy Director of Interagency Affairs, New York City Administration for Children\u2019s Services<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Samirah Zeerah
\n \/
\n Samirah Zeerah<\/p>\n

Samirah Zeerah\u2019s public service career started at age 8, when she volunteered to translate for her community.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Zeerah didn\u2019t yet understand that she was doing community service, but it sparked her commitment to supporting underserved communities and ensuring they\u2019re heard.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Now, as deputy director of interagency affairs at the New York City Administration for Children\u2019s Services, she facilitates collaboration between city agencies and acts as a \u201cconnector\u201d among internal and external stakeholders.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cIn my line of work, there\u2019s the work that makes headlines and then the work that makes systems function, and I\u2019ve chosen the latter,\u201d Zeerah says. \u201cIt\u2019s less visible, but it\u2019s where the infrastructure of democracy gets built.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Since she started in the role in January, she has worked within ACS\u2019 external affairs division, handling strategy, project management and message consistency. She is also a commissioner on the city Civic Engagement Commission.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Previously, Zeerah worked on a fatherhood program for the Young Men\u2019s Initiative under the Mayor\u2019s Office of Equity and Racial Justice. This experience piqued her interest in criminal justice, leading her to a civic engagement and participatory budget initiative on Rikers Island, which registered more than 1,000 incarcerated people to vote and promoted policy discussions.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u201cI want to build something that outlasts me, interagency systems being embedded in city government so that collaboration is the default and not the exception,\u201d she says. \u201cI just want to stay connected to the people this work serves and wherever that takes me, whether it\u2019s here or somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

\u2013 A.S.<\/p>\n

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