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WATCH: Experts Discuss Essentials to a Successful Mayoral Transition


rich b carl weis

Carl Wesibord, left, & Richard Buery with Mayor de Blasio at the announcements of their 2014 appointments


As Mayor-elect Eric Adams is in the process of transitioning to become the next Mayor of New York City on January 1, two veterans of city government and mayoral transition processes spoke about the keys to a smooth transition, setting up a new city government, accomplishing top goals, and more. During an online "civic conversation" hosted by Citizens Union Foundation on Friday, December 3, former Deputy Mayor Richard Buery and Carl Weisbrod, co-chair of Bill de Blasio's 2013 transition committee, joined moderator Ben Max, editor of Gotham Gazette, to discuss their experiences, advice, and observations.

Buery, currently the CEO of Robin Hood, was a member of a de Blasio 2013 transition committee and became Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives, initially tasked with overseeing the implementation of universal pre-kindergarten, de Blasio's top mayoral campaign promise. Weisbrod, now a Senior Advisor at HR&A Advisors, was a co-chair of de Blasio's 2013 transition and is a veteran of several mayoral administrations, including as the head of city planning under de Blasio.

Watch the conversation:

Read more: WATCH: Experts Discuss Essentials to a Successful Mayoral Transition

Mayor-Elect Adams Announces Hundreds of Transition Committee Members


m e adams atc

Mayor-elect Eric Adams (photo: office of Eric Adams)


With just under a month to go till he is sworn into office, Mayor-elect Eric Adams unveiled his transition team on Friday, featuring nearly 800 people across various areas of expertise including public health, food policy, arts and culture, budgeting, civic engagement, education, immigration, climate and infrastructure, housing, criminal justice and more.

The transition team, which continues to grow, is headed by Sheena Wright, CEO and president of United Way of New York City, a nonprofit group that aids low-income New Yorkers. Assisting her in the effort are Katie Moore, who was Adams’ campaign manager and is now executive director of the transition, and Meaghan Brown, who is serving as chief operating officer. There are also nine co-chairs who are leading various committees.

“This unprecedented collection of great minds and hard-working New Yorkers will prepare my administration for success because they represent the many backgrounds and views of our great city, and they are committed to working together toward its bright future,” Adams said in a statement. “Each committee has been tasked with a specific set of goals and responsibilities to ensure we are ready to lead on Day 1. If we are going to tackle the many challenges in front of us as a city, the advocacy, nonprofit and business worlds must all be at the same table, working in collaboration--and that is exactly what this transition is doing. And the transition of this city to a safer, healthier, more prosperous New York will continue after January 1st—so I hope to continue to lean on this group of experts and advocates after I have taken office.”

Aside from the co-chairs, who were announced weeks ago, Adams announced Friday that there are several elected officials serving as senior advisors on the transition. They include U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat, Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte, who chairs the Brooklyn Democratic Party, Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar, State Senator Diane Savino and City Council Members Peter Koo and Ydanis Rodriguez, both of whom are rumored to be joining the Adams administration. All of the officials endorsed Adams in the competitive Democratic primary (Espaillat shifted to Adams from Scott Stringer).

The committee in charge of appointments to the Adams administration is being headed by nine members. They include Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.; Andrea Shapiro Davis, interim vice chancellor for university advancement at CUNY; Anthony Crowell, dean and president of New York Law School; Bill Heinzen, general counsel at the New York City Board of Correction; Ama Dwimoh, special counsel and chief compliance and EEO Officer at the Brooklyn borough president’s office under Adams; and others. Menashe Shapiro, who was a top advisor to Adams’ campaign, and Nathan Smith of Red Horse Strategies, who was the campaign’s chief consultant, are advising the appointments as well.

Several communications staffers on Adams' campaign are continuing on in the transition as well. The communications committee is being led by Evan Thies, co-founder of Pythia Public and Adams’ chief campaign spokesperson; Steven Rubenstein, president of Rubenstein, a communications firm; and Carolina Gonzalez, regional communications manager at 32BJ SEIU. Among the members of the committee are several former aides to Mayor Bill de Blasio who are now consultants, including Phil Walzak, Andrea Hagelgans, and Wiley Norvell.

Among the six leads of the “Intergov” committee is City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who did not make an endorsement in the mayoral race. Johnson is term-limited out of office but does not want a position in the Adams administration, according to City & State.

The Public Safety and Justice committee is being led by three women of color, including Candis Tolliver, vice president and political director of 32BJ SEIU; Karol Mason, president of John Jay College of Criminal Justice; and Erica Bond, vice president of justice initiatives at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, who is also on the Civilian Complaint Review Board. Adams, a former NYPD captain, has pledged to name the city’s first female police commissioner while ushering in a new era of better policing that is both more fair and less racially-biased and also brings down crime.

The ​​‌Arts, Parks and Culture committee is led by Luis Miranda, a prominent political strategist and co-founder of the MirRam Group, and Marcia Sells, who is chief diversity officer at the Metropolitan Opera. Members of the committee include Dennis Walcott, president and CEO of the Queens Public Library; political activist Devorah Halberstam, who chairs the NYPD’s civilian hate crime review panel; venture capitalist Lisa Blau; Melody Capote, executive director of the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute; Mariko Silver, president and CEO of the Henry Luce Foundation; and others.

The committee on budgeting includes among its leaders Latonia McKinney, the longtime director of the New York City Council’s finance division; Preston Niblack, deputy comptroller for the budget under Comptroller Scott Stringer; Martha Stark, former commissioner of the city’s Department of Finance; and others.

The committee on civic engagement is led by Betsy Maclean, co-executive director of Hester Street; Lemuria Alawode-El, vice president of StrengthenNYC at United Way of New York City; Faiza Ali, director of the Community Engagement Division at the City Council; Yanna Henriquez, chief program officer at the Dominico-American Society of Queens; and Richard David, adjunct professor at CUNY.

The Economic and Workforce Development committee has 84 members and is led by five people: Jose Ortiz Jr., CEO of the New York City Employment and Training Coalition; Maria Torres-Springer, vice president for US programs at the Ford Foundation, who previously served as commissioner of the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development; Bertha Lewis, founder of the Black Institute; Seth Pinsky, CEO of the 92nd Street Y, who previously served as an economic development advisor in the Bloomberg administration; and Margaret Anadu, a partner and global head of sustainability and impact at Goldman Sachs.

Adams also has a 62-member clergy committee, led by Pastor Gilford Monrose of Mt. Zion Church of God 7th Day in Brooklyn. Monrose currently serves as director of Faith-based and Clergy Initiatives at Adams’ Brooklyn Borough President office.

Education is one of the largest committees on the transition with 110 members and contributors. Among its leaders are David Banks, founder of Eagle Academy, who is a leading contender for schools chancellor; Saskia Thompson, a program director at the Carnegie Corporation; Hazel Dukes, president of the NAACP New York State Conference; Hector Batista, executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer at CUNY; Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, commissioner at the city Department for the Aging; and others. The committee also has four youth co-chairs and includes Assemblymembers Alicia Hyndman and Rodneyse Bichotte. 

The Equity committee includes six leaders. Among them are Phil Thompson, de Blasio’s deputy mayor for strategic policy initiatives; and Jennifer Jones Austin, CEO and Executive Director of FPWA, who is also chair of the mayor’s Racial Justice Commission, which is exploring ways to revise the city charter. 

The 64-member Food Policy committee has three heads including Alexina Cather, deputy director of the New York City Food Policy Center; Gregory Silverman, CEO of West Side Campaign Against Hunger; and Tony Hillery, founder and CEO of Harlem Grown.

City Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez and Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo, both of whom are term-limited this year and rumored to be potential appointees to the Adams administration, are among the nine leads of the ‌Infrastructure, Climate and Sustainability committee. Others include Rohit Aggarwala, senior Urban Tech fellow at Cornell Tech; Cas Holloway, currently principal at CFH Solutions and a former deputy mayor under Mayor Bloomberg; Kathryn Mallon, executive director of the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority; and Quemuel Arroyo, chief accessibility officer at the MTA.

Council Member Carlos Menchaca, also term-limited, is helping lead the Immigration committee along with Murad Awawdeh, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition; Nicole Cata, director of Immigrant Rights Policy at NYIC; and Howard Shih, director of Research and Policy at the Asian American Federation.

Former Council Member David Greenfield, who is CEO of the Met Council, and former Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, are among the seven heads of the Human Services committee.

Former deputy chief administrative Judge George Silver and Richard Zabel, general counsel and chief legal officer of Elliott Management Corporation, are leading the Legal committee.

The Housing committee has ten people leading it including Jessica Katz, executive director of the Citizens Housing & Planning Council; Mathew Wambua, vice chairman of Merchants Capital; Rafael Cestero, president and CEO of the Community Preservation Corporation; Barika Williams, executive director of Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development, and others.

The Health committee has five leads including Ashwin Vasan, president and CEO of Fountain House; Ebone Carrington, managing director of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP; Kathy Martin, chief operating officer at Memorial Sloan Kettering; endocrinologist Dr. George Liu, and Dr. Ramon Tallaj, chair of the board of SOMOS Community Care.

Three people are in charge of the Technology committee including Andrew Rasiej, founder and CEO of Civic Hall, a civic tech group; Julie Samuels, founder and executive director of Tech:NYC; and Rhonda Binda, who is currently deputy borough president under Queens Borough President Donovan Richards and is stepping down in the coming weeks. 

Below is the full list of transition committee members published by the Adams campaign on Friday, December 3:

Appointments

Lead Andrea Shapiro Davis

Lead Anthony Crowell

Lead Bill Heinzen

Lead Nanette Smith

Lead Ama Dwimoh

Lead Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr

Lead Jose Bello

Lead Lisa Lashley

Lead Luis Miranda

Member Gregorio Meyers, Esq.

Member Joel Eisdorfer

Member Menashe Shapiro

Member Nathan Smith

 

‌Arts, Parks & Culture

‌Lead Luis Miranda

Lead Marcia Sells

Member Antonia Yuille Williams

Member Bobby Digi

Member Carter Strickland

Member Danny Baez

Member Dennis Walcott

Member Devorah Halberstam

Member Eligio Reynoso

Member George Russo

Member Jim Wallert

Member Lamont Joseph

Member Lisa Blau

Member Londell McMillian

Member Madelyn Wils

Member Mariko Silver

Member Melody Capote

Member Nanette Smith

Member Robert Burke

Member Scott Sartiano

Member Stephanie Jauch

Member Victoria Cerullo

 

‌Budget

Lead Latonia McKinney

Lead Preston Niblack

Lead John Banks

Lead Martha Stark

Lead Nelson Eusebio

Member Charles O'Byrne

Member Manny Pastreich

Member Marisol Mancebo

Member Michael Jacobson

Member Tanisha Edwards

Member Vinny Grippo

 

‌Civic Engagement

Lead Betsy Maclean

Lead Lemuria Alawode

Lead Faiza Ali

Lead Richard S. David

Lead Yanna Henriquez

Member Aniqa Nawabi

Member Frank Marte

Member George Sarkissian

Member Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid:

Member Jose Bayona

Member Luis Cruz

Member Marco Carrion

Member Sarah Sayeed

Member Sharon Greenberger

Member Sharon Levy

Member Steve Choi

Member Steven Saperstein

Contributor Eligio Reynoso

 

‌Clergy

Lead Pastor Gilford Monrose

Member Apostle Bishop Cecil Riley

Member Bishop Albert Jamison

Member Bishop Calvin Rice

Member Bishop Claudio Ismael

Member Bishop Eric Garnes

Member Bishop Gerald Seabrooks

Member Bishop Hezekiah Walker

Member Bishop Linwood Bush

Member Bishop Victor Brown

Member Chairman Sheikh Musa Drammeh

Member Dr. Johnnie Green

Member Dr. Karen Daughtry

Member Father Juan Luxama

Member Hindu Iram Hardowar

Member Hindu Pandit Baya

Member Hindu Pandit Lakhram

Member Hindu Sunita Viswanath

Member Hindu Vijah Ramjattan

Member Imam Abdallah Salem

Member Imam Hassan Akbar

Member Imam Tahir Kukaj

Member Imam Umar Abdul-Jalil

Member Minister Sharonnie Perry

Member Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello

Member Pastor Demetrius Carolina

Member Pastor Elvia Cabrera

Member Rabbi Baruch Pesach Mendelson

Member Rabbi Baruch Yehudah

Member Rabbi Bob Kaplan

Member Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz

Member Rabbi Chanina Sperlin

Member Rabbi Eli Cohen

Member Rabbi Joseph Potasnik

Member Rabbi Joshua Stanton

Member Rabbi Joshua Zilberberg

Member Rabbi Michael Miller

Member Rabbi Moishe Indig

Member Rabbi Samuel Stern

Member Rabbi Stephanie Kolin

Member Rabbi Yaccov Behrman

Member Rabbi Yosie Levine

Member Rabbi Yruchem Silber

Member Raghbir Singh

Member Rev. Adriene Thorne

Member Rev. Al Cockfield

Member Rev. Chloe Breyer

Member Rev. Donna Scheper

Member Rev. Erick Salgado

Member Rev. Fernanado Cabrera

Member Rev. James Lynch

Member Rev. John Denaro

Member Rev. Karim Camara

Member Rev. Onleilove Alston

Member Rev. Yolanda Brown

Member Reverend Cheryl Anthony

Member Reverend Dennis Dillon

Member Reverend Terry Lee

Member Richard Altabe

Member Sikh Inderjit Singh

Member Tusha Diaz

Member Venerable Youwang Shih

 

‌Communications

Lead Evan Thies

Lead Steven Rubenstein

Lead Carolina Gonzalez

Member Alice McGillion

Member Andrea Hagelgans

Member Jose Bayona

Member Karen Finney

Member Phil Walzak

Member Sharon Toomer

Member Vicki Schneps

Member Wiley Norvell

 

Economic & Workforce Development

Lead Jose Ortiz Jr.

Lead Margaret Anadu

Lead Maria Torres-Springer

Lead Seth Pinsky

Lead Bertha Lewis

Member Andrew Rigie

Member Armando Guareno

Member Assembywoman Rodneyse Bichotte

Member Barb Chang

Member Barbara Armand Kushner

Member Barry Gosin

Member Belkis Lora

Member Carmen Susana Osorio

Member Chidi EZe Esq

Member Chris Bennett

Member Christopher Watler

Member Clare Newman

Member Claudia Granada

Member Colvin Grannum

Member David Edelstein

Member David Ehrenberg

Member David Garza

Member David Hiraldo

Member Deborah Velazquez

Member Dian Yu

Member Ehab Shehata

Member Eric Gerler

Member Evan Greenberg

Member Frank Marte

Member Fred Cerullo

Member Gina Argento

Member Gregg Bishop

Member Ian Dunford

Member Isidro Medina

Member Jack Rosen

Member Jamie Ruben

Member Jason Cone

Member Jeffrey Garcia

Member Jennifer Mitchell

Member Jerelyn Rodriguez

Member Jessica Lappin

Member Jessica Walker

Member Jim Goldman

Member Jodi Pulice

Member Joe Sitt

Member John Wang

Member Jonathan Bowles

Member Jose Bello

Member Jose Luis Corona

Member Joseph Shamie

Member Karianna Guzman

Member Kathryn Wylde

Member Katy Gaul-Stigge

Member Kenneth Adams

Member Kim Lattimer-Nelligan

Member Leah Hebert

Member Lindsay Greene

Member Lisa Sorin

Member Liz Lusskin

Member Lourdes Zapata

Member Madelyn Wils

Member Marc Holliday

Member Marty Burger

Member Michael Garner

Member Nelson Eusebio

Member Pedro Zamora

Member Plinio Ayala

Member Randy Peers

Member Regina Myer

Member Richard Grant

Member Richard Mack

Member Rochelle Kelly-Apson

Member Sandi Vito

Member Sandra Wilkins

Member Senator James Sanders

Member Thomas J Grech

Member Tom Wright

Member Tucker Reed

Member Tunisha Walker

Member Valerie White

Member Vinny Alvarez

Member Wayne Ho

Member Wilton Cedeno

Member Ya-Ting Liu

 

‌Education

Lead David Banks

Lead Saskia Thompson

Youth Co-Chairs Darleny Suriel

Youth Co-Chairs Ismail Hasaballa

Youth Co-Chairs Jonathan Lam

Youth Co-Chairs Mia Payne

Lead Dr. Cristina Melendez

Lead Hazel Dukes

Lead Hector Bautista

Lead Lorraine Cortez Vasquez

Lead Tashnima Choudhury

Member Angel Vasquez

Member Anita Gundanna

Member Ann Tisch

Member Arva Rice

Member Assemblywoman Alicia Hyndman

Member Carlos Moreno

Member Council Member Rodneyse Bichotte

Member Crystal Mcqueen-Taylor

Member DeNora Getachew

Member Doris Cintron

Member Dr. Demetrius Carolina

Member Eddie Silverio

Member Edu Hermelyn

Member Elizabeth McCarthy

Member Fred Wilson

Member Geoffrey Canada

Member Gladys Ward

Member Henry Ocasio

Member Jane Martinez-Dowling

Member Jasmine Gripper

Member Jean Desravines

Member Jeff Aronson

Member Jennifer Raab

Member Jerry Russo

Member John Tritt

Member Judy Dimon

Member Kevin Cummings

Member Khary Lazare-White

Member Kim Sweet

Member LaKeesha Walrond

Member Lourdes Zapata

Member Maria Figueroa-Dean

Member Nancy Sunshine

Member Phoebe Boyer

Member Rabbi Bob Kaplan

Member Rabbi David Zwiebel

Member Ramona Hernandez

Member Rev. Jacques DeGraff

Member Richard Buery

Member Richard Kahan

Member Shawn Morehead

Member Shirley Aldebol

Member Sonia Park

Member Vaughan Toney

Contributor Abby Jo Sigal

Contributor Abenaa Frempong-Boadu

Contributor Brigid Ahern

Contributor Carolyne Quintana

Contributor Casey Lamb

Contributor Cass Conrad

Contributor Cassie Schwerner

Contributor Cesar Zuniga

Contributor Charissa Fernandez

Contributor Chris Caruso

Contributor Christopher Caruso

Contributor Crisanta Duran

Contributor Dan Weisberg

Contributor David Adams

Contributor Dawn Heyward

Contributor Debbie Meyer

Contributor Desmond Blackburn

Contributor Dia Bryant, Ed.L.D.

Contributor Dionne Grayman

Contributor Dr. Anne Williams-Isom

Contributor Dr. Asheena Baez

Contributor Dr. Askia Davis

Contributor Dr. Jawana Johnson

Contributor Dr. Kara Ahmed

Contributor Dr. Karren Dunkley

Contributor Dr. Sabrina Hope King

Contributor Dr. Sandye Johnson

Contributor Dr. Sydney McKinney

Contributor Dr. Tom Liam Lynch

Contributor Dr. Wenimo Okoya

Contributor Dr. Yvette Jackson

Contributor Hope Lesane

Contributor Irma Zardoya​​

Contributor Jade Grieve

Contributor Josh Thomases

Contributor Karine Apollon

Contributor Kelvin Chan

Contributor Kenita Lloyd

Contributor Lorelei Vargas

Contributor Luke Rhine

Contributor Marielys Divanne

Contributor Marjorie Parker

Contributor Maury Litwack

Contributor Michael Rothman 

Contributor Nora Gomperts

Contributor Paymon Rouhanifard

Contributor Robert Lubetsky

Contributor Rochelle Sinclair

Contributor Ron Russell

Contributor Sandra Escamilla

Contributor Saskia Traill

Contributor Savita Bharadwa

Contributor Sherry Cleary

Contributor Tala Manassah

Contributor Tara Gardner

 

‌Equity

Lead J. Phillip Thompson

Lead Jennifer Jones Austin

Lead Debbie Almontaser

Lead Frankie Miranda

Lead Melissa Sklarz

Lead Victor Calise

Member Ahsan Chughtai

Member Denise Felipe-Adams

Member DeRay McKesson

Member Jeannette Garcia-Alonzo, Esq.

Member John Carlo Bautista

Member Jose Bayona

Member Michael Cohen

Member Michael J Schweinsburg

Member Nikki Bethel Grant

Member Rose Christ

 

‌Food Policy

Lead Alexina Cather

Lead Gregory Silverman, MSc

Lead Tony Hillery

Member Alissa Wassung

Member Angela Davis

Member Annette Nielsen

Member Aziz Dehkan

Member Charles Platkin

Member Cheryl Huber

Member Craig Willingham

Member Dennis Derryck

Member Dr. Debbie Almontaser

Member Dr. Melony Samuels

Member Elizabeth Solomon

Member Emilio Tavarez

Member Gabrielle Mosquera

Member Jenifer Clapp, MPA

Member Jessica Chait

Member JJ Johnson

Member Jonathan Chin

Member Keith Carr

Member Kim Kessler

Member Leslie Gordon

Member Lianna Reisner

Member Liz Accles

Member Manuela Zamora

Member Marion Nestle

Member Marion Williams

Member Michael Hurwitz

Member Nausher Khan

Member Nevin Cohen

Member Pam Koch

Member Rachel Atcheson

Member Rae Gomes

Member Ribka Getachew

Member Robert Lee

Member Shanon Morris

Member Stephen Grimaldi

Member Stephen O'Brien

Member Stephen Ritz

Member Tonya Gayle

Member Urvashi Rangan, PhD

Contributor Amy Haung

Contributor Bernie Pollack

Contributor Bryan Moran

Contributor Cathy Nonas, MS

Contributor Daniel Humm

Contributor Devon Klatell

Contributor Dr. Robert Graham

Contributor Elizabeth Angeles

Contributor Gabrielle Blavastsky

Contributor Joshua Thomas Serrano

Contributor Julia McCarthy

Contributor Karen Washington

Contributor Liz Neumark

Contributor Mark Izeman

Contributor Matt Joswiak

Contributor Nick Kenner

Contributor Nil Zacharias

Contributor Paula Daniels

Contributor Rafael Espinal

Contributor Tom Colicchio

Contributor Viraj Puri

 

Health

Lead Ashwin Vasan

Lead Ebone Carrington

Lead Kathy Martin

Lead Dr. George Liu, Phd

Lead Dr. Ramon Tallaj

Member Alan van Cappelle

Member Aletha Maybank MD, MPH

Member Alex Rovt 

Member Ayman El-Mohandes

Member Bob Fullilove

Member Carol Raphael

Member Dan Reingold

Member Dr. Amarilis Jacobo

Member Dr. Bienvenido Fajardo

Member Dr. Bindu Babu I-MD, PHD

Member Dr. Rafael Lantigua

Member Dr. Titus Okunlola

Member Julia Iyasere, MD

Member Karen Ignagni

Member Kathleen Daniel

Member Ken Raske

Member LaRay Brown

Member Linda Fried

Member Manmeet Kaur

Member Marietta Rozental

Member Marisol Alcantara

Member Michael Dowling

Member Michelle Crentsil

Member Nicole Jordan Martin

Member Pamela Brier

Member Pat Kane

Member Preeti Mattoo

Member Robert Fullilove

Member Sherry Glied

Member Victor Masi

Contributor C. Virginia Fields

Contributor Guillermo Chacon

Contributor Maurice Reid

 

‌Housing

Lead Jessica Katz

Lead Mat Wambua

Lead Meredith Marshall

Lead Rafael Cestero

Lead Rasmia Kirmani-Frye

Lead Barika Williams

Lead Gabrielle Guilmart

Lead Hannah Birnbaum

Lead John Santos

Lead Richard Mack

Member Aaron Carr

Member Brett Herschenfeld

Member Caitlin LaCroix

Member Cheryl McKissack Daniel

Member Erin Kelly

Member Frank Quatela

Member Jeannette Garcia-Alonzo, Esq.

Member John Johnson

Member Karim Hutson

Member Moses Gates

Member Nicole Ferreira

Member Peter Fine

Member Pierre Downing

Member Rev. Al Cockfield

Member Yvonne Stennet

Contributor Alexa Sewell

Contributor Aviva Yakren

Contributor Baaba Halm

Contributor Gary Rodney

Contributor Georges Clement

Contributor Kirk Goodrich

Contributor Leila Bozorg

Contributor Rachel Fee

Contributor Renita Francois

Contributor Rick Gropper

Contributor Shams DaBaron

Contributor Ted Houghton

Contributor Valerie White

Contributor Zach Aarons

 

‌Human Services

Lead Anne Williams Isom

Lead Gary Jenkins

Lead Grace Bonilla

Lead Lilliam Barrios Paoli

Lead Ron Richter

Lead David Greenfield

Lead Wayne Ho

Member Alexander Roque

Member Azi Khalili

Member Claudette Macey

Member Dominique Jones

Member Dr. Damyn Kelly

Member Ericka Francois

Member Janice Molnar

Member Jeanette Vega

Member Jennifer March

Member Jessica Orozco

Member Joel Berg

Member Joseph A. Bello

Member Joseph Pressley

Member Karla Cordero

Member Keith Little

Member Laura Mascuch

Member Leslie Gordon

Member Louisa Chafee

Member Marco Damiani

Member Marla Simpson

Member Melanie Lavelle

Member Michelle Akeyempong

Member Michelle Jackson

Member Mohammad Razvi

Member Muzzy Rosenblatt

Member Nancy Ginsburg

Member Natasha Lifton

Member Rachel Cyntron

Member Ramon Peguero

Member Randall Wiltz

Member Randi Levine

Member Sharon Levy

Member Sherry Cleary

Member Udai Tambar

Member Wendy McClinton

Contributor Catherine Trapani

Contributor Ellen Baxter

Contributor Fred Shack

Contributor Gretchen Buckenholz

Contributor Jess Dannhauser

Contributor Jo-ann Yoo

Contributor Jose (Joey) Ortiz

Contributor Leslie Abbey

Contributor Liz Roberts

Contributor Margarita Guzman

Contributor Sister Nancy

Contributor Theo Oshiro

 

‌Immigration

Lead Murad Awawdeh

Lead Nicole Cata

Lead Carlos Menchaca

Lead Howard Shih

Member Annetta Seecharan

Member Bitta Mostofi

Member Darnell Benoit

Member Eddie Taveras

Member Jeannette Garcia-Alonzo, Esq.

Member Jose Bayona

Member Luis Cruz

Member Manuel Castro

Member Marwa Janini

Member Melissa Mark-Viverito

Member Robert Agymang

Member Theo Oshiro

Member Yesenia Mata

 

‌Infrastructure, Climate & Sustainability

Lead Cas Holloway

Lead Jimmy Oddo

Lead Kathryn Mallon

Lead Rohit T. Aggarwala

Lead Ryan Lynch

Lead Terrence Banks

Lead Ydanis Rodriguez

Lead Feniosky Pena Mora

Lead Quemuel Arroyo

Member Ali Rasoulinejad

Member Amy Chester

Member Amy Sugimori

Member Annie Weinstock

Member Betsy Plum

Member Bob Avaltroni

Member Carlo Scissura

Member Cheryl McKissack Daniel

Member Chris Ward

Member Cira Angeles

Member Connie Crawford

Member Dale Bryk

Member Dan Zarrilli

Member Danny Harris

Member Darryl Irick

Member Dwayne C. Sampson

Member Eddie Bautista

Member Fabiola Mendieta-Cuapio

Member Gary LaBarbera

Member Hector Bautista

Member Jaidev Sankar

Member Jaime Faye-Bean

Member Janette Sadik-Khan

Member Jason Razefsky

Member Jennifer Mitchell

Member Joe Geiger

Member John Mandyck

Member Julie Tighe

Member Kashif Hussain

Member Kate Slevin

Member Kathleen Culhane

Member Ligia Guallpo

Member Louis Coletti

Member Manuel Caughman

Member Mario Sena

Member Mark Henry

Member Matt Berlin

Member Michael Freedman-Schnapp

Member Michael Horodniceanu

Member Mike Stamatis

Member Patrick Dolan

Member Peggy Shepard

Member Renae Reynolds

Member Robert Wolf

Member Sarah Charlop-Powers

Member Sue Donoghue

Member Tony Utano

Member Victor J. Herlinsky, Jr.

Member William Suggs Sr.

Contributor Aaron Jones

Contributor Amy Cohen

Contributor Courtney Williams

Contributor Daniel Cassella

Contributor Dr. Janice Barnes

Contributor Eligio Reynoso

Contributor Illya Azaroff

Contributor Jeff Hebert

Contributor John Boulé

Contributor Julia Hustwit

Contributor Kate Boicourt

Contributor Kate Orff

Contributor Ken Podziba

Contributor Laurie Schoeman

Contributor Michael Marrella

Contributor Midori Valdivia

Contributor Phil Ortiz

Contributor Robert Burke

Contributor Sonal Jessel

 

‌Intergov

Lead Corey Johnson

Lead David Yassky

Lead Tiffany Raspberry

Lead William Floyd

Lead Aliya Latif

Lead Seny Taveras

Member Annabel Palma

Member Bhav Tibrewal

Member C. Virginia Fields

Member Haeda Mihaltes

Member Isidro Medina

Member Jason Laidley

Member John Calvelli

Member John Tritt

Member Kevin Riley

Member Kristin Rezek

Member Matthew McNally

Member Max Rose

Member Stephanie D. Nellons-Paige

 

Legal

Lead Judge George Silver

Lead Richard Zabel

Member Dean Michael Cahill

Member Estela Diaz

Member George Ortiz, Esq.

Member Glenda Grace

Member Mark Hanna

Member Mei Lin Kwan-Gett

Member Michael Bosworth

Member Michelle Caruso-Cabrera

Member Mohammed Sawaeer

Member Rhonda S. Binda, Esq.,

Member Thomas Medardo Oliva

Member Victoria Zirkiev

Member Yetta Kurland

Contributor Andrew Gounardes

Contributor Joseph Alexis

Contributor Kenny Montgomery

Contributor Tom Ridges

 

‌Public Safety & Justice

Lead Karol Mason

Lead Candis Tolliver

Lead Erica Bond

Member Alvin Bragg

Member Ama Dwimoh

Member Amy Sananman

Member Billy Watterson

Member Bobby Thursland

Member Camille Joseph Varlack

Member Charles Billups

Member Courtney Bryan

Member Darcel D. Clark

Member David Gold

Member DeAnna Hoskins

Member Derek Powers

Member Divine Pryor

Member Dr. Jeremy Kohomban

Member Elizabeth Gaynes

Member Elizabeth Velez

Member Eric Gonzalez

Member Erica Ford

Member Frederick Shack

Member Horace Neville

Member Isaiah Foster

Member James Harding

Member Jessica Johnson

Member Joel Eisdorfer

Member Josh Mehlman

Member Judge Edwina G. Richardson-Mendelson

Member Julio Medina

Member Larry Davis

Member Lori Davis

Member Lorraine Cortez Vasquez

Member Louis Molina

Member Mark Willis

Member Melinda Alexis Hayes

Member Melinda Katz

Member Michael Blake

Member Michael Jacobson

Member Monique Ferguson Riley

Member Nick Suplina

Member Nick Turner

Member Paul DiGiacomo

Member Raysa Galvez

Member Rev. Dr. Chloe Bryer

Member Richard Aborn

Member Rob Gore

Member Robert Tucker

Member Stefanie McGraw

Member Steve Chananie

Member Susan Shah

Member Tim Pearson

Member Tina Luongo

Member Wayne Spence

Member Xavier Donaldson

Contributor David Mack

Contributor Ebone Carrington

Contributor Marc Holliday

Contributor Msgr. David Casatto

Contributor Msgr. Kevin Sullivan

Contributor Randy Peers

Contributor Rev. Jacques DeGraff

Contributor Thomas J Grech

 

‌Senior Advisors

NYC CouncilMember Peter Koo

NYC CouncilMember Ydanis Rodriguez

NYS AssemblyMember and Chair, Kings Co. Dem. Party Rodneyse Bichotte

NYS AssemblyMember Jenifer Rajkumar

NYS Senator Diane Savino

U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat

 

‌Technology/IT

Lead Andrew Rasiej

Lead Julie Samuels

Lead Rhonda Binda

Member Alexandra Owens

Member Andrew Hoppin

Member Andrew McLaughlin

Member Ann Kirshner

Member Anshu Sinha

Member Art Chang

Member Ayisha Irfan

Member Ben Kallos

Member Clayton Banks

Member Craig Newmark

Member Dan Beeby

Member David Hammer

Member David Kovacs

Member George Alvarez

Member Georges Clement

Member Jeremy Feigelson

Member Jessie Lazarus

Member John Gilbert

Member Jonathan Askin

Member Josh Brietbart

Member Judith Spitz

Member Jukay Hsu

Member Katy Knight

Member Kia Floyd

Member Lori McGlinchey

Member Maria Comella

Member Matt Fraser

Member Michael Bloomberg

Member Natalia Quintero

Member Noel Hidalgo

Member Rebecca Kaden

Member Selvon Smith

Member Ulises Noboa

Member Virginia Lam Abrams

Contributor Bryan Sivak

Contributor Camille Joseph

Contributor David Belt

Contributor Donnel Baird

Contributor Fernando Bohorquez

Contributor Jessica Matthews

Contributor Mark Page

Contributor Michael Dardia

Contributor Michael Pasteur

Contributor Neil Kleinman

Contributor Sam Englebardt

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by Samar Khurshid, senior reporter, Gotham Gazette
     

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Eric Adams’ $18 Million-Plus Campaign


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Eric Adams with New Yorkers (photo: Adams campaign on flickr)


Mayor-elect Eric Adams’ victory came with a hefty price tag. Over the course of the campaign, he raised just over $19.1 million, more than half of which was in public matching funds, and spent about $18.1 million, according to the latest financial disclosures. He also benefited from nearly $8.2 million in independent expenditures in his favor, with little outside spending to oppose him.

Adams was all but assured to win after emerging as the Democratic mayoral nominee from a crowded field of candidates. Through the June 22 primary election, he had already spent about $10.7 million. And while facing weak opposition in the general from Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and several others, Adams spent another $7.2 million to cement his victory.

As a sitting elected official with a deep base of support, Adams enjoyed a fundraising advantage throughout the campaign. He raised more than $9 million in private contributions and received $10.1 million in public matching funds through the city’s campaign finance program, which matches the first $250 of qualifying contributions from city residents at an 8-to-1 ratio. He raised more than $5.6 million from within the city and just under $3 million from outside the five boroughs. He had a total of 15,466 contributors for an average contribution of $560.

Sliwa, by comparison, raised a total of $5.8 million, including $4.2 million in public funds, and spent more than $6 million, leaving his campaign about $203,000 in debt as of the most recent filing.

Adams only spent about $225,000 on fundraising efforts directly, according to the filing. The latest filing was due Tuesday and covered the filing period from October 19 to November 25, showing Adams’ spending in the last frantic weeks of the campaign and the period just after it. He still had more than $1 million left in his campaign account, and has about $142,000 in outstanding liabilities. The final filing of the 2021 campaign is due on January 18.

Adams’ fundraising and spending surpasses Mayor Bill de Blasio’s campaign finances for his two successful elections, though that is in part due to the expansion of the public matching funds program. When de Blasio first won in 2013, he raised about $14.6 million, including just about $4 million in public funds, and spent $13.5 million. In 2017, sailing to reelection, the mayor raised $10 million, including $3.5 million in public funds, and spent $10.1 million, leaving his campaign marginally in debt at the time.

Most of Adams’ spending, nearly $9 million, went to print, television, digital and radio ads. More than $7.5 million of that went to one company, Washington, D.C.-based Great American Media. Another $708,000 was paid to Electric Symphony Media, a firm in Hoboken, New Jersey. Fried CO Media was paid nearly $100,000, Do Big Things, LLC received $66,666 and Opcion Production, Inc. received $87,000. The campaign spent $75,000 on print ads in City & State magazine and $50,000 for TV ads on Sinovision.

Campaign literature and mailers accounted for the second largest expense, at about $2.84 million. Almost the entire amount, about $2.76 million, went to Red Horse Strategies, Adams’ main consultant, which then created, purchased, and sent out materials itself or through other vendors. The firm also received about $125,000 from monthly retainer payments, which were likely in some significant part for the work of Nathan Smith, the firm’s embedded representative on the campaign and credited as its architect by Adams.

Adams’ campaign paid more than $1.67 million to consultants in total, including the payments to Red Horse. That included $275,000 to Tulchin Research, an opinion polling firm. Evan Thies, Adams’ senior advisor for communications, chief campaign spokesperson, and co-head of Pythia Public, was paid a total of $165,000 for his role. Menashe Shapiro, founder of Shapiro Consulting Group, and a strategic communications consultant and rapid response advisor on the campaign, was paid $92,000 by the campaign.

The campaign paid creative digital firm Do Big Things $200,000 and Fried CO Media another  $100,000. It paid the law firm of Pitta LLP a total of $180,000 for consulting and professional services. The firm’s leaders also run a lobbying business, Pitta Bishop Del Giorno LLC, which has lobbied Adams in the past. Tiffany Raspberry Consulting received $94,000 and My Brnd Inc was paid $77,000.

Some of the campaign's payments to consultants have come under question. The New York Post first reported that the campaign paid $81,000 to Edu Hermelyn, husband of Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte, who chairs the Brooklyn Democratic Party and endorsed Adams in the primary. Edu Hermelyn had a limited role on the campaign and little expertise in consulting work, according to the Post’s reporting, raising questions about whether the payments were based on patronage rather than experience.

Barely $107,000 was spent on professional services, largely for attorneys fees. But notably, about $48,000 of that went to the firm Abrams Fensterman, where Frank Carone, a top Adams ally, is a partner. Carone offered Adams office space, at least in the early days of his campaign and legal advice throughout. He and his wife hosted fundraisers for the mayor-elect and each donated the maximum amount to his campaign. According to Politico New York, Carone, who is also the longtime counsel to the Brooklyn Democratic Party, is under consideration to become Adams’ chief of staff.

Though the campaign spent $280,000 on office expenses, including supplies and equipment, it spent barely $78,000 on rent. Of that rent, $40,000 was paid to the Guy R. Brewer United Democratic Club in Queens for office space. Another $12,000 each went for office space rentals to 330 Empire LLC and 1015 Nostrand LLC, $4,000 to 1389 Construction Corp, and $3,000 to E & N Refrigeration Corp. Those rental expenses include only $680 in payments to rent space at Carone’s office in June this year.

Adams’ campaign spent more than $870,000 on campaign worker salaries. Campaign manager Katie Moore, political director of the Hotel Trades Council before joining the campaign, was paid more than $144,000 for her work. Deputy campaign manager Pragya Nandini was paid about $95,000. Top campaign aide Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who is also the Deputy Brooklyn Borough President under Adams, was paid more than $81,000. As reported by The City, she did not take a leave of absence and was also being paid for her official duties at the time, with an annual salary of $172,900.

Independent spenders put $8.18 million behind Adams’ campaign. Most of that financial support came from Strong Leadership NYC Inc, in about $6.3 million in spending. The PAC was created by Jenny Sedlis, executive director of StudentsFirstNYC, a pro-charter school and education reform advocacy group. The PAC’s top donors were hedge fund managers Steve Cohen, Daniel Loeb, and Kenneth Griffin. Hotel Workers for Stronger Communities, a PAC backed by the Hotel Trades Council, which endorsed Adams fairly early in the primary, spent more than $1 million to support him.

Those independent expenditures were largely made during the primary, helping boost Adams to a narrow victory. By the time the primary concluded, outside groups had spent about $7.7 million to support him, far eclipsing the combined outside spending for his two main opponents, former counsel to the mayor Maya Wiley and former sanitation commissioner Kathryn Garcia. Wiley received more than $2.2 million in independent support while Garcia only got about $200,000. In sum during the primary, the money spent in support of Adams — both by his campaign and outside entities — was more than the combined spending for Garcia and Wiley.

***
by Samar Khurshid, senior reporter, Gotham Gazette
     

Read more by this writer.



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