Who’s who in Eric Adams’ administration

Eric Adams’ administration is in its most tumultuous chapter. On Sept. 26, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York unsealed an indictment charging Adams with five counts of corruption offenses including bribery and violating campaign finance laws. Adams has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, saying, “I know I’ve done nothing wrong.” and has so far petitioned to have the bribery charge dismissed.

And at least three other separate federal corruption investigations seem to be encircling the ranks of the Adams administration, sowing concerns about his ability to simultaneously lead the city and fend off allegations of malfeasance. Federal prosecutors’ increasingly aggressive tactics suggest mounting political trouble for the mayor. Federal agents raided the homes and seized the devices of a number of top Adams’ appointees in early September 2024, including First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, outgoing schools Chancellor David Banks, former Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks, former top Adams aide Tim Pearson, and several high-ranking police officials. On Sept. 27, Adams’ Chief Adviser Ingrid Lewis-Martin was stopped at the airport by investigators from the Manhattan district attorney’s office, and federal investigators confiscated materials from her home.

A growing list of top appointees have also left the administration amid the turmoil of the investigations. Since the indictment was made public, Pearson, Phil Banks, Wright, and several others have stepped down. In the days before the indictment was unsealed, Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan and David Banks both announced they would be stepping down. Then-Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned Sept. 12 at the request of City Hall after federal agents seized his phone. And Lisa Zornberg, Adams’ counsel and chief legal adviser, abruptly resigned on Saturday, Sept. 15.

A long string of other officials have departed the administration over the past couple of years, including Laura Kavanagh, then-commissioner of the New York City Fire Department, former NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell, Risk Management and Compliance Director Marjorie Landa, Small Business Services Commissioner Kevin Kim, senior adviser Joel Eisdorfer, José Bayona, executive director of the Office of Ethnic and Community Media, City Hall’s top lawyer Sylvia Hinds-Radix and Civilian Complaint Review Board Chair Arva Rice, Department of Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Dawn Pinnock and then Department of Social Services Commissioner Gary Jenkins.

Here’s a rundown of Adams’ appointees as of Oct. 16, 2024.

City Hall Insiders

First deputy mayor and deputy mayor for housing, economic development and workforce development:  Maria Torres-Springer 

Adams announced that Torres-Springer, a key figure in implementing the Adams administration’s housing agenda, would be stepping into the role of first deputy mayor on Oct. 8. The news came after Wright resigned amid the swirl of federal investigations. Torres-Springer has served as deputy mayor for housing, economic and workforce development since the start of the mayor’s tenure – a role that was expanded to include oversight of the administration’s housing agenda on May 30, 2023. She’s also been the vice president for U.S. programs at the Ford Foundation, served in the de Blasio administration as commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, been president and CEO of the Economic Development Corp. and served as commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services. Her husband, Jamie Torres-Springer, is president of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s construction and development division.

Deputy mayor for health and human services: Anne Williams-Isom

Prior to joining the administration, Williams-Isom was the James R. Dumpson endowed chair in child welfare at Fordham’s Graduate School of Social Service, Williams-Isom is best known as the former CEO and COO of the Harlem Children’s Zone, an anti-poverty nonprofit organization. Before that, she was at the New York City Administration for Children’s Services for more than a decade, ending her tenure as a deputy commissioner. Her appointment was announced on Dec. 20, 2021.

Deputy mayor for operations: Meera Joshi

Joshi came to the Adams administration from the federal government, where she was deputy administrator in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. She was briefly New York general manager at Sam Schwartz consultants before that, but is best known as the former chair and CEO of New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission. She also has experience at the city Department of Investigation and the Civilian Complaint Review Board. Her appointment was announced on Dec. 20, 2021.

Deputy mayor for strategic initiatives: Ana Almanzar

Almanzar joined the Adams administration in early June 2023 after spending much of her professional career bridging the gap between the nonprofit and government sector. Most recently, she served as director of community relations at Mother Cabrini Health Foundation where she worked to bolster health outcomes in diverse communities. Prior to that, she was chief of staff under the Cuomo administration’s nonprofit division. Almanzar’s appointment was announced May 26, 2023.

Deputy mayor for communications: Fabien Levy

Adams’ enthusiastic press secretary Fabien Levy was promoted to the somewhat newly created role of deputy mayor for communications on Aug. 14, 2023. Levy previously served as Attorney General Letitia James’ press secretary, but joined the Adams administration at its start. Levy spearheads the administration’s messaging strategy – a focus of the mayor’s as he objects to criticism in the press.

Chief adviser to the mayor: Ingrid Lewis-Martin

Lewis-Martin has been one of Adams’ closest advisers since before he entered the state Senate in 2007. The “tough-as-nails gatekeeper” has worked with him throughout Adams’ political career, most recently as deputy borough president of Brooklyn. Her appointment was announced on Jan. 10, 2022.

Chief counsel to the mayor: Alison Stoddart

Stoddart, who has worked in the Adams administration since 2022, was elevated to chief counsel on Oct. 1 following the departure of Lisa Zornberg. Zornberg, a former federal prosecutor, reportedly resigned after the mayor declined to follow her advice to part with problematic top aides, including former Chief Adviser Timothy Pearson. Stoddart previously served as Zornberg’s chief of staff. She once worked at WilmerHale, the white shoe law firm where Adams’ private attorney and former chief counsel Brendan McGuire is a partner.

Chief of staff to the mayor: Camille Joseph Varlack

Varlack, an attorney and the former senior adviser to the mayor, was named Adams’ next chief of staff in December 2022. Before joining city government, Varlack worked at the law firm Bradford Edwards & Varlack LLP as a founding partner and chief operating officer. She also oversaw 60 agencies in state government under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the deputy director of state operations, chief risk officer and special counsel. She assumed the role of chief of staff in January 2023.

Deputy chief of staff to the mayor: Madeline Labadie

Labadie is also coming from the TLC, where she worked for seven years, most recently as director of strategic initiatives. Before that, she was a political coordinator for the Hotel Trades Council. 

Deputy chief of staff to the mayor: Menashe Shapiro

A top staffer on Eric Adams’ mayoral campaign – known for defending the candidate on Twitter – Shapiro is an attorney and longtime political consultant who previously worked on Michael Bloomberg’s presidential and 2009 reelection campaign. 

Deputy chief of staff and senior emergency adviser and Office of Asylum-Seeker Operations Director: Molly Schaeffer

Staying on from Bill de Blasio’s City Hall, Schaeffer initially focused on COVID-19 and “public safety” for Adams. In March of 2023, Adams announced the new city office of Asylum-Seeker Operations and later named Schaeffer the director.

On Sept. 20, 2024, federal agents served Schaeffer a subpoena. 

Director of intergovernmental and external affairs: Tiffany Raspberry

A top adviser on Adams’ campaign and transition team, Raspberry has been a political consultant and lobbyist for nearly two decades, recently representing clients including Success Academy charter schools and tobacco company Reynolds American. She now leads his intergovernmental affairs team. 

Communications director: Ryan Birchmeier

Birchmeier came to head the Adams communication team on March 8, 2024 after leading housing- and economic development-related communications for the mayor’s office since 2023. The position had been open since summer 2023. He previously served as the deputy commissioner for public information at the New York City Office of Technology and Innovation. 

First deputy communications director: Erika Tannor 

Before joining the mayor’s communications team, Tannor served as senior vice president at Tusk Strategies where she led national issue-based campaigns. She’s also worked under Letitia James in the public advocate’s office, served as communications and policy director to former New York City Council Member Rafael Espinal, and was a founding board member of nonprofit think tank 5Boro Institute. 

Senior adviser to the mayor: Stefan Ringel

Ringel is one of Adams’ longest-tenured aides. He started at Brooklyn Borough Hall under the previous borough president, Marty Markowitz, and worked for Adams as communications director, then senior adviser, and worked on his mayoral campaign as well. Before that, Ringel worked comms for then-Council Member Jumaane Williams.

Senior adviser to the mayor and director of scheduling: Gladys Miranda

Miranda is one of Adams’ closest aides, and he thanked her in particular on election night. She held the same title working for Adams at Brooklyn Borough Hall, where she first started in 2007 under then-Borough President Marty Markowitz. 

Senior adviser to the mayor and director of public service engagement: Andrea Shapiro Davis

A longtime City University of New York leader who most recently served as interim vice chancellor for university advancement, Shapiro Davis previously worked as a senior adviser to former Mayor Bloomberg, whose City Hall she worked in for all 12 years. 

Senior adviser for severe mental illness: Brian Stettin

Stettin, the longtime policy director at the Treatment Advocacy Center, serves directly under Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom, working on the city’s in-patient psychiatric programs and Assisted Outpatient Treatment programs, and serving New Yorkers with severe mental illness. Stettin’s appointment marks a return to New York government; he previously served as counsel to the Health Committee of the New York Assembly, among other roles. His appointment was announced on July 11, 2022.

Chief administrative officer: Mir Bashar

Mir Bashar’s promotion puts the former senior director of budget and financial planning under Bill de Blasio in charge of day-to-day finances, budget, contracts and administration. He has been working in similar roles at City Hall since Rudy Giuliani’s administration. Bashar’s appointment was announced on July 15, 2022.

Special counsel to the mayor: Ama Dwimoh

Dwimoh is a veteran of Team Eric Adams, having served as special counsel and chief of compliance to Adams when he was Brooklyn borough president. Dwimoh took a brief break from borough hall to run for Brooklyn district attorney in a failed bid in 2017.

Deputy director of the mayor’s office of food policy: Rachel Atcheson

Rachel Atcheson was first named as senior assistant – also serving as unofficial food diarist – to Adams, as well as the at-large director of the SUNY Downstate Committee on Plant-Based Health and Nutrition. She then served as special adviser to Varlack, and in June 2023 was promoted to deputy director in the mayor’s office of food policy. Atcheson previously worked on animal welfare issues in the mayor’s office. A Manhattan DA court filing identified Atcheson as an Adams campaign staffer who had had contact with Dwayne Montgomery, an organizer of an illegal straw donor scheme. 

Agency Heads

Department for the Aging commissioner: Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez

Cortés-Vázquez, who sits on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board and on the board of trustees for the City University of New York, has been Department for the Aging commissioner since 2019. Adams announced her reappointment on March 31, 2022. She previously served as secretary of state under Govs. Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson and worked at the AARP and the Hispanic Federation.

Department of Buildings commissioner: Jimmy Oddo

Former Staten Island Borough President Oddo was announced as the next commissioner of the Department of Buildings on April 27, 2023, as City & State first reported. Oddo took over as commissioner following fellow Republican and former City Council Member Eric Ulrich’s resignation in November 2022, after Ulrich was questioned in connection to an illegal gambling investigation by the Manhattan district attorney’s office. Kazimir Vilenchik, who was first deputy commissioner under Ulrich, had been serving as acting commissioner after Ulrich’s departure and returned to the first deputy position. Oddo was already an Adams administration insider, serving as chief of staff to Deputy Mayor of Operations Meera Joshi.

Business integrity commissioner and chair: Elizabeth Crotty

A defense attorney in private practice, Crotty ran for Manhattan district attorney in 2021, finishing sixth in the eight-way primary. She was previously an assistant district attorney in the Manhattan district attorney’s office and a litigator at Kreindler & Kreindler. 

Administration for Children’s Services commissioner: Jess Dannhauser 

New York City’s child welfare system falls under the leadership of Dannhauser, the former president and CEO of Graham Windham, a social services nonprofit for children and families. Dannhauser previously worked at ACS in several positions, including associate commissioner for performance measurement, monitoring and improvement.

Department of Citywide Administrative Services commissioner: Louis Molina

After leading the Department of Correction for nearly two years and then serving as the vaguely defined assistant deputy mayor for public safety, Molina was appointed as commissioner on June 3, 2024.  Before joining the Adams administration, Molina served as chief of the Las Vegas Department of Public Safety in Nevada and as the chief internal monitor and acting assistant commissioner in the DOC’s compliance unit, which monitored the use of force in city jails.

Department of City Planning director and City Planning Commission chair: Dan Garodnick

Most recently president and CEO of the Riverside Park Conservancy, who brought lawn-mowing goats to the greenspace, Garodnick is best known for representing much of the east side of Manhattan in the New York City Council from 2006 until 2017. In that position, he helped negotiate the purchase of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village. 

Department of City Planning executive director: Edith Hsu-Chen

While the City Charter mandates that the DCP director and CPC chair are the same person, Hsu-Chen will also have a leading role at City Planning. Hsu-Chen has been with DCP since 1997, when she started as an intern, and most recently served as the agency’s Manhattan director.

Department of Consumer and Worker Protection commissioner: Vilda Vera Mayuga

Most recently deputy secretary of state for economic opportunity, Mayuga has served in government for years, previously as chair of the New York State Industrial Board of Appeals, deputy commissioner for worker protection at the state Department of Labor, an assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Bureau, an agency attorney at the Fire Department of New York and a paralegal specialist at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

Department of Correction commissioner: Lynelle Maginley-Liddie

An eight-year veteran of the city Department of Correction, Maginley-Liddie was appointed commissioner on Dec. 8, 2023 – a little over a month after her predecessor, Louis Molina, was named assistant deputy mayor for public safety. Maginley-Liddie first joined the DOC in 2015 as an agency attorney and later went on to lead the department’s General Litigation Unit. In 2021, she was named first deputy commissioner and chief diversity officer. Born in Antigua, Maginley-Liddie is only the second Black woman to lead DOC.

Department of Cultural Affairs commissioner: Laurie Cumbo

Cumbo represented parts of Brooklyn in the City Council from 2014 through 2021, and endorsed Adams on the day he formally launched his campaign. Before that, she founded and led the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts. Cumbo had long been expected to get this position, but she has a history of politically divisive comments, and she faced criticism and internal dissent from the mayoral transition committee after making what some thought were racist, anti-immigrant statements during a vote on a bill to allow non-citizen voting. 

Schools chancellor: Melissa Aviles-Ramos

Aviles-Ramos’ first day as schools chancellor was Oct. 16, 2024 – several weeks after Adams announced she’d be taking the reins from Banks following his resignation. She has a long history working in the New York City education department, starting as an English teacher in 2007 and working her way up the ladder to principal, to deputy superintendent of several Bronx High School districts, then eventually working for Banks as his chief of staff. Aviles-Ramos most recently served as the education department’s deputy chancellor for family and community engagement and external affairs, helping oversee efforts to integrate migrant children in city schools.

Department of Environmental Protection commissioner and chief climate officer: Rohit Aggarwala

The former director of long-term planning and sustainability under Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Aggarwala was most recently a fellow at Cornell’s Urban Tech Hub and has advised the Adams administration on how the city can enhance its use of technology in government services. The previous commissioner, Vincent Sapienza, will be staying at DEP, serving as chief operations officer. 

Department of Finance commissioner: Preston Niblack

Niblack had been outgoing New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s deputy comptroller for budget for about five years. He previously worked in the City Council finance division, and did a stint in the private sector at lobbying firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.

Fire commissioner: Robert Tucker 

Philanthropist and private security company CEO Robert Tucker was tapped as fire commissioner on August 12, 2024 after Laura Kavanagh resigned from the position. While he’s never been a firefighter, Tucker’s ties to FDNY go way back. As a teenager, he interned  in the department’s Manhattan Communications Office. He remained connected to the department through fundraising as a longtime board member of the FDNY Foundation after getting involved with the nonprofit after 9/11.

Health commissioner: Dr. Ashwin Vasan

A mental health specialist and primary care physician, Vasan was the CEO of Fountain House, a national nonprofit that provides services to people with mental illness. He also practices internal medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and is an assistant professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Vasan replaced Dr. Dave Chokshi as health commissioner in March 2022. Chokshi, referred to as “the city’s doctor,” was appointed in August 2020 and served as the public face of the agency through some of the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Vasan submitted his resignation on September 23rd. While he initially planned to depart in January 2025, he’s since moved up the timeline and now plans to leave Oct. 18.

Housing Preservation and Development commissioner: Adolfo Carrión Jr. 

Back to city politics after some time away, Carrión was a New York City Council member, Bronx borough president from 2002 to 2009, the director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs under President Obama and the regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. More recently he worked in private real estate development, first for the Stagg Group, then forming his own development and consulting firm, Metro Futures. 

Department of Emergency Management commissioner: Zach Iscol

Adams announced on Feb. 17, 2022 that his former challenger in the Democratic mayoral primary would lead the agency. Iscol, a Marine veteran who ran on a moderate platform, dropped out of the mayoral race and backed Adams while running his own campaign for comptroller. His mother, Jill Iscol, is a former adviser to Hillary Clinton, who described Iscol during his comptroller campaign as someone who “comes at everything from the mind-set of ‘how do we bring resources and assets together to solve problems and address inequities.’” Iscol also served as deputy director of the Javits Center during the pandemic. 

Department of Investigation commissioner: Jocelyn Strauber

A partner at law firm Skadden, Arps, focusing on government enforcement and white collar crime, Strauber was previously co-chief of the Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. 

Parks and Recreation commissioner: Sue Donoghue

Going from one park to all parks, Donoghue was previously the president and park administrator for the Prospect Park Alliance, a position she had held since 2014 where she oversaw some parks department employees. Before that she was a senior adviser and assistant commissioner in the Department of Parks and Recreation and worked on former Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC sustainability blueprint.

NYPD interim commissioner: Tom Donlon 

Donlon, a veteran former FBI and counterterrorism official, was appointed interim police commissioner on Sept. 12, 2024 after Adams asked Edward Caban to resign amid an ongoing federal investigation. Nine days later, Donlon’s home was also searched by federal agents. Donlon is not your typical police commissioner appointee – he’s neither a police officer nor part of the NYPD, but he has lots of law experience at the local, state, federal and international levels. He’s the third police commissioner appointed under Adams’ tenure. 

Department of Probation Commissioner: Juanita Holmes

Holmes, the former chief of training for the NYPD and a 35-year veteran of the department, was tapped for the position in March 2023, replacing recently departed Probation Commissioner Ana Bermudez. In 2016, she became the first Black woman to serve as a precinct commander.

Department of Sanitation commissioner: Jessica Tisch

Adams appointed Tisch – the former commissioner of the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications – to lead the Sanitation Department in April 2022, confirming long-swirling rumors that Tisch planned to stick around with this administration. Early reports of Tisch’s appointment initially prompted a lament from the Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association president that Adams was “letting somebody very good get away,” referring to former Commissioner Ed Grayson. While it was never announced by the Adams administration, City & State first reported that Tisch had been leading the City Cleanup Corps since the beginning of 2022 in what appeared to be a “try out” for the sanitation job. Adams praised Tisch as a “Get Stuff Done leader” when her appointment as sanitation commissioner was officially announced.

School Construction Authority president and CEO: Nina Kubota

Kubota has been with SCA since 1998, and took over the top spot in April 2021 when Bill de Blasio appointed Grillo to lead the city’s pandemic recovery. She remained in her position in Adams’ administration. 

Department of Small Business Services commissioner: Dynishal Gross

Gross was appointed as the department’s commissioner after predecessor Kevin Kim said he was stepping down as commissioner in May 2024. He previously served as executive deputy commissioner.

Department of Social Services commissioner: Molly Wasow Park

Following Gary Jenkins’ departure as commissioner of the Department of Social Services, Molly Wasow Park, the first deputy commissioner at the Department of Homeless Services, was tapped to serve as acting commissioner. She was confirmed as commissioner in April 2023.

Department of Homeless Services administrator: Joslyn Carter

Carter has been DHS administrator since 2017, and remains on the job. A licensed clinical social worker, she has worked at DHS for nearly two decades, and before that worked for both Kings County Hospital and the American Red Cross. 

Human Resources Administration administrator: Scott French

Before being appointed to lead the HRA on Oct. 30, 2023, French spent more than 10 years at the Department of Social Services, most recently as chief strategy officer. Prior to joining city government, French held leadership roles at Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE), an LGBTQ+ social services nonprofit. 

Transportation commissioner: Ydanis Rodriguez

The term-limited City Council member who always seemed to be by Adams’ side on the campaign trail leads the Department of Transportation, after eight years providing oversight as chair of the City Council’s Committee on Transportation. Before taking office, he was a teacher and activist. 

Department of Transportation chief of staff: Ryan Lynch

Lynch joined Adams at Brooklyn Borough Hall back in 2014, rising up to becoming the then-borough president’s chief of staff. He started out the year as a deputy chief of staff in City Hall, but had left to serve DOT by October. It’s a good fit – he was a director with the Tri-State Transportation Campaign before entering government.

Department of Design and Construction commissioner: Thomas Foley

Department of Design and Construction Commissioner Thomas Foley is officially staying on as head of the department, which he joined in 1998 as an engineer-in-charge. Foley has led the department – which oversees the city’s capital construction projects – since October, when former Commissioner Jamie Torres-Springer left for a job at the MTA.

Department of Youth and Community Development commissioner: Keith Howard 

Howard was formerly an associate deputy commissioner at the New York City Department of Transportation where he managed the Vision Zero program. Earlier in his career, he served in a number of watchdog and investigatory roles in city government, working as an inspector with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, a special investigator for the Joint Commission on Integrity in the Public Schools, and an investigator for the CCRB. His appointment was announced on June 15, 2022. 

Other Offices

Board of Standards and Appeals chair: Shampa Chanda

Shampa Chanda, a commissioner on the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals, was appointed to chair the board, which can provide relief from the city’s zoning code, in December 2022. Salvatore Scibetta, another of the five commissioners on the board, was appointed vice chair.

Cannabis NYC director: Dasheeda Dawson

Dawson is the first director of the new initiative under the Department of Small Business Services. Her appointment was announced Oct. 12, 2022. A former corporate business strategist, Dawson pivoted to the marijuana industry as an advocate, author and strategist. She was previously the cannabis program manager for the city of Portland, Oregon.

Chief Medical Examiner: Jason Graham

Dr. Graham had served as acting chief medical examiner since December 2021 and his appointment to lead the Office of Chief Medical Examiner was announced April 20, 2022. He has been working at the agency since 2006 and has led its response to the opioid epidemic. Graham is a physician and also chairs the Department of Forensic Medicine at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine.

Chief Efficiency Officer: Denise C. Clay

Denise C. Clay took over for Melanie La Rocca as chief efficiency officer, a role created by Adams and intended to monitor and improve performance of city agencies. Clay previously served as chief operating officer for First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright. Clay’s appointment was announced on Aug. 10, 2023.

Chief Technology Officer: Matt Fraser

Fraser took on the newly expanded role of chief technology officer, leading the new Office of Technology and Innovation at the beginning of Adams’ tenure. He was the NYPD deputy commissioner of information technology and did a private sector stint before that as director of consulting services at Gartner.

Chief Public Realm Officer: Ya-Ting Liu

Ya-Ting Liu, the chief strategy officer to Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi, added a brand-new title to her resume with Adams’ creation of the “chief public realm officer” in February 2023. The role will focus broadly on the city’s use of public spaces, including the push to create a permanent outdoor dining program.

Commission on Human Rights commissioner and chair: Annabel Palma

Adams reappointed Palma as chair of the Commission of Human Rights, a position she’s held since October 2021. Prior to serving as chair, Palma represented a Bronx district in the City Council for 12 years, and was later a deputy commissioner in the Department of Social Services and chief equity officer for the Test & Trace Corps. Her reappointment was announced on June 6, 2022.

Conflicts of Interest Board chair: Milton Williams Jr.

Adams nominated former federal prosecutor Milton Williams Jr. to lead the city’s Conflict of Interest Board on Aug. 5, 2022. Williams more recently worked as a partner at Walden Macht & Haran.

Director of city legislative affairs: Connor Martinez

A former citywide field manager for Adams’ 2021 campaign, Martinez has been with the Adams administration since January 2022, starting as chief of staff on the mayor’s community affairs unit. He was appointed director of city legislative affairs in September 2023, according to Linkedin. 

Director of state legislative affairs: Christopher Ellis

Most recently associate vice chancellor for workforce development initiatives at the State University of New York, Ellis was previously special assistant to the state chief information officer and director of the office for technology and a senior legislative fiscal analyst for the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. 

Director of federal legislative affairs: Crystal Price

Price, the former deputy director of federal legislative affairs under Bill de Blasio, takes a step up with her appointment as director. She manages the federal priorities of all city agencies. Price’s appointment was announced on July 15, 2022.

Director of rodent mitigation: Kathleen Corradi

Corradi may be the first citywide director of rodent mitigation, but she’s far better known as the “rat czar.” Following a lengthy, competitive search, a triumphant Adams announced her appointment on April 12, 2023. Corradi will bring her experience as a land use expert and her time spearheading the DOE’s rat reduction efforts to the job. 

Economic Development Corporation president: Andrew Kimball

Industry City CEO Andrew Kimball leads the New York City Economic Development Corp. since early 2022, where he aims to carry out Adams’ “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent” blueprint for economic development. Before leading Industry City, Kimball served as CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp., another major economic development project in the city.

Health + Hospitals president and CEO: Mitchell Katz

Mitchell Katz has been leading the city’s public hospital system since 2017. Adams renominated him to stay in the position and the H+H board approved it on March 31, 2022. Before coming to New York, Katz served as director of the Los Angeles County Health Agency. He is also a practicing primary care physician.

Housing Development Corporation president: Eric Enderlin

Enderlin has led the country’s largest municipal housing finance agency since 2016 and stayed on under Mayor Adams. Before that, Enderlin worked at HPD and NYCHA.  

Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare director: Alexandra Silver

Alexandra Silver was tapped to lead the office, which was created in 2019. Silver previously served as community outreach and engagement manager at Animal Care Centers of NYC. Silver’s appointment was announced on July 15, 2022.

Mayor’s Office of Appointments director: Lisa Lashley

Lashley most recently worked in community engagement for the New York City Council. She has served as counsel in the state Senate, a trial attorney for the New York City Transit Authority and an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn. Her appointment was announced in February 2022.

Mayor’s Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management executive director: Dawn Tolson

Previously the executive director of Gracie Mansion, Dawn Tolson moved to a role permitting events big and small across the city. Tolson also leads the Street Activity Permit Office, where she previously served as the executive director for four years under Bill de Blasio. Her appointment was announced Sept. 2, 2022.

Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit commissioner: Fred Kreizman

A longtime veteran of the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit under former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Fred Kreizman now heads the office himself. Kreizman returns to city government now after working at Capalino as managing director. His tenure began in January 2022.

Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice executive director: Elijah Hutchinson

An alum of the Economic Development Corp., Elijah Hutchinson officially took the reins of the mayor’s climate office in September 2023, following former executive director Kizzy Charles-Guzman’s departure for the city Department of Environmental Protection in May 2023. Hutchinson previously led EDC’s work on coastal resiliency and greenway projects.

Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health director: Eva Wong

Adams tapped Eva Wong, coming from the Center for Early Childhood Health and Development at NYU Langone Health, to lead his Office of Community Mental Health, a relatively newly codified office with a wide-ranging mandate to help reduce substance misuse and close gaps in access to mental health care, among other things. Wong previously led programs and engagement at University Settlement, a nonprofit delivering social services to low-income New Yorkers. Her appointment was announced on July 11th, 2022.

Mayor’s Office of Contract Services director: Lisa Flores

Longtime city government veteran Lisa Flores leads the Mayor’s Office for Contract Services, New York City’s procurement office. Flores recently served as deputy comptroller for contracts and procurement and will be returning to MOCS, where she previously served as deputy director. She started in January 2022, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice director: Deanna Logan

Previously general counsel and deputy director in the office, Logan leads the MOCJ. Before she joined the mayor’s office in 2019, Logan supervised the Rikers Island Prosecution Bureau in the Bronx District Attorney’s office. She has also worked in the Department of Correction, the Manhattan DA’s office and the New York Stock Exchange. Her appointment was announced in February 2022.

Mayor’s Office of Equity and Racial Justice commissioner: Sideya Sherman

Sherman was previously the executive director of the city Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity as well as executive vice president for community engagement and partnerships at the New York City Housing Authority. Before that, she was a project director and senior planner for the Municipal Art Society of New York. She leads the newly created office, which oversees the Commission on Gender Equity, the Pay Equity Cabinet and other initiatives. The appointment was announced May 3, 2022, and Sherman’s role and the office itself were expanded in October 2023, following the 2022 ballot referendum that required the creation of a city office of racial equity and the creation of a citywide racial equity plan.

Commission on Racial Equity chair and executive director: Linda Tigani

The Commission on Racial Equity was also established in October 2023, following the 2022 ballot referendum on racial justice. Tigani has held several other roles in city government, including most recently as the acting chief equity and strategy officer at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. CORE, as the new commission is being called, is intended to engage New Yorkers in the process of developing racial equity priorities, according to the administration. 

Mayor’s Office of Food Policy executive director: Kate Mackenzie

One of the biggest differences between Adams and de Blasio may be their diets – but that didn’t stop Adams from reappointing Mackenzie to the role on Oct. 7, 2022. She first got the job in October 2019. Before that, she worked at City Harvest.

Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs commissioner: Manuel Castro

Castro came from outside government as the executive director of Queens nonprofit New Immigrant Community Empowerment. Before that, Castro was an organizer with the New York Immigration Coalition. He was appointed in January 2022.

Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs assistant commissioner: Erick Salgado

Adams’ decision to hire the Brooklyn pastor, despite his long track record of anti-gay and pro-life views, drew calls for the mayor to walk back the appointment. Salgado was one of two new appointees with a history of anti-gay sentiments (the other was Fernando Cabrera). Salgado said in a statement that he has “evolved” and vowed to lift up “LGBTQ+ immigrants.”

Mayor’s Office of Innovation and Emerging Markets co-executive director: Jonathan Salomons

Though not officially announced publicly, the administration has referred to Jonathan Salomons as executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Innovation and Emerging Markets. One project apparently under that portfolio is the administration’s new direct-to-citizen e-mail newsletter which announces new programs and achievements by the administration. The vaguely defined two-person office has drawn scrutiny and raised eyebrows. Crain’s New York Business reported in 2023 that Salomons was an active NYPD lieutenant and friend of Adams.

Mayor’s Office of Innovation and Emerging Markets co-executive director: Denise Felipe-Adams

The other well-paid “executive director” of the mysterious Office of Innovation and Emerging Markets is Felipe-Adams, who is not related to the mayor, but seems to be a close pal. Hellgate reported that many tech and bitcoin companies have tried lobbying the small agency.

Mayor’s Office for International Affairs commissioner: Edward Mermelstein

Luxury real estate attorney Edward Mermelstein heads the city office tasked with international diplomacy. Mermelstein donated to Adams’ campaign but is a Republican and has worked with another New York real estate figure, former President Donald Trump.

Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment commissioner: Pat Kaufman

Pat Kaufman was appointed in July 2023 to take over for Anne del Castillo. The latter served in the role under de Blasio and stayed on for the first year and a half of Adams’ term, and is now a senior policy adviser at the Department of Cultural Affairs. Kaufman previously served as first deputy commissioner at MOME and was the longtime executive director of the New York State Governor’s Office for Motion Picture and Television Development.

Mayor’s Office of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises chief business diversity officer: Michael Garner

Michael Garner is the first person to hold this position, after building up quite a reputation for dealmaking as the Metropolitan Transit Authority chief diversity and inclusion officer. He’s also civically active as president of the founding chapter of One Hundred Black Men of New York City. The appointment was announced Feb. 16, 2023.

Mayor’s Office of Nonprofit Services executive director: Johnny Celestin

Celestin was appointed in June 2024 after the departure of Karen Ford in December of 2023. The Office of Nonprofit Services is a new agency launched under Adams as a liaison between the city and the vast nonprofit sector that provides innumerable city services. Celestin was previously deputy director at the Mayor’s Office of Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises.

Mayor’s Office of Operations director: Dan Steinberg

The mayor’s governmental operations office is led by Dan Steinberg, who comes with experience in management and analytics. Steinberg previously served as chief of data analytics for the NYC Vaccine Command Center. 

Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities commissioner: Christina Curry

Christina Curry, the longtime executive director of the Harlem Independent Living Center and a veteran of various boards and committees serving disabled and Deaf communities, is now leading Adams’ Office for People with Disabilities. Curry’s appointment was announced on July 26, 2022.

Mayor’s Office of Risk Management and Compliance director: Jean-Claude LeBec

Fresh on the heels of predecessor Marjorie Landa’s announcement that she would retire, Adams appointed long-time city civil servant as director of the Mayor’s Office of Risk Management and Compliance on May 16, 2024. The office is new under Adams. LeBec previously held roles at the Office of Criminal Justice and the city Department of Correction.

Mayor’s Office of Special Projects and Community Events executive director: Trey Moynihan

Trey Moynihan leads the office in charge of all the cultural receptions at Gracie Mansion, and more. For nearly two decades before, she managed events at the National Museum of the American Indian in Manhattan. Her appointment was announced Sept. 2, 2022.

Mayor’s Office of Sports, Wellness, and Recreation director: Jasmine Ray

A wallball booster, Ray founded Wallball World LLC and the U.S. Wallball Association Inc. to spread the sport. Ray, who is Latina, is also the former executive director of Cornerstone Daycare in Brooklyn and an executive board member of the Black and Minority Chamber of Commerce. She’s also a former hip hop artist with the Most Valuable Playas and a fourth degree black belt in Shotokan Karate. Her appointment was announced Dec. 27, 2022. 

Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development executive director: Abby Jo Sigal

After spending nearly 30 years in the nonprofit space, Sigal joined the Adams administration in 2022 to coordinate workforce development and jobs programs.

Mayor’s Office of Urban Agriculture director: Qiana Mickie

Think community gardens, rooftop farms and hydroponics labs in schools – all topics Adams has focused on. Qiana Mickie, founding principal of QJM Multiprise and former executive director of Just Food, will lead the newly created office. Her appointment was announced on Sept. 23, 2022.

New York City sheriff: Anthony Miranda

Anthony Miranda allied with Adams in the early 2000s, when he led an organization for Latino NYPD officers while Adams led an organization for Black officers. A retired NYPD officer and co-founder of the National Latino Officers Association, Miranda also previously served as chief of police and director of security for the New York City Administration for Children’s Services. Miranda also ran and lost in the 2020 Democratic primary for Queens borough president and the 2021 Democratic primary for City Council District 20. His appointment was announced on May 3, 2022. Miranda’s office was searched by Department of Investigation officials on September 26, 2024 after the agency received a tip that unvouchered cash from illegal pot shop raids was at the site. 

Office of Faith Based and Community Partnerships director: Gilford Monrose

Monrose is the lead pastor at Mt. Zion Church of God Seventh Day in East Flatbush, and was previously Adams’ faith director in the borough president’s office. This newly created office is housed within the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit. Monrose was appointed in January 2022.

Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings commissioner and chief administrative law judge: Asim Rehman 

Previously the deputy commissioner for legal matters and general counsel at the Department of Correction, Asim Rehman moved over to the city’s administrative law court, where he reports to the chief counsel to the mayor. Rehman has also served in the Law Department and the office of the inspector general of the NYPD. Announced March 29, 2022, he is the first Muslim and South Asian American to lead the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings.

Office of Labor Relations commissioner: Renee Campion

The mayor reappointed Campion as commissioner, a position in which she’s served since 2019, when she became the first woman to lead the office. Campion has been with OLR for the last 20 years and before that, worked at a union, Doctors Council SEIU. 

Office of Management and Budget director: Jacques Jiha

Adams asked Jiha to remain in the role he’s held since October 2020. Before that, he served as Bill de Blasio’s finance commissioner.

Public Design Commission executive director: Sreoshy Banerjea 

Sreoshy Banerjea is a former vice president of urban design for NYCEDC, prior to her public service she worked as an architectural associate with Rafael Vinoly and Dattner Architects. Banerjea reports to Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development Maria Torres-Springer. Her appointment was announced June 10, 2022. 

Rent Guidelines Board chair: Nestor Davidson

Davidson, an expert in affordable housing and land use law, was appointed to lead the nine-member board in March, 2023.  He is a professor of housing and land use at Fordham University School of Law.

Taxi and Limousine Commission chair: David Do

David Do previously led the equivalent agency in Washington, D.C.’s city government, as the director of the Department of For-Hire Vehicles. Before that, he was director of the D.C. Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. Do’s nomination was announced on April 28, 2022 and Do was confirmed by the City Council a month later.